One of the beautiful parts about Leave It to Beaver lay in the show's realism. Portraying an everyday American family, the Cleavers gave us an opportunity to see ourselves reflected in our television sets. Sure, it was a bit idealistic at times, but the characters were still allowed to make mistakes. Even better, we got to see them learn from those mistakes in order to become better people.

"It's an honest show," said one of the show's stars, Barbara Billingsley, during an interview with the Ledger-Star. "The situations are taken from real life, and we are not just trying for laughs. The laughs come naturally from the situations."

Billingsley played the Cleaver family matriarch, June Cleaver. If anything speaks to the realism of a show like Leave It to Beaver, it's the fact that the cast of the series loved one another like they were a real family.

Watch Leave It to Beaver on MeTV!

Weekdays at 8 & 8:30 AM, Sundays at 1 & 1:30 PM

*available in most MeTV markets

Billingsley spoke highly of her two "sons," played by Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers, commending them on their good nature.

"They are two of the nicest boys, without any stigma of the theater child about them," said the actor.

As a mother in real life and a consistently professional actor, Billingsley was admired by her costars, as well as the show's creators.

"On camera as at home, Barbara takes a sensible approach to running a home," said Joe Connelly, co-creator of the series, during an interview with the Santa Maria Times. "She's always cheerful and efficient. She is always there for affection and understanding during moments of stress and conflict."