The Donna Reed Show

The Donna Reed Show Cast

Series Description

The Donna Reed Show was a 30 minute comedy series on ABC about a "dream family" where there are problems but everyone loves everyone else and all turns out all right in the end. Mom stayed home, dad was a doctor and the two teenagers rarely did anything worse than tell a little white lie. The tragedies were measles, broken household appliances, acne, unfullfilled puppy love and so on. The show was actually developed for Donna Reed which accounts for the name.

Donna Reed Show Cast

Donna Reed .... Donna Stone
Carl Betz .... Doctor Alex Stone
Paul Petersen .... Jeff Stone
Shelley Fabares .... Mary Stone
Patty Petersen .... Trisha Stone
Ann McCrea .... Midge Kelsey
Bob Crane .... Dr. Dave Kelsey
Janet Langard .... Karen Holmby

Donna Reed Show Trivia

The theme song for the Donna Reed Show was titled, "Happy Days" and was written by William Loose and John Seely.

Doctor Stone was a Pediatrician.

The Donna Reed Show was set in the small town of Hilldale.

When the Donna Reed Show began, Donna and Alex Stone had been married for 15 years.

Several family and medical groups honored the series with awards. In fact, the President of the American Medical Association made a brief appearance on one episode.

The Donna Reed Show remained on the air so long that the original children grew up. Mary left for college in 1962 and Jeff did the same two seasons later. An 8-year-old orphan named Trisha was adopted by the Stones joined the cast in January of 1963 to maintain the "family" appeal of the series. Patty Peterson who played Trisha was Paul Peterson's (Jeff Stone) real-life sister!

Carl Betz died in 1978 from lung cancer and Donna Reed in 1986 from pancreatic cancer.

The series was produced by Tony Owen who also happened to be Donna Reed's husband.

On a January 1962 episode, Paul Peterson sang the song, "She Can't Find Her Keys" and it immediately became a hit! He had several other top-selling records after that. Shelley Fabares sang a song on the Donna Reed Show called, "Johnny Angel" and it became the #1 hit on the charts! It became a gold record, selling more than one million copies! Both Paul and Shelley recorded further hits over the next couple of years.

Shelley Fabares was a child model at age 3. By the age of 8, she had landed a regular role on the series, "Annie Oakley (1954)". In 1953 she appeared on a TV special as Frank Sinatra's dancing partner. She co-starred in three Elvis Presley movies. She is perhaps best known today for her starring role on the series, "Coach (1989)".

Several actors who would later become stars had their first major major roles on the Donna Reed Show. Among them were John Astin in episode #117, "Mouse At Play"; James Darren in episode #28, "April Fool" and George Hamilton in episode #20, "Have Fun".

Episodes List With Original Air Dates

Season 1

1. Weekend Trip (9/24/1958)
2. Pardon My GLoves (10/1/1958)
3. The Hike (10/8/1958)
4. Male Ego (10/15/1958)
5. The Football Uniform (10/22/1958)
6. The Foundling (10/29/1958)
7. Three-Part Mother (11/5/1958)
8. Change Partners And Dance (11/12/1958)
9. Dough Re Mi (11/19/1958)
10. Guest In The House (11/26/1958)
11. The Baby Contest (12/3/1958)
12. The Beaded Bag (12/10/1958)
13. The Busy Body (12/17/1958)
14. A Very Merry Christmas (12/24/1958)
15. Mary's Double date (12/31/1958)
16. Jeff's Double life (1/7/1959)
17. Nothing But The Truth (1/14/1959)
18. It's the principle of the thing (1/21/1959)
19. Jeff vs. Mary (1/28/1959)
20. Have Fun (2/4/1959)
21. Donna Plays Cupid (2/11/1959)
22. Love Thy Neighbor (2/18/1959)
23. The Report Card (2/25/1959)
24. Boys Will Be Boys (3/4/1959)
25. The Ideal Wife (3/11/1959)
26. Mary's Campaign (3/18/1959)
27. The Flowered Print Dress (3/25/1959)
28. April Fool (4/1/1959)
29. The Parting Of The Ways (4/8/1959)
30. The Hero (4/15/1959)
31. Do You Trust Your Child? (4/22/1959)
32. Grateful Patient (4/29/1959)
33. The Testimonial (5/6/1959)
34. Miss Lovelace Comes To Tea (5/13/1959)
35. Tomorrow Comes Too Soon (5/20/1959)
36. Advice To Young Lovers (5/27/1959)
37. Operation Deadbeat (6/3/1959)

Season 2

38. That's Show Business (9/24/1959)
39. Sleep No More My Lady (10/1/1959)
40. A Penny Earned (10/8/1959)
41. A Friend Indeed (10/15/1959)
42. The First Child (10/22/1959)
43. Going Steady (10/29/1959)
44. The Neighborly Gesture (11/5/1959)
45. Nothing Like A Good Book (11/12/1959)
46. Flowers For The Teacher (11/19/1959)
47. All Mothers Worry (11/26/1959)
48. Jeff Joins A Club (12/3/1959)
49. The Punishment (12/10/1959)
50. A Difference Of Opinion (12/17/1959)
51. The Homecoming Dance (12/24/1959)
52. The Lucky Girl (12/31/1959)
53. The Broken Spirit (1/7/1960)
54. The Secret (1/14/1960)
55. The New Mother (1/21/1960)
56. Just A Housewife (1/28/1960)
57. The Free Soul (2/4/1960)
58. The First Quarrel (2/11/1960)
59. A Place To Go (2/18/1960)
60. A Night To Howl (2/25/1960)
61. The Editorial (3/3/1960)
62. The Gentle Dew (3/10/1960)
63. The Fatal Leap (3/17/1960)
64. The Perfect Pitch (3/24/1960)
65. Pickles For Charity (4/7/1960)
66. Mary's Growing Pain (4/14/1960)
67. Alex Runs The House (4/21/1960)
68. The Career Woman (4/28/1960)
69. Jeff, The Financial Genius (5/5/1960)
70. Mary's Crusade (5/12/1960)
71. The First Time We Met (5/19/1960)
72. The Gossip (5/26/1960)
73. Love's Sweet Awakening (6/2/1960)
74. The Wedding Present (6/9/1960)
75. Cool Cat (6/16/1960)

Season 3

76. Weekend (9/15/1960)
77. The Mystery Woman (9/22/1960)
78. Donna Decorates (9/29/1960)
79. The Love Letter (10/6/1960)
80. How The Other Side Lives (10/20/1960)
81. Alex's Twin (10/27/1960)
82. Worried ANYOne? (11/3/1960)
83. Higher Learning (11/10/1960)
84. Never Marry A Doctor (11/17/1960)
85. It Only Hurts When I Laugh (11/24/1960)
86. The Model Daughter (12/1/1960)
87. DecisionS, DecisionS, Decisions (12/8/1960)
88. Donna Goes To A Reunion (12/15/1960)
89. Someone Is Watching (12/22/1960)
90. The Lean And Hungry Look (12/29/1960)
91. Character Building (1/5/1961)
92. World's Greatest Entertainer (1/12/1961)
93. Variations On A Theme (1/19/1961)
94. The Stones Go Hollywood (1/26/1961)
95. Donna Directs A Play (2/2/1961)
96. Trip To Nowhere (2/9/1961)
97. The Geisha Girl (2/16/1961)
98. The Busy People (2/23/1961)
99. Tony Martin Visits (3/2/1961)
100. Aunt Belle's Earrings (3/9/1961)
101. Poodle Parlor (3/16/1961)
102. Mary's Heart Throb (3/23/1961)
103. Donna's Helping Hand (3/30/1961)
104. The Merry Month Of April (4/6/1961)
105. Music Hath Charms (4/13/1961)
106. Let's Look At Love (4/20/1961)
107. For Better Or Worse (4/27/1961)
108. Jeff, The Treasurer (5/4/1961)
109. The Good Guys And The Bad Guys (5/11/1961)
110. Military School (5/18/1961)
111. Mary's Driving Lesson (5/25/1961)
112. The Mustache (6/1/1961)
113. Mary's Little Lambs (6/8/1961)

Season 4

114. One Starry Night (9/14/1961)
115. A Rose Is A Rose (9/21/1961)
116. The Close Shave (9/28/1961)
117. Mouse At PLAY (10/5/1961)
118. The Monster (10/12/1961)
119. New Girl In Town (10/19/1961)
120. One Of Those Days (10/26/1961)
121. All Is ForgiveN (11/2/1961)
122. The Electrical Storm (11/9/1961)
123. The Paper Tycoon (11/16/1961)
124. Private Tutor (11/23/1961)
125. Alex, The Professor (11/30/1961)
126. The Fabulous O'Hara (12/7/1961)
127. Way Of A Woman (12/14/1961)
128. A Very Bright Boy (12/21/1961)
129. The Toughest Kid In School (12/28/1961)
130. Doctor Stone And His Horseless Carriage (1/11/1962)
131. For Angie With Love (1/18/1962)
132. Aloha Kimi (1/25/1962)
133. Donna's Prima Donna (2/1/1962)
134. Explorers Ten (2/8/1962)
135. The New Office (2/15/1962)
136. The Golden Trap (2/22/1962)
137. Free Flight (3/1/1962)
138. The Wide Open Spaces (3/8/1962)
139. The Fireball (3/15/1962)
140. Once Upon A Timepiece (3/22/1962)
141. Hilldale 500 (3/29/1962)
142. Winner Take All (4/5/1962)
143. Skin Deep (4/12/1962)
144. The Fortune Teller (4/19/1962)
145. Man Of Action (4/26/1962)
146. Donna Meets Roberta (5/3/1962)
147. The Caravan (5/10/1962)
148. The Swingin' Set (5/17/1962)
149. On To Fairview (5/24/1962)
150. The Man In The Mask (5/31/1962)
151. The Father Image (6/7/1962)
152. Dear Wife (6/14/1962)

Season 5

153. Mister Nic GUY (9/20/1962)
154. Mrs. Stone and Doctor Hyde (9/27/1962)
155. To Be A Boy (10/4/1962)
156. Who Needs Glasses? (10/11/1962)
157. Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary (10/18/1962)
158. My Dad (10/25/1962)
159. A Woman's Place (11/1/1962)
160. Rebel With A Cause (11/8/1962)
161. Big Star (11/15/1962)
162. Man To Man (11/22/1962)
163. The Baby Buggy (11/29/1962)
164. The Makeover Man (12/6/1962)
165. The Winning Ticket (12/13/1962)
166. The Soft Touch (12/20/1962)
167. Jeff Stands Alone (12/27/1962)
168. Just A Little Wedding (1/3/1963)
169. Fine Feathers (1/10/1963)
170. The Chinese Horse (1/17/1963)
171. The New Look (11/24/1963)
172. A Way Of Her Own (1/31/1963)
173. Three Is A Family (2/7/1963)
174. Big sixteen (2/14/1963)
175. Pioneer Woman (2/21/1963)
176. The House On The HILL (2/28/1963)
177. Where The Stones Are (3/7/1963)
178. The Two Doctors Stone (3/14/1963)
179. Everywhere that Mary goes (3/21/1963)
180. The HandY Man (3/28/1963)
181. Friends And Neighbors (4/4/1963)
182. Boys And girls (4/11/1963)
183. All Those Dreams (4/18/1963)
184. All Women Are Dangerous (4/25/1963)
185. The Big wheel (5/2/1963)
186. Day Of The Hero (5/9/1963)

Season 6

187. The PLAYMATE (9/19/1963)
188. Brighten The Corner (9/26/1963)
189. Whatever You Wish (10/3/1963)
190. House Divided (10/10/1963)
191. The Boys In 309 (10/17/1963)
192. The Bigger THEY Are (10/24/1963)
193. It Grows On Trees (10/31/1963)
194. Mary Comes Home (11/7/1963)
195. Post Time (11/14/1963)
196. Sweet Mystery Of Wife (11/21/1963)
197. What Are Friends For? (11/28/1963)
198. A Touch Of Glamour (12/5/1963)
199. Air Date (12/12/1963)
200. Moon Shot (12/19/1963)
201. Nice Work (12/26/1963)
202. First Addition (1/2/1964)
203. The Combo (1/9/1964)
204. Who's Rockin' The Partnership? (1/16/1964)
205. Something Funny Happened On The Way To The Altar (1/23/1964)
206. Today I Am A Girl (1/30/1964)
207. Will The Real Chicken Please Stand Up? (2/6/1964)
208. Guest In The Nursery (2/13/1964)
209. Home Sweet Homemaker (2/20/1964)
210. Teamwork (2/27/1964)
211. Neither A Borrower Nor A Lender Be (3/5/1964)
212. Pandemonium In The Condominium (3/12/1964)
213. A Day For Remembering (3/19/1964)
214. One Little Word (3/26/1964)
215. Love Letters Are For Burning (4/2/1964)
216. Four's A Crowd (4/9/1964)
217. My Son The Catcher (4/16/1964)
218. The Pros And The Cons (4/23/1964)

Season 7

219. Operation: Anniversary (9/17/1964)
220. Dad Drops By (9/24/1964)
221. Play Ball (10/1/1964)
222. Who's Who On 202? (10/8/1964)
223. The Daughter Complex (10/15/1964)
224. The Tycoons (10/22/1964)
225. Instant Family (10/29/1964)
226. Royal Flush (11/5/1964)
227. Circumstantial Evidence (11/12/1964)
228. Anyone CAN Drive (11/19/1964)
229. Surprise, Surprise (11/26/1964)
230. Quads Of Trouble (12/3/1964)
231. Donna's Bank Account (12/10/1964)
232. It's All In The Cards (12/17/1964)
233. Old Faithful (12/24/1964)
234. Overture In A-Flat (12/31/1964)
235. Thy Name Is Woman (1/7/1965)
236. Joe College (1/14/1965)
237. Painter Go Home (1/21/1965)
238. Home Wreckonomics (1/28/1965)
239. The Windfall (2/4/1965)
240. Now You See It, Now You Don't (2/11/1965)
241. The Gift Shop (2/18/1965)
242. The Stamp Collector (2/25/1965)
243. Peacocks On The Roof (3/4/1965)
244. Guests, Guests. Who Wants Them? (3/11/1965)
245. The Unheroic Hero (3/18/1965)
246. The Mysterious Smile (3/25/1965)
247. The Rolling Stones (4/1/1965)
248. Indoor Outing (4/8/1965)

Season 8

249. Pop Goes Theresa (9/16/1965)
250. With This Ring (9/23/1965)
251. Boy Meets Girl Machine (9/30/1965)
252. Think Mink (10/7/1965)
253. Four On The Floor (10/14/1965)
254. Charge (10/21/1965)
255. Do Me A Favor, Don't Do Me Any Favors (10/28/1965)
256. Author, Author (11/4/1965)
257. Trees (11/11/1965)
258. The Big League Shock (11/18/1965)
259. The Gladiators (11/25/1965)
260. Rally Around The GirlS, Boys (12/2/1965)
261. Slipped Disc (12/9/1965)
262. Uncle Jeff Needs You (12/16/1965)
263. Never Look A Gift House In The Mouth (12/23/1965)
264. How To Handle A Woman (12/30/1965)
265. My Son, The Councilman (1/6/1966)
266. Do It Yourself Donna (1/15/1966)
267. When I Was Your Age (1/22/1966)
268. Calling Willie Mays (1/29/1966)
269. All This And Voltaire Too? (2/5/1966)
270. The Return Of Mark (2/12/1966)
271. Is There A Small Hotel? (2/19/1966)
272. No More Parties --- Almost (2/26/1966)
273. So You Really Think You're Young At Heart (3/5/1966)
274. What Price Home? (3/12/1966)
275. By-Line --- Jeffrey Stone (3/19/1966)

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