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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...

Seasons8

  1. Background image for Weekend Trip
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    #1 - 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:Unknown
  2. Background image for Pardon My Gloves
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    #2 - 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:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  3. Background image for The Hike
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    #3 - 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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    Director:Unknown
  4. Background image for Male Ego
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    #4 - Male Ego

    S1:E4

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

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  5. Background image for The Football Uniform
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    #5 - 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:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  6. Background image for The Foundling
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    #6 - The Foundling

    S1:E6

    A baby is abandoned at the Stone’s place.

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    Director:Unknown
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  8. Background image for Three Part Mother
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    #7 - 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:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  9. Background image for Change Partners and Dance
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    #8 - 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:Unknown
  10. Background image for Dough Re-Mi
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    #9 - 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:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  11. Background image for Guest in the House
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    #10 - 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:Unknown
  12. Background image for The Baby Contest
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    #11 - The Baby Contest

    S1:E11

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

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  13. Background image for The Beaded Bag
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    #12 - 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:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  14. Background image for The Busy Body
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    #13 - The Busy Body

    S1:E13

    Charismatic Uncle Fred visits the Stone family and a brouhaha ensues.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  15. Background image for A Very Merry Christmas
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #14 - 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
  16. Background image for Mary's Double Date
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    #15 - 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:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  17. Background image for Jeff's Double Life
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    #16 - 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:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  18. Background image for Nothing But the Truth
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    #17 - Nothing But the Truth

    S1:E17

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

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    Director:Unknown
  19. Background image for It's the Principle of the Thing
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    #18 - 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:Unknown
  20. Background image for Jeff vs. Mary
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    #19 - 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:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  21. Background image for Have Fun
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    #20 - 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:Unknown
  22. Background image for Donna Plays Cupid
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    #21 - Donna Plays Cupid

    S1:E21

    Donna decides that Alex’s obstetrician friend, Beau, is a lonely bachelor in need of a mate, so she tries to pair him and her good friend Celia (who has recently broken up with her boyfriend) up.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  23. Background image for Love Thy Neighbor
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    #22 - Love Thy Neighbor

    S1:E22

    Donna and Alex help celebrate the 20th anniversary of Wilbur & Celia Wilgus, only for Donna to get caught up in a misunderstanding later.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  24. Background image for The Report Card
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    #23 - The Report Card

    S1:E23

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

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  25. Background image for Boys Will Be Boys
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    #24 - 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:Unknown
  26. Background image for The Ideal Wife
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    #25 - 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:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

Season 1 Ratings Summary

"Weekend Trip" is the best rated episode of "The Donna Reed Show" season 1. It scored /10 based on 0 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Phil Leslie, it aired on 9/24/1958. This episode is rated 0.0 points higher than the second-best, "Pardon My Gloves".