The Donna Reed Show
The Secret
TV Flash files “The Secret” as hour 54 of 275 in the TV Flash guide — The Donna Reed Show (1958–1966) on ABC, season 2, episode 17, aired 1959-01-14, 30 min.
From the desk
How this hour is filed
This leaf is S02E17: listed hour 54 of 275 in the The Donna Reed Show guide, hour 17 of 38 in season 2. It aired 1959-01-14 (30 min). The listed hour before it is “The Broken Spirit” (S02E16). Next is “The New Mother” (S02E18).
Viewer FAQ
Where does The Secret sit in the The Donna Reed Show guide?
S02E17 is listed hour 54 of 275 — hour 17 of 38 in season 2, season 2 episode 17.
When did The Donna Reed Show S02E17 air?
The Secret aired 1959-01-14 and is listed at 30 minutes.
Where should I start?
Start with Reed running the Stone household — pearls, competence, the doctor-dad frame. Fabares-era teen-pop spillover is the extra flash.
In the series
Why this series still plays
The Donna Reed Show puts mid-century motherhood on a star contract: pearls, competence, and a suburban sitcom that centered a glamorous woman instead of using her as the punchline. A 2026 viewer watches the glossy family-hour bargain later satire needed — and Reed's proof that domestic polish could still win Emmys.
The pearls are the contract. Donna Stone's competence living room ran on ABC from 1958 to 1966 — 275 episodes, eight seasons — mid-century motherhood as a star vehicle, a glamorous woman centered instead of used as the punchline. Donna Reed steered a doctor's household (Carl Betz as Dr. Alex Stone) through teen crises and neighborly comedy while becoming a producing force. Shelley Fabares's *Johnny Angel* proved the show could mint a pop idol from the daughter role; Paul Petersen's Jeff kept the other half of the…
Filed against
- Donna Reed as Donna Stone
Donna Reed put mid-century motherhood on a star contract as Donna Stone — pearls, competence, and a suburban sitcom that centered a glamorous woman instead of using her as the punchline. The Donna Reed Show made the family hour look like…
- Carl Betz as Dr. Alex Stone
Carl Betz played Dr. Alex Stone on The Donna Reed Show — mid-century motherhood on a star contract, pearls and competence, a suburban sitcom that centered a glamorous woman instead of using her as the punchline. The glossy family-hour…
- Shelley Fabares as Mary Stone
Shelley Fabares played Mary Stone on The Donna Reed Show — the daughter in a 1950s suburban sitcom that put mid-century motherhood on a star contract instead of a punchline. Pearls, competence, family-hour gloss. TV Flash files her as the…
- Paul Petersen as Jeff Stone
Paul Petersen played Jeff Stone on The Donna Reed Show, 1950s mid-century motherhood on a star contract — pearls, competence, a suburban sitcom that centered a glamorous woman instead of using her as the punchline. TV Flash files him as…