"Still the Beaver - the TV Movie" - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

quenhic · 10-10-2004, 05:58 PM

For Years now I've been trying to get a copy of the 1983 TV movie Still the Beaver, which spanned off the New Leave it to Beaver Series. First of all, what happened in the Movie, and Second, how can I get a copy. It would be great if someone helped me out.

God Bless,

Quentin Hicks

HaskellGirl · 10-29-2004, 04:58 PM

If you've seen the New Leave it to Beaver (not sure if you have or not) you might have already seen the movie...because what they did was cut up the movie into a few different half-hour segments and added a laugh track so they could air it with the series.

What happening in the movie is Beaver is going through a divorce and moves back home. He's trying to get custody of his two sons and wishes to give them a nice upbringing like he had. Wally is a successful lawyer and married Mary Ellen Rogers. They are trying to have a child, but have been unsuccessful. Eddie is a shady contractor and has his own construction company and is building their house, so meanwhile they are living with June as well. Long story short, Beaver gets custody of the boys when his wife moves to Italy to study veterinary medicine (she didn't get into the few vet. schools in the US), but there are still problems since the boys feel like their dad got stuck with them. But the end of course has hope, since Beaver finally bonds with his kids and Mary Ellen and Wally finally have a little daughter.

One of the best parts of the movie are the memories of Ward, which are really touching. Also, Wally and the Beaver have a huge fight and stop speaking to each other which adds some tension. Overall, I liked the movie, but enjoyed the series, especially the later seasons, even more.

And I got the movie and some of the episodes of series on the tape-trading boards of sitcom online. That's a good place to try.

rockrgurl71110 · 11-08-2004, 06:21 PM

Haskellgurl I thought they had a son besides their 9 year old daughter.

HaskellGirl · 11-08-2004, 07:00 PM

At the end of the tv movie, they finally have a little baby girl, Kelly. Oliver, Beaver's youngest son, is about 8 years old. However, when they actually did the series, Kelly, Wally's daughter, is about the same age as Oliver. Mary Ellen then gives birth to a baby boy, who the next season is about 5 years old. So they really took liberties with re-casting and jumping up Wally's kids ages.

So yes, they do have a boy eventually, named Kevin, but in the actually tv movie, they end up with only a girl at that point.

Mark B. · 11-09-2004, 03:08 PM

Actually Haskellgirl, at the end of the movie Wally and Mary Ellen have a baby BOY named Ward. In the series, suddenly they have an 8 year old daughter (Kelly). How's that for a change! Makes Beav's divorce seem like a cake walk next to the wierd things going on at Wally's house!

Another change was that Beaver's oldest son Cory (played by Cory Feldman) became Kipp in the series. At the end of the 1989 movie 'The Burbs', Cory Feldman's character looks at the camera and says "I love this street". The street that the movie takes place on is the same studio backlot location that was home to the Cleavers- I always felt that this line in the movie was a nod to Cory's roll in the STB movie.

Mark

Mark B. · 11-09-2004, 03:14 PM

Oh, and HaskellGirl:

I didn't mean to impune your post on the STB movie by correcting you on the baby issue. I actually forgot this little factoid until I recently saw the movie again.

In fact, I love your synopsis of the movie- not many people here seem to be familiar with the STB movie or NLITB series and you always step up to the plate when the subject comes up. You da bomb!

HaskellGirl · 11-09-2004, 10:26 PM

You know Mark, they must have changed it in the version I have!! June clearly says the baby is named "Kelly"...something about "Wally and Mary Ellen never knew how much joy baby Kelly would bring into their lives until she finally arrived" (I listened to the quote earlier today, but for some reason it wasn't letting me post)...I'm thinking they probably dubbed over the original name, since the baby DID have a blue blanket! That's so funny! I never would have realized if you hadn't mentioned it that they originally had a boy.

Another funny thing is that Kip's real name was Ward too...at least according to Jerry Mather's book. And according to tvtome, it was Ward "Kip" Cleaver. I don't remember an episode where they specifically said that was his name, but maybe it was the episode where they showed how June and Ward met each other.

I'm really glad they switched out Corey for Kip!! I really liked Kip a whole lot better! First of all, I thought he resembled Ward very well. And secondly, he had so much energy and charisma. I thought he was well-cast, and he got a chance to show off his natural music abililty a lot. Do you remember the musical episode? I know people made a big deal about Buffy the Vampire Slayer's musical episode, but NLITB did it first!!

I know I talk about NLITB a lot. People probably get sick of it, but I can't help it! I love that show and I grew up with it. I actually saw NLITB way before I ever saw the original LITB. I think its so amazing how we got to see these characters as kids AND adults. It was truly a great thing. I really hope some station chooses to air this gem again!!!

JudgeGarth · 11-09-2004, 11:22 PM

You're right. They did dub that in.

snl75 · 11-12-2004, 10:39 PM

and one other thing i liked about the movie is when wally and beaver are having that big fight eddie sticks his 2 cents in and beaver finally after all these years stands up to him and once and for all tells him to shut up.

10-10-2004, 05:58 PM	#1
quenhic Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Nov 17, 2001 Location: Chesapeake, Va, U.S.A. Posts: 8	"Still the Beaver - the TV Movie" For Years now I've been trying to get a copy of the 1983 TV movie Still the Beaver, which spanned off the New Leave it to Beaver Series. First of all, what happened in the Movie, and Second, how can I get a copy. It would be great if someone helped me out. God Bless, Quentin Hicks

11-09-2004, 03:08 PM	#5
Mark B. Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Aug 25, 2002 Location: Mayfield USA (Orlando, FL) Posts: 97	Actually Haskellgirl, at the end of the movie Wally and Mary Ellen have a baby BOY named Ward. In the series, suddenly they have an 8 year old daughter (Kelly). How's that for a change! Makes Beav's divorce seem like a cake walk next to the wierd things going on at Wally's house! Another change was that Beaver's oldest son Cory (played by Cory Feldman) became Kipp in the series. At the end of the 1989 movie 'The Burbs', Cory Feldman's character looks at the camera and says "I love this street". The street that the movie takes place on is the same studio backlot location that was home to the Cleavers- I always felt that this line in the movie was a nod to Cory's roll in the STB movie. Mark
	__________________ Mark B. Director, Mayfield Historical Society

10-29-2004, 04:58 PM	#2
HaskellGirl Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jul 15, 2002 Posts: 590	If you've seen the New Leave it to Beaver (not sure if you have or not) you might have already seen the movie...because what they did was cut up the movie into a few different half-hour segments and added a laugh track so they could air it with the series. What happening in the movie is Beaver is going through a divorce and moves back home. He's trying to get custody of his two sons and wishes to give them a nice upbringing like he had. Wally is a successful lawyer and married Mary Ellen Rogers. They are trying to have a child, but have been unsuccessful. Eddie is a shady contractor and has his own construction company and is building their house, so meanwhile they are living with June as well. Long story short, Beaver gets custody of the boys when his wife moves to Italy to study veterinary medicine (she didn't get into the few vet. schools in the US), but there are still problems since the boys feel like their dad got stuck with them. But the end of course has hope, since Beaver finally bonds with his kids and Mary Ellen and Wally finally have a little daughter. One of the best parts of the movie are the memories of Ward, which are really touching. Also, Wally and the Beaver have a huge fight and stop speaking to each other which adds some tension. Overall, I liked the movie, but enjoyed the series, especially the later seasons, even more. And I got the movie and some of the episodes of series on the tape-trading boards of sitcom online. That's a good place to try.

11-08-2004, 06:21 PM	#3
rockrgurl71110 Registered User Frequent Poster Join Date: Nov 07, 2004 Location: Barksdale AFB, LA Posts: 159	Haskellgurl I thought they had a son besides their 9 year old daughter.

11-08-2004, 07:00 PM	#4
HaskellGirl Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jul 15, 2002 Posts: 590	At the end of the tv movie, they finally have a little baby girl, Kelly. Oliver, Beaver's youngest son, is about 8 years old. However, when they actually did the series, Kelly, Wally's daughter, is about the same age as Oliver. Mary Ellen then gives birth to a baby boy, who the next season is about 5 years old. So they really took liberties with re-casting and jumping up Wally's kids ages. So yes, they do have a boy eventually, named Kevin, but in the actually tv movie, they end up with only a girl at that point.

11-09-2004, 03:14 PM	#6
Mark B. Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Aug 25, 2002 Location: Mayfield USA (Orlando, FL) Posts: 97	Oh, and HaskellGirl: I didn't mean to impune your post on the STB movie by correcting you on the baby issue. I actually forgot this little factoid until I recently saw the movie again. In fact, I love your synopsis of the movie- not many people here seem to be familiar with the STB movie or NLITB series and you always step up to the plate when the subject comes up. You da bomb!

11-09-2004, 10:26 PM	#7
HaskellGirl Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jul 15, 2002 Posts: 590	You know Mark, they must have changed it in the version I have!! June clearly says the baby is named "Kelly"...something about "Wally and Mary Ellen never knew how much joy baby Kelly would bring into their lives until she finally arrived" (I listened to the quote earlier today, but for some reason it wasn't letting me post)...I'm thinking they probably dubbed over the original name, since the baby DID have a blue blanket! That's so funny! I never would have realized if you hadn't mentioned it that they originally had a boy. Another funny thing is that Kip's real name was Ward too...at least according to Jerry Mather's book. And according to tvtome, it was Ward "Kip" Cleaver. I don't remember an episode where they specifically said that was his name, but maybe it was the episode where they showed how June and Ward met each other. I'm really glad they switched out Corey for Kip!! I really liked Kip a whole lot better! First of all, I thought he resembled Ward very well. And secondly, he had so much energy and charisma. I thought he was well-cast, and he got a chance to show off his natural music abililty a lot. Do you remember the musical episode? I know people made a big deal about Buffy the Vampire Slayer's musical episode, but NLITB did it first!! I know I talk about NLITB a lot. People probably get sick of it, but I can't help it! I love that show and I grew up with it. I actually saw NLITB way before I ever saw the original LITB. I think its so amazing how we got to see these characters as kids AND adults. It was truly a great thing. I really hope some station chooses to air this gem again!!!

11-09-2004, 11:22 PM	#8
JudgeGarth Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 07, 2004 Location: Wheaton, IL Posts: 443	You're right. They did dub that in.

11-12-2004, 10:39 PM	#9
snl75 Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 25, 2004 Location: in the formen basement watching snl Posts: 1,377	and one other thing i liked about the movie is when wally and beaver are having that big fight eddie sticks his 2 cents in and beaver finally after all these years stands up to him and once and for all tells him to shut up.