I'm watching the Donna Reed Show with Paul Peterson's real life sister added to the cast being adopted by the family.

Was this the first Show to add a child to the regular cast? I know My Three Sons added Ernie but that character wasn't a regular until after Trisha was added as a regular to the Donna Reed Show. Or at least I think so.

Richard Keith became a regular on I Love Lucy as Little Ricky in season 6. I Love Lucy ended in 1957, and The Donna Reed Show didn't premiere until 1958.

Richard Keith became a regular on I Love Lucy as Little Ricky in season 6. I Love Lucy ended in 1957, and The Donna Reed Show didn't premiere until 1958.

I forgot about that. Yet I guess I didn't phrase my question right. What I meant was what the first show to add a child since the other kids got older. Some other show that did this were, Make Room for Daddy, The Brady Bunch, Married with Children.

Little Ricky didn't have an older sibling. But based on how I originally phrased my question then I Love Lucy did this before the Donna Reed Show.

The one possible answer that comes to mind was when Dodie, played by Dawn Lyn was added to the cast of My Three Sons after Steve married Barbara in 1969. It ended the status of the show as a single parent comedy.

The one possible answer that comes to mind was when Dodie, played by Dawn Lyn was added to the cast of My Three Sons after Steve married Barbara in 1969. It ended the status of the show as a single parent comedy.

Ernie came before Dodie on My Three Sons.

So back to the original revised question. What was the first show to add a child since the other(s) child(ren) got older.

Was there a show before The Donna Reed Show to do this?

Before Trisha: Angela Cartwright (Linda) was added to Make Room for Daddy/The Danny Thomas Show in 1957 when the character remarried. Trisha joined the Stones in 1963.

Before Trisha: Angela Cartwright (Linda) was added to Make Room for Daddy/The Danny Thomas Show in 1957 when the character remarried. Trisha joined the Stones in 1963.

I had forgotten about that. Linda more or less replaced Terry.

The addition of Angela Cartwright was probably the first. The show runners probably knew Sherry Jackson would not last much longer, and she was aging, like Shelley Fabares later. Both wanted out.

So in comes Marjorie Lord at the end of the 1956-57 season, with her daughter, played by Lei Lani Sorensen, and replced for the fifth season by Angela.

The only cast members who made it all 11 seasons were Thomas himself and Rusty Hamer.

The addition of Angela Cartwright was probably the first. The show runners probably knew Sherry Jackson would not last much longer, and she was aging, like Shelley Fabares later. Both wanted out.

So in comes Marjorie Lord at the end of the 1956-57 season, with her daughter, played by Lei Lani Sorensen, and replced for the fifth season by Angela.

The only cast members who made it all 11 seasons were Thomas himself and Rusty Hamer.

Too bad Rusty Hamer couldn't shake being typecast as a wise cracking kid. But being a child actor was hard on many.

Too bad Rusty Hamer couldn't shake being typecast as a wise cracking kid. But being a child actor was hard on many.

Rusty Hamer is another sad child-actor story. I think it was around 1990 he committed suicide.