I have watched Leave it to Beaver for years and one thing i have noticed about Beaver is his constantly negative attitude toward girls. It's probably because he was frequently picked on by Judy Hensler and later Penny Woods. Sometimes when he makes a negative remark about girls, I'll shout at the TV 'BEAVER HATES GIRLS! BEAVER HATES GIRLS!"

There were a couple of exceptions. The first one was the episode when he was with Linda Dennison in a tree and he was later pressured to calling her a bad name. The second was when in the last season when he started to become interested in girls.

In Dennis the Menace he made clear girls were off his list. But Beaver really made a point of it. The Linda-in-the-tree episode was a real standout exception. Miss Landers really gave a thoughtful lecture on the subject after Beaver went off on Larry (after all the kids teased him unmercifully) over that.

It appeared the show went overboard with Beaver's dislike for girls. Then late in season 5 someone noticed, hey, he's growing up. Thus the episode with Mary Tyler, whom he liked--but unfortunately she liked Wally.

His early-years disdain could have been the subject of a Ward lecture. He could have concentrated on one of Judy's misdeeds, and reminded Beaver that not all girls are like that, etc.

It's interesting that Ricky Nelson was only a few years older than the Beav when HIS show started, yet he ALWAYS liked girls and enjoyed their attention (and wasn't above flirting with David's dates even in his preteen years).

His early-years disdain could have been the subject of a Ward lecture. He could have concentrated on one of Judy's misdeeds, and reminded Beaver that not all girls are like that, etc.

I think that Ward was wise enough to realize that anatomy and chemistry would eventually overcome those boundries.

Ricky Nelson as pre teen & young teen (11 & 12, 13-15) was irrepressible or some such, whereas, Theadore Beaver is supposed to be a normal preteen to young teen. I think the writers kept him more at a preteen so uncomfortable with girls to large extent instead of show more how boys act as young teens towards girls. Has how boys of 9-12 as well 13-15 young teens interact with girl changed alot since the late 50s-early 60?

I doubt it--they still "test the waters." Such as the scene between Penny and Beaver, after she discovers she's not leaving.

I know others have said it, but I agree--Penny and Beaver would have been a great couple. I'd have liked to see her stay in the cast, and a relationship develop in season 6.