The Donna Reed Show - Season One DVD Review - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TJ · 10-31-2008, 01:32 AM

America’s first favorite TV mom from the golden era has finally come to the digital era on DVD! Season One of The Donna Reed Show is a four disc set that brings you all 37 episodes from the 1958-1959 season of the classic sitcom, along with a sampling of special features.

The Donna Reed Show stars Donna Reed (who else?) as Donna Stone, a 1950s era housewife trying to raise her family in the town of Hillsdale. She has to deal with all of the big problems that all mothers have in keeping the family together, although the problems obviously aren’t so big in this era. She is married to Alex (Carl Betz) a doctor and has two kids, Jeff (Paul Petersen) and Mary (Shelley Fabares).

The series could be dismissed by a naive person as “just another 50s family sitcom,” but the angle on this series is that it focuses on the Donna, and not a male leading cast member. This certainly wasn’t the first series to do that, but it was the first successful family sitcom to accomplish that. The series is an innocent series that doesn’t go into controversial territory, but it does provide a way to escape the harsher realities that a modern sitcom explores. It’s innocent TV at it’s best.

Read our review by Skees here:
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/thedonn...dvdreview.html

Please post any questions or comments about this set.

Lee G · 11-01-2008, 11:23 AM

3 of the 4 discs have 10 episodes on them. That is too many episodes compressed on to one disc. I'm not really a Donna Reed fan so I don't plan to buy this, but they should have made this a 6 disc set with 6 episodes on 5 discs and 7 episodes on the 6th disc. But no, they chose to take the cheap route.

MickeyMac · 11-01-2008, 03:23 PM

Its nice to see a show made before 1968(and a good show at that) on DVD.

catlover79 · 11-02-2008, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickeyMac

Its nice to see a show made before 1968(and a good show at that) on DVD.

I requested the set from the library and can't wait to see it!!

catlover79 · 05-22-2009, 11:03 PM

I'm enjoying the eps so far. Great show!!

Marvo301 · 05-22-2009, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lee G

3 of the 4 discs have 10 episodes on them. That is too many episodes compressed on to one disc. I'm not really a Donna Reed fan so I don't plan to buy this, but they should have made this a 6 disc set with 6 episodes on 5 discs and 7 episodes on the 6th disc. But no, they chose to take the cheap route.

At least they didn't divide the season into 2 volumes!!

catlover79 · 05-22-2009, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marvo301

At least they didn't divide the season into 2 volumes!!

I know - I hate it when they do that!!

MickeyMac · 05-23-2009, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

I'm enjoying the eps so far. Great show!!

I'm glad you finally got a chance to see this show. As the series goes on the show gets better.

catlover79 · 05-23-2009, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickeyMac

I'm glad you finally got a chance to see this show. As the series goes on the show gets better.

I'm on Disc 2 now...and still enjoying it!!

10-31-2008, 01:32 AM	#1
TJ Site Owner Administrator Forum Star Join Date: Feb 03, 2000 Location: Marietta, GA Posts: 10,683	The Donna Reed Show - Season One DVD Review America’s first favorite TV mom from the golden era has finally come to the digital era on DVD! Season One of The Donna Reed Show is a four disc set that brings you all 37 episodes from the 1958-1959 season of the classic sitcom, along with a sampling of special features. The Donna Reed Show stars Donna Reed (who else?) as Donna Stone, a 1950s era housewife trying to raise her family in the town of Hillsdale. She has to deal with all of the big problems that all mothers have in keeping the family together, although the problems obviously aren’t so big in this era. She is married to Alex (Carl Betz) a doctor and has two kids, Jeff (Paul Petersen) and Mary (Shelley Fabares). The series could be dismissed by a naive person as “just another 50s family sitcom,” but the angle on this series is that it focuses on the Donna, and not a male leading cast member. This certainly wasn’t the first series to do that, but it was the first successful family sitcom to accomplish that. The series is an innocent series that doesn’t go into controversial territory, but it does provide a way to escape the harsher realities that a modern sitcom explores. It’s innocent TV at it’s best. Read our review by Skees here: http://www.sitcomsonline.com/thedonn...dvdreview.html Please post any questions or comments about this set.

11-01-2008, 11:23 AM	#2
Lee G Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 24, 2004 Posts: 850	3 of the 4 discs have 10 episodes on them. That is too many episodes compressed on to one disc. I'm not really a Donna Reed fan so I don't plan to buy this, but they should have made this a 6 disc set with 6 episodes on 5 discs and 7 episodes on the 6th disc. But no, they chose to take the cheap route.

11-01-2008, 03:23 PM	#3
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,006	Its nice to see a show made before 1968(and a good show at that) on DVD.

05-22-2009, 11:03 PM	#5
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,382	I'm enjoying the eps so far. Great show!!