Who did it: Beaver Cleaver or Ritchie Petrie?

These Sixties sitcom sons never failed to entertain.

 NBC/Universal/Genesis International

Jerry Mathers and Larry Mathews were two of the most famous kids in early 1960s America. Mathews played Dick Van Dyke's son, Ritchie, on The Dick Van Dyke Show and Mathers will forever be remembered as Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver from Leave it to Beaver.

On both shows, these precocious youngsters dealt with school bullies, adopted some unusual pets, and got into some hilariously sticky situations.

How well do you recall the exploits of Beaver and Ritchie? Try to guess who did what! And remember, the same specific thing could apply to both of them.

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  1. This boy tried to give himself a haircut and his brother only made it worse.
  2. This boy was so afraid of the dog his parents were taking care of that he hid in a kitchen cabinet.
  3. This boy got a baby alligator and kept it in the toilet tank.
  4. This boy played a bunny in a school play.
  5. This boy wanted to give his future son the middle name "Rat."
  6. This boy and a friend tried to smoke coffee grounds out of a fancy pipe.
  7. This boy learned one new word every day — including a bad one!
  8. This boy (briefly) had a pet duck named Stanley.
  9. This boy didn't want his classmates seeing his naked baby picture.
  10. This boy invited 60 kids to his birthday party and chaos ensued.
  11. This boy sold water to the neighborhood after the water main was shut off.
  12. This boy got beat up by a girl at school.

Who did it: Beaver Cleaver or Ritchie Petrie?

Your Result...

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192 Comments

DeputyWarren 2 months ago
Only 6/12. I'm a Beaver fan, not a DVDS fan, but I thought I'd do better than that. I found Ritchie to be an irritating, whiny character. His accent also didn't match either of his parents. I've no memory of Beaver smoking coffee grounds.
MadMadMadWorld 3 months ago
Spoiler alert: I got the first 11, but #12 was BOTH! I can't remember the episode where Beaver got "beat up by a girl." [answer further down]

I know Ritchie did, by Priscilla Darwell!!! One of the funniest DVD Show episodes--still remember that character's name in the episode, "Girls Will Be Boys" aired Mar. 3, 1965. Mother was hilariously played by the marvelous Doris Singleton [as 'Doris Darwell'], and years earlier as Lucy's frenemy on "I Love Lucy" as Caroline/Lillian Appleby), after Priscilla was accused of lying exclaimed as loud as she could: "That kid doesn't lie!" Doris Singleton was the 2nd-to last adult survivor of I Love Lucy's episodes, dying at 92 in June 2012. Also in the episode was, playing her husband ("Ogden Darwell"), Bernard Fox, "Malcolm" in "The Andy Griffith Show."
Priscilla did 'beat up' Ritchie, only because he wouldn't kiss her, as she demanded! Then he did at the end (not shown), and told his parents, "she said I kill 'dopey'!" Priscilla was played by Tracy Stratford, now 69; then 10 (born Jan. 19, 1955), a few months before Larry Mathews, who played Ritchie, born on Aug. 15, 1955; now 68, then 9.

I'm guessing Beaver got "beat up" by The Paper Boy (girl), (with in "The Late Edition" (aired: Oct. 18, 1962), by the beautiful Chrystine [billed as Chrystie'] Jordan (b. Mar. 6, 1950; then 12 now 74!). She also played later that same (6th) season 'Donna Yeager' who Beaver gives his gold locket to, worth (in 1963, $20) in "More Blessed to Give" episode, aired on Jan. 24, 1963.

CrumblyCrunchies 3 months ago
Yeah. Notice the man hands when the boys are lighting the pipe.
skipper101 4 months ago
The both got me.
10 Fer 12.. I don't know much about Richie.
mugens 4 months ago
Perfect score mainly because I know Beaver so well.
MadMadMadWorld mugens 3 months ago
You remember "The Late Edition", I temporarily forgot that one where the Beav got beat up by a girl, with "Richard Rickover" urging him on, his long-time friend for the past 64 years; Apr. 30, 1960 "Mother's Day Composition" episode), Richard Correll (b. May 14, 1948; then 14; now 76), only 3 weeks older than the Beav (b. June 2, 1948; same 14 then, now 76).
More like a tie, with both only rolling around in the grass, not her swinging punches at him, so it is misleading to say "The Beav got beat-up by a girl."
Charleshorse 4 months ago
10/12 I got both 'both' answers wrong :)
1 out of the 2 'Both'. That last one (#12) fooled me, as I forgot "The Late Edition" with the paperboy (girl!) beating up (supposedly--I think it was more of a tie--with them just rolling around in the grass), the Beav.
morticia77 4 months ago
10 first question was stupid, refered to his brother
MadMat2102 4 months ago
12/12. I am a HUGE LITB fan, but hardly ever watched DVD.
STTOS 4 months ago
You got 12 out of 12 correct - You really lit up this quiz! Great job! - Two of my all-time favorites. Would have been very dissapointed if I didn't get them all correct.
RosalindLeeWheeler 4 months ago
10/12 I watched alot of/ these two boys.
Pastorgman 4 months ago
12/12 - Two were process of elimination. I recently saw the Leave It To Beaver episode with the alligator. It was given the name, “Captain Jack”, but was kept in the tub in the boys bathroom, and then hid in the basement washtub. It was there he was found first by the housekeeper and then Ward Cleaver!
Macrossroads Pastorgman 4 months ago
Actually, they kept Captain Jack in the toilet tank. Then the wash tub in basement. The toilet bowl was never shown - guess nobody went 1 or 2 in those days.
MaryMitch Pastorgman 4 months ago
I remember how Ward described the alligator's bite as "sawing" - same as Captain Jack had earlier told Beaver how alligators bite.
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