Few sitcom supporting characters have ever made the lasting impact that Ken Osmond did as Eddie Haskell on Leave It to Beaver. The character was synonymous with two-faced finks. He was sweet as could be when Mrs. Cleaver was in the room. But when it was just him, Wally, and the Beaver, Eddie's true colors showed very clearly. But even at his worst, Eddie Haskell was incredibly compelling and watchable. He was the guy in the neighborhood we all loved to hate. 

So why, then, was Eddie not in every single episode of Leave It to Beaver? He's one of the most memorable parts of the show! 

There are a ton of reasons why a fan favorite might not be featured as heavily in later seasons. They might ask for too much money, or their popularity might overshadow that of the principal stars. For the most part, when a character's role is scaled back, it's due to some sort of backstage dispute that threatens to distract from what's happening in the show.

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Ken OsmondLeave It To BeaverEddie Haskell

Ken Osmond once called Eddie Haskell ''insecure''

But, according to the actor himself in a 2014 interview with the Hermosa Beach Daily Breeze, his absences were a lot easier to explain, and a lot more noble, than any behind-the-scenes squabble. 

During the final two years of Leave It to Beaver, Osmond was enlisted in the United States Army Reserve. Obviously, his commitment to his country conflicted with the demanding schedule associated with starring in one of the nation's most-watched sitcoms. 

While he wasn't able to appear as frequently as he had, Osmond was granted special permission to film the show while on leave. A master sergeant allowed Osmond to tape his show as often as time allowed.

However, that permission came at a price. Osmond was then required to make several personal appearances for the Reserves, as the military sought to capitalize on his fame to boost morale. 

Looking at Osmond's credits list today, it's astounding that the Reserves were able to accommodate him as much as they were. Eddie Haskell appears in a whopping sixteen episodes in Leave It to Beaver's fifth season, the year his schedule was most affected. While that might seem like a lot, it accounted for less than half of the total episodes filmed. Tellingly, during that year, his first with the United States Army Reserve, there is a 13-episode gap where Eddie Haskell doesn't appear on Leave It to Beaver at all. 

Luckily, the following year, the Reserves were able to further humor the actor's schedule, allowing Osmond to appear in a total of 25 episodes in the show's sixth and final season.

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