7.5/1034 votes#1 - Weekend
Season 3 Episode 1 - Aired 9/15/1960
The family wants to get away for the weekend. The brochure shows Lakeview Lodge to be a great place to go, so Donna and Alex head up there early with Mary and Jeff to join them later, but Lakeview Lodge turns out to be a major disappointment. Now what can they do?
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 8.1/1032 votes
#2 - The Mystery Woman
Season 3 Episode 2 - Aired 9/22/1960
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.
Director: Norman Tokar
Writer: Barbara Avedon
- 7.8/1041 votes
#3 - Donna Decorates
Season 3 Episode 3 - Aired 9/29/1960
Donna tries to redecorate the house, but neighbor boy Dennis Mitchell (Jay North) tries to help her...and ends up making things more of a mess. Donna finally calls Dennis' nearer neighbor Mr.Wilson (Joseph Kearns) to ask if Dennis would help him with anything. (I'm sure Mr.Wilson sympathized.) This was a crossover show-with two people from ""Dennis the Menace"" guesting. It turns out both shows are set in the town of Hilldale...but Dennis probably lived in a different neighborhood than Donna.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.6/1031 votes
#4 - The Love Letter
Season 3 Episode 4 - Aired 10/6/1960
Nick the Greek is the handyman at the Stone's house. He's still learning how to write English, so he asks Jeff for help in writing a love letter to his girlfriend. Later, Mary finds this love letter in Jeff's handwriting and wonders if Jeff is involved in a new romance.
Director: Robert Ellis Miller
Writer: N/A
- 7.9/1038 votes
#5 - How the Other Side Lives
Season 3 Episode 5 - Aired 10/20/1960
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?
Director: James Sheldon
Writer: John Whedon
- 7.6/1034 votes
#6 - Alex's Twin
Season 3 Episode 6 - Aired 10/27/1960
Mary is enamored with the new boy at school, Elroy! Why? Because he reminds her so much of what her dad must have been like as a teenager. Alex can't see the resemblance at all.
Director: Jeffrey Hayden
Writer: N/A
- 7.7/1030 votes
#7 - Worried Anyone?
Season 3 Episode 7 - Aired 11/3/1960
Like, are we worried about Mary riding in Scotty's car? After all, its only a hot rod made with parts taken from wrecked cars!
Director: Robert Ellis Miller
Writer: N/A
- 7.1/1026 votes
#8 - Higher Learning
Season 3 Episode 8 - Aired 11/10/1960
Alex is cited for his research in a Medical Journal article that he tries to read throughout the whole episode, but he's constantly interrupted. Mary gives up boys when Roger and Elroy let a coin toss decide which one will play tennis with her. She decides to become a scientist. Boys are back in her life when she discovers the new boy Stanley mowing their yard and conducting a science project at the same time.
Director: Jeffrey Hayden
Writer: N/A
- 7.8/1027 votes
#9 - Never Marry a Doctor
Season 3 Episode 9 - Aired 11/17/1960
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.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.5/1024 votes
#10 - It Only Hurts When I Laugh
Season 3 Episode 10 - Aired 11/24/1960
The tables are turned as Alex becomes a hospital patient, and a difficult one at that.
Director: Jeffrey Hayden
Writer: N/A
- 7.1/1023 votes
#11 - The Model Daughter
Season 3 Episode 11 - Aired 12/1/1960
Mary goes to a session at Taffy Cinders Charm School and wins a scholarship to learn how to be a model. Most of the girls who went with Mary also ""won"" scholarships, too! Then the expenses mount up, as she needs the School instruction book, the School grooming aids, etc.
Director: Robert Ellis Miller
Writer: N/A
- 7.2/1027 votes
#12 - Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
Season 3 Episode 12 - Aired 12/8/1960
Mary is so indecisive, always asking her mother about what clothes to wear which boys to date. Tonight though, she starts making her own decisions when she, Roger, and Larry go out on the town. They go to the Hungry Onion coffeehouse and listen to poetry. They get into money troubles with dinner at the Flamingo Club, and that's when Mary makes the right decision.
Director: Jeffrey Hayden
Writer: N/A
- 7.0/1025 votes
#13 - Donna Goes to a Reunion
Season 3 Episode 13 - Aired 12/15/1960
Donna heads to a Blaine Women's College reunion, and while she's away, Jeff adopts Duke, the dog.
Director: Robert Ellis Miller
Writer: John Whedon
- 7.8/1032 votes
#14 - Someone is Watching
Season 3 Episode 14 - Aired 12/22/1960
Jeff wants a motor scooter like Gordie just got, but Alex won't agree to that. Gordie shows off his riding skill until he drives the scooter into a tree in the Stones front yard. Gordie proceeds to fake a leg injury that puts him in Jeff's bed overnight, with Donna taking care of him. Why would Gordie do that? Does it have anything to do with his new stepmother or his dad giving him anything he wants? Does Donna have an idea about how to help Gordie's mom with this problem? You bet she does!
Director: Robert Ellis Miller
Writer: John Whedon
- 7.9/1025 votes
#15 - The Lean and Hungry Look
Season 3 Episode 15 - Aired 12/29/1960
Donna can't fit into the dinner dress she bought a few months ago, and she wants to wear it! She decides it's time to exercise and diet the extra pounds off. Then, Alex notices his tuxedo is a little too tight now, so he decides, well, you get the picture! And will Jeff ever repay the money he borrowed from Mary so she can buy that sweater she's been wanting for a long time. And what do you think happens when she finally does get that sweater and tries it on?
Director: Robert Ellis Miller
Writer: N/A
- 6.7/1019 votes
#16 - Character Building
Season 3 Episode 16 - Aired 1/5/1961
When Donna's letter-to-the-editor about parents needing to make sure that their children follow through by finishing what they start gets published, it prompts Donna to follow through herself. Now Mary can't play tennis till she finds her lost jacket and returns a library book, and Jeff can't rest till he finds the tire pump he borrowed from a friend.
Director: Jeffrey Hayden
Writer: N/A
- 7.0/1024 votes
#17 - World's Greatest Entertainer
Season 3 Episode 17 - Aired 1/12/1961
Jeff just can't seem to do anything right --- he slams the door and the angel food cake in the oven droops; his model airplane has cockeyed wings; airplane glue gets on the carpet, so he bleaches it out! The family needs to build up his spirits, so when he does mediocre imitations of movie stars like James Cagney, Peter Lorre, and Edward G. Robinson, he gets all the family's praise. So he decides to enter the upcoming school talent show! Now what can Mary, Donna, and Alex do?
Director: Norman Tokar
Writer: Barbara Avedon
- 7.2/1024 votes
#18 - Variations On a Theme
Season 3 Episode 18 - Aired 1/19/1961
Donna and Alex remember their honeymoon and this wonderful musical tobacco jar for Alex. When the jar is broken, unknown to one another Donna and Mary buy an identical replacement, Alex also finds another one, while Jeff glues the original tobacco jar back together! The Stones now own 3 musical tobacco jars!
Director: Jeffrey Hayden
Writer: John Whedon
- 7.5/1030 votes
#19 - The Stones Go to Hollywood
Season 3 Episode 19 - Aired 1/26/1961
Alex needs to go to Hollywood to discuss suggestions for a Children's Clinic, so the whole family takes the opportunity to go along and see Hollywood, except it rains, for 2 days! They had so much wanted to meet a movie and TV star before they leave, They do! Also enjoy Donna dreaming that she is a big Hollywood star.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.6/1029 votes
#20 - Donna Directs a Play
Season 3 Episode 20 - Aired 2/2/1961
Donna fills in for the director of Mary's drama group when he is called to Hollywood for a part in a movie.
Director: Robert Ellis Miller
Writer: N/A
- 7.2/1023 votes
#21 - Trip to Nowhere
Season 3 Episode 21 - Aired 2/9/1961
Jeff has been complaing that there's nothing to do. To top it off, Ricky comes over and brags about how his dad is taking him on an exciting camping trip this weekend. Now Jeff wants to go camping, but Alex is away at a conference. So Donna decides to take Jeff and Mary camping at Truesdale Park right in town. This isn't the kind of camping trip Jeff had in mind.
Director: Robert Ellis Miller
Writer: N/A
- 6.9/1031 votes
#22 - The Geisha Girl
Season 3 Episode 22 - Aired 2/16/1961
The new doctor has a Japanese Geisha girl for a wife. She is constantly seeing to her husband's needs, can't do enough for him. The married couples of Hilldale have a difficult time adjusting to her. Leave it to Donna to ""Americanize"" her in matters of wifely duties.
Director: Norman Tokar
Writer: N/A
- 7.3/1025 votes
#23 - The Busy People
Season 3 Episode 23 - Aired 2/23/1961
In a try for more togetherness, Donna signs Alex and herself up for painting lessons.
Director: Robert Ellis Miller
Writer: N/A
- 7.0/1030 votes
#24 - Tony Martin Visits
Season 3 Episode 24 - Aired 3/2/1961
While driving through Hilldale, Tony Martin is arrested for speeding by a policeman using radar. He knows he wasn't speeding, but figures he'll just pay the fine and be on his way. In court, Tony sees Donna fighting a parking meter violation and insisting on a jury trial rather than pay a $2 fine. Tony decides to ask for a jury trial, too. It's a matter of man versus machine: is the parking meter keeping correct time or did Donna? Was the radar unit accurate or not? Will popular singer Tony Martin sing a song in this episode? Yes!
Director: Robert Ellis Miller
Writer: N/A
- 7.5/1029 votes
#25 - Aunt Belle's Earrings
Season 3 Episode 25 - Aired 3/9/1961
No description available
Director: Robert Ellis Miller
Writer: N/A
The Best Episodes of The Donna Reed Show Season 3
Every episode of The Donna Reed Show Season 3 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Donna Reed Show Season 3!
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...
Genres:ComedyFamily
Network:ABC
Season 3 Ratings Summary
"Weekend" is the best rated episode of "The Donna Reed Show" season 3. It scored 7.5/10 based on 34 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 9/15/1960. This episode is rated 0.6 points higher than the second-best, "The Mystery Woman".