I Have Been Enjoying Watching Season Two

of The Donna Reed Show, which lasted for eight years (1958-1966). It was one of those wholesome family shows of the Ike era, but it was widely criticized for being "unrealistic." Well, that wasn't really true for millions of families of that time. Many were close to this "ideal." What separated this program from the others was the fact the mother, in this case Donna Reed, was the center of the show, obviously, or else her name wouldn't be in the title. The other shows it would be the father or the kids or both at the center, with the mothers being on the sidelines for the most part. But in this show, Reed is at the center of the plots.

She had great chemistry with her onscreen husband Carl Betz, who played a doctor with not only an office in the family residence, but he actually made house calls. I think the two "child" actors, Paul Petersen and Shelley Fabares, also had great chemistry with each other and with the adults. Of course Fabares is now married to actor Mike Farrell and has been for years but has mostly dropped out of sight since her health problems early this decade. As for Petersen, he was once married to actress Brenda Benet, who in turn married and divorced actor Bill Bixby and later committed suicide not long after the death of Benet and Bixby's young son. She was said to have been involved with a teenaged Tammy Bruce at the time of her death, and Bruce discovered her body.

Anyway, Petersen went on to marry two more times and has an organization to help child actors. He also made frequent appearances at the Hot August Nights celebration in Reno, though I don't think he was there this year. For some reason I never got his autograph when I went to the Peppermill during his many appearances at HAN.

Reed and Betz died too young, both of cancer. Reed is featured in a chapter of a book on pioneer female TV comedy stars, The Women Who Made Television Funny. I recommend this book.