Donna Dearest

To most of Hilldale, Donna Stone is the perfect wife and mother. But those who watch her every move on Nickelodeon know that she can be a tyrant.

Take the time she grounded the kids for disobeying her. Or when she made a thoughtless deliveryman go back and get the right item. Once she even got annoyed at daughter Mary for expecting her to make all her decisions.

The only reason she isn’t always a monster is that she’s too busy keeping the house spotless, waiting on her husband and children, doing charity work and solving the community’s problems.

If you don’t believe there is a dark side of Donna, just tune in to Nickelodeon’s “The Donna Reed Show” marathon, which begins Sunday and runs through next Sunday-Mother’s Day. This marathon isn’t afraid to show Donna Dearest at her best and worst. The Donna-thon preempts regular Nick at Nite programming (from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.).

In some of her better moments this week, Donna will help out Buster Keaton (Tuesday at 2:30 a.m.), learn a lesson from trumpeter Harry James (Thursday at 5:30 a.m.) and inspire singer Tony Martin (Saturday at 2:30 a.m.).