Jerry Mathers said 'Leave It to Beaver' is situational comedy, not a documentary...

[TMC]

of the '50s

https://www.metv.com/stories/Jerry-M...ary-of-the-50s

"They were writing situational comedy. So, there were things that were stretched that would [never] happen."

November 4, 2022, 10:31AM By MeTV Staff

When watching Leave It to Beaver, it's normal to feel a wave of nostalgia. For some people, the show brings back memories of a simpler time. Many believe the show gave insight into how American families were during the earlier decades. They saw a tight-knit, middle-class family with parents that allowed their children to express themselves and learn valuable lessons.

Although these families were all over the nation, Leave It to Beaver wasn't trying to recreate this All-American family image. Jerry Mathers believes that the series is not a documentary of the '50s. During an interview with the Television Academy, Mathers shared his views on the show's concept.

He began by focusing on what he thought was interesting. "The boys [were] always sent up to change for dinner and were always told to go up and wash," he said. "And people would say, 'that never happened,' but, Mr. Connelly, I would go over every once in a while to his house, his kids would go [upstairs] and wash and put on clean clothes [before dinner]."

Mathers is referring to one of the show's writers, Joe Connelly. He then went on to talk about how Connelly and the show's other writer, Bob Mosher, were aware that Leave It to Beaver was one of the first shows about an American family, especially from a child's point of view, to be seen worldwide.

"Some of the shows that were family shows [only] showed in the United States, but they didn't have worldwide recognition," the actor added. "So they were very cautious of presenting [the] United States in a very good light. Leave It to Beaver has played in 91 languages in 127 countries."

Mathers noticed that the landscape of sitcoms has changed since the show's debut and believes that many series similar to Leave It To Beaver are reality-based, even if they're situational comedies.

"If you watch most of the shows today, they're done by stand-up comedians, and they're 'Set up, set up, joke,'" he said while talking about sitcom formats. "Leave It to Beaver is not like that. There are no big laughs in the show. The comedy comes out of the situations [based] on the characters. It's not joke-orientated."

Although the series was family-centered and filmed during the '50s, Mathers said the show was not trying to portray life during that time.

"Leave It to Beaver is not a documentary of the '50s. Since we were filmed during that time, [viewers] thought that [we were trying to portray how the world was at that time]. It wasn't that. They were writing situational comedy. So, there were things that were stretched that would [never] happen. But, it's not a documentary."

[stevea]

Jerry says LITB is a "situational comedy", [a sitcom], not a documentary. What a revelation.

"The boys were always sent upstairs to change for dinner." Really? I don't recall many instances of that happening, if any. I remember an instance where Beaver came to the table in a dirty shirt ("Nobody Loves Me"), and there was a discussion about him going to change. But June said his food would get cold if he did, so that was that. As another poster observed about how they dressed overly formally (such as Ward in a coat and tie in the evening), the answer is probably as simple as "wanting to look nice for the TV audience." Not a deep statement on manner of dress for the 1950s family.

Stars sometimes don't know their shows as well as fans. In his book, Jerry says we never knew Miss Landers' first name. In "Miss Landers' Fiancé," Mr. Brittingham refers to her as Alice.

[Yong Fang]

What I thought was weird was Ward wearing a tie for dinner. Just dinner, nothing special. Normally, when a man comes home from an office job, they get out of their work clothes into something comfortable. I guess Ward could have found ties comfortable but he would be in a tiny minority.

[Tankeryanker]

Originally Posted by Yong Fang

What I thought was weird was Ward wearing a tie for dinner. Just dinner, nothing special.

This goes to my idea and now Jerry saying that the actors were coming into our homes and according to Jerry, and the world's homes. I think they wanted to be dressed respectfully for that.

What time of day did Beaver come on? It was the evening during the original run, wasn't it?


You used to dress for others and not just yourself. That was one of the issues with the monster sweatshirt(s).

[stevea]

I think most of the run Beaver was on Thurs. at 7:30 pm.

[vitoscotti]

Tony Dow numerous times said if a line or scene got too big a laugh it got cut or changed. If that's what they did it was ridiculous. Its a sitcom. The life lesson message would still get through. Any way there were laughs throughout the show. What's too big a laugh?

Speaking of actors not knowing their own shows. When the TAGS cast was on Donahue it was pretty obvious how much they forgot, didn't know, or didn't want to know about the show. George Lindsey (Goober) said Goober's theme was being a problem solver. He was serious.

[stevea]

Originally Posted by vitoscotti

Tony Dow numerous times said if a line or scene got too big a laugh it got cut or changed. If that's what they did it was ridiculous. Its a sitcom. The life lesson message would still get through. Any way there were laughs throughout the show. What's too big a laugh?

I've heard that Tony Dow quote. A single camera show (which Beaver was) has no audience--laughter is the so-called canned laughter inserted later. (Virtually all old single camera comedies had a canned laugh track--notable exceptions were The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and The Burns and Allen Show, both of which were played to an audience for responses.)

So, too big a laugh from who?

[CosmicCharlie]

Leave It to Beaver has played in 91 languages in 127 countries.

I love to see the version in (say) Chinese ?

[GentlemanJim]

Mathers might very well believe this, but there are entire chapters in books devoted to recounting how companies such as Procter & Gamble and A&P had "significant input" into making sure the shows they were sponsoring projected the kind of image they wanted their customers to see.

Exploiting a sense of fraternity. aka "be like the Cleavers, and use Crest" ( or whatever)

[vitoscotti]

Originally Posted by CosmicCharlie

Leave It to Beaver has played in 91 languages in 127 countries.

I love to see the version in (say) Chinese ?

Wonder what the viewers in China thought when Ward went shopping and brought home Chinese tv dinners? Were they jumping around the tv for joy?

[Torgo]

Yes, I'm sure they got excited over Americanized Chinese food.

[stevea]

Originally Posted by Torgo

Yes, I'm sure they got excited over Americanized Chinese food.

Especially frozen dinners!