As a teenager, I've only caught reruns of "Leave It To Beaver", and It's fun to see a depiction of how family life used to be portrayed back then compared to now. And now, I want to give my thoughts on the fun and loveable family that follows Beaver in his day-to-day life.
Leave It to Beaver is a heartwarming show that views the life of a boy Theodore (The Beaver) Cleaver, as he goes through day to day life with his parents Ward and June, and older brother Wally, as he has misadventures at home, school, and his suburban neighborhood. The show first aired in 1957 on CBS, was canceled, then the following year, ABC revived the show and it ran until the series ended in 1963.
I think the show excels at giving a nice, wholesome tone. As if you're dealing with the struggles of whatever conflict the Beavers are dealing with that week alongside them. The family feels alive and real, which is important for sitcoms (at least in my opinion.) I'm usually used to seeing a deconstructed… dark side of the nuclear family (cough Moral Orel cough… which Leave It To Beaver inspired, funnily enough.)
What helps the show shine is (obviously) the main character, Beaver. His naivety and well-meaning personality really give the viewer a sense of what life was like in that time period. Seeing him grow up throughout this show and find ways to be a better kid than he was before. He also has some of the funniest out of nowhere lines in the show, thanks to him being an energetic kid.
"When I get married, I'm not gonna take my wife anywhere, not even to Disneyland."
Beaver, S3 E2: Beaver Takes A Bath
Speaking of which, we should talk about the characters and how they play off each other.
There's Wally, Beaver's older brother, who's a nice teenager, trusted by his parents, popular with his friends, liked by his teachers, and idolized by his brother. And their parents, Ward and June, the smart-witted and caring guardians to the 2 of their children. The family is synergetic and works off each other very well! I think the actors (& actress) they cast were perfect matches for the characters. You can really feel the snarky dialogue Ward and June have with each other is coming from a couple who loves one another.
The show has a nostalgic vibe to it as well, even though there's no way I could've grown up with it. Probably because the show is generally through the perspective of a kid. the Cleavers are just a chill family to watch, which is funny seeing how TV in the 21st century has a consistently more cynical viewpoint of the nuclear family.
I'd say my favorite episode has to be Season 3's Wally The Businessman, where Wally gets a job for the summer selling ice cream.
The episode has a lot of laughs (especially the gag at the beginning where June is confused about Ward getting her a jar of pickles), and also a sweet ending.
Wally is, of course, expecting to make all kinds of profit from being such a salesman as this. But, he keeps letting people (his friends, and a kid who's probably starring in the next Stephen King film) walk over him. Quickly getting himself into debt by being soft and giving too much credit. Meanwhile, Beaver's upset at Wally for chasing him away so he won't even eat an Igloo Bar (even if Ward pays for it.)
Wally admits to Beaver he is now short $3.75 and asks Beaver to loan him the money as Beaver has nine dollars saved in his drawer with Beaver refusing. But once his boss comes to collect the money, Wally finds out Beaver had paid the rest off for him.
It's strong family bonds like that, that makes this show endearing to watch.
I find Leave It To Beaver appealing to watch. The show is both comedic and dramatic, leaving you feeling happy with the family life portrayed in this television show. It's a very comfortable show. it won't leave you dying for air, but I think it can and will consistently get a chuckle out of people. I may not be the demographic the show was aiming for, but I can safely say I enjoy it nonetheless. Even if you're a modern-day teen like me, I recommend giving it a shot.
-Trenton Hall
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