Because of the success and longevity of Leave It to Beaver, Tony Dow gave us the wonderful gift of being able to watch Wally Cleaver grow up on screen. In addition, because of the durability of the series, it also means that the gift can be enjoyed by multiple generations, not just those who were there to see the episodes air. Rewatching old episodes of Leave It to Beaver can be a real treat, except for when you're that kid on the screen, and you're watching yourself.

In an interview with The Kansas City Star, Tony Dow described watching older episodes of Leave It to Beaver as "very odd." He elaborated, "It's sort of like there's a disconnect. I mean, I know it was me. I was on the show. But I can watch it and be divorced from it."

He did amend that some episodes were easier to sit through than others, and said, "Some of the early ones, I cringe, because of my lack of acting ability. But that's just one of the charms of the show."

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Even with his enduring stardom as a child, Dow was more reluctant to speak publicly as an adult. He said, "It's rare for me. It scares me to death every time I have to do it."

Still, fans are still just as receptive to Dow as they were during his time on the series, even if he didn't completely understand it. He said, "I could never understand the reaction that Jerry or I would get from people." 

Of rewatching his on-screen brother during reruns, Dow has nothing but nice things to say. He commented, "Jerry was an actor. He was unbelievably good. Every line he read was perfect. He was amazing."