History Series / LeaveItToBeaver

** In reference to the pearls and heels while doing housework, Barbara Billingsley later explained in interviews that she didn't always wear them, and when she did there were practical reasons for them. She had a hollow in her neck that showed up quite visibly on camera, which the pearls concealed. (Even in later appearances/interviews, she can be seen with either a high-collared blouse or a pearl necklace covering it.) Same with the heels; she sometimes wore flats, but as [[TeensAreShort Dow and Mathers grew, she thought it would be best to maintain a bit of height over them]].

* DidIMentionItsChristmas: At the very end of Season 1's "The Haircut", we see the Beav wearing an angel costume and singing "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" at a school pageant... after no prior mention of Christmas in the whole episode! Even odder, the episode -- which was as close as the series ever got to a ChristmasEpisode -- originally aired in ''October''.

* DoomedAutographedItem: Happens in "Ward's Baseball," where Beaver and Larry Mondello play catch with Beaver's father's baseball, which was signed by ''several'' well-known baseball players (including Creator/BabeRuth and Creator/LouGehrig). They ruin it, of course, and none-too-successfully attempt to forge the signatures themselves on a replacement ball.

* DoomedAutographedItem: Happens in "Ward's Baseball," where Beaver and Larry Mondello play catch with Beaver's father's baseball, which was signed by ''several'' famous baseball players (including Creator/BabeRuth and UsefulNotes/LouGehrig). They ruin it, of course, and none-too-successfully attempt to forge the signatures themselves on a replacement ball.

Beaver was played by Jerry Mathers in the series, and by Cameron Finley in the film. Wally was played by Tony Dow in the series, and by Creator/ErikVonDetten in the film. Ward was played by Hugh Beaumont in the series, and by Creator/ChristopherMcDonald in the film. June was played by Barbara Billingsley in the series, and by Creator/JanineTurner in the film.

Hugh Beaumont was a minister and extremely devout (he had Conscientious Objector status during WWII and served only as a medic). He wrote and directed several episodes and wanted the show to reflect Methodist values. However, he was not deeply involved and indeed blamed the show for the death of his mother-in-law and near-death of his own son Hunter.[[note]] When Beaumont had to fly out to California for filming, Hunter drove with the rest of the family; two tires blew out and he went off the road. [[/note]]

The archetypal [[TheFifties 1950s]] American slice-of-life DomCom and somewhat unusual in that it focused on the youngest member of the Cleaver family, eight-year-old (at the start) Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver. He had an older brother, the JuniorHigh-aged (also at the start) Wally. Their parents, Ward and June, rounded out the family group.

[[quoteright:305:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/leave_it_to_beaver_cast.JPG]]

The archetypal [[TheFifties 1950s]] American slice-of-life DomCom, slightly unusual in that it focused on the youngest member of the Cleaver family, 8-year-old (at the start) Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver. He had an older brother, the JuniorHigh-aged (also at the start) Wally. Parents Ward and June rounded out the family group.

The series debuted on Creator/{{CBS}} in 1957, then after one season it [[ChannelHop channel hopped]] to Creator/{{ABC}}, where it ran until 1963. A reunion movie called ''Still the Beaver'' aired on CBS in 1983, which led to a subsequent series that aired on Creator/DisneyChannel (then in its infancy), Creator/{{TBS}} and syndication, eventually being retitled as ''The New Leave it to Beaver''. TheFilmOfTheSeries was released in 1997 was somewhat of a present day look at the Cleaver clan, but with more of an AffectionateParody vibe.

Probably the third-most famous sitcom of TheFifties, behind ''Series/ILoveLucy'' and ''Series/TheHoneymooners''. Along with ''Series/FatherKnowsBest'', it is always invoked when looking back on 1950s culture and family life, whether as a matter of nostalgia, pop culture history, lighthearted parody, or scathing satire. People [[StealthPun always seem to dwell on]] the tract housing with white picket fences, or the fact that June Cleaver ''always'' wore pearls and high heels, even when doing the most menial tasks.

Hugh Beaumont was a minister and extremely devout (he had Conscientious Objector status during WWII and served only as a medic). He wrote and directed several episodes and wanted the show to reflect Methodist values. However, he was not deeply involved and indeed blamed the show for the death of his mother-in-law and near-death of his own son Hunter[[note]]When Beaumont had to fly out to California for filming, Hunter drove with the rest of the family; two tires blew out and he went off the road[[/note]].

The Beaver was played by Jerry Mathers in the series, and by Cameron Finley in the film. Wally was played by Tony Dow in the series, and by Erik von Detten in the film. Ward was played by Hugh Beaumont in the series, and by Christopher [=McDonald=] in the film. June was played by Barbara Billingsley in the series, and by Janine Turner in the film.

%% * DevilInPlainSight, DropInCharacter, MouthyKid: Eddie Haskell

%%* FromTheMouthsOfBabes
%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

%%* YourTomcatIsPregnant

* ExactWords: In “The Haircut,” Ward and June find out that the real reason Beaver and Wally are wearing ugly hats is to hide the fact that Wally gave Beaver a bad haircut because Beaver lost his money. Ward gives them a chance to admit the truth. Rather than lie, Beaver uses these when questioned about his trip to the barber shop, saying that [[MetaphoricalTruth he went to the barber shop and he got a hair cut.]] — just not in the same venue.

* IWasBeatenByAGirl: "The Black Eye" has 8-year-old Beaver [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin come home from school with a black eye]]. When Ward finds out he didn't fight back, he's horrified and insists on giving Beaver boxing lessons. He even goes so far as to tell Beaver he should go and find the kid who gave him the black eye and instigate a fight to show them he can't be pushed around. Hilarity Ensues when Ward finds out that Beaver's black eye came from a girl in his class, just after June informs him that Beaver has left for her house. Ward and the girl's father chase the kids all over town, convinced through Gossip Evolution that Beaver and Violet are in some sort of fight to the death. In reality, Beaver asked if Violet wanted to fight, she said she didn't, and they found other things to do.

%% * JerkAss: Eddie Haskell.

%% * KidCom: Possibly the UrExample.

* FencePainting: Averted in "The Garage Painters", when Ward introduces Wally and Beaver to ''[[Literature/TheAdventuresOfTomSawyer Tom Sawyer]]'', and Wally and Beaver volunteer to paint the garage. Unfortunately, almost none of the kids are gullible enough to fall for this as they were in Tom Sawyer's time, and just when it looks like Benjie Bellamy is about to take them up on the offer, he dumps a can of green paint all over himself, leaving Wally and Beaver to paint the fence by themselves.

* HypocriticalHumor: In one episode, Ward gets mad at Beaver for telling a lie and starts to give a lecture on why lying is wrong, but then Fred calls to invite him to a game of cards which Ward does not want to participate in and makes an excuse. This does come up and Ward decides to call back to let Fred know he can make it.
* ImmuneToMindControl: Played with in one episode, where Eddie Haskell pretends to be hypnotised by the Beaver; true to form, the writers knew that no one can be hypnotised against their will.

* JerkAss: Eddie Haskell.
* JumpOffABridgeRebuttal: In one episode, Beaver and his friends buy shirts with illustrated images of martians on them, which each of their parents object to them wearing to school. Each of them say that the other boys will be wearing them, one of the parents asks "if the other boys wore long white beards, would you?", to which the boy says "if I wore a long white beard, I wouldn't be going to school, I'd be in a circus!"

* KidCom: Possibly the UrExample.

* LockedOutOfTheLoop: To preserve Beaver's innocence, his parents conceal the fact that their visiting friend is an alcoholic. Later, the guest tells Beaver that he has an illness that only liquor can treat, and Beaver dutifully gets him some alcoholic beverages. When his parents admonish him that that was the worst thing he could have done, he responds that they didn't tell him anything, and they realize that keeping him in the dark was not a good idea.

* PleaseKeepYourHatOn: In the first season episode, "The Haircut", Beaver is hyped about playing in the school Christmas Pageant. Unfortunately, he loses his haircut money and has Wally act as amateur barber. Fortunately, Beaver gets to sing in the play. [[TakeAThirdOption He simply wears a winter tuque.]]

** Beaver once developed a crush on a pretty new neighbor. Wally and Eddie give him the business by saying if he's not careful, the woman's jealous husband will come after him. It doesn't help that at one point, the husband is shearing the hedges when he spots Beaver and tries to say hello to him... while the shears are still in his hands!
** In one early episode, Beaver also develops a crush on Mary Ellen Rogers, who later became older brother Wally's on-again, off-again girlfriend (and by the time of the SequelSeries, eventually became Wally's wife).

* ExactWords: When Ward and June find out that the real reason Beaver and Wally are wearing ugly hats is to hide the fact that Wally gave Beaver a bad haircut due to Beaver losing his money for a haircut, Ward gives them a chance to admit the truth. Rather than lie, Beaver uses these when questioned about his trip to the barber shop, saying that [[MetaphoricalTruth he went to the barber shop and he got a hair cut.]]

* CryingWolf: In one episode, Beaver lets Larry talk him into playing in a construction area that Beaver is not allowed to, and to go now as opposed to wait to change out of his good clothes like June had told him. This results in his pants getting torn, in part because of Eddie, who shames Beaver into not squealing on him. So Beaver makes up a lie that a dog ripped his pants, but Ward immediately figutres out what really happened and punishes Beaver for lying. The next day, Beaver wears another suit, and this time a dog really does rip Beavers pants. Beaver tells the truth, but they think Beaver is just repeating the same lie.

* GoshDangItToHeck:
** The words "heck" and "darn" are popular oaths for Wally, the Beaver and their friends.
** Swearing does explicitly exist on the show. One comical moment has Beaver telling his father that he went to the lake with Larry. They saw a man slip on a rock at the lake, and then heard everything he said.
** Another time, at the end of the fourth season, Beaver gets angry and swears in the school hallway. Beaver's caught by Miss Landers, who insists Beaver bring in his mother or father. Later, at home, Beaver whispers his phrase to Wally. The brothers are in agreement they can't tell their mother exactly what Beaver said. Unfortunate Ward Cleaver is away on business, so Wally shows up at school as Beaver's "Substitute Parent".

* KidsHateVegetables: Beaver ''hates'' Brusells sprouts. This became a plot point of an episode in which Beaver was promised to eat his brusell sprouts or he won't be able to see a sports game. He eventually bucks up and eats them when his family goes out for a meal. A later episode had Wally reveal that the Beav once hid his brussel sprouts under a couch cushion.

* OverprotectiveDad: Discussed in Season 5's "Beaver's First Date":
-->'''Wally''': What's the matter now? (Beaver tries to call a girl for a date, but hangs up the phone while dialing)
-->'''Beaver''': I just thought: what if her mother answers?
-->'''Wally''': Oh, it usually pays to be real nice to mothers. If she answers, you should say, um, "Good evening, Mrs. Patterson. I hope I'm not disturbing you, but may I please speak to Betsy?"
-->'''Beaver''': Okay. (resumes dialing, then pauses) What if her father answers?
-->'''Wally''': Oh, uh, when that happens, I usually just hang up.

* DevilInPlainSight, DropInCharacter, MouthyKid: Eddie Haskell

* DadTheVeteran: In one episode Ward Cleaver mentions having been in the Navy Seabees as a surveyor during World War II.