The Andersons go and visit a beat-up Island with all the women/girls wearing dresses, bud wearing slacks and a decent windbreaker, and Jim wearing a blazer. The all rode in a little boat dressed fairly formally.

And every time Jim came home from work, he changed from a suit jacket to a sport jacket he kept in the coat closet. And kept his tie on.

Maybe they thought actors on TV shows were guests in our homes and wanted to be presentable?

Maybe they thought actors on TV shows were guests in our homes and wanted to be presentable?

That's a very interesting way to look at it.

Maybe they thought actors on TV shows were guests in our homes and wanted to be presentable?

That's a very interesting way to look at it.

Yeah, a really astute observation. Back in those days the sponsor owned the show, and this is probably what they wanted.

So you have Ward with the suit and tie, June dressed up to run the vacuum, and all family members nearly always dressed for breakfast.

Heard a great Dick Van Dyke interview last week. He said TDVDS creative staff constantly had interference from the network and sponsors. A lot they couldn't fight. But, they'd plant what he called "red herrings" to keep network and sponsors occupied so they could sneak other deemed objectionable material in. Sounded like a non-stop battle. IF the LITB braintrust gave in to network & sponsors and constantly adjusted wardrobe and scripts without any pushback do they really deserve any praise?