LITB Does It Again!

[John Sterren]

Once again, "Leave It To Beaver" has stolen an episode from the vastly superior "Father Knows Best":

"Wally's Dinner Date" is a pathetic rip-off of the classic FKB episode "Bud and the Debutante".

Let me give you the story of "Bud and the Debutante" and you decide:

Bud Anderson is in love with Mary, a local socialite, who also has a crush on him. However, dating her is very expensive. What to do? Jim says to him: "If she refuses to go bowling or to the movies with you, she's not the girl for you." Bud, however, does not have the strength to just be himself and take Mary to the local malt shop. He does, however, take her to a normal movie, but they run into a couple of socialite friends of hers who invite Bud and Mary to go with them to the most expensive restaurant in town. Once there, the foursome eat full meals and when the check arrives, Bud is somehow stuck with it. He opens up his wallet to find less than $10 and the bill is almost $50! The girl, who is a real sweetheart, sees his dilemma and passes money to him under the table. Next day, absolutely miserable and embarrassed, Bud decides to repay Mary by putting the same cash amount(which is all he has in the world) in a white envelope, put it in her mailbox with a note, and never see her again. Jim convinces him to bring it to her face-to-face, and see what happens. He does. And he learns that Mary's feelings for him are deep and real. He invites her to the local malt shop, and she excitingly says yes.

===============================

So, as you can see, a total theft. But worse than that. The original was funny, emotional, profoundly simple, and at times very moving. The LITB version is nothing -- just another weekly paycheck for the writers, director and cast.

One of these days, I'm going to come up with a complete list of episodes that LITB stole from FKB. (I'm sure you all can't wait. )

Sure, LITB was great for a couple years. But come on people, wake up! Sometimes things that were once gold, turn into crapola. Friendships, marriages, jobs, etc. LITB in its last two years is garbage.

[bandito]

Originally posted by John Sterren
Once again, "Leave It To Beaver" has stolen an episode from the vastly superior "Father Knows Best":

"Wally's Dinner Date" is a pathetic rip-off of the classic FKB episode "Bud and the Debutante".

Let me give you the story of "Bud and the Debutante" and you decide:

Bud Anderson is in love with Mary, a local socialite, who also has a crush on him. However, dating her is very expensive. What to do? Jim says to him: "If she refuses to go bowling or to the movies with you, she's not the girl for you." Bud, however, does not have the strength to just be himself and take Mary to the local malt shop. He does, however, take her to a normal movie, but they run into a couple of socialite friends of hers who invite Bud and Mary to go with them to the most expensive restaurant in town. Once there, the foursome eat full meals and when the check arrives, Bud is somehow stuck with it. He opens up his wallet to find less than $10 and the bill is almost $50! The girl, who is a real sweetheart, sees his dilemma and passes money to him under the table. Next day, absolutely miserable and embarrassed, Bud decides to repay Mary by putting the same cash amount(which is all he has in the world) in a white envelope, put it in her mailabox with a note, and never see her again. Jim convinces him to bring it to her face-to-face, and see what happens. He does. And he learns that Mary's feelings for him are deep and real. He invites her to the local malt shop, and she excitingly says yes.

===============================

So, as you can see, a total theft. But worse than that. The original was funny, emotional, profoundly simple, and at times very moving. The LITB version is nothing -- just another weekly paycheck for the writers, director and cast.

One of these days, I'm going to come up with a complete list of episodes that LITB stole from FKB. (I'm sure you all can't wait. )

Sure, LITB was great for a couple years. But come on people, wake up! Sometimes things that were once gold, turn into crapola. Friendships, marriages, etc. LITB in its last two years is garbage.

I don't know about "vastly superior" and I see a little resemblence to "wallys dinner date" But to be honest with you that Litb ep was alot different than the FKB ep you described. Oh, by the way, Leave it to Beaver ROCKS!

[John Sterren]

Originally posted by bandito
But to be honest with you that Litb ep was alot different than the FKB ep you described.

You're right, the Beaver ep was a lot different: witless, dull, meaningless and emotionally flat. And that's not even mentioning the difference in production quality between the 2 shows. FKB was always photographed in glorious, Hollywood-level black-and-white. The last 2 years of LITB looks like each episode was shot in someone's garage.

[sami dg]

I dont know who this guy is although they are certainly entitled to their own opinion, I dont know how anyone could consider any episode of LITB as dull or any adjective near that. This show has just as much staying power if not more than that of FKB. Im sorry I just whole heartedly disagree.

[John Sterren]

Originally posted by sami dg
I dont know who this guy is although they are certainly entitled to their own opinion, I dont know how anyone could consider any episode of LITB as dull or any adjective near that. This show has just as much staying power if not more than that of FKB. Im sorry I just whole heartedly disagree.

Just who this guy is?

Same as you, pal -- just some joker surfing the internet.

You are the victim of blind devotion. Now, I'm all for blind devotion, to a spouse, a child, a friend, a cause.

But to a TV show?????

Come on, every TV show ever made(including FKB) has its ups and downs. It's just in the case of LITB, the downs(the last 2 seasons) were waaaay down.

[HaskellGirl]

I've tried watching Father Knows Best a few times, but I haven't been able to sit through a single episode. Its just so boring to me. I have a sitcom book where the author talks about the two shows though. He writes that after Father Knows Best was on tv, a number of sitcoms came out that clearly emulated that show. "The best of them was also the one that hewed closest to the Anderson model--"Leave it to Beaver". Its derivation is transparent: Springfield became Mayfield, Jim and Margaret became Ward and June Cleaver, Bud became Wally, Princess was eliminated, and the girl called Kitten became a boy called Beaver. "Beaver" was always funnier and less contrived than "Father", but its tone and intent were the same. It was, nonetheless, quite an original series". He goes on a few pages later to state that "the most striking difference between Springfield and Mayfield was that Springfield didn't have an Eddie Haskell" I found that to be a very in interesting observation. Like I said, I've never been able to watch an entire episode of Father Knows Best, but this guy goes on an on about how Eddie Haskell was such an interesting, different , unique, against the grain character, because by the end of the episode, he was rarely unfazed. But back to FKB and LITB..."Where "Father Knows Best" demonstrated ethical and systemic problems, "Beaver" brought the same lessons to the pscyhological sphere." The book is "Honey, I'm Home!" by Gerard Jones. I think its pretty interesting.

[Frnk55]

Come on, every TV show ever made(including FKB) has its ups and downs. It's just in the case of LITB, the downs(the last 2 seasons) were waaaay down.

The last 2 seasons are my favorite.

[John Sterren]

Originally posted by HaskellGirl
I've tried watching Father Knows Best a few times, but I haven't been able to sit through a single episode. Its just so boring to me. I have a sitcom book where the author talks about the two shows though. He writes that after Father Knows Best was on tv, a number of sitcoms came out that clearly emulated that show. "The best of them was also the one that hewed closest to the Anderson model--"Leave it to Beaver". Its derivation is transparent: Springfield became Mayfield, Jim and Margaret became Ward and June Cleaver, Bud became Wally, Princess was eliminated, and the girl called Kitten became a boy called Beaver. "Beaver" was always funnier and less contrived than "Father", but its tone and intent were the same. It was, nonetheless, quite an original series". He goes on a few pages later to state that "the most striking difference between Springfield and Mayfield was that Springfield didn't have an Eddie Haskell" I found that to be a very in interesting observation. Like I said, I've never been able to watch an entire episode of Father Knows Best, but this guy goes on an on about how Eddie Haskell was such an interesting, different , unique, against the grain character, because by the end of the episode, he was rarely unfazed. But back to FKB and LITB..."Where "Father Knows Best" demonstrated ethical and systemic problems, "Beaver" brought the same lessons to the pscyhological sphere." The book is "Honey, I'm Home!" by Gerard Jones. I think its pretty interesting.

VERY interesting. I'll definitely pick up the book.

Of course, I don't know how many eps of FKB you've tried to sit through , but all I can say is try some more. LITB at its best(the first 2 years) and FKB at its best(the first 3) are very similar -- valuing emotional and dramatic honesty over easy yucks. And I think both shows are similar in that they both jumped the shark -- for opposite reasons. IMHO, Beaver jumped when it went down teenage-jerk humor road. FKB jumped when the show starting taking itself too seriously. (And when all the kids grew up and became egoists.)

Anyway, hope I didn't step on anyone's toes.

[*InThisMoment*]

Originally posted by bandito
I don't know about "vastly superior" and I see a little resemblence to "wallys dinner date" But to be honest with you that Litb ep was alot different than the FKB ep you described. Oh, by the way, Leave it to Beaver ROCKS!

Dont Watch FKB But I'm Sure LITB Is Better

[*InThisMoment*]

Originally posted by John Sterren
You're right, the Beaver ep was a lot different: witless, dull, meaningless and emotionally flat. And that's not even mentioning the difference in production quality between the 2 shows. FKB was always photographed in glorious, Hollywood-level black-and-white. The last 2 years of LITB looks like each episode was shot in someone's garage.

[BrandonS]

Originally posted by John Sterren
Once again, "Leave It To Beaver" has stolen an episode from the vastly superior "Father Knows Best":

I find it absolutely fascinating that for some arcane reason you feel compelled to come to this board and tell us that our show sucks.

[*InThisMoment*]

Originally posted by BrandonS
I find it absolutely fascinating that for some arcane reason you feel compelled to come to this board and tell us that our show sucks.

He's Stupid Brandon. He Has No Taste For Fine Shows Like Us Sophisticated People.

[BrandonS]

Originally posted by *MacGyver Gurl*
He's Stupid Brandon. He Has No Taste For Fine Shows Like Us Sophisticated People.

Evidently.

[*InThisMoment*]

Originally posted by BrandonS
Evidently.

Oh Yes Brandon *Puts Cigar In Mouth* Grady Thinks So Too.

[John Sterren]

You two should get married. Are your rest homes near each other?