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Series filming begins

JP
Jul 14, 2021
1 min read

July 14, 1958 - Filming begins on The Donna Reed Show.

Donna Reed came to series television at the end of the golden age. According to Jay Fultz, author of In Search of Donna Reed, filming began on the soundstage that had been used for the "New Congress Club, the pseudo-bordello in From Here to Eternity." Millions of viewers who became familiar with the interior of the Stone house have recognized pieces of it from other sitcoms. Screen Gens productions shared basically the same layout, and changes - a window here, a door there - had to be negotiated.


The first episode filmed was “Change Partners and Dance”, which aired as Season 1, Episode 8.

5 Comments


Chau Kirahi
4 days ago

Such a delightful peek into classic television production history! The detail about Screen Gems shows having to negotiate over slight set alterations—like moving a single door or window on shared soundstages—shows just how resourceful golden-era studio crews had to be. Starting production with "Change Partners and Dance" laid the groundwork for one of television's most beloved family sitcoms. After spending an evening revisiting vintage TV archives and classic film history, my favorite way to switch gears and unwind has been playing PokéBonk in my browser. Dodging relentless monster hordes in a fast-paced 3D rogue-lite is such a thrilling, zero-install palate cleanser before calling it a night. Thank you to the Donna Reed Foundation for preserving these wonderful behind-the-scenes memories!

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Cole Kelp
Cole Kelp
Jun 19

Exciting to see how The Donna Reed Show began filming in 1958! It's fascinating how familiar sets from other sitcoms were used to create the iconic Stone house. Check out bombanana for more insights!

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farare janna
farare janna
Mar 05

Studios maximized efficiency by recycling sets and maintaining similar layouts across different shows. This explains why attentive viewers could Poor Bunny recognize familiar architectural elements in the Stone house from other sitcoms.

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