"Leave It to Beaver" Double Date (TV Episode 1962) Poster

(TV Series)

(1962)

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7/10
A more brighter, confident Beaver
vitoscotti15 August 2021
In S6 E5 Double Date we get a rare glimpse at Jerry Mathers playing Jerry Mathers. Normal mild apprehension about double dating with Wally. But a bright, confident early teen. And some quick witted cocky remarks. Instead of the gullible, dopey kid who doesnt know which side to butter his bread on. This edgy Beaver would have been great to star the last 2 seasons. Even Jerry Mathers acting is much smoother playing someone not a cartoon character.
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9/10
Name? It's Cleaver, Theodore Cleaver
pensman19 May 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Wally needs the car to get his girlfriend; but after listening to all the restrictions his parents are putting on Wally, Beaver says his dad is making walking sound good. Wally has returned with Carolyn Stewart, as she is new in town, everyone is curious to see her. Wally has a date Saturday with Carolyn, but Carolyn has to babysit her younger sister who happens to be Beaver's age. The date is off, unless she and Wally can have a double date: her sister and Wally's brother—The Beaver. Wally is speechless, his brother with a girl.

After accepting a number of "gifts," actually bribes, Beaver accepts the offer to double date. Wally is still between amazed and shocked. When Gilbert calls to speak with Beaver about Saturday night, Wally panics. But not to worry. Beaver tells Gilbert he's going on a double date with his brother. Poor Gilbert is just a little kid who has to stay home then with his parents. Are we seeing Beaver transform into Cleaver, Theodore Cleaver, before our very eyes? Does he have an Aston Martin in the garage that we don't known about?

Carolyn's sister is all ready for the date too. Wally senses a disturbance in the force. He can't accept the idea that Beaver is OK with girls. Maybe he should check out Beaver's manners. Turns out Beaver is way ahead of him. He cautions Wally not to laugh at any possible romantic scenes in the movie. And at the malt shop, he believes they should order separately so their dates can be served before they are. Who is this kid?

When Saturday night arrives, Beaver look good and has even used some of Wally's after shave. He even has money in his pocket. Everything looks A-OK. But then Carolyn calls, her sister has backed out. How to break the news to Beaver. Was that a look of relief we saw on Beaver's face? It sure looked like it. Maybe Beaver can call Susan and talk her into the "date." Beaver is reluctant to talk on the phone but calls; Susan is just as reluctant as Beaver to talk on the phone. Turns out Susan is as scared to go out with a boy as Beaver is about going out with a girl. Maybe some time when neither of them is scared, says Susan, then they might go out. Good idea says a very relieved Cleaver, Beaver Cleaver that is. Bicycle safe in garage.
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8/10
Beaver enters adolescence
AlsExGal30 March 2024
Wally has a date planned for Saturday night, but it looks like it won't go on as planned because his date has to stay home with her younger sister as they are in a new neighborhood and the parents will be gone that evening. She does have an idea though - If Beaver will "double date" with her younger sister, then the date can go on as planned. Both Beaver and the kid sister are in the eighth grade.

At first Wally thinks this is going to take some major buttering up on his part to get Beaver to agree to this. But Beaver is actually very agreeable to the idea. He goes all in on being well dressed for the occasion, making sure he has just the right amount of cologne, and checking to make sure his socks are the same color. He doesn't even know what the girl looks like, he just seems anxious to go through this rite of passage - the first date. I realize in a previous season there was an episode labeled "First Date", but that was hardly a date as Beaver just meets up with the girl at the dance.

Then disaster happens and the little sister who will be his date chickens out. How will this work out? Watch and find out.

It was good to see the show embrace the kids getting older as the series winds up. Beaver starting an interest in girls, and Wally learning to drive and starting to think about life after high school. Other not so successful shows of this kind would either bring in other little kids so the focus could remain on childhood, often with less than satisfactory replacement actors, or they would try to keep the obviously growing children as little kids, ignoring the biological reality staring you in the face.
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10/10
"Women. Wow!"
MichaelMartinDeSapio27 April 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Few shows mastered the art of minimalism like LEAVE IT TO BEAVER. The series could create moral lessons and psychological interest even when less than nothing was going on. In this final-season episode, Wally is going on a date with lovely Carolyn Stewart, but Carolyn's little sister Susan needs someone to stay with her. So Carolyn comes up with the solution of arranging a double date: Wally with Carolyn, and Susan with Beaver! Wally is full of trepidation about Beaver's accepting this deal, but to his surprise Beaver is all for it. In fact, he's considerably ahead of Wally: far from needing coaching on how to act on a date, he's lecturing Wally on how to act so as not to embarrass him! Moreover, Beaver has developed an astonishingly cocky attitude about girls (Ward refers to it as a "Cary Grant attitude"); but is this just a cover for insecurity?

Preparations are made for the date, and Beaver and Wally dress to the nines. Just as they are about to go out the door Carolyn calls: Susan has gotten cold feet about the date and is backing out. Wally tells Beaver about this, and then tells him to call Susan up and talk to her. Beaver and Susan share a touching and sweet phone conversation in which they commiserate over their mutual insecurities and decide to give dating a pass until they are a bit older. Wally and Carolyn decide to spend a quiet evening at Carolyn's home looking after Susan (probably what they should have done all along).

Despite the fact that virtually nothing happens in this episode, we get plenty of the compassion and wisdom LITB was known for. Score one for artful minimalism.
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10/10
WALLY AND BEAVE MEET THE NEW LADIES.
tcchelsey11 February 2024
This is a very cleverly written episode, centering around Wally, but Beave gets into the mix himself and drags you right in with him. There's a bit of a soap opera angle here also, thanks to series writer Dick Conway, and again it's a shame the series did not continue for a few more seasons, because it's stories like these that had the guys growing up fast and fun.

New girl in town Carolyn (played by Vicky Albright) has caught Wally's eye and naturally he wants to go on a date. There's only one problem, she has a sister, Susan (Diane Montford), about the same age as Beave, who she has to stay with.

Then why not go on a double date? Hmmm?

Actually a terrific solution, but you know there's gonna' be problems. The clever thing is that it all hinges on Beave and even Susan, for that matter, who are both new to dating. Should they take the plunge? There's a "scary" phone call between the two, which many of us have gone through ourselves, and you have to give director David Butler an "A" for effort. It also shows what excellent actors both Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers were. They made this show a classic.

Vicky Albright, who stood at 5' 4", was the daughter of popular 30s and 40s actor Hardie Albright, and appeared in such shows as DONNA REED and MY THREE SONS. Diane Montford had even more experience, a long list of credits, including PERRY MASON.

In all, this was a showcase for some young talent and it clicks. Nicely done, and the dialogue, thanks to Dick Conway, is spot on. I agree with the last reviewer; this type of material also got Beave into more "adult" situations, an interesting change of pace, and with after shave lotion?

If you're a super tv buff, yes, this was re-worked into an episode of the BRADY BUNCH (about 12 years later) where older brother Greg has no choice but to take younger brother Peter on a date, only its a complete disaster, and in color!

Although there were no disasters here, I think the way Dick Conway wrapped it all up was fairly good for us Beave fans. No complaints. 10 Stars.

Best of SEASON 6 EPISODE 5 remastered.
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8/10
A little disappointed
utravisoasis26 April 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Every time I watch this episode, I wish that the double date would somehow happen this time around. I think this episode had a lot of potential with Beaver and his date supposed to tag along with Wally and his girl. Would've been different and fun to see Beaver's awkwardness and more than likely embarrassing Wally. Oh well.

Could've been one of the funnier episodes but it just fizzles out near the end.
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4/10
This Episode Could Have Been Better
StrictlyConfidential17 January 2021
(*Beaver quote*) - "Sure, dad, I'd like to snoop at her too."

This episode of TV's "Leave It to Beaver" began with quite an intriguing story-line, but at about the half way point it began to seriously deteriorate.

I don't know why the scriptwriters chose to steer "Double Date" in the direction that they did, but it left me feeling really dissatisfied with the outcome.
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