8 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘The Donna Reed Show’

At a time when essentially all family sitcoms revolved around the father figure (Father Knows Best, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet), The Donna Reed Show was different. Airing on ABC from 1958-66, the series placed Donna Stone (Reed) at the center of the domestic front (Mother Knows Best was briefly considered as a title) in an effort to demonstrate how demanding the role of a stay-at-home wife really was. The show was well received, peaked at No. 16 and earned Reed several Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe for Best TV Star — Female. Here are eight things you (probably) didn’t know about The Donna Reed Show.