39 episodes a year every year for a prime time sitcom. What a schedule. Not a lot of time for writing and producing. No wonder so much network TV was so formulaic.
shareIt is amazing 39 weeks of filming of 52 weeks. I am sure it part of why there inconsistencies or other problems.
1. Lumpy’s age & school grade at different points
2. Wally’s age and school grade
3. Some of Beaver’s stories and his general behavior in the last couple of seasons
Yes, we would have to assume that to turn out 39 episodes every year, there had to be a fair sized assemblage of writers, and inconsistencies are bound to happen.
We can't forget that these shows were pretty much figured to be "one and done" - the phenomenon of decades of reruns being, well, decades away.
In the late '50s and early '60s, when "Leave it to Beaver" was being produced, reruns were already a very common thing. Old episodes of tv series going back to the late 1940s were shown all morning and afternoon, and even in prime time on local stations.
shareBeaver reruns were airing in the 60s. Ditto I Love Lucy and The Twilight Zone. 27-32 episodes per season were the norm during that time.
share
Reread my comment. You missed the point. So did liscarkat..
"the phenomenon of decades of reruns being, well, decades away."
I literally watched Leave It to Beaver reruns in the 60s along with a slew of other 50s and 60s shows that ran on local TV channels.
OK, I'll explain it.
.....and inconsistencies are bound to happen.
We can't forget that these shows were pretty much figured to be "one and done" - the phenomenon of decades of reruns being, well, decades away.
Desi Arnaz invented the rerun, so he and Lucy could have some vacation time. The TV industry did not foresee what a revenue stream that idea would become.
Baba-LOOO all the way to the bank.
Lucille Ball AND Desi Arnaz (Desilu) invented the rerun when she needed a break after giving birth. They were also the first to use film for their show which preserved the quality. Both were astute business people. (I consider them my heroes for their many contributions to TV including Star Trek.)
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/5-ways-i-love-lucy-transformed-television-history/19407/