With 235 television episodes of Leave It to Beaver made (including the pilot), it’s hard to create a top ten list, but I did. My favorite top ten Leave It to Beaver television episodes are ones that I can watch over and over! These top ten Leave It to Beaver television episodes are listed alphabetically.
First, here’s how I discovered the glorious world of “The Beav”: When I first saw the listing for this television program back in 1978, I thought it was an animal show because of its title. I watched it, and at first, I didn’t like it too much, but I just couldn’t stop watching it because of the crafty writing of Leave It to Beaver. But I would go years without watching it, then as an adult, I rediscovered it and I’ve been a big fan ever since.
Beaver, The Hero (Episode #207, 1962)
In this Leave It to Beaver episode, Beaver catches the winning touchdown in a grammar school game, even getting a nod in the Mayfield newspaper. People keep telling him how good he is until it goes to his head. The Beav” starts acting like a big shot and even ditches practice the day before the game, and is only set straight after the coach benches him for the next game. Given that I’m a sports fan, this is part of the reason why this particular show is one of my top ten television episodes starring Jerry Mathers.
The Book Report (Episode #225, 1963)
Theodore Cleaver has been putting off doing a book report on The Three Musketeers, and the night before it’s due, he takes his chum Gilbert’s advice and watches the movie version of the book. He thinks he’s getting away with something in this top ten favorite show of mine until he reads his report in class, and makes a complete fool of himself because the movie version he wrote about was a spoof of the book! “The Beav” gets busted by Mrs. Rayburn again, like he has in other television episodes of Leave It to Beaver.
“The Beav” sees a movie about a mad hypnotist, and goes around trying to hypnotize living things when Eddie Haskell comes along in this top ten Leave It to Beaver television episode. Eddie schemes to act like he’s been hypnotized, telling Beaver that he’d kill and steal for him. Theodore Cleaver is really upset over this because he really believes he’s done something really bad. He tells big brother Wally, who comes to the rescue putting Eddie in his place, as often happens in episodes of this show.
Long Distance Call (Episode #193, 1962)
Theodore Cleaver and his friends start making prank phone calls after his parents and Wally leave the house. One of them then gets the idea to call Hall of Fame pitcher Don Drysdale in Los Angeles, and the toll charges ring up because Drysdale is in the shower. Still, they get to say “hi” to the big league star in this Leave It to Beaver television showing. “The Beav” and his pals think he’ll have plenty of time to come up with the money to pay for the call which costs way more than they thought. But thanks to one of “The Beav’s” friends telling his father, a newspaper man, about this happening, the whole city of Mayfield finds out about it. Ward lectures the boys about prank phone calls and puts them to work in his yard to pay off the debt in one of my favorite episodes.
Gilbert eggs on “The Beav” to make a funny face with him for the school picture. Theodore Cleaver, who seems to really love to follow bad advice in many episodes, does make a face, and when the final proof has been sent to the printers, the school administration is furious because of Beaver’s stupidity in this personal top ten of Leave It to Beaver television episodes. In the end, embarrassment is saved for all with a crafty way of hiding “The Beav’s” stupid-looking face.
Theodore Cleaver and his friends spend their money on some horrific-looking sweatshirts in this personal top ten of Leave It to Beaver television episodes. They vow to wear them the next day at school so they can disrupt the class. The next day, none of them are able to get out of the house looking unpresentable except for “The Beav”, who sneaks his sweater out. When he arrives at school, he soon finds that he’s the only one who looks foolish in front of the whole class. I really love the speech about right and wrong that Ward gives to his errant son afterwards.
Tell It to Ella (Episode #202, 1962)
Theodore Cleaver is pissed off because Ward and June won’t let him stay out late anymore on school nights after arriving home really late one school night, griping that his friends can do so. Eddie Haskell hears of this and advises the Leave It to Beaver television star to take his case to the local advice column “Tell It to Ella”. Beaver does in this top ten episode of mine, thinking that Ward and June will get bawled out in the paper, but his actions backfire on him and even his friends get mad at him after their parents read the column, too!
Uncle Billy (Episode #131, 1960)
Edgar Buchanan stars as Ward’s Uncle Billy in this Leave It to Beaver television program, who’s really flamboyant but really stretches the truth. He promises Theodore Cleaver a nice fishing rod and reel, so Beaver goes downtown to await his Uncle’s appearance at the store, which never happens. After a long wait, “The Beav” is really hurt until he runs into Uncle Billy at the barber shop and sees how adults react to Uncle Billy’s telling of tall tales. This is one of my favorite episodes because it gives a peek into the darker side of a blowhard’s life.
The renowned Edgar Buchanan returns as Uncle Billy (of which he’s appeared in two Leave It to Beaver television episodes total, both of which make my top ten list). He offers to take care of the Cleaver siblings while Ward and June go away for the weekend. While at the movies, Theodore Cleaver schemes against his better judgment to sneak Gilbert into the movies, but is caught immediately by the usher. Beaver thinks his Uncle Billy is going to be on his side against the movie theater since he’s allowed him to do what he wanted so far, but comes to learn that his uncle isn’t such a pushover after all!
Ward’s Baseball (Episode #106, 1960)
In this top ten of personal favorite television episodes of Leave It to Beaver, “The Beav” and Larry play catch with Ward’s valuable autographed baseball, but trouble ensues when Larry overthrows it and it lands in the street only to be crushed by an oncoming automobile. Larry comes back from home with a newer ball and they scheme to put on the autographs, but badly misspell the names of some of baseball’s greatest stars. When Ward shows his friend Fred Rutherford the ball, that’s when the crap hits the fan!
