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Starring Donna Reed & Carl Betz
Season 4 (ABC) (1961-62)
Episode Guide compiled by The Classic TV Archive
with contributions by:
references:
TV Guide /   Library of Congress (telnet://locis.loc.gov)
Internet Movie Database (https://us.imdb.com)
UCLA Film and Television Archive

########### The Donna Reed Show ##############
############# season 4 1961-62 ###############
##############################################
ABC Thursdays at 8:00pm Eastern

4.01 [114] The Donna Reed Show:  ONE STARRY NIGHT
14Sep61 ABC
Guest Cast:
James Darren (as Kip Dennis and Jim Brandt)
Johnny Darren (as Joe Dennis)
Singer James Darren is a guest for the premiere episode of this series'
fourth season.
Mary doesn't approve of Jeff's admiration for singing idol Jim Brandt. Then
she meets young "Kip Dennis," who sweeps her off her feet. She is embarrassed
to learn that he's really the singer she hates.
James Darren sings "Mighty Pretty Territory There" and "Good Bye Cruel World"

4.02 [115] The Donna Reed Show:  A ROSE IS A ROSE
21Sep61 ABC broadcast date (14Sep61 copyright date)
Synopsis #1: The Stones force Jeff to rewrite a composition.
Synopsis #2: Jeff has to give up baseball for studying when his composition
is used as an example of the decay of the English language.

4.03 [116] The Donna Reed Show:  THE CLOSE SHAVE
28Sep61 ABC broadcast date (21Sep61 copyright date)
Synopsis #1: Jeff's new beard prompts him to take on responsibility.
Synopsis #2: Jeff detects the hint of a beard, and decides the time has
come for him to enter the adult world. He takes on a backbreaking job to
pay for room and board in his own home.

4.04 [117] The Donna Reed Show:  MOUSE AT PLAY
05Oct61 ABC
Guest Cast:
Cloris Leachman (as Myra)
John Astin (as Eric)
While Alex is out of town, Donna decides to experiment with a wild new
hairdo. The deed is done, but she's terrified to face her husband with her new, exotic locks.

4.05 [118] The Donna Reed Show:  THE MONSTER
12Oct61 ABC broadcast date (5Oct61 copyright date)
Synopsis: Alex is out of town, and every creak in the house terrifies
Donna. Late one night she hears a noise at the front door: an enormous
furry creature is seated on the porch.

4.06 [119] The Donna Reed Show:  NEW GIRL IN TOWN
19Oct61 ABC
Guest Cast:
Candy Moore (as Angie)
Johnny Washbrook (as Bill)
Young Angie Quinn moves into the neighborhood, and Donna wants to help her
get dates. Jeff volunteers, and is delighted with Angie: she wears blue jeans
and plays a great game of football.

4.07 [120] The Donna Reed Show: ONE OF THOSE DAYS
26Oct61 ABC

4.08 [121] The Donna Reed Show: ALL IS FORGIVEN
2Nov61 ABC
Donna and Alex are upset about their friends Millie and Jack Keppler, whose
marriage is on the rocks. The Stones decide to act as peacemakers.
Cast:
Patricia Barry (as Millie)
William Windom (as Jack)
Nancy McCarthy (as Mrs. Stedman)

4.09 [122] The Donna Reed Show:  THE ELECTRICAL STORM
9Nov61 ABC Thursday 8:00pm (2Nov61 copyright date)
Guest cast:
Lee Aaker (as Walter)
Darryl Richard (as Smitty)
Richard Deacon (as Mr. Heflin)
Synopsis #1:
Jeff and two of his buddies have a good thing going: They've learned how to
control the school's bell system, and each class is about two minutes long.
Synopsis #2:
Jeff refuses to name the boy responsible for a prank.

4.10 [123] The Donna Reed Show:  THE PAPER TYCOON
16Nov61 ABC
Guest Cast:
Skippy Shane (as Bill)
Stephen Barrenger (as Craig)
Leslie Barrenger (as Timmy)
Jeff isn't getting rich with his paper route, so he decides to branch out
into another business. He needs money for the venture, and who's most likely
to lend it to him? - Good old Mom!

4.11 [124] The Donna Reed Show:  PRIVATE TUTOR
23Nov61 ABC
Guest Cast:
Peter Votrian (as Joel)
A boy called Joel is hired to tutor Mary in French, and Mary is thrilled:
she's had a long-distance crush on Joel for ages.

4.12 [125] The Donna Reed Show:  ALEX, THE PROFESSOR
30Nov61

4.13 [126] The Donna Reed Show:  THE FABULOUS O'HARA
7Dec61 ABC
Guest Cast:
Cecil Kellaway (as Algerion O'Hara)
Rickey Kelman (as Butch)
Alex explains that doctors don't have agents, but Jeff is sure his dad needs
one, and that he's the man for the job. Jeff has even lined up his first
commission - a boy named Butch.

4.14 [127] The Donna Reed Show:  WAY OF A WOMAN
14Dec61 ABC
Guest Cast:
Jimmy Hawkins (as Scotty)
Reba Waters (as Dorine)
Regina Groves (as Babs)
After some pressure from Donna, Alex lets Mary go on a weekend skiing trip.
When the jaunt's called off, Donna says Alex should take his daughter on a
trip to Chicago to make it up to her.

4.15 [128] The Donna Reed Show:  A VERY BRIGHT KID
21Dec61 ABC

4.16 [129] The Donna Reed Show:  THE TOUGHEST KID IN SCHOOL
28Dec61 ABC

[---] 4Jan62 - series pre-empted this week?

4.17 [130] The Donna Reed Show:  DR. STONE AND HIS HORSELESS CARRIAGE
11Jan62 ABC
Guest Cast:
Gale Gordon (as Mr. Webley)
Oliver McGowan (as Dr. Thorgesen)
Alex gets an antique car and fondly names her Eloise. But Eloise's effect on
the Stone household is disastrous: The kids feel humiliated, Alex loses
patients, and the family becomes the laughingstock of the town.

4.18 [131] The Donna Reed Show:  FOR ANGIE WITH LOVE
18Jan62 ABC Thursday 8:00pm
Guest Cast:
Candy Moore (as Angie)
Stephen Hammer (as Roger)
Jeff goes wild and buys his girl friend Angie a very expensive birthday
present. But Jeff's bank account isn't as big as his generosity - and he
starts selling his possessions to pay for the gift.
This is the first episode where Jeff (Paul Petersen) sings. In a dream
sequence, he performs "She Can’t Find Her Keys".
(Repeated Aug62)

4.19 [132] The Donna Reed Show:  ALOHA KIMI
25Jan62 ABC
Guest cast:
Miyoshi Umeki (as Kimi)
Susan Gordon (as Penny)
Betsy Jones Moreland (as Janet Palmer)
Crahan Denton (as Dr. Kendall)
James Douglas (as Dr. Phillips)
Alex flies to Honolulu to treat young Penny Palmer, the daughter of a family
friend. Penny's doctors are mystified: She awakened from an operation - paralyzed.

4.20 [133] The Donna Reed Show:  DONNA'S PRIMA DONNA
01Feb62 ABC
Guest cast:
Jim Stacy (as Danny)
Don Spruance (as Mr. Haslip)
Jean Gillespie (as Caroline)
Mary announces that she'd rather pursue a singing career than go to college.
Donna hopes that a visit to Fairburn, her old alma mater, will change her
daughter's mind. Shelley Fabares, as Mary Stone, makes her singing debut
doing "Johnny Angel."

4.21 [134] The Donna Reed Show:  EXPLORER'S TEN
("Explorers Ten" - TV Guide had no apostrophe in the title - I don't know which one is correct.)
08Feb62 ABC
Guest Cast:
Earle Hodgins (as Mr. Coxey)
Ken Niles (as Earnshaw)
Jeff and his buddies are working to raise money to buy a telescope for their
club. But Jeff learns that elderly Mr. Coxey yearns to visit Washington, D.C.
before he dies. Jeff wonders if the club's money couldn't go to a better cause.

4.22 [135] The Donna Reed Show:  THE NEW OFFICE
15Feb62 ABC
Guest Cast:
Alan Hewitt (as Kirby)
Dean Moray (as Gerry)
When Alex decides to move his office from home to a downtown building, a
crisis arises: Jeff wants the extra space for a table-tennis game, and Mary
wants it to store her record collection.

4.23 [136] The Donna Reed Show: THE GOLDEN TRAP
22Feb62 ABC
Donna and Alex agree to let Jeff and Mary manage the household while they're
away for the night. Mary asks her friend over to play records - and word gets
around that Mary's holding open house.

4.24 [137] The Donna Reed Show FREE FLIGHT
01Mar62 ABC

4.25 [138] The Donna Reed Show:  THE WIDE OPEN SPACES
08Mar62 ABC
The Stones' friends have moved to "The Wide Open Spaces" to escape the
crowded city. Donna and Alex are curious and decide to drive out for a first-hand look.

4.26 [139] The Donna Reed Show:  THE FIREBALL
15Mar62 ABC
Jeff reluctantly accepts the leading role in the school play. He soon regrets
his decision.
Candy Moore (as Angie)

4.27 [140] The Donna Reed Show:  ONCE UPON A TIMEPIECE
22Mar62
The story behind a watch inspires Alex to push Jeff. (Newspaper listing)

4.28 [141] The Donna Reed Show:  HILLDALE 500
29Mar62 ABC
Guest Cast:
Darryl Richard (as Gordie)
Candy Moore (as Angie)
Alex is pleased that Jeff wants to participate in a sport called kart racing,
but Donna is not quite so enthusiastic about the idea.

4.29 [142] The Donna Reed Show:  WINNER TAKE ALL
05Apr62

4.30 [143] The Donna Reed Show:  SKIN DEEP
12Apr62 ABC
Guest Cast:
Peter Brooks (as Gregory)
Regina Groves (as Ann)
Mary asks Alex's permission to go on a blind date with a boy named Gregory
Taylor, and Alex says it's OK - if Mary agrees to let Alex meet Gregory  before their date.

4.31 [144] The Donna Reed Show: THE FORTUNE TELLER
19Apr62

4.32 [145] The Donna Reed Show: MAN OF ACTION
26Apr62

4.33 [146] The Donna Reed Show:  DONNA MEETS ROBERTA
03Apr62 ABC broadcast date
Synopsis: Donna thinks Alex is taking advantage of a widow.
(Note: This episode was a pilot for the proposed series “The Roberta
Sherwood Show” which appears to have never made it on the network’s schedule.)

4.34 [147] The Donna Reed Show:  THE CARAVAN
10May62 ABC
Synopsis #1: The family let Donna make the vacation plans, but they didn't
bargain on her choice: a tour of the country in a rented bus.
Synopsis #2: Donna rents a house-on-wheels for a family vacation.

4.35 [148] The Donna Reed Show:  THE SWINGIN' SET
17May62 ABC
Darryl Richards (as Smitty)
Jeff and his friend Smitty are in a panic, and the world looks very black to
them. It's Junior Prom time - and they haven't got dates.

4.36 [149] The Donna Reed Show:  ON TO FAIRVIEW
24May62 ABC
Guest Cast:
Paul Tripp (as Mr. Varney)
Carter De Haven Sr. (as Mr. Marrian)
June Bennett (as lady customer)
Jeff wants to get his girl friend a very special present, but he's short of
funds. He decides to earn the money by helping with a promotion scheme to
advertise Mr. Varney's bicycle shop.

4.37 [150] The Donna Reed Show:  THE MAN IN THE MASK
31May62 ABC
Guest cast:
Don Drysdale (as himself)
Donna wonders what could inspire Jeff to get so dressed up. Then she learns
he's interviewing a baseball star for the school paper. Don Drysdale, star
pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, makes a guest appearance.

4.38 [151] The Donna Reed Show:  THE FATHER IMAGE
07Jun62 ABC
Both Mary and Jeff need their father's attention on an important matter:
Jeff's going to take his driver's test and Mary's graduating. But Alex is
having his own trouble - one of his patients is in critical condition.

4.39 [152] The Donna Reed Show:  DEAR WIFE
14Jun62 ABC
Mary attends a friend's wedding, and is swept away by the romance of it all.
Donna and Alex are afraid Mary may be swept right into the sea of matrimony herself.

----------------------------------------
Network Summer Re-Runs (21Jun62-13Sep62)
----------------------------------------
21Jun62 re-run - no details

############ The Donna Reed Show #############
############### end of season 4 ##############
##############################################

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