New Leave it to Beaver/Still the Beaver

[Yong Fang]

I watched this recently on Youtube and it is really a sweet show. Barbra Billingsley plays the matriach of her family of two sons and three (later four) grandchildren. Ken Osmand who plays Eddie and his real life son (named Freddie here) also star. Also Frank Bank who plays Lumpy Rutherford is also in this. Wally married his high school sweetheart Mary Ellen. Beaver and his two sons live with June (Beaver went through a divorce and the wife left the country) and his two sons which are about the ages of Wally and Beaver growing up.

It is really a nice show and if you havent seen it and are a fan of the original show will really like this. It is set in the 1980's and has a feel for that era, the clothes and the technology of the time.

Eddie turned into an adult version of his teenage self. His son is also like his father but much more empathetic than his father. Eddie has a lot of character flaws but is trying his best to overcome them.

If you liked the original show, Youll like this one also.

[Cx]

I really like it too: "sweet", but not too sugary, being made in the 80s.

I like your observation of the personality differences between Eddie and his son. I'll watch it again to see them.

[stevea]

It's been a long time since I've seen this show, but I just remember Freddie Haskell as just like his dad--I'll have to check out Youtube, too. I thought there was a younger son Bomber on there, too--but I don't remember anything about him. Eddie was definitely his old teenage self.

[vitoscotti]

I never cared for the reboots. I think it would of been interesting if they did a reboot in the early 70s with the same cast and a new creative team making it more topical, edgy or whatever came to their creative minds.

[biffbronson]

It was fantastic that Diane Brewster returned in the role of Miss Canfield, teacher:



Very sadly, she had a short life, passing away at age 60 (1931-91).

Here's Diane in the 1957 film Black Patch:



Diane was quite glamorous in her movie roles.

I should mention that Sue Randall, Miss Landers, passed away in 1984 at age 49 (1935-84).

[howilu]

I remember watching The New Leave it to Beaver when it aired on TBS and Beaver, who was bullied by Lumpy in his childhood, became business partners. We never knew what they did for a living just like Ward in the original show.

June served on the Mayfield City Council and in one episode, Eddie Haskell ran against her in an election but eventually dropped out.

[stevea]

I watched the TBS episodes years ago, too--never saw the Disney channel ones, which was the first season and was called Still the Beaver.

I wish there was a decent DVD set. They are on Youtube but I'd rather watch on a TV screen rather than the computer.

[Stepperry40]

I believe I remember watching in KTLA in early 90s Saturday mornings. It was fun even nearly as good as Leave it to Beaver. Do any of you remember the episode Ensign Cleaver? Did any of the other episodes have flashbacks?