In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Leave It to Beaver (1957–63) was one of a number of TV sitcoms (see entry under 1950s—TV and Radio in volume 3) set in an idealized, middle-class suburban-American environment. Along with such sitcom classics of the era as The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952–66; see entry under 1950s—TV and Radio in volume 3) and Father Knows Best (1954–62), Leave It to Beaver portrayed a "typical" American family. In this family, the father dutifully went off to work, the mother never mussed her hair as she maintained the household, and the children experienced the gentle trials of coming of age. What set Leave It to Beaver apart from the other shows was that it focused on its title character and youngest family member: Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver, played by Jerry Mathers (1948—).

Leave It to Beaver revolved around the antics...