more retro rewinds

“Leave It to Beaver” (MeTV, weekdays): Before “Dennis the Menace” arrived on the scene, the Beav (Jerry Mathers) was the “golden boy” for CBS until his series moved to ABC in 1958. This sitcom defines the “golly gee” wholesomeness of 1950s and ‘60s TV, where dad Ward Cleaver (Hugh Beaumont) always gets home in time for dinner, mom June (Barbara Billingsley) cleans the house wearing a dress and pearls, and kids Wally (Tony Dow) and the Beav always learn a lesson by the end of the episode.

“The Donna Reed Show” (Decades, weekdays): In this 1958-1966 series, Donna Stone (Donna Reed), a middle-class housewife, and her pediatrician husband Dr Alex Stone (Carl Betz) face many adventures with their two teenage children, Mary and Jeff (Shelley Fabares,

Paul Petersen). Reed’s character shows a strong woman’s perspective being equally capable as her husband, as a stayat-home mom and active community member.

“Father Knows Best” (Antenna TV, daily): Robert Young was the only actor to carry over from the original radio broadcasts to television in this 1954-1960 series. His character, Jim Anderson, is a hilarious and knowledgeable insurance broker, who also is a model patriarch as he helps his family with their day-to-day problems. Lauren Chapin, Jane Wyatt, Billy Gray and Elinor Donahue also star.

“My Three Sons” (MeTV, daily): This popular 1960-1972 sitcom logged 12 seasons and 380 episodes, following widower Steve Douglas (Fred MacMurray) raising a trio of boys (Stanley Livingston, Don Grady, Tim Considine) with the help of his father-in-law (William Frawley, “I Love Lucy”). The show boasted success on two different networks – airing its first five seasons on ABC before jumping to CBS due to the cost of producing the show in color.