Two general Beaver questions, re MeTV

[cd637299]

As much as I have seen “Beaver” since I was a kid, and I’m talking about 57 years ago even in reruns, from what I recall, two things come to mind.

(1) Since there were 234 episodes, an even number, I am almost sure that MeTV is missing one episode. I say this because they are at the beginning episode again, which today (April 25, 2024) was the first in the double run….I am 95% sure that it was the second episode in an earlier cycle. Anyone know?

(2) I know for sure that in the earliest eps, where there was an intro (“….and that’s our story tonight on LITB”), when reruns were on film and run on individual TV stations (in my case WAJA-TV 23 Miami, today WLTV), that intro was placed BEFORE the regular opening (showing copyright date and cast). Nowadays the opening is first, then “…that’s our story…”. I remember on TVLand seeing the regular opening first. So, what’s it really supposed to be? How was it originally? I realize that few here are as old as I am, but maybe there’s historical info out there.

cd

[stevea]

1. I don't know of any particular episode (or scene or snippet of dialog) MeTV skips, on over-the-air TV. I can't speak to streaming, such as Frndly TV, where there could be at at least an episode which is skipped due to music rights. There are seemingly-innocuous instances where young Beaver is singing a song.

MeTV certainly does skip episodes of some shows. Some examples are episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies and My Three Sons.

2. This I can answer. Season 1 DVD set on Shout Factory misplaces the teaser after the opening, and this could be the source MeTV used to master their episodes. I wouldn't be surprised if TV Land simply cut out the teaser.

The Universal Studios season 1 set places the teaser before the opening, which is the proper placement.

In the earliest episodes Hugh Beaumont gave an episode description. In later season one episodes an episode snippet is shown. In at least one episode, where Beaver picks up a dog, Poncho, a snippet is shown which was not included in the actual episode.

[cd637299]

Thanks stevea!

I will just have to print out the episode list, and follow along to see if an ep or 3 or 5 are missing! Shame too.

Now come to think of it, when I saw “Beaver Gets ‘Spelled” on TVLand, it’s very possible that it skipped the teaser. I thought it was run the same way MeTV did it. BTW when AntennaTV had Beaver (as late as 2017?), the prints were not only poorer than MeTV’s, but no distributor tag at the very end either. In fact I know that one Season 1 ep on Antenna had the wrong credits; a different ep’s credits were slapped onto another ep. Of course, credits are shrunken on Antenna now anyway.

I figured that the teaser *shoulda* come first, based on local stations’ film prints. WAJA-TV was notorious for not only NOT keeping the films tidy…..even some filmed *commercials* had those scratches/spots/splicings! I kid you not.

cd

[stevea]

Originally Posted by cd637299

Thanks stevea!

I will just have to print out the episode list, and follow along to see if an ep or 3 or 5 are missing! Shame too.

Now come to think of it, when I saw “Beaver Gets ‘Spelled” on TVLand, it’s very possible that it skipped the teaser. I thought it was run the same way MeTV did it. BTW when AntennaTV had Beaver (as late as 2017?), the prints were not only poorer than MeTV’s, but no distributor tag at the very end either. In fact I know that one Season 1 ep on Antenna had the wrong credits; a different ep’s credits were slapped onto another ep. Of course, credits are shrunken on Antenna now anyway.

I figured that the teaser *shoulda* come first, based on local stations’ film prints. WAJA-TV was notorious for not only NOT keeping the films tidy…..even some filmed *commercials* had those scratches/spots/splicings! I kid you not.

cd

On MeTV the episode "Wally's Track Meet" (season 4) is from an inferior print (probably a 16mm syndication print), with credits from the previous episode.

Also, on MeTV some of the season 1 episodes have poor audio. I haven't compared them to DVD.