The Best Episodes of The Donna Reed Show Season 1

Episode Rankings

1. #1 Fan Favorite
   

   7.6/10(102 votes)

   #1 - Weekend Trip

   S1:E19/24/1958

   In the premiere episode, Donna hopes to get away to a ski weekend with her brood, but pediatrician husband Alex's on-call schedule makes this tricky, especially since one of his young patients, Eddie Barclay (played by one of the Corcoran siblings of Disney film and TV fame; sister Noreen was on "Bachelor Father" with John Forsythe), has a mysterious illness and Alex doesn't want to leave him in the care of another doctor.

   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Phil Leslie

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   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Phil Leslie
2. 

   7.3/10(82 votes)

   #2 - Pardon My Gloves

   S1:E210/1/1958

   Jeff gets a black eye from a boy who mocks Donna's acting in a local play. So, Donna tries to teach Jeff how to box.

   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown
3. 

   7.3/10(67 votes)

   #3 - The Hike

   S1:E310/8/1958

   Donna tries to prove women can outsmart men when Dr. Stone is called away to treat a patient.

   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Jay Sommers

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   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Jay Sommers
4. 

   7.3/10(58 votes)

   #4 - Male Ego

   S1:E410/15/1958

   Alex tries to prove his independence when Donna buys a suit for him.

   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown
5. 

   7.6/10(60 votes)

   #5 - The Football Uniform

   S1:E510/22/1958

   Jeff wants a uniform for the team picture, but is told he must work for the money to buy it.

   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown
6. 

   7.5/10(63 votes)

   #6 - The Foundling

   S1:E610/29/1958

   A baby is abandoned at the Stone’s place.

   Director:Unknown

   Writer:John Whedon

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   Director:Unknown

   Writer:John Whedon
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7. 

   7.1/10(53 votes)

   #7 - Three Part Mother

   S1:E711/5/1958

   Donna spreads herself thin, running between three places on the same night, for her family.

   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown
8. 

   7.1/10(56 votes)

   #8 - Change Partners and Dance

   S1:E811/12/1958

   Mary has a crush on the school basketball star, George, who wants to take her to the prom, but hasn’t asked her because he can't dance.

   Director:James V. Kern

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:James V. Kern

   Writer:Unknown
9. 

   7.1/10(55 votes)

   #9 - Dough Re-Mi

   S1:E911/19/1958

   Donna tries to get a famous concert pianist to perform at a benefit, and, at the same time, Jeff is trying to raise money for a football tackling dummy. These two seemingly unrelated projects intertwine.

   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Unknown

   Writer:Unknown
10. 

    7.2/10(50 votes)

    #10 - Guest in the House

    S1:E1011/26/1958

    A problem child takes refuge at the Stone’s house, and Donna tries to get through to him.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:John Whedon

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:John Whedon
11. 

    7.4/10(53 votes)

    #11 - The Baby Contest

    S1:E1112/3/1958

    Alex is judge at a Beautiful Baby contest run by Donna's club.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown
12. 

    7.4/10(52 votes)

    #12 - The Beaded Bag

    S1:E1212/10/1958

    When Donna longingly admires a lovely, expensive bag at a store, the saleswoman (along with a female friend of hers) schemes to coax Alex into getting it for her for a birthday gift. But Alex is suspicious that Donna is pulling the strings behind the scenes, instead of being forthright about it.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown
13. 

    6.6/10(49 votes)

    #13 - The Busy Body

    S1:E1312/17/1958

    Charismatic Uncle Fred visits the Stone family and a brouhaha ensues.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown
14. 

    8.1/10(109 votes)

    #14 - A Very Merry Christmas

    S1:E1412/24/1958

    Donna searches for the mysterious person who puts on a Christmas party in the children’s ward at the hospital every year. The quintessential comedian Buster Keaton guest stars.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Unknown

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15. 

    7.2/10(49 votes)

    #15 - Mary's Double Date

    S1:E1512/31/1958

    Mary's Junior prom is imminent, and she has trouble deciding between two boys on the football team who might ask her. She also dangles another nice boy on a string. But, eventually, the resultant consequences of her selfish decisions come to fruition.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown
16. 

    7.4/10(47 votes)

    #16 - Jeff's Double Life

    S1:E161/7/1959

    After nosy neighbor Mrs. Wilgus (the inimitable Kathleen Freeman) alerts Donna and Alex about Mary having a noisy party while they were out, the kids get lectured about being the children of a doctor, and that they should behave accordingly. Not too long after this, Jeff takes a ride from Mary's troublemaker friend Tommy Hendricks, who doesn't have a license and has taken his father's car out for a joyride, and they get into a minor accident while fleeing a cop.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown
17. 

    7.0/10(48 votes)

    #17 - Nothing But the Truth

    S1:E171/14/1959

    David Barker finagles a return to the Stone’s home for his birthday celebration.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:John Whedon

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:John Whedon
18. 

    6.9/10(49 votes)

    #18 - It's the Principle of the Thing

    S1:E181/21/1959

    Mr. Popkin won't let Alex treat Joey because he has no money. So, Donna hires him to do repairs around the house, but Alex fires him. Then Donna tries another method to help him get the finances he needs.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Jerry Davis

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Jerry Davis
19. 

    7.0/10(48 votes)

    #19 - Jeff vs. Mary

    S1:E191/28/1959

    Jeff becomes jealous and insecure about his parent’s love—feeling that they care about Mary more than him.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown
20. 

    7.5/10(52 votes)

    #20 - Have Fun

    S1:E202/4/1959

    When Mary comes home utterly dejected from a terrible first date, Donna and Alex each, in “Rashomon”-style, tell her about their first date.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:John Whedon

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:John Whedon
21. 

    6.6/10(48 votes)

    #21 - Donna Plays Cupid

    S1:E212/11/1959

    Donna decides that Alex’s obstetrician friend, Beau, is a lonely bachelor in need of a mate, so she tries to pair him and her good friend Celia (who has recently broken up with her boyfriend) up.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Unknown

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22. 

    6.3/10(49 votes)

    #22 - Love Thy Neighbor

    S1:E222/18/1959

    Donna and Alex help celebrate the 20th anniversary of Wilbur & Celia Wilgus, only for Donna to get caught up in a misunderstanding later.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Unknown

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23. 

    7.8/10(49 votes)

    #23 - The Report Card

    S1:E232/25/1959

    Donna is worried when Jeff comes home with a report card full of Cs.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown
24. 

    7.3/10(47 votes)

    #24 - Boys Will Be Boys

    S1:E243/4/1959

    David Barker is brought to Alex to be treated for rabies, and is invited to stay the night. Later, Jeff is left in charge of David, as everyone else will be gone.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:John Whedon

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:John Whedon
25. 

    7.6/10(50 votes)

    #25 - The Ideal Wife

    S1:E253/11/1959

    Donna keeps getting praised for being an excellent wife and mother—so much so, that she, illogically, becomes a bit paranoid that people really mean something negative about her beneath the surface of their words, and fears her kids are taking advantage of her.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown