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The Best Episodes of The Donna Reed Show Season 3

Every episode of The Donna Reed Show Season 3 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Donna Reed Show Season 3!

Binge this in 12h 30m•Peaking at 8.3/10

Revolves around typical family problems, such as firing a clumsy housekeeper, throwing a retirement bash for a colleague, and finding quality time away from the children.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    The Donna Reed Show Season 3 Episode 2 - The Mystery Woman
    8.3/10(40 votes)

    S3:E2

    A lady spots Donna and Mary having lunch in a restaurant, so she stops to say hello. She recognized Donna, even though it had "been 13 years." Donna doesn't recognize her, but is polite and too embarrassed to ask her name. Later, after accepting a dinner invitation, Donna realizes she must find out who the mystery woman was.

    Director:Norman Tokar
    Writer:Barbara Hammer

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  2. The Donna Reed Show Season 3 Episode 36 - Mary's Driving Lesson
    8.3/10(36 votes)

    S3:E36

    Scotty, smitten by Mary, agrees to teach Mary how to drive. Oh boy! Does he have his hands full! Will their relationship last through this experience?

    Director:Robert Ellis Miller
    Writers:Tom August, Helen August

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  3. The Donna Reed Show Season 3 Episode 5 - How the Other Side Lives
    8.1/10(46 votes)

    S3:E5

    Mary's friend Ginny lives in a mansion with a maid, a tennis court, and a swimming pool. Now Ginny is going to spend the weekend at Mary's house. What can Mary do to impress Ginny, with the Stone family having no maid, no pool, no tennis court, and with wild, unruly younger brother Jeff at home?

    Director:James Sheldon
    Writer:John Whedon

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  4. The Donna Reed Show Season 3 Episode 9 - Never Marry a Doctor
    8.1/10(32 votes)

    S3:E9

    The Stones' cleaning lady has troubles. Her baby is sick and her husband lost his job due to illness. Alex takes care of the baby's health, and Donna hires the husband to do odd jobs in their house. Now the Stones have troubles. The twenty dollars that Alex left on the counter for Mrs. Cruikshank's charity is missing.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. The Donna Reed Show Season 3 Episode 3 - Donna Decorates
    8.0/10(49 votes)

    S3:E3

    Donna tries to redecorate the house, but neighbor boy Dennis Mitchell tries to help her...and ends up making things more of a mess. Donna finally calls Dennis' nearer neighbor Mr.Wilson to ask if Dennis would help him with anything. This was a crossover show-with two people from "Dennis the Menace”.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. The Donna Reed Show Season 3 Episode 15 - The Lean and Hungry Look
    8.0/10(32 votes)

    S3:E15

    Donna can't fit into the dinner dress she bought a few months ago, and she wants to wear it! She decides it's time to exercise and diet the extra pounds off. Then, Alex notices his tuxedo is a little too tight now. And will Jeff ever repay Mary the money he borrowed from her so she can buy that sweater she's been wanting for so long?

    Director:Robert Ellis Miller
    Writers:Tom August, Helen August

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  7. The Donna Reed Show Season 3 Episode 7 - Worried Anyone?
    7.9/10(36 votes)

    S3:E7

    Like, are we worried about Mary riding in Scotty's car? After all, its only a hot rod made with parts taken from wrecked cars!

    Director:Robert Ellis Miller
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. The Donna Reed Show Season 3 Episode 30 - Music Hath Charms
    7.9/10(32 votes)

    S3:E30

    Donna buys Alex a musical, apothecary-styled tobacco jar for Alex. When the jar is broken, the search for a replacement ensues.

    Directors:Jeffrey Hayden, Norman Tokar
    Writer:John Whedon

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  9. The Donna Reed Show Season 3 Episode 6 - Alex's Twin
    7.8/10(39 votes)

    S3:E6

    Mary is enamored with the new boy at school, Elroy. Why? Because he reminds her so much of what her dad must have been like as a teenager. Alex can't see the resemblance at all.

    Director:Jeffrey Hayden
    Writer:Nate Monaster

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  10. The Donna Reed Show Season 3 Episode 14 - Someone is Watching
    7.8/10(40 votes)

    S3:E14

    Jeff wants a motor scooter like Gordie just got, but Alex won't agree to that. Gordie shows off his riding skill until he drives the scooter into a tree in the Stones’s front yard. Gordie proceeds to fake a leg injury that puts him in Jeff's bed overnight, with Donna taking care of him.

    Director:Robert Ellis Miller
    Writer:John Whedon

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  11. The Donna Reed Show Season 3 Episode 31 - Let's Look at Love
    7.8/10(39 votes)

    S3:E31

    Mary gives up boys when Roger and Elroy let a coin toss decide which one will play tennis with her. She decides to become a scientist.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. The Donna Reed Show Season 3 Episode 33 - Jeff, the Treasurer
    7.8/10(33 votes)

    S3:E33

    As class Treasurer, Jeff is responsible for the class dues and ends up losing it. It's Thursday. The class picnic is Saturday. Mrs. Haskell needs the money to pay for the bus that will take the class to the picnic.

    Director:Jeffrey Hayden
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. The Donna Reed Show Season 3 Episode 1 - Weekend
    7.7/10(41 votes)

    S3:E1

    The family wants to get away for the weekend. The brochure shows Lakeview Lodge to be a great place to go, so Donna and Alex head up there early with Mary and Jeff to join them later, but Lakeview Lodge turns out to be a major disappointment. Now what can they do?

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. The Donna Reed Show Season 3 Episode 4 - The Love Letter
    7.7/10(37 votes)

    S3:E4

    Nick the Greek is the handyman at the Stone's house. He's still learning how to write English, so he asks Jeff for help in writing a love letter to his girlfriend. Later, Mary finds this love letter in Jeff's handwriting and wonders if Jeff is involved in a new romance.

    Director:Robert Ellis Miller
    Writers:Tom August, Helen August

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  15. The Donna Reed Show Season 3 Episode 20 - Donna Directs a Play
    7.7/10(35 votes)

    S3:E20

    Donna fills in for the director of Mary's drama group when he is called to Hollywood for a part in a movie.

    Director:Robert Ellis Miller
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. The Donna Reed Show Season 3 Episode 35 - Military School
    7.7/10(34 votes)

    S3:E35

    When Herbie suggests his visiting friend Ken goes along with them to the dance, Mary decides not to go to the dance at all. Then she meets Ken, who's in full uniform from the Carter Military Academy. Yeah, she wants to go to the dance now! But where does that leave Herbie?

    Director:Robert Ellis Miller
    Writer:Henry Sharp

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  17. The Donna Reed Show Season 3 Episode 19 - The Stones Go to Hollywood
    7.6/10(36 votes)

    S3:E19

    Alex needs to go to Hollywood to discuss suggestions for a Children's Clinic, so the whole family takes the opportunity to go along and see Hollywood, except it rains—for 2 days! They had so much wanted to meet a movie and TV star before they leave.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. The Donna Reed Show Season 3 Episode 25 - Aunt Belle's Earrings
    7.6/10(34 votes)

    S3:E25

    No description available

    Director:Robert Ellis Miller
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. The Donna Reed Show Season 3 Episode 28 - Donna's Helping Hand
    7.6/10(28 votes)

    S3:E28

    Dr. Steinhaus is retiring as the head of the Board of Health. Donna thinks this is the perfect opportunity for Alex to have a position that offers him more regular hours and she intends to help him get it.

    Director:Norman Tokar
    Writer:John Whedon

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  20. The Donna Reed Show Season 3 Episode 10 - It Only Hurts When I Laugh
    7.5/10(29 votes)

    S3:E10

    The tables are turned as Alex becomes a hospital patient, and a difficult one at that.

    Director:Jeffrey Hayden
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. The Donna Reed Show Season 3 Episode 23 - The Busy People
    7.5/10(32 votes)

    S3:E23

    In an attempt for more togetherness, Donna signs Alex and herself up for painting lessons.

    Director:James Neilson
    Writers:Hugh Wedlock Jr., Howard Snyder

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  22. The Donna Reed Show Season 3 Episode 27 - Mary's Heart Throb
    7.5/10(27 votes)

    S3:E27

    While babysitting for the Damons, Mary meets their older son, Rick, who has dropped out of college because he wasn't accepted by his father's old fraternity. He plans to join the Foreign Legion and wants Mary to help him.

    Director:Norman Tokar
    Writer:John Whedon

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  23. The Donna Reed Show Season 3 Episode 32 - For Better or Worse
    7.5/10(31 votes)

    S3:E32

    A story about every married couple's dilemma: what decisions can a husband make on his own and which require a conference for his wife's agreement?

    Director:Norman Tokar
    Writers:Phil Sharp, David R. Schwartz

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  24. The Donna Reed Show Season 3 Episode 12 - Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
    7.4/10(35 votes)

    S3:E12

    Mary is so indecisive, always asking her mother about what clothes to wear which boys to date. Tonight though, she starts making her own decisions when she, Roger, and Larry go out on the town.

    Director:Jeffrey Hayden
    Writers:Theodore Ferro, Mathilde Ferro

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  25. The Donna Reed Show Season 3 Episode 17 - World's Greatest Entertainer
    7.3/10(29 votes)

    S3:E17

    Jeff just can't seem to do anything right. The family needs to build up his spirits, so when he does mediocre imitations of movie stars like James Cagney, Peter Lorre, and Edward G. Robinson, he gets all the family's praise. So, he decides to enter the upcoming school talent show! Now what can Mary, Donna, and Alex do?

    Director:Norman Tokar
    Writer:Barbara Avedon

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Season 3 Ratings Summary

"The Mystery Woman" is the best rated episode of "The Donna Reed Show" season 3. It scored 8.3/10 based on 40 votes. Directed by Norman Tokar and written by Barbara Hammer, it aired on 9/22/1960. This episode is rated 0.0 points higher than the second-best, "Mary's Driving Lesson".