It's telling that this family favorite began on radio as Father Knows Best? When the show came to CBS in 1954, the question mark disappeared. Contrary to popular opinion, however, Springfield, Ohio, insurance agent Jim Anderson (Emmy winner Robert Young) doesn't have all the answers.
He and his wife, Margaret (fellow Emmy winner Jane Wyatt), come close, though. Were the show in production now, Anderson wouldn't smoke, but Father Knows Best reflects the standards of its time--separate beds and all. The sweet-natured pilot sets the tone when 14-year-old Bud (Billy Gray) frets about the school dance until Jim arranges for his 17-year-old sister, Betty (Elinor Donahue), to show him some steps. Other storylines revolve around community service and feeling needed, while "Thanksgiving Day" offers a glimpse of Jim's imperfect side when he dismisses a poem written by nine-year-old Kathy (Laurin Chapin), who overhears him; he realizes he was holding Kitten to impossible standards. As Chapin notes in the bonus interview (in which Donahue also features), the primary themes were cooperation and forgiveness. Naysayers can knock Father Knows Best for being square, but it espouses timeless values. And who's to say the lingo wasn't hip for the 1950s? Colorful examples include "goobers," "criminy," "creepers," "knot-head," and "simply utterly."
Cast and Characters
Robert Young as Jim Anderson
Jane Wyatt as Margaret Anderson
Elinor Donahue as Betty "Princess" Anderson
Billy Gray as James "Bud" Anderson, Jr
Lauren Chapin as Kathy "Kitten" Anderson
Sarah Shelby as Miss Thomas
Robert Foulk as Ed Davis (1955 - 1959)
Vivi Jannis as Myrtle Davis (1955 - 1959)
Yvonne Lime as Dotty Snow (1954 - 1957)
Paul Wallace as Kipp Watkins (1954- 1959)
Jimmy Bates as Claude Messner (1954 - 1959)
Roger Smith as Doyle Hobbs (1957 - 1958)
Robert Chapman as Ralph Little (1957 - 1958)
Sue George as Joyce Kendall (1958 - 1959)
Broadcast History First Telecast: October 3, 1954 Last Telecast: April 5, 1963 Number of Episodes: 203
Number of Seasons: 6
Original Network: CBS
October 1954- March 1955, CBS, Sunday 10:00-10:30pm
August 1955- September 1958, NBC, Wednesday 8:30-9:00pm
September 1958- September 1960, CBS, Monday 8:30-9:00pm
October 1960- September 1961, CBS, Tuesday 8:00-8:30pm
October 1961- February 1962, CBS, Wednesday 8:00-8:30pm
February 1962- Septemeber 1962, CBS, Monday 8:30-9:00pm
September 1962- December 1962, ABC, Sunday 7:00-7:30pm
Shows 
It's telling that this family favorite began on radio as Father Knows Best? When the show came to CBS in 1954, the question mark disappeared. Contrary to popular opinion, however, Springfield, Ohio, insurance agent Jim Anderson (Emmy winner Robert Young) doesn't have all the answers.
He and his wife, Margaret (fellow Emmy winner Jane Wyatt), come close, though. Were the show in production now, Anderson wouldn't smoke, but Father Knows Best reflects the standards of its time--separate beds and all. The sweet-natured pilot sets the tone when 14-year-old Bud (Billy Gray) frets about the school dance until Jim arranges for his 17-year-old sister, Betty (Elinor Donahue), to show him some steps. Other storylines revolve around community service and feeling needed, while "Thanksgiving Day" offers a glimpse of Jim's imperfect side when he dismisses a poem written by nine-year-old Kathy (Laurin Chapin), who overhears him; he realizes he was holding Kitten to impossible standards. As Chapin notes in the bonus interview (in which Donahue also features), the primary themes were cooperation and forgiveness. Naysayers can knock Father Knows Best for being square, but it espouses timeless values. And who's to say the lingo wasn't hip for the 1950s? Colorful examples include "goobers," "criminy," "creepers," "knot-head," and "simply utterly."
