Best Seasons

[Barrett Reynolds]

What do y'all think were Beaver's best seasons? I actually prefer the later years of the show, because as Wally and Beaver got bigger, so did their respective dilemmas. The first season was great, but the show really got cooking a couple of episodes into the second season.

[tdr]

My favorite seasons are #2 through #4, with #3 being the best.

The reasons I put these ahead of #1, #5, and #6 are because... In season #1, as in all series, they have to establish the roles and relationships, and as usual they struggle a bit. Beaumont played Ward as more strict and authoritarian than he became later. And much of what Beaver says is just repeating Wally; example: W: "Oh sure, Dad." B: "Oh sure, Dad." Definitely some of the best story ideas, taken from real life, are portrayed in this first season, but they might have been played a little better if we knew the characters better and they had better established their interrelationships.

In seasons #5 and #6, the writers or producers did not seem to know what to do with Beaver growing into his teens, and that may be why many eps in these seasons focus on Wally, who is already well in swing with being a teen. Beaver still gets suckered into doing things against his better judgment [e.g., the only one to actually wear the goofy monster t-shirt to school; calling Don Drysdale on his parents' phone] and still does things like he is about 8 years old-- trying to take back his electric train after agreeing to give it away to a small boy; using a whole box of soap in the washing machine. He was too old for these type of incidents to be believable.

In addition, Beaumont had some type of tragedy happen-- I think it was his mother being killed in a car trip from his home in Minnesota while he took a plane to meet a filming schedule-- and he blamed it on his being in LITB. You can see that in these last 2 seasons he is almost never shown wearing anything other than his suit, and he does not show much affection toward June; whereas in the earlier seasons we saw them kiss and touch.

But in seasons #2 through #4, the relationships are established, especially Beaver and his best friend Larry, and the comedy (and some drama) comes from knowing them and how they relate. Both Beaver and Wally are the right age for many new experiences, and Wally has become quite the philosopher to Beaver. Ward is in the prime of being the wise understanding father, and June, although she worries too much about the boys, is redeemed by her graciousness. These were also the seaons of Miss Landers, as understanding as a teacher as Ward and June were as parents.

I have often thought the 'peak' of the show was "In the Soup" in season #4. Beaver is just on the verge of being too old for this type of plot [being childishly suckered] to work any more, but it still works this time. After this, as when Beaver gets conned into helping Richard by letting R. pretend to keep B.'s jacket as his own, he is no longer convincing.

[lukes42]

I would definitely have to agree with tdr's reasoning. Regarding the worst seasons, you can tell that everybody isn't quite into their roles in the first season. Of course, with any show, it takes a little time to ease into a role. Yet, in the last two seasons, it was J.M. ("Beaver") that was the cause of the downfall of the show. He simply outgrew his role and the writers kept portraying him in little boy acts, when it was quite obvious he was no longer a little boy! It was kind of embarassing watching him dress up in a bunny outfit and say things that a little boy would say. But seasons 2, 3, and 4 were by far the best of the show, and we are now into season 2 on TV Land. It is truly great television.

[BUNDYBOY]

3rd, 4th, and 5th seasons were the best!

[starlite]

The best ones are seasons 1-6 with Larry!!!!!!

[Tom]

tdr's reasoning is superb ... exactly in accordance with my own (which is why I find it superb!) http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/redface.gif)

This series peaked in seasons 2-4. The first season was very good, but it's not quite the LITB we know yet. (And it's surprising how Wally talked before his voice changed ... he sounds whiny, and nothing like the Wally of the later years.)

Season 2 was better than 1, and Season 3 (the best) was better than 2. Season 4 (still good) was not as good as 3.

Seasons 5 and 6 were different, with the very last episodes of Season 6 very disappointing.

After seeing those final episodes on TV Land, and then suddenly being taken back to Season 1, one thing struck me immediately. The show had lost its "warmth" in the last seasons. For instance, often during the final moments of an episode, after Beaver has "learnt his lesson," the background music is the series' theme song played slowly. In its corny way, these scenes are quite touching. They stopped doing that in the last couple of seasons, and it gave the show a different tone.

Anyway, the years with Larry Mondello are the best, and the way he was thrown aside (and not even talked about after a while) was really a shame. I noticed he was developing a nervous tic (blinking his eyes) and maybe that had something to do with it.

Of all Beaver's friends, only Whitey lasted through the whole series. They even got rid of Judy Hensler, for reasons I'll never understand.

[TVLanFan]

I've heard (somewhere on one of the message boards on this site) that Larry Mondello left the series because his family moved back east (I think to NJ) after his father accepted a job offer...his REAL father, that is :-)

[DarleneIllyria]

Originally posted by TVLanFan:
I've heard (somewhere on one of the message boards on this site) that Larry Mondello left the series because his family moved back east (I think to NJ) after his father accepted a job offer...his REAL father, that is :-)


I think that is why Larry left also. Atleast, I think it is in the Jerry Mathers book.