OT: Leave It To Beaver and similar shows | The Boneyard

OT: Leave It To Beaver and similar shows

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I date myself when I refer to these shows, but does anyone on the BY watch them still or watch video clips on Youtube?

I guess you could put Ozzie and Harriet in this category, and My Three Sons with Fred Macmurray.

Personally, I think the shows reflect the "perfect family," which probably never actually existed.

I like to view the Youtube interviews of the characters when grown and as recent as I can find. Jerry Mathers(Beaver), Tony Dow(Wally) and Ken Osmonde, who recently died (Eddie Haskell) present as very well-spoken, friendly people, who were surprised as to the show's ongoing popularity and the fans coming up to introduce themselves at signings.

At the time, Beaver was maybe rated as #10 of the shows then in this genre, and was not considered any big deal.

I find them relaxing to watch.

Had anyone here ever heard Ricky Nelson perform live? His sons play now, and I saw them on Youtube, and found them entertaining.
 

RichZ

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My wife will watch anything in black & white. Old movies, old TV shows, etc. But I think she favors old detective shows over the family sitcoms.
I can watch maybe a half of one before my mind starts to wander.
 

TJT

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One of the things I like about a show such as Leave It to Beaver was it pretty much had all the same characters each episode. Eddy, Lumpy, Gilbert, Whitey, Larry, and Judy were frequently featured. There was no barrage of new characters each week that just appeared in a single show never to be seen again. Constant neighbors, friends, and classmates made it more real.
 
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I date myself when I refer to these shows, but does anyone on the BY watch them still or watch video clips on Youtube?

I guess you could put Ozzie and Harriet in this category, and My Three Sons with Fred Macmurray.

Personally, I think the shows reflect the "perfect family," which probably never actually existed.

I like to view the Youtube interviews of the characters when grown and as recent as I can find. Jerry Mathers(Beaver), Tony Dow(Wally) and Ken Osmonde, who recently died (Eddie Haskell) present as very well-spoken, friendly people, who were surprised as to the show's ongoing popularity and the fans coming up to introduce themselves at signings.

At the time, Beaver was maybe rated as #10 of the shows then in this genre, and was not considered any big deal.

I find them relaxing to watch.

Had anyone here ever heard Ricky Nelson perform live? His sons play now, and I saw them on Youtube, and found them entertaining.
I generally date myself Sunday nights after striking out all weekend.

Ahhh ... Nevermind
 

Waquoit

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I loved Leave It to Beaver reruns when I was kid. I tried getting out of eating Brussel Sprouts by putting them in my pocket. Haven't watched in decades, but I thought the show had real laughs that many old shows don't.

Ricky Nelson is another story. In every clip old I've seen, he looks so unnatural. Like he's not all there. I think he was a victim of child abuse.
 

gtcam

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Grew up with those shows and I have all the dvds and also watch them when on TVLand, Laff, Cozi and the other networks that lean towards these shows
Americana at it's best
 

the Q

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I’m more of a full house and family matters type of viewer.

90s pop culture 4 life
 

cohenzone

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Don’t really watch them although a few years ago I watched a Dick Van Dyke Show marathon. A few years ago I watched a few episodes of Burns and Allen, although it’s not quite of the same Ilk as Beaver or Ozzie and Harriet.
 
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I loved Leave It to Beaver reruns when I was kid. I tried getting out of eating Brussel Sprouts by putting them in my pocket. Haven't watched in decades, but I thought the show had real laughs that many old shows don't.

Ricky Nelson is another story. In every clip old I've seen, he looks so unnatural. Like he's not all there. I think he was a victim of child abuse.
Actually a victim of a very bad marriage for sure. Lots of contention there.
 
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I watch those shows on MeTV every once in awhile. When I was a boy in the '60s, all my parents talked about was leaving Connecticut and moving to California. We never got there.
 
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The shows were simpler and life was simpler. No social media. Or computers. Or traffic or security cams. One phone in the house and everyone could hear you on it.

When my mother told us to go outside to play, the goal was to be home for supper. We were unsupervised all day. Everything you did was on your own with your friends. As a kid you made ton of decisions every day.

The shows were idealized. No bad stuff was shown. They portrayed a very calm normal.
 
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The shows were simpler and life was simpler. No social media. Or computers. Or traffic or security cams. One phone in the house and everyone could hear you on it.

When my mother told us to go outside to play, the goal was to be home for supper. We were unsupervised all day. Everything you did was on your own with your friends. As a kid you made ton of decisions every day.

The shows were idealized. No bad stuff was shown. They portrayed a very calm normal.
Some homes had other phones or extension phones in other rooms. As a kid, I would try to discreetly pick up the extension to overhear conversations. Sometimes, I got away with it and other times, I did not.
 
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I watch a lot of black & white old tv. Did watch the first 6 episodes of Swamp Fox the other night (in color).
 
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The shows were simpler and life was simpler. No social media. Or computers. Or traffic or security cams. One phone in the house and everyone could hear you on it.

When my mother told us to go outside to play, the goal was to be home for supper. We were unsupervised all day. Everything you did was on your own with your friends. As a kid you made ton of decisions every day.

The shows were idealized. No bad stuff was shown. They portrayed a very calm normal.
Interestingly, in those days, divorce was rare and mothers usually stayed at home. I almost never heard of a couple who got divorced, and did not know of many mothers who worked outside the home. If they did, they were helping their husbands in a family owned business.
 

RichZ

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107476792_2446769425615569_7393309272175430297_n.jpg
 
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"Married with Children" is probably a more accurate depiction of a real family.... ;)
Not the same time period. O & H was 1950s.
MWC was the late 80s.
The weren't any shopping malls in the 1950s. No cable TV. And sex was rarely discussed by anyone except teenage boys smoking cigarettes trading misinformation.
 

CL82

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I just started watching the original “Dick Van Dyke Show” pilot. It stats Carl Reiner in the Rob Petrie role. It’s interesting because you see what a difference the eventual cast makes.
 

boba

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My wife will watch anything in black & white. Old movies, old TV shows, etc. But I think she favors old detective shows over the family sitcoms.
I can watch maybe a half of one before my mind starts to wander.
Addams Family on You Tube, don't believe it was shown in color. Great stuff and Gomez, well he's my hero.
 

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