I take the show seriously, but…
Is Leave it to Beaver just a TV show? Well, Leave it to Beaver can become a big part of our everyday lives, especially if you’re like me and watch it regularly and even fall to sleep to an episode on occasion. But really, it can be taken too seriously by some people. There are those people who would say I’m one such person. After all, when my wife bought me a Leave it to Beaver calendar a few Christmases ago, I never hung it on my wall or used it in any way whatsoever. I was offended by the crude nature of the humor and the sexual innuendos found within the calendar. I felt that was very disrespectful of the wholesome nature of the television show. So, I am one who takes the show very seriously, but in the end, I ALSO realize it is just a TV show.
A behind the scenes look at the Cleaver House on the set of the New Leave it to Beaver show
Don’t be offended
SUMMARY: This article has two points 1) Fans of Leave it to Beaver, especially those in LITB Facebook groups, should not have to worry about offending other fans simply because they have different opinions on certain aspects of the show than others have and this is because 2) Leave it to Beaver is a fictional TV show.
I say all the above to get to this… I have witnessed some Leave it to Beaver fans who get offended if their beliefs about the show i.e. where the city of Mayfield is located or what Ward did for a living are challenged. If they are told, “Hey, it is just a TV show,” some fans get really mad. Try telling some Leave it to Beaver fans that in the episode “Substitute Father,” that Jerry Mathers most likely did not actually say a bad word at all when he allegedly curses at his classmate Arthur. He was only acting. However, some will insist he did say a curse word (I’ve witnessed such discussions). Some fans in various Leave it to Beaver Facebook groups have actually left their group after a heated discussion on this or another similar topic. As for the curse word, in that day and age, it was mostly unheard of for a child actor to curse or be told to curse by a director on a television show. After all, it was just a TV show and it was 1961.
Jerry Mathers is really the Beaver!
But what if the Beaver wasn’t just a fictional character? Jerry Mathers went there on a guest appearance of Married with Children when he played himself on an episode where he was making an appearance at a supermarket grand opening. Watch the episode below. Relevant moments are at the following points in the video 9:25; 12:45; 13:42; 15:00. For Jerry Mathers on this episode of Married with children, he tells Bud and Kelly that he is the Beaver. It is hilarious, but hearing Mathers’ yell those four words, “I AM THE BEAVER!” is a sheer piece of amazing TV history. But let us not forget that even Married with Children was just a TV show.
“Get a Life!” says one actor
The best place that the idea of a sitcom or a 60 minute drama are just the TV shows that they are was best demonstrated by William Shatner during his guest hosting duties on Saturday Night Live. In one of the skits that night, Shatner is speaking at a Star Trek Convention. He was there in the midst of of all those somewhat dysfunctional Trekkies. He was dealing with their many questions but then he lost it. They asked him about some Star Trek minutiae he could not answer, and even some personal stalkish like questions and then he started calling the Trekkies out about how serious they took the show. He complained about them living in their parents’ basements, he told them to grow up, move out, kiss a girl and to get a life. Check out the video below. I really doubt Jerry Mathers or Tony Dow would do this, but one never knows.
A final good thought
Let us all love Leave it to Beaver. It’s absolutely one of the best TV shows ever created. But please remember, it really is just a TV show.
