Ep 29. Beaver's Monkey

Beaver’s Monkey is the 29th episode of the 3rd season of the iconic sitcom Leave It to Beaver. In this episode, the Cleaver family is visited by a monkey, which Beaver’s friend, Gilbert has brought home from his uncle’s pet store.

As soon as the monkey arrives, it causes chaos in the Cleaver household. The monkey, named Kippy, is mischievous and playful, which causes everyone to get stressed out by its antics. At first, Beaver is ecstatic to have Kippy around, and he loves playing with it. But, when Kippy starts to chew on June Cleaver’s favorite lampshade, everyone becomes worried.

Trying to contain Kippy becomes a daunting task for the Cleaver family. They try to put it in a cage, but Kippy keeps breaking out. When they try to put it on a leash, it only gets worse, with Kippy running around the house and causing chaos at every turn.

Wally and Beaver’s father, Ward, is a bit more patient with Kippy. He finds Kippy’s playful, mischievous behavior endearing, and even takes him to the park to play fetch. However, their outing is cut short when Kippy escapes Ward’s grasp and runs up a tree.

Beaver becomes desperate to keep Kippy around, even with all the trouble the monkey has caused. He tries to bargain with Gilbert to let him keep Kippy by offering to let Gilbert borrow his bike. Gilbert agrees, but when Ward learns of the deal, he puts a stop to it, telling Beaver that Kippy needs to go back to the pet store.

Beaver is devastated, but when his parents explain to him that keeping a wild animal in the house is not safe, he begins to understand the reasons behind the decision. In the end, Kippy goes back to the pet store, but not before causing more trouble by stealing Ward’s wallet.

Leave It to Beaver was a popular TV sitcom that ran from 1957 to 1963. The show revolved around the Cleaver family, with particular focus on the two young boys, Wally and Beaver, and their adventures growing up in small-town America. Leave It to Beaver was known for its wholesome, family-friendly humor, and it became a cultural touchstone for many Americans.

In Beaver’s Monkey, the show continues its tradition of light-hearted comedy, as the Cleaver family tries to manage a wild animal in their home. The episode is a classic example of Leave It to Beaver’s ability to balance humor with a lesson about responsibility. The Cleaver family has to learn how to deal with the consequences of their actions, as well as the actions of others.

Beaver’s Monkey is also an example of the simple pleasures that Leave It to Beaver provided to its viewers. The humor is clean and straightforward, and the characters are relatable and endearing. The show provided a glimpse into a different era, where families had time to sit down for dinner together and parents were heavily involved in their children’s lives.

The show’s popularity spawned two subsequent spin-offs in the 1980s and a film adaptation in 1997. The legacy of Leave It to Beaver is a testament to its enduring appeal, even in a vastly different media landscape.

In conclusion, Beaver’s Monkey is a light-hearted, wholesome episode of Leave It to Beaver that showcases the show’s charming humor and commitment to teaching important lessons. It is a beloved example of the type of entertaining, family-friendly content that defined the Golden Age of Television.