I have ordered all 6 seasons of Father Knows Best on DVD since I've heard this was your stereotypical 1950's family and I like this type of innocent show of yesteryear.

Does this Anderson family have any warmth and bond like the actors playing the Stone family (The Donna Reed Show). The clip I've seen on youtube the one with the son learning how to dance seemed forced and fake to me (like their performing in a one-night community play) but I'm hoping the show and bond gets better when I watch these episodes on my flat screen.

I believe there was a definite warmth between the characters in this series and there was certainly a bond. You really have to take this series episode by episode because there are some - particularly when comedy is used - that may not seem realistic not only now, but even when the show was in first-runs on the network in the 1950's. At the same time, there are some that give you a good feeling even now.

A few examples of this would both of the Christmas shows. The first is in the First Season, Episode 12 (this is also shown in a flashback in Season Five, Episode 14). The other is in Season Three, episode 15.

One of my favorites is "The Homing Pigeon" shown in Season Three, Episode Five. This weaves two events taking place with-in the family into one theme. There are others, but like many things, each person can find those which he/she likes best.

I believe there was a definite warmth between the characters in this series and there was certainly a bond. You really have to take this series episode by episode because there are some - particularly when comedy is used - that may not seem realistic not only now, but even when the show was in first-runs on the network in the 1950's. At the same time, there are some that give you a good feeling even now.

A few examples of this would both of the Christmas shows. The first is in the First Season, Episode 12 (this is also shown in a flashback in Season Five, Episode 14). The other is in Season Three, episode 15.

One of my favorites is "The Homing Pigeon" shown in Season Three, Episode Five. This weaves two events taking place with-in the family into one theme. There are others, but like many things, each person can find those which he/she likes best.

I'll take your advice & check those episodes out!

I recall a quote from Paul Petersen that the FNB family just "shook hands" and didn't really hang out outside the set.

I have ordered all 6 seasons of Father Knows Best on DVD since I've heard this was your stereotypical 1950's family and I like this type of innocent show of yesteryear.

Does this Anderson family have any warmth and bond like the actors playing the Stone family (The Donna Reed Show). The clip I've seen on youtube the one with the son learning how to dance seemed forced and fake to me (like their performing in a one-night community play) but I'm hoping the show and bond gets better when I watch these episodes on my flat screen.

Personally, I've always connected with the Andersons much better than the Stones, who were, to me, much more "fake".

Your mileage may vary, I reckon...

For obvious reasons , it seems there are fewer people who remember the original "first-run" episodes of 1950s TV shows than there are people!e who recall firt-run shows of following decades.

How many people born in time to go on to remember TVs "golden age" are able to understand computers so as to communicate on social media and blogs or websites such as this one about their childhood memories regarding their favorite TV shows ?

Heck! The youngest cast members of The Brady Bunch who were essentially from 9 to 16 years old in the 1970s are now in their mid 50s at the youngest.

For obvious reasons , it seems there are fewer people who remember the original "first-run" episodes of 1950s TV shows than there are people!e who recall firt-run shows of following decades.

How many people born in time to go on to remember TVs "golden age" are able to understand computers so as to communicate on social media and blogs or websites such as this one about their childhood memories regarding their favorite TV shows ?

Heck! The youngest cast members of The Brady Bunch who were essentially from 9 to 16 years old in the 1970s are now in their mid 50s at the youngest.

Oh, there are plenty of people 70 and older who use computers and, I'm sure, participate in discussion groups.

How many people born in time to go on to remember TVs "golden age" are able to understand computers so as to communicate on social media and blogs or websites such as this one about their childhood memories regarding their favorite TV shows ?



Quite a lot actually. Before they closed the forums, there were many people I came across on IMDB that were in there 70's and older that posted on there. Both my parents, in their 70's use computers, and go on the Internet daily.

Speaking for my parents, but they've owned personal computers going back to the 1980s.

I've never thought this. The family always seemed to care for each other, they'd fight sometimes but they all cared for each other and helped each other out. The only thing I didn't like was in the later seasons of the show the writers kept making Bud a slapstick fall down clown. He'd be falling over furniture or down on the floor for no reason and this was supposed to make us laugh. It was just so out of place for what up until then was a family show that was more concerned with storyline and family relations and teaching lessons to all, then it turned into a slapstick clown show. Same thing happened on Donna Reed Show in the later seasons, the boy in the family also became a sudden slapstick fall down clown and even the father in the series acted stupid and goofy. A real disappointment in what was a quality show.:(