Today, a show like Leave It to Beaver is trashed for its "squeaky clean" image. Critics today claim that the Cleaver family is an idealized version of reality, portraying a family without any flaws or issues that plagued the typical American family of the 1960s.

However, these commentators have either never watched Leave It to Beaver or can't remember how the series actually played out.

Leave It to Beaver actually covered plenty of tense topics.

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"We try to show family life as it really is," said one of the series creators, Bob Mosher, during an interview with The Boston Globe. "We touch on the humorous, the serious, and the realistic things. We've had shows dealing with stealing, cheating and alcohol, swearing, and running away from home. These things happen to children. We don't try to sidestep them."

Of course, plenty of plots on Leave It to Beaver were pulled from the lives of the writers, and sometimes the cast members.

"I guess it's pretty sneaky," said series co-creator Joe Connelly, "but when we want a good storyline, we call Jerry or Tony over and ask, 'What's new, fellows?' Usually, there is plenty, and they take it from there."

By portraying these common issues, the writers were able to use the medium of television to teach valuable lessons to children. Once, the series received a fan letter from a very grateful mother who praised the show's teachings.

"I was going to punish my son by not letting him see Beaver," wrote one mother. "But I started watching the show myself, and it was about the danger of cheating in school. I decided this was one show my boy and every other child who might face the same temptation should see."