During the plague of "New" shows in the 80s (The New Monkees, The New Gidget, The Bradys, etc.), this was probably the best. "Beaver" didn't focus solely on the original audience (like The Bradys did), nor did it ignore the original show (like The New Monkees) or try to recreate those characters as modern pop icons (like The New Gidget). No, "Beaver" gave fans of the original show a chance to see their old friends again (and they were still the same old characters) as well as using the characters' children to maintain the innocence and fun of the original show, drawing in a new, younger audience. "Still the Beaver" was a true family show: clean enough for kids, nostalgic and fun for adults. (And I was at the right age that Kaleena Kiff was my dream date, but I digress . ..)
Hopefully, the reruns will start soon, and this will become another classic. Ward was missed in the series, but his legacy lived on in his sons. In that and everything else, this show did very well.
