A Bathroom Scene Nearly Banned ‘Leave It to Beaver’ From Television

Country Music Family ^ | 11/19/20 | Jennifer Pernicano

[DallasBiff]

Leave It to Beaver highlighted the Cleaver family’s traditional family values. A large portion of the show revolved around two brothers—Beaver and Wally Cleaver—as they constantly weaseled their way in and out of trouble. The sitcom, which was one of the first shows portrayed from a child’s perspective, pushed the limits of ’50s television.

Despite today’s nearly nonexistent level of censorship, TV in the ’50s was extremely conservative! Shows were not allowed to use bathroom or toilet footage, but Leave It to Beaver decided to stretch censorship boundaries. In the original pilot episode “Captain Jack,” Wally put a small alligator inside the toilet tank as if it were an aquarium.

[DallasBiff]

The Brady's never had a toilet.

What did Alice do? Throw the bucket from the outhouse onto the street?

Have fun, mods pull if inappropriate.

[dfwgator]

IIRC All In The Family was the first time that they used the sound of a flushing toilet.

[RBStealth]

Gee whiz, Biff, I gotta tell ya, trolling on the internet is just plain rotten! It’s like tying someone’s shoelaces together during recess—it might seem funny to some, but it can really hurt someone’s feelings. The good ol’ Beav wouldn’t stand for that, and neither should we. Treat others like you’d want to be treated: with kindness and respect. Life’s tough enough without folks being mean just for kicks.

[John Milner]

I find humor in the show. The parent’s reactions and the kid’s reactions.

Eddie Haskell - ‘nuff said.

Fans of the show differ. Some prefer the first 4 seasons when the emphasis was on Beaver and the child. Others (like me) prefer the more teen-centric episodes with Wally, Lumpy and Eddie dominating the plots.

[llevrok]

There was a law that put moral based censorship on movies and TV.

Married couples could not be shown in one bed. The I Love Lucy Show had Lucy and Desi with separate twin beds for example.

[John Milner]

Beaver AS the child. Sorry, typo

[FlingWingFlyer]

Geez. Now you can turn on TV and watch little boys in kindergarten go in the boys room and get Tampons.

[bankwalker]

[Leaning Right]

‘Leave It to Beaver’ had an amazing character, Eddie Haskell. Before then, kids in situation comedies were wholesome Opie Taylor types.

Then came Eddie.

[Kazan]

The Brady's never had a toilet.

There was a bathroom shown repeatedly on the Brady Bunch that kids used.

How many TV shows today show the toilet used by the characters?

[bankwalker]

[Fledermaus]

Huh? Lighten up Francis.

[Steve_Seattle]

"Others (like me) prefer the more teen-centric episodes with Wally, Lumpy and Eddie dominating the plots."

I recall an episode in which there's a new kid in school - Dudley - who always wears a suit and is considered a square by most of the other students. Naturally, he - nicknamed "Dud" by Eddie Haskell - becomes the target of Eddie Haskell's jibes. (Wally: "Hey Eddie, stop giving him the business.") But it all changes at a party when Dudley turns out to be an excellent piano player, and all the girls - including Eddie's date - crowd around him in admiration.

[Fledermaus]

Bewitched changed that.

[PGR88]

Now it would be the beaver confronting a 6’2” transvestite 24 year old buying tampons in the middle-school boys’ bathroom.

[Bonemaker]

"A Bathroom Scene Nearly Banned ‘Leave It to Beaver’ From Television"

Beaver got caught in the bathroom with a one-handed magazine?

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Eddy grew up to be a cop and was severely injured in a shootout.

[RBStealth]

Golly, now there’s no need to get all bent out of shape! I get it, sometimes we’re just trying to pull each other’s leg a bit. But let’s aim for a bit of good-natured fun that doesn’t come at someone else’s expense, alright? It’s all about treating each other with a bit of kindness and understanding.

[Old Man From WV]

I read that Hugh Beaumont, Beaver’s dad, was a minister.

[katykelly]

Eddy was a Ditto Head .