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S2 E3 A Penny Earned

Comedy

TV-PG

26m

Oct 7, 1959

Donna has trouble deciding whether or not to buy a new dress.

Season 2, 38 Episodes

That's Show Business,

Kenny, a short, shy boy who stutters, wants to drop out of the school show. To improve his confidence, Mary gives him a "lucky" penny and convinces him to stay in the show.

Sleep No More, My Lady,

Donna is too excited to sleep because Alex is giving a speech at a convention. While trying to sleep on the plane Alex gives Donna a tranquilizer to help her sleep.

A Penny Earned,

Donna has trouble deciding whether or not to buy a new dress.

A Friend Indeed,

Jeff's 'friend' Doug keeps getting him into trouble at school, and Jeff silently takes the blame for him because he knows Doug's mother constantly picks on him and wonders why he can't be more like Jeff, who behaves like an innocent cherub at their house.

The First Child,

Alex must contend with overly anxious new parents who constantly call him in a state of panic, thinking that there is something wrong with their baby.

Mary wants to meet a boy, so she talks Jeff into going to his kid sister's party.

The Neighborly Gesture,

Alex is hurt that Jeff likes the new neighbor.

Nothing Like a Good Book,

Donna mistakenly accepts an invitation to Lydia Langley's cocktail party, at which Lydia mentions that she also conducts a book discussion group. She goads Donna into joining it and then reporting on Tolstoy's "War and Peace" at her first meeting.

Flowers for the Teacher,

Jeff's class has a new teacher, Miss McGuinness. The boys in particular complain that she is too strict, so Donna meets with the new teacher to get matters settled.

All Mothers Worry,

Jeff's friend, Phillip, has a problem. He wants to play football, but his mother is overprotective and won't let him.

Jeff Joins a Club,

Jeff finds out the reason why he wasn't made a member of a club: He is friends with a boy no one else likes.

The Punishment,

Dilemma in the Stone household: How to discipline the children without having Donna look like a villain by meeting out the punishments, or having Donna look like a squealer when Alex does.

Difference of Opinion,

Donna gets cornered into accepting an invitation from a couple that neither she nor Alex really cares for. Alex refuses to go, sparking an argument that they try to keep quiet from the children.

The Homecoming Dance,

To ease their minds about Mary having a blind date with a college man, Donna and Alex chaperone at Homecoming.

Lately, all Donna has been hearing is how wonderful Alex is, and how lucky she is to be his wife. After a while, this gets Donna to wondering if what people really mean is that Alex got the short end of the stick by marrying Donna.

Suddenly Jeff is acting as the model child. Donna thinks it is due to the scolding Alex gave him, but the truth is that Jeff feels responsible for an elderly neighbor's fall down the stairs.

Mary gets an engagement ring and phone calls from Matt, a freshman at UCLA, but doesn't tell anyone in the family about the ring or why Matt is calling. So what's going on? As Donna says, "Alex, our daughter has a secret."

The New Mother,

Little David Barker is very excited. His father is getting married and he hopes this means he can leave military school and live in a real home, but things don't work out the way David thought they would.

Just a Housewife,

The radio show "Housewives Corner" is broadcast from McClure's Market. This presents an opportunity for Donna to defend homemakers like herself as being a bit more than "just a housewife"!

Alex's Uncle Dan takes a break from traveling all over the world. Jeff likes the idea of going to Alaska, Saudi Arabia, Malaya, and Australia just like Uncle Dan. Jeff decides to join him. Will Donna and Alex allow him to go? Would you believe, yes?

The First Quarrel,

Donna gets involved in a couple's spat.

Jeff and his friends get into trouble when they are discovered using an abandoned house as a hang-out. This prompts Donna and the other mothers to create a nice meeting place for the children.

A Night to Howl,

Donna and Alex decide to shake up their daily routine by going out on the town...and on a Monday night, no less! Nothing works out the way they planned.

Jeff is named Editor of the school newspaper, and his first action is to write a negative editorial about homework.

The Gentle Dew,

Alex lays down the law when Jeff and Mary slack off on their responsibilities at home and their schoolwork. Now Alex is furious when it appears that Mary didn't come home from a bowling date with Roger on time.

The Fatal Leap,

Alex's wild roommate from college is getting married, and Alex is invited to the bachelor party. Donna doesn't like this idea at all.

Donna makes Jeff take trumpet lessons when she discovers he has perfect pitch. Jeff would rather be on the track team.

Pickles for Charity,

While Alex was the "belle of the ball" with his fantastic dancing at the Woman's Medical Auxiliary Dance, the dance cost more to produce than the income from ticket sales provided.

Mary's Growing Pains,

Mary becomes infatuated with a new intern at the hospital.

Alex Runs the House,

Jeff is away at his grandparents' farm, and Donna misses him so much that Alex convinces her to join Jeff at the farm. Can Alex manage the household in Donna's absence?

The Career Woman,

Donna's old schoolmate, who has been a single career woman all these years, is now engaged to a doctor. She visits Donna to see what life is really like for a doctor's wife.

Jeff, the Financial Genius,

Jeff gets involved in a series of trades with his friends in order to repay a debt.

Mary's Crusade,

Mary vows not to go to the school dance unless Ellen has a date for the dance. Ellen is rather plain so Mary goes to work to transform Ellen into a glamorous young lady.

The First Time We Met,

Donna and Alex have different stories about how they first met. Also, Donna plays matchmaker to a new doctor in town and a pretty nurse at the hospital.

Donna tells Emily, the town gossip, that Kay Watson is having a baby. Then Donna learns from Alex that Kay is keeping it a secret so that she can stay working longer. Donna is crushed, knowing that she may have let Kay's secret out.

Love's Sweet Awakening,

Sixteen-year-old Petie is home from military school and visiting the Stone family. Petie and Mary have been friends for years, but seeing how beautiful Mary has become, he would now like to be more than just friends.

The Wedding Present,

Aunt Lettie is coming to visit, so Donna and Alex try to find the wedding present she gave them so she would be certain to see it. It would help if they could just remember what it was! And by the way, Alex, can Donna buy a Porcelain Dresden figurine?

Jeff wants to keep a cat that followed him home, so can Harry the Cat stay? The Stone family will decide by using the democratic process.

Details

The Donna Reed Show

Comedy

TV-PG

5 Seasons

26m

Originally airing on ABC-TV from 1958-1966, THE DONNA REED SHOW became one of the most popular family situation comedy series in television history during its eight season run.

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