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The Best Episodes of The Donna Reed Show Season 1

Every episode of The Donna Reed Show Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Donna Reed Show Season 1!

The Best Episodes of The Donna Reed Show Season 1

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...

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  1. 8.0/10(97 votes)

    #1 - 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:N/A
    Writer:N/A
  2. 7.7/10(47 votes)

    #2 - The Report Card

    S1:E23

    Donna is worried when Jeff comes home with a report card full of Cs.

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    Director:N/A
    Writer:N/A
  3. 7.6/10(96 votes)

    #3 - Weekend Trip

    S1:E1

    In the premiere episode, Donna hopes to get away to a ski weekend with her brood, but pediatrician husband Alex's on-call schedule makes this tricky, especially since one of his young patients, Eddie Barclay (played by one of the Corcoran siblings of Disney film and TV fame; sister Noreen was on "Bachelor Father" with John Forsythe), has a mysterious illness and Alex doesn't want to leave him in the care of another doctor.

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    Director:N/A
  4. 7.4/10(56 votes)

    #4 - The Football Uniform

    S1:E5

    Jeff wants a uniform for the team picture, but is told he must work for the money to buy it.

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    Director:N/A
    Writer:N/A
  5. 7.4/10(61 votes)

    #5 - The Foundling

    S1:E6

    A baby is abandoned at the Stone’s place.

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    Director:N/A
  6. 7.4/10(50 votes)

    #6 - Have Fun

    S1:E20

    When Mary comes home utterly dejected from a terrible first date, Donna and Alex each, in “Rashomon”-style, tell her about their first date.

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    Director:N/A
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  8. 7.4/10(48 votes)

    #7 - The Ideal Wife

    S1:E25

    Donna keeps getting praised for being an excellent wife and mother—so much so, that she, illogically, becomes a bit paranoid that people really mean something negative about her beneath the surface of their words, and fears her kids are taking advantage of her.

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    Director:N/A
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  9. 7.3/10(50 votes)

    #8 - The Baby Contest

    S1:E11

    Alex is judge at a Beautiful Baby contest run by Donna's club.

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    Director:N/A
    Writer:N/A
  10. 7.3/10(50 votes)

    #9 - The Beaded Bag

    S1:E12

    When Donna longingly admires a lovely, expensive bag at a store, the saleswoman (along with a female friend of hers) schemes to coax Alex into getting it for her for a birthday gift. But Alex is suspicious that Donna is pulling the strings behind the scenes, instead of being forthright about it.

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    Director:N/A
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  11. 7.3/10(45 votes)

    #10 - Jeff's Double Life

    S1:E16

    After nosy neighbor Mrs. Wilgus (the inimitable Kathleen Freeman) alerts Donna and Alex about Mary having a noisy party while they were out, the kids get lectured about being the children of a doctor, and that they should behave accordingly. Not too long after this, Jeff takes a ride from Mary's troublemaker friend Tommy Hendricks, who doesn't have a license and has taken his father's car out for a joyride, and they get into a minor accident while fleeing a cop.

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    Director:N/A
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  12. 7.2/10(77 votes)

    #11 - Pardon My Gloves

    S1:E2

    Jeff gets a black eye from a boy who mocks Donna's acting in a local play. So, Donna tries to teach Jeff how to box.

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    Director:N/A
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  13. 7.2/10(64 votes)

    #12 - The Hike

    S1:E3

    Donna tries to prove women can outsmart men when Dr. Stone is called away to treat a patient.

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  14. 7.2/10(45 votes)

    #13 - Boys Will Be Boys

    S1:E24

    David Barker is brought to Alex to be treated for rabies, and is invited to stay the night. Later, Jeff is left in charge of David, as everyone else will be gone.

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    Director:N/A
  15. 7.1/10(54 votes)

    #14 - Male Ego

    S1:E4

    Alex tries to prove his independence when Donna buys a suit for him.

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    Director:N/A
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  16. 7.1/10(47 votes)

    #15 - Guest in the House

    S1:E10

    A problem child takes refuge at the Stone’s house, and Donna tries to get through to him.

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    Director:N/A
  17. 7.1/10(49 votes)

    #16 - April Fool

    S1:E28

    When Buzz Barry, teenage idol (played by James Darren), comes to Hilldale to sing at a concert, he falls ill with the measles and the concert is canceled, leaving Mary and her friends devastated. Then he ends up staying at the Stone’s home to recuperate, causing unexpected complications.

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  18. 7.0/10(51 votes)

    #17 - Three Part Mother

    S1:E7

    Donna spreads herself thin, running between three places on the same night, for her family.

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    Director:N/A
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  19. 7.0/10(54 votes)

    #18 - Change Partners and Dance

    S1:E8

    Mary has a crush on the school basketball star, George, who wants to take her to the prom, but hasn’t asked her because he can't dance.

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    Director:James V. Kern
    Writer:N/A
  20. 7.0/10(53 votes)

    #19 - Dough Re-Mi

    S1:E9

    Donna tries to get a famous concert pianist to perform at a benefit, and, at the same time, Jeff is trying to raise money for a football tackling dummy. These two seemingly unrelated projects intertwine.

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    Director:N/A
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  21. 7.0/10(47 votes)

    #20 - Mary's Double Date

    S1:E15

    Mary's Junior prom is imminent, and she has trouble deciding between two boys on the football team who might ask her. She also dangles another nice boy on a string. But, eventually, the resultant consequences of her selfish decisions come to fruition.

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    Director:N/A
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  22. 7.0/10(43 votes)

    #21 - Miss Lovelace Comes to Tea

    S1:E34

    The family searches for a compatible housekeeper to help around the house while Donna manages a charity campaign.

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    Director:N/A
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  23. 6.9/10(46 votes)

    #22 - Nothing But the Truth

    S1:E17

    David Barker finagles a return to the Stone’s home for his birthday celebration.

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  24. 6.9/10(46 votes)

    #23 - Jeff vs. Mary

    S1:E19

    Jeff becomes jealous and insecure about his parent’s love—feeling that they care about Mary more than him.

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    Director:N/A
    Writer:N/A
  25. 6.9/10(45 votes)

    #24 - The Hero

    S1:E30

    Alex's roommate, Biff Jameson, comes to Hilldale, and though he charms the family and dazzles Jeff, Alex confesses to Donna that his old pal seems to be off from what he used to be.

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    Director:N/A
  26. 6.8/10(47 votes)

    #25 - It's the Principle of the Thing

    S1:E18

    Mr. Popkin won't let Alex treat Joey because he has no money. So, Donna hires him to do repairs around the house, but Alex fires him. Then Donna tries another method to help him get the finances he needs.

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    Director:N/A

Season 1 Ratings Summary

"A Very Merry Christmas" is the best rated episode of "The Donna Reed Show" season 1. It scored 8/10 based on 97 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 12/24/1958. This episode is rated 0.3 points higher than the second-best, "The Report Card".