The original airing of “The Donna Reed Show” lasted until 1966 for a total of 8 years and 275 episodes. The show’s star, Donna Reed, eventually grew tired of the show and the fact that she had to work every day. She has also reported to complain about how the show has taken up most of her time, leaving very little for her personal life.
Unfortunately, the TV series was still very popular at that time when Donna Reed decided to step away from it and not renew her contract. Many of its fans were disappointed and sad with her decision.
Show Ownership Over the Years
“The Donna Reed Show” continued to air for decades after the show initially ended in 1966 after being bought by different TV networks. The show was last owned by Sony in 2008 before losing it back to the estates of Donna Reed and Tony Owen. Two of its most successful re-airings are from 1985 to 1999 on Nick at Nite and from 2002 to 2004 on TV Land.
The show was also released on DVD by Virgil Films and Entertainment (under the license from the estates of Donna Reed and Tony Owen). Its Season 3 was most currently re-released on June 30, 2015, on DVD by MPI Home Video. Nowadays, it isn't seen on TV because of the high cost to air it.
Eye on the Prize
“The Donne Reed Show” became part of one of the most unique cereal box giveaways ever in history, when General Mills offered a DVD of two episodes inside boxes of Total Cereal and Oatmeal Crisp in 2004. It was a pretty successful campaign that was successful in reviving the public’s interest in the show.
Fans were especially happy about the giveaway since “The Donna Reed Show” has stopped airing on any major TV networks. It also became a must-have collectible for die-hard fans of the show. Although it was much more costly than other cereal box giveaways, the people behind the idea were certainly satisfied with the positive reception.
A Feminist
Donna Stone was beautifully portrayed as a loving mother, an amazing wife, and a solid role model for women of all ages. Someone anyone could learn from. Reed's TV character effectively changed how mothers, and women in general, were portrayed on screen.
Many of Donna Reed’s close friends have said that this character is very similar to Donna Reed’s real-life persona. This is probably the reason why the character felt very natural and not forced. She was assertive and funny which made her very engaging to watch. She is definitely the main reason why the show achieved the success that it did.
Not Exactly Critically Acclaimed
The show was a very big success, winning the hearts of millions of fans and viewers. However, the show did not get that same success critically, as it only broke into the top 25 shows once during 1963-1964. No matter what the critics felt, in the hearts of Americans, it was already one of the 25 most popular shows in the country.
Donna Reed herself has expressed her happiness with the show's accomplishments. Being the only one at the time, Reed proved that a show could be successful with a strong, non-neurotic, non-sexualized female lead. Today she is recognized as one of the trendsetters and inspiration for such female leads that arose over the years.