The Donna Reed Show Reunion

When The Donna Reed Show made its TV debut in 1958, Donna Reed was a major movie star having already secured her place in entertainment history in classic films including It’s A Wonderful Life and From Here to Eternity, for which she won an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress in 1954. Though uncredited, Reed played a major role behind-the-scenes, helping to fashion a family comedy which put the Mom front and center, unlike its popular contemporaries including The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet and Father Knows Best. In doing so, she became an icon for millions at the center of a series that throughout the course of its 275 episode run presented a family ideal which generations aspired to, while from time to time dealing with challenging subject matter including drug addiction, women’s rights, and freedom of the press. Reed also received four Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe Award for her performance as “Donna Stone.”

Blessed with a gifted ensemble cast including Carl Betz (Dr. Alex Stone), Shelley Fabares (Mary Stone) and Paul Petersen (Jeff Stone), both of whom would establish burgeoning pop music careers during the series’ run, The Donna Reed Show endures for generations of fans who grew up with the Stone family during its initial run and as a Nick-At-Nite favorite. Now forty-five years after airing its last episode, and on the occasion of its official Season Four - The Lost Episodes DVD release, the Paley Center is pleased to welcome members of the iconic series cast and creative team for a fond look back at this true TV classic, including the screening of highlights and rare footage from unsyndicated episodes not seen anywhere in decades.