The Donna Reed Show
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The Donna Reed Show was a situation comedy which aired on ABC from 1958 to 1966. It starred Donna Reed as Donna Stone, a housewife to pediatrician Alex Stone, played by Carl Betz. The couple had two children together, Mary and Jeff. Another series regular (from 1963-1965) was future Hogan's Heroes star Bob Crane. For many years its main sponsor was the Campbell Soup Company with Johnson & Johnson as the main alternate sponsor.
This was an ordinary situation comedy in that parenting problems and the love lives and activities of the children took priority, although it was unique in that Donna took a hand at solving the kids' various problems single-handedly when Alex had to see to patients. It was also unique in that Donna frequently worked as a nurse, at a time when most TV mothers were housewives.
Former "Mouseketeer" Paul Petersen portrayed the son Jeff. The character of Mary, played by Shelley Fabares, became very popular thanks to a single she recorded in 1962 called "Johnny Angel." It sold over a million copies, and Fabares left the show in 1963 to pursue other acting and singing opportunities. In the series, Mary Stone left to attend college away from home, while Petersen's real-life sister Patty Petersen joined the cast as Tricia. (Petersen had his own recording career, his biggest hit being the 1963 single "My Dad", for Colpix Records)
Donna Reed is also alluded to in the Gilmore Girls episode "That Damn Donna Reed", in Season 1.
