Love the casting of the show. Don't get me wrong. But what if Rusty Stevens and Ken Osmond got the parts of Beaver & Wally? Richard Deacon got the part of Ward Cleaver? Jeri Weil got the part of a female Cleaver family member? As secondary cast they have to be "on" to liven things up. But as Cleavers they'd tone down their spiel quite a bit. The show certainly would be more wild. With a bigger emphasis on comedy.

Madge Blake as June?

Richard Deacon as Ward - LOL

Richard Deacon as Ward - LOL
Just watched an episode Fred tells Ward how you have to stay on kids.
"My Clarance got mouthy. Busted him right in the mouth." There'd be corporal punishment in the new recasted Cleaver house. The new June (Madge Blake) would be in a tizzy.

Oh this sounds great! Focus on the Mondello or Haskell family. Mr. Haskell (Richard Deacon), Mrs. Haskell (Madge Blake), Eddie, Larry, and Judy (Jeri Weil). And Fred is the same jerk.

First of all ABC would have a cow.

What do the books say about why Mathers and Dow were selected? I don't think this was a decision made without due deliberation.

I seem to recall some mention that Dow was selected for his "all american" jock type demeanor, something that would have been a harder sell for Osmond. And I just don't see 1950's Hollywood giving an eponymous role to a fat kid, so I suspect Stevens is questionable as well.

What do the books say about why Mathers and Dow were selected? I don't think this was a decision made without due deliberation.

I seem to recall some mention that Dow was selected for his "all american" jock type demeanor, something that would have been a harder sell for Osmond. And I just don't see 1950's Hollywood giving an eponymous role to a fat kid, so I suspect Stevens is questionable as well.

Supposedly Connelly and Mosher liked the fact that Mathers (at the final callback) was more concerned about his Cub Scout meeting than getting the part.

possibly Eddie's part he was not such a jerk (?) but then evolved into it ?

I think so. His original part, I think, was to be a one-off, but he was a hit. His first appearance was in New Neighbors, I think, and the adversarial relationship with Beaver must have struck a chord. And they developed the wise-guy character.

Ken Osmond missed a lot of season 2, and I think (but there's no backup to it) his contract was being negotiated.

possibly Eddie's part he was not such a jerk (?) but then evolved into it ?

I think that Tony Dow had the kind of face you expected to see on the front of a milk carton, while you would expect to see Osmond on the back...lol!

Ken Osmond & Rusty Stevens were brilliant comedic actors playing their parts. They're funny not saying a word. There's a streak of 15 Larry episodes season 2 into 3 that are phenomenal.

If you haven't seen it yet, check out the pilot episode which features a different Ward and Wally. Here are some clips:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJe1e_T_FIs

If you haven't seen it yet, check out the pilot episode which features a different Ward and Wally. Here are some clips:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJe1e_T_FIs
One Cleaver miscast would of destroyed the show. Most every actor cast after the pilot show wide was pretty much a brilliant choice.

that pilot clearly has the Eddie part (then called Frankie) being the wise guy type --- so that was part of the original premise ...