Leave It to Beaver

Rating:
Summary: The Show Political Activists Can't Stand
Review: Unlike the first reviewer (the "political activist" whose review has apparently now been deleted), I wouldn't describe this show with terms like "horrible" or "infamous". Nor do I think the characters are "insipid", even though they don't curse every other word, don't use crude humor and inuendo, and don't glorify dysfunctional behavior -- all staples of today's TV shows. (I guess back then the television industry was more respectful of their audience.) The reviewer also takes exception to the fact that June Cleaver looks spotless after a day of housework. This never really bothered me since I always watched it from the perspective that it was just a TV sitcom, not an exposé on how a housewife is supposed to look after a long day of chores. Maybe there's really no need for me to take on the (far out of the mainstream) reviewer since everyone else seems to have the opposite opinion of the show anyway. About the only "complaint" I may have with this series is that Beaver never seemed to learn from past mistakes, but if he did, that might have made the show "insipid".

With that out of the way, here are some of the things I like about this series in contrast to what I dislike about today's TV shows. Whenever Beaver did something wrong, he was confronted with it, admitted he was wrong, and ended up making it right as opposed to being highly regarded as a "bold, non-conformist who played by his own rules" or other such silly formulaic nonsense that has been pushed in recent years. The series glorifies decency, rather than chewing it up, spiting it out, and portraying it as "narrow-mindedness". It also shows that a person lacking common sense will be confronted with hard consequences until they "get it" (as opposed to gaining instant stardom which seems to happen a lot today). In the end, I like the "un-reality" of this old show because it is an escape not only from the bizarre, twisted "reality" of today's TV shows, but also from today's bizarre, twisted real-life world.


Rating:
Summary: best show ever
Review: When I have kids, I will teach them to speak, and then sit them in front of the TV for about 2 years straight and make them watch Leave it to Beaver continuously, with breaks for eating and sleeping. By age 4 or 5, I will have perfect children with relatively little effort on my part except for the cooking.

Rating:
Summary: The Bev Rules!
Review: When I was a kid in the 60s this was one show I could never miss. The show had morality, dignaty and was totally entertaining!
I very much look forward to the release.
I am an author of chess books for kids now. When I was asked by a good friend of Jerry Matters (the Beaver) to send him an autographed copy of my Chess For Juniors book (my first book form Random House) it was off in the mail right away! I remember seeing Bever paying chess with Wally once on TV and heard he loved chess. Well what a pleaser to learn that the kid I watched on TV every week wanted my book!
I will buy the entire series on DVD when it comes out!