The Donna Reed Show

Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning actress Donna Reed stars as happy homemaker Donna Stone on this classic feel-good sitcom. 'The Donna Reed Show' portrays a loving family—Donna Stone, husband Alex (Carl Betz) and children Mary and Jeff (Shelly Fabares and Paul Petersen)—that resolves its quarrels with laughter and love. The series includes many cameo appearances by celebrities of the day such as baseball superstars Don Drysdale and Willie Mays, teen heartthrob James Darren and canine actress Lassie.   

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Episode Guide

Episode Guide

Season 1
  • Season 1
  • Season 2
  • Season 3
  • Season 4
  • Season 5

Ep : Three Part Mother

Donna is in for trouble when she feels obligated to attend three different functions on the same night: one for Alex, one for Mary and one for Jeff.

Ep : Change Partners and Dance

Donna teaches Mary's prom date how to dance—with the unintended result of the boy developing a crush on Donna!

Ep : Dough Re Mi

Donna and Jeff both get involved in fundraising ventures.

Ep : Weekend Trip

Donna and Alex experience difficulties while getting away with the kids for the weekend.

Ep : Pardon My Gloves

When a boy criticizes Donna's acting in a local play, Jeff fights him and ends up with a black eye.

Ep : The Hike

Donna takes Alex's place on a camping trip with Jeff and his friends.

Ep : Male Ego

Alex feels threatened when it seems that Donna has become the head of the household.

Ep : The Football Uniform

Jeff, Alex and Donna each try to outbid everybody else for a football uniform for Jeff.

Ep : The Foundling

When the Stones find a baby on their doorstep, they begin searching for its mother.

Ep : Guest in the House

A patient of Dr. Stone runs way from military school and spends Thanksgiving weekend with the Stones.

Ep : The Baby Contest

Alex is the judge of the town baby contest, run by Donna's club.

Ep : The Beaded Bag

Alex buys a beaded bag for Donna that she wouldn't buy because of its hefty price tag. Donna then wonders whether Alex feels she tricked him into buying it for her.

Ep : The Busy Body

Donna's uncle comes for a visit, and the more he tries to help everyone, the more he messes things up.

Ep : A Very Merry Christmas

Donna convinces the hospital janitor (Buster Keaton) to play the part of Santa Claus for the children's ward on Christmas Eve.

Ep : Mary's Double Date

Mary has to choose between two football players for a date to the school prom.

Ep : Jeff's Double Life

Jeff hurts his arm and chooses to secretly go to a doctor in town instead of telling his own pediatrician father about the injury.

Ep : Nothing but the Truth

David Barker from the nearby military school returns to spend his birthday with the Stones.

Ep : It's the Principle of the Thing

Donna tries to help a man earn enough money to pay for his son's medical treatment by giving him work around the house.

Ep : Jeff vs. Mary

Jeff believes that his parents love Mary more than they love him.

Ep : Have Fun

Mary returns from her first date with a boy (George Hamilton), which doesn't go well. Donna and Alex then recall different versions of their first date.

Ep : Donna Plays Cupid

Donna tries her hand at matchmaker with the local librarian and Dr. Boland.

Ep : Love Thy Neighbor

Donna and Alex are invited to their neighbors' anniversary party, where they end up trying to reunite the fighting couple.

Ep : The Report Card

Donna is dismayed when Jeff brings home a report card with all C grades. She believes her son can do better.

Ep : Boys Will Be Boys

David Barker returns to get a rabies shot from Dr. Stone. He stays the weekend and he and Jeff get into trouble.

Ep : The Testimonial

When Donna realizes that a retiring town doctor isn't really ready to retire, she turns his farewell dinner into a testimonial.

Ep : The Ideal Wife

Fed up with being taken for granted, Donna lashes out at Alex, the kids and the dry cleaning man.

Ep : Mary's Campaign

Mary gets carried away by her nomination as class secretary and tries to change her family to fit her campaign.

Ep : The Flowered Print Dress

After spending an evening with a younger couple, Donna and Alex question whether the life has gone out of their marriage.

Ep : April Fool

A singing idol (James Darren) stays with the Stones when he suddenly becomes ill before a concert.

Ep : The Parting of the Ways

Mary's friend thinks her parents are breaking up and comes to Mary for advice. Mary then thinks Donna and Alex are having problems.

Ep : The Hero

Alex's college roommate (Ben Gage), a football hero, visits and gets a lesson on the important things in life.

Ep : Do You Trust Your Child

Donna becomes known as an expert in dealing with children, but the advice changes when the children are her own.

Ep : Grateful Patient

When a neighbor promises Alex a big return on an investment, the family starts thinking of ways to spend the money they will get.

Ep : Operation Anniversary

Jeff takes two part-time jobs in order to repay his debts. Meanwhile, Donna tries to collect money that Alex's patients owe him.

Ep : Miss Lovelace Comes to Tea

The Stones hire a housekeeper so Donna can have more time for her charity work.

Ep : Tomorrow Comes Too Soon

Time away from Mary and Jeff makes Donna and Alex realize how much they'll miss the kids when they eventually leave home.

Ep : Advice to Young Lovers

While helping Mary win back her boyfriend, Donna recalls how she got Alex to propose.

Ep : The Neighborly Gesture

Jeff spends so much time with the new neighbors that Alex becomes jealous.

Ep : That's Show Business

Mary and a very shy boy are teamed as dance partners in the school play.

Ep : Sleep No More My Lady

After a restless night and a long trip, Donna falls asleep during Alex's speech at a medical convention.

Ep : A Penny Earned

Donna resents getting 100% in the thrift category of a "rate your wife" quiz that Alex took in a magazine. This prompts Donna to change her image.

Ep : A Friend Indeed

Jeff takes the blame for some pranks pulled by one of his classmates, but refuses to tell who he's protecting.

Ep : The First Child

A nervous couple with a newborn baby continually interrupts Alex and Donna with their worries and questions.

Ep : Going Steady

Mary bribes Jeff so he'll go to a girl's party so she can meet the girl's older brother.

Ep : Nothing Like a Good Book

Donna and Alex attempt to get their children interested in literature.

Ep : Flowers for the Teacher

Jeff's new teacher (Marion Ross) fears losing control of her class, but her strict authority results in an absentee problem.

Ep : All Mothers Worry

A boy on Jeff's football team is forced to quit the team by his overprotective mother. Guest starring members of the Los Angeles Rams: Sid Gillman, Jon Arnett, Les Richter, Bill Wade, Don Burroughs and announcer Bob Kelley.

Ep : Jeff Joins a Club

Jeff's hopes of joining a club are dashed when he has to bring the new kid in town to the meeting.

Ep : The Punishment

Donna is forced to ground Mary and Jeff for disobeying her and resents the fact that she is always the one doling out punishment.

Ep : A Difference of Opinion

Donna and Alex try to hide their disputes from the children when they learn the kids are embarrassed by the way their friends' parents fight.

Ep : The Homecoming Dance

Donna and Alex worry about Mary's blind date with a college boy, so they drive Mary to the college dance.

Ep : The Lucky Girl

All the women in town think Alex is the most wonderful guy, making Donna feel that she is simply the lucky one to have him.

Ep : The Broken Spirit

Jeff turns too-good-to-be-true when he believes he his responsible for an older man's accident.

Ep : The Secret

Mary hides an engagement ring for her friend, Carol (Roberta Shore). When Donna finds it, she thinks Mary is planning to elope.

Ep : The New Mother

David Barker (Charles Herbert) runs away again from military school and Jeff hides him in the basement.

Ep : Just a Housewife

Donna is offended by a radio show host's treatment of women who are housewives, so she tries to raise his consciousness.

Ep : The Free Soul

A friend of Alex's father comes to visit and influences Jeff to do what he wants to do and neglect responsibility.

Ep : The First Quarrel

Alex gives advice to Jim, a friend who is arguing with his wife; meanwhile, Donna gives conflicting advice to Jim's wife, Alice.

Ep : A Place to Go

Donna's club fixes up an old house for Jeff and his friends to play in.

Ep : A Night to Howl

Convinced they have fallen into a rut, Donna and Alex spend a night on the town, though they would both rather be at home.

Ep : The Editorial

When Jeff's editorial about homework assignments is pulled from the school paper, he decides to print and distribute it himself.

Ep : The Gentle Dew

Mary fails to return home on time from a date and Alex decides the kids need more discipline.

Ep : The Fatal Leap

Donna is annoyed by Alex's eagerness to attend a friend's bachelor party.

Ep : The Perfect Pitch

Donna pushes Jeff into taking trumpet lessons when she learns he has perfect pitch.

Ep : Pickles for Charity

Everyone loves Donna's pickles, but when she tries to sell them to raise money for charity, no one will buy them.

Ep : Mary's Growing Pains

Mary has a crush on a young intern from the hospital and misinterprets his kindness as romantic interest.

Ep : Alex Runs the House

Alex comes up with a new method for housekeeping while Donna and Jeff are away visiting relatives.

Ep : The Career Woman

Donna's high school friend, Molly (Esther Williams), now a famous designer, comes to Hilldale to see if she would be happy living there.

Ep : Jeff, the Financial Genius

Jeff repays his debts with other boys by swapping his belongings.

Ep : Mary's Crusade

Mary tries to make her friend beautiful for the school dance and promises she won't go to the dance unless they both have dates.

Ep : The First Time We Met

Donna tries to fix up a young doctor with a nurse. Meanwhile, she and Alex can't agree on how they first met.

Ep : The Gossip

News spreads fast when Donna tells someone that her friend is having a baby; then rumors spread of Donna and Alex having marital problems.

Ep : Love's Sweet Awakening

The boy who grew up next door to the Stones takes a romantic interest in Mary, but she doesn't notice him.

Ep : The Wedding Present

Donna is pressured into buying an antique and then can't bring herself to tell Alex.

Ep : Cool Cat

A stray cat follows Jeff home and later brings along her kittens.

Ep : Worried Anyone?

Donna and Alex worry when Mary's date takes her out in a beat-up old car.

Ep : Weekend

The Stones vacation at a mountain resort and find the accommodations don't meet their expectations.

Ep : The Mystery Woman

A woman sees Donna and claims to be an old friend, but Donna can't remember her or find out who she is.

Ep : Donna Decorates

Donna redecorates the living room with some unwelcome help from Dennis the Menace (Jay North). Joseph Kearns guest stars as Mr. Wilson.

Ep : The Love Letter

Jeff ghostwrites love letters for their handyman, who can't write English. Donna and Mary find one of the letters and think it belongs to Jeff.

Ep : How the Other Side Lives

After spending a weekend at a wealthy friend's house, Mary is ashamed to invite her friend over to visit.

Ep : Alex's Twin

Mary dates a boy who she believes is just like Alex was when he was younger.

Ep : Higher Learning

Jeff takes an IQ test and is rated a genius, so Donna and Alex decide they should send him to a special school.

Ep : Never Marry a Doctor

No one wants to be believe that a down-on-his-luck handyman is responsible for missing money.

Ep : It Only Hurts When I Laugh

Alex has his appendix removed and proves that doctors make the worst patients.

Ep : The Model Daughter

Mary wants to be a fashion model, but Alex is skeptical about the modeling school to which she has applied.

Ep : Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Mary makes her first adult decision when her dates for the evening run up a restaurant bill, but can't pay for it.

Ep : Donna Goes to a Reunion

When Donna learns that an old boyfriend will be at her class reunion, her nervousness piques Alex's curiosity.

Ep : Someone Is Watching

Jeff feels responsible for a friend's bike accident, but then learns that the boy pretended to be injured for attention.

Ep : The Lean and Hungry Look

Alex is critical of Donna's willpower when she decides to diet.

Ep : Character Building

Donna tries to instill responsibility in Mary and Jeff, but then gets caught behaving irresponsibly herself.

Ep : World's Greatest Entertainer

In order to boost Jeff's ego, the family praises him for his bad celebrity impersonations. Jeff then signs up for the school talent show.

Ep : Variations on a Theme

Mary and her friend conspire to outdo another girl who is giving a party by throwing a party of their own.

Ep : The Stones Go Hollywood

The Stones take a trip to Hollywood, where director George Sidney gives them roles in his film, "Pepe."

Ep : Donna Directs a Play

Donna takes over as director of the school play when the original director leaves to star in a movie role.

Ep : Trip to Nowhere

Donna promises to take the kids camping while Alex is away from home.

Ep : The Geisha Girl

Donna and Alex are unhappy with their friends, who aren't very accepting of the new doctor's Japanese wife.

Ep : The Busy People

Alex takes up painting when Donna decides he needs a hobby.

Ep : Tony Martin Visits

Donna runs into singer Tony Martin while fighting a parking ticket in traffic court. Tony martin sings "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams."

Ep : Aunt Belle's Earrings

Alex's aunt comes to town and is reunited with her old flame, a man whom Alex does not like.

Ep : Poodle Parlor

Donna and her friend open a poodle parlor after their husbands claim the two women have no business sense.

Ep : Mary's Heart Throb

While Mary is babysitting, the family's older son returns home unexpectedly, having dropped out of school.

Ep : Donna's Helping Hand

Donna tries to convince Alex to take the job as Board of Health Director.

Ep : Merry Month of April, The

Donna has their income tax return prepared by a professional despite Alex's wish to do it himself.

Ep : Music Hath Charms

Donna gives Alex an apothecary jar with a wind-up music box inside, which plays "their song." However, it turns out that Alex doesn't really like the song.

Ep : Let's Look at Love

Mary decides to give up dating when she sees two boys flipping a coin to decide who will take her out on a date.

Ep : For Better or Worse

Alex boasts that he doesn't need to ask Donna's permission to go fishing like his friends.

Ep : Jeff, the Treasurer

Jeff is entrusted with the class treasury, but proceeds to lose the money.

Ep : The Good Guys and the Bad Guys

When Jeff is teased for joining the church choir, he skips choir practice to train to fight the bullies.

Ep : Military School

Mary has a crush on her boyfriend's cousin, who is visiting from military school.

Ep : Mary's Driving Lesson

Mary's friend, Scotty, teaches her how to drive. Their battles behind the wheel remind Donna of her driving lessons years ago with Alex.

Ep : The Mustache

Alex comes home from a hunting trip unshaven. His barber convinces him to keep the mustache, which Donna doesn't like.

Ep : Mary's Little Lambs

Mary's pushy boyfriend gets her to help him set up a daycare in the Stone household.

Ep : One Starry Night

Mary has a date with a singer, but doesn't know that he is the famous James Darren. Darren sings "Goodbye Cruel World" and "Mighty Pretty Territory."

Ep : A Rose Is a Rose

Jeff must rewrite his lackluster English assignment or Donna and Alex won't let him play in the father-son baseball game.

Ep : The Close Shave

Jeff thinks he growing a beard, so he buys a shaving kit and shaving supplies.

Ep : Mouse at Play

Donna's friend, Iris (Cloris Leachman), convinces her to go to the hair stylist (John Astin) and change her hair color.

Ep : The Monster

The large animal that keeps wandering around the Stone's house during the night ends up being a dog in need of a home.

Ep : New Girl in Town

Donna tries to fix up Jeff with Angie (Candy Moore), a girl whose family just moved to town.

Ep : One of Those Days

Donna and Alex decide to take a day off and spend time in the country.

Ep : All Is Forgiven

Alex and Donna reunite a fighting couple (Patricia Barry and William Windom) by trying to get them to adopt a baby.

Ep : The Electrical Storm

Jeff is expelled from school when he refuses to turn in his friend for a school prank.

Ep : The Paper Tycoon

Jeff hires neighborhood kids to help deliver papers on his paper route, keeping most of the profits for himself.

Ep : Private Tutor

The tutor Donna hires to help Mary with her French lessons turns out to be the same boy Mary wants to take to an upcoming party.

Ep : Alex, the Professor

Alex gives a public lecture, and then begins to use his lecture theories on the children.

Ep : The Fabulous O'Hara

Donna tries to convince a man that moving from town to town isn't the way to raise his grandson. Cecil Kellaway guest stars as O'Hara.

Ep : Way of a Woman

When Mary's boyfriend breaks their skiing date, Donna asks Alex to take her on a trip to Chicago.

Ep : A Very Bright Boy

The son of Donna's friend comes to visit (Johnny Crawford); he has a high IQ, but feels that he doesn't fit in.

Ep : The Toughest Kid in School

A new kid in school tries to impress Jeff and his friends by pretending to be a misbehaving delinquent.

Ep : Dr. Stone and His Horseless Carriage

Alex gets a 1910 automobile from a friend and starts restoring it. Gale Gordon guest stars as Mr. Webley.

Ep : For Angie With Love

Feeling competition from another boy, Jeff attempts to buy Angie a nicer gift than the one he already has for her birthday party. Paul Petersen sings "She Can't Find Her Keys."

Ep : Aloha Kimi

Alex goes to Hawaii to help a girl who was injured in a surfing accident. Miyoshi Umeki guest stars as Nurse Mac.

Ep : Donna's Prima Donna

Mary decides she wants to skip college and continue singing in a band, which doesn't sit well with Donna. Shelley Fabares sings "Johnny Angel."

Ep : Explorer's Ten

Jeff's astronomy club tries to earn enough money to purchase a telescope.

Ep : The New Office

Alex decides to move his medical office from the house to newly leased office space.

Ep : The Golden Trap

Donna and Alex go away on a trip, leaving the house in Mary's care.

Ep : Free Flight

Donna's complaint to an airline about their service results in a free trip for her and Alex.

Ep : The Wide Open Spaces

When Donna and Alex visit their friends who live on a farm (William Windom and Patricia Breslin), they find the couple longing for city life.

Ep : The Fireball

Jeff and Angie get the lead parts in the school play.

Ep : Once Upon a Timepiece

Donna buys a watch at a pawn shop, but then finds its original owner.

Ep : Hilldale 500

Alex helps Jeff build a racing kart so he can enter a race.

Ep : Winner Take All

Alex tries to help a father who is upset with his son's performance in baseball.

Ep : Skin Deep

Mary learns a lesson in beauty when she turns down a date with a boy who has big ears.

Ep : The Fortune Teller

Donna plays fortune teller at a bazaar and her predictions come true.

Ep : Man of Action

Jeff and Smitty (Darryl Richard) leave Smitty's little brother at the house, making Alex look after him.

Ep : Donna Meets Roberta

Alex buys a woman's house, knowing that the property value will soon increase. Roberta Sherwood and Gale Gordon guest star.

Ep : The Caravan

The Stones spend their family vacation on the road in a rented house bus.

Ep : The Swingin' Set

Jeff and Smitty try to get prom dates to the dance. Paul Peterson sings "Keep Your Love Locked."

Ep : On to Fairview

Jeff gets a job for a day so that he can earn enough money to buy a necklace.

Ep : The Man in the Mask

Jeff interviews baseball player Don Drysdale, who gives him some tips for umpiring a girl's softball game.

Ep : The Father Image

While Jeff and Mary want Alex for their own agendas, Alex becomes increasingly concerned for a young patient who just underwent surgery.

Ep : To Be a Boy

Jeff and Smitty make a vow to stop dating so they can save enough money to build a boat.

Ep : Dear Wife

Alex and Donna think Mary has eloped with a boy for whom she has suddenly fallen.

Ep : Mister Nice Guy

Mary is suspicious of Jeff's motives as he suddenly becomes kind and considerate towards her before her departure for college.

Ep : Mrs. Stone and Doctor Hyde

Donna fills in for Alex's vacationing nurse and finds her husband to be a tyrant.

Ep : Who Needs Glasses?

Jeff pretends to have problems with his eyesight in order to get a pair of glasses, which will make him look older.

Ep : Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

Mary decides it is time to leave home and move into the college dormitory.

Ep : My Dad

House calls and emergencies keep Alex from spending time with Jeff. Paul Petersen sings "My Dad."

Ep : Fine Feathers

Jeff finds a stray bird, but doesn't want to take responsibility for it until he learns the bird may be valuable.

Ep : Rebel With a Cause

Donna is asked to participate in a survey about "the average woman" and is angered at how average everyone thinks she is.

Ep : Big Star

Mary discovers a great singing talent in her boyfriend, who is shy and afraid of an audience. Shelley Fabares sings "Big Star."

Ep : Man to Man

Jeff gets Alex to go camping on the pretense of spending quality time together; however, his real plan is to meet with friends who will be at the campsite.

Ep : The Baby Buggy

Everyone chips in to buy the elderly baby doctor (Fay Bainter) a new car to replace her old clunker.

Ep : The Makeover Man

Mary tries to change her boyfriend into the kind of man she wants him to be, but succeeds only in making him unhappy.

Ep : The Winning Ticket

Jeff stops by a raffle at a supermarket and wins a new car with a raffle ticket he found on the ground.

Ep : The Soft Touch

When Alex and Jeff both try to collect money due to them, Donna and Mary feel that the men in their family are softies.

Ep : Jeff Stands Alone

Jeff spends a weekend in a strange town with no money, just to prove he can make it on his own.

Ep : Just a Little Wedding

Donna agrees to let Mary's friend get married in their home, but has second thoughts when the girl's mother (Binnie Barnes) shows up.

Ep : A Woman's Place

When Donna spends all of her time campaigning for town council, Alex dreams Donna is the president—and he is the first lady!

Ep : The Chinese Horse

A strange woman convinces Donna to buy a Chinese horse statue for her at an auction. The woman then disappears and can't be found.

Ep : The New Look

Mary resents her wholesome reputation and thinks about becoming a new woman with a new personality.

Ep : A Way of Her Own

Trisha (Patty Petersen), an eight-year-old orphan girl, follows the Stones home from their day at the park.

Ep : Three Is a Family

Mary feels jealous of the attention Trisha is receiving from the family.

Ep : Big Sixteen

When Jeff and Joanne have a fight just before his sixteenth birthday, Jeff tries his luck with an older woman.

Ep : Pioneer Woman

Donna and Mary follow the men up to a mountain cabin to prove that modern women are not pampered women.

Ep : The House on the Hill

Donna visits the home of a wealthy recluse to solicit a donation for a charity fundraiser.

Ep : Where the Stones Are

The family follows Mary on a weekend boat trip with her friends in order to check on her.

Ep : The Two Doctors Stone

Donna cancels the plans for a family trip because she feels that Trisha is getting sick; however, Alex feels she shows no signs of being ill.

Ep : Everywhere That Mary Goes

A new boy at Mary's school follows her everywhere; he believes that he is protecting her from other boys, who he feels do not treat her right.

Ep : The Handy Man

Donna is the only person who sees the solution to the problems of a handyman (Doodles Weaver) who can't fix anything.

Ep : Friends and Neighbors

Alex's friend and his new bride (Bob Crane and Ann McCrea) buy the house next door to the Stones.

Ep : Boys and Girls

Jeff and Mary attend a college dance, where they watch their dates run off together.

Ep : All Those Dreams

The Stone family travels to Chicago, where Jeff tries to get in touch with professional baseball player Don Drysdale.

Ep : All Women Are Dangerous

Two girls are battling for an invitation to a concert from Jeff, but he can't make up his mind on which girl to ask.

Ep : The Big Wheel

Jeff buys an old bus, which breaks down in front of the Stone's house the day of Mary's big party.

Ep : Day of the Hero

Jeff asks a girl to the prom, but when he thinks he's going to be voted class president, he invites a different girl.

Ep : What Are Friends For?

Jeff gets Smitty to take his place on a date that Alex set up.