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The Best Episodes of The Donna Reed Show

Every episode of The Donna Reed Show ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The Donna Reed Show!

The Best Episodes of The Donna Reed Show

Revolves around typical family problems, such as firing a clumsy housekeeper, throwing a retirement bash for a colleague, and finding quality time away from the...

Seasons8

  1. Background image for Guests, Guests, Who Wants Them? (a.k.a.) Guests, Guests, Who Needs Guests?
    9.0/10(9 votes)

    #1 - Guests, Guests, Who Wants Them? (a.k.a.) Guests, Guests, Who Needs Guests?

    S7:E26

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  2. Background image for Mister Nice Guy
    8.5/10(34 votes)

    #2 - Mister Nice Guy

    S5:E1

    Mary can't understand why her brother Jeff is being so polite to her - unless there is some ulterior motive behind his good behavior.

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    Writer:Unknown
  3. Background image for The Chinese Horse
    8.3/10(34 votes)

    #3 - The Chinese Horse

    S5:E18

    At an auction a mysterious woman asks Donna to buy a huge Chinese horse statue and gives her the money for it, so Donna does buy it and takes it home. Mary, Jeff and Alex all wonder why?

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    Director:Gene Nelson
    Writer:Unknown
  4. Background image for The Daughter Complex
    8.3/10(9 votes)

    #4 - The Daughter Complex

    S7:E5

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  5. Background image for The Mystery Woman
    8.2/10(35 votes)

    #5 - The Mystery Woman

    S3:E2

    A lady spots Donna and Mary having lunch in a restaurant, so she stops to say hello. She recognized Donna, even though ""it's been 13 years."" Donna doesn't recognize her but is polite and too embarrassed to ask her name. Later, Donna realizes she must find out who the mystery woman was.

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  6. Background image for Mary's Driving Lesson
    8.2/10(30 votes)

    #6 - Mary's Driving Lesson

    S3:E36

    Scotty, smitten by Mary, agrees to teach Mary how to drive. Oh boy! Does he have his hands full! Will their romantic friendship last through this experience?

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of The Donna Reed Show

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  8. Background image for My Dad
    8.2/10(40 votes)

    #7 - My Dad

    S5:E6

    Alex tries over and over to spend a day with Jeff,but his plans are always interrupted by emergency calls.Jeff later shows that he still loves his father by singing the song,""My Dad.""

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  9. Background image for The House on the Hill
    8.2/10(36 votes)

    #8 - The House on the Hill

    S5:E24

    Donna visits a reclusive woman who lives in an old Victorian house.She feels trapped in a haunted house after a while.

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    Director:Gene Nelson
    Writer:Unknown
  10. Background image for Old Faithful
    8.2/10(8 votes)

    #9 - Old Faithful

    S7:E15

    No description available

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  11. Background image for With This Ring
    8.2/10(14 votes)

    #10 - With This Ring

    S8:E2

    No description available

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    Writer:Unknown
  12. Background image for A Very Merry Christmas
    8.1/10(101 votes)

    #11 - A Very Merry Christmas

    S1:E14

    Donna searches for the mysterious person who puts on a Christmas party in the children’s ward at the hospital every year. The quintessential comedian Buster Keaton guest stars.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  13. Background image for To Be a Boy
    8.1/10(31 votes)

    #12 - To Be a Boy

    S5:E3

    Trying to save enough money to build a boat, Jeff and Smitty make a pact to give up dating. Then Jeff finds Mary's friend Joanne hiding under his bed.

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    Director:Gene Nelson
    Writer:Unknown
  14. Background image for Jeff Stands Alone
    8.1/10(32 votes)

    #13 - Jeff Stands Alone

    S5:E15

    After a conversation with a telephone lineman, Jeff decides that it's about time he becomes independent himself. He tests himself by going to a strange town without any money to see whether or not he can make it on his own.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  15. Background image for Big Sixteen
    8.1/10(27 votes)

    #14 - Big Sixteen

    S5:E22

    On Jeff's 16th birthday he has a big fight with his girlfriend. Then he falls for an older woman.

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  16. Background image for The Big League Shock
    8.1/10(21 votes)

    #15 - The Big League Shock

    S8:E10

    Jeff's friend Bill was high school valedictorian, but as a freshman in college now is only making B's and C's. How can the Stone family help?

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  17. Background image for How the Other Side Lives
    8.0/10(41 votes)

    #16 - How the Other Side Lives

    S3:E5

    Mary's friend Ginny lives in a mansion with a maid, a tennis court, and a swimming pool. Now Ginny is going to spend the weekend at Mary's house. What can Mary do to impress Ginny, with the Stone family having no maid, no pool, no tennis court, and with a wild unruly younger brother Jeff at home?

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    Director:James Sheldon
  18. Background image for The New Look
    8.0/10(27 votes)

    #17 - The New Look

    S5:E19

    A boyfriend of Mary's calls her wholesome,and she doesn't know weather to take it as a compliment or an insult.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  19. Background image for Pioneer Woman
    8.0/10(29 votes)

    #18 - Pioneer Woman

    S5:E23

    Alex and Jeff spend the weekend at the cabin of Alex's friend Red. Donna and Mary follow them and prove that women can, ""rough it"" in the wilderness as well as men can.

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  20. Background image for Where the Stones Are
    8.0/10(28 votes)

    #19 - Where the Stones Are

    S5:E25

    The Stones all end up at Shelter Bay during ""mid-term vacation"", better known today as ""Spring Break"". Mary doesn't know the rest of the family is there; she thought it was just her and her girlfriends. Donna, Jeff, and Alex get to stay on a fishing boat named ""Big Daddy"", and boy, does Donna hook a big one!

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    Director:Gene Nelson
    Writer:Unknown
  21. Background image for Dad Drops By
    8.0/10(13 votes)

    #20 - Dad Drops By

    S7:E2

    Alex's father drops by for a visit, terrorizing the population of Hilldale by driving recklessly in his antique Duesenburg. Now Donna needs to find a tactful way of getting him to agree to give up driving.

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    Director:Gene Reynolds
    Writer:Unknown
  22. Background image for The Rolling Stones
    8.0/10(8 votes)

    #21 - The Rolling Stones

    S7:E29

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  23. Background image for Indoor Outing
    8.0/10(8 votes)

    #22 - Indoor Outing

    S7:E30

    Trisha is sick,so Donna stays home with her for the weekend while Alex and Jeff go on a camping trip.Donna tells Trisha about all the vacations the Stones had took in the past,as there are scenes from previous programs shown.

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  24. Background image for Jeff, the Financial Genius
    7.9/10(31 votes)

    #23 - Jeff, the Financial Genius

    S2:E32

    Jeff starts swapping possessions to pay off a debt. Zack: Mike Montgomery. Mrs. Pruitt: Marjorie Winters. Alvin: Mike Peters. Sprague: Percy Helton. Paul Petersen.

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    Director:Hy Averback
    Writer:Unknown
  25. Background image for Never Marry a Doctor
    7.9/10(29 votes)

    #24 - Never Marry a Doctor

    S3:E9

    The Stones' cleaning lady has troubles. Her baby is sick and her husband lost his job due to illness. Alex takes care of the baby's health, and Donna hires the husband to do odd jobs in their house. Now the Stones have troubles. The twenty dollars that Alex left on the counter for Mrs. Cruikshank's charity is missing. Could the handyman be a thief? Mrs. Cruikshank thinks so and makes Donna wonder if it's true.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  26. Background image for Three is a Family
    7.9/10(22 votes)

    #25 - Three is a Family

    S5:E21

    Mary learns the joys and pains of having a little sister,as she has to baby-sit Trisha on a night when she'd planned to go on a date.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

Best Episodes Summary

"Guests, Guests, Who Wants Them? (a.k.a.) Guests, Guests, Who Needs Guests?" is the best rated episode of "The Donna Reed Show". It scored 9/10 based on 9 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 3/11/1965. This episode scored 0.5 points higher than the second highest rated, "Mister Nice Guy".