Tony Dow Anthony Lee Dow , better known as Tony Dow , is an American actor , director , producer , and visual effects supervisor from Hollywood , California . He directed the episode . The producers hired Dow at the suggestion of Dow ' s friend , actor Bill Mumy , who previously guest - starred in the DS9 episode . ( " " p . 649 ) Acting career . Dow is best known for his role as Wallace " Wally " Cleaver on the classic , family - oriented situation comedy series " Leave It to Beaver " , which ran on CBS during the 1957 - 1958 season and on ABC from 1958 through 1963 . He reprised the role of Wally in the 1983 made - for - TV reunion movie , " Still the Beaver " ( which aired on CBS and co - starred Ed Begley , Jr . ) and the subsequent sequel series of the same name ( later renamed " The New Leave It to Beaver " ) , which ran from 1985 through 1989 . After the end of first " Leave It to Beaver " , Dow made guest appearances on such series as " Dr . Kildare " ( in an episode with Richard Carlyle ) , " My Three Sons " , and NBC ' s " Mr . Novak " . He appeared in several episodes of the latter series , working with such " Star Trek " performers as Kim Darby , Harry Townes , and series regulars Vince Howard and Bill Zuckert . During the 1965 - 66 TV season , he starred in the ABC soap opera " Never Too Young " . Following a stint in the National Guard , Dow returned to television in 1968 , appearing in a three - episode arc on " Lassie " . He then appeared in a 1970 episode of " Adam - 12 " with William Boyett and Ted Gehring . The following year , he appeared on " The Mod Squad " , which starred Michael Cole and Clarence Williams III . He then appeared on " Emergency ! " , starring Kevin Tighe , and had a role in the ABC Movie of the Week " A Great American Tragedy " , with William Windom and William Sargent . In 1975 , he was a regular on the soap opera " General Hospital " , portraying Ross Jeanelle . In 1977 , he made his feature film acting debut in the comedy " Kentucky Fried Movie " , spoofing his Wally Cleaver character in a courtroom sketch . That same year , Dow was seen in an episode of " The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries " , which starred Phillip Richard Allen . Afterward , Dow began working in the construction business while also studying journalism and filmmaking . He returned to television with a role in the 1981 CBS movie " The Ordeal of Bill Carney " . In 1982 , Dow co - starred with Craig Richard Nelson in an episode of the short - lived CBS series " Square Pegs " , on which Merritt Butrick was a regular . He subsequently guest - starred on " Quincy , M . E . " ( with Paul Lambert and Michele Marsh ) , " Knight Rider " ( with Marshall Teague ) , " Murder , She Wrote " ( with Michael Horton , James McIntire , and William Windom ) , " Charles in Charge " , and two episodes of " Freddy ' s Nightmares " , including one with Tim Russ . Dow also made a cameo appearance in the 1987 comedy film " Back to the Beach " , which starred Todd Bryant , Tommy Hinkley , and David Bowe , , Peter Krikes , and Steve Meerson were among the writers of this film . Dow has only acted occasionally since he started directing in 1989 . He co - starred with Richard Beymer , Raymond Cruz , Brad Dourif , Sam Hennings , and Lindsay Ridgeway in the 1998 comedy / pseudo - documentary " Playing Patti " , which was released in 1998 . That same year , he appeared with Charles Dierkop in an episode of " Beyond Belief : Fact or Fiction " , hosted by Jonathan Frakes . Dow later appeared in a " Diagnosis Murder " two - parter written by David Bennett Carren and J . Larry Carroll . Most recently , Dow made a cameo appearance as himself in the 2003 Paramount Pictures comedy , " Dickie Roberts : Former Child Star " . Spencer Garrett also appeared in this film . Directing career . Dow made his directorial debut with an episode of " The New Lassie " entitled " Once Upon a Time . . . " One of the actors he cast for this episode was guest star Tony Jay . Dow directed several episodes of the hit situation comedy series " Coach " between 1990 and 1997 . Some of the actors he directed on this series include Steven Anderson , Keene Curtis , D . C . Douglas , Alan Oppenheimer , and Mark L . Taylor . From 1990 through 1993 , Dow directed five episodes of " Swamp Thing " , which starred Dick Durock in the title role . Also in 1990 , Dow directed Earl Boen in an episode of " Get a Life " . In 1991 , Dow directed multiple episodes of " Harry and the Hendersons " , on which Bruce Davison and Courtney Peldon were regulars . More recently , Dow directed actors such as Caitlin Brown , Andreas Katsulas , Bart McCarthy , Leigh J . McCloskey , Bill Mumy , Reiner Schöne , Tracy Scoggins , Skip Stellrecht , Patricia Tallman , John Vickery , and star Walter Koenig throughout five episodes of the popular science fiction series , " Babylon 5 " . ( Dow later directed McCloskey in his episode of DS9 . ) Also around this time , Dow directed three episodes of the " Honey , I Shrunk the Kids " series , starring Barbara Alyn Woods and Thomas Dekker . He then directed two 1999 episodes of the " Babylon 5 " spin - off series " Crusade " , working with Sharisse Baker - Bernard , Daniel Dae Kim , Marjean Holden , James Parks , and Brian Thompson . Dow most recently directed two episodes of " Cover Me : Based on the True Life of an FBI Family " , both of which aired in 2000 . His first episode , " The Line " , featured performances by guest actresses Nancy Bell and Debbie Grattan . His second episode , " Where Have You Gone , Sandy Koufax ? " , guest - starred Susan Diol , also of " Voyager " . Other projects . Dow co - wrote a 1986 episode of " The New Leave It to Beaver " entitled " Murder in Mayfield " . This is his only known writing credit to date . In 1995 , Dow produced the made - for - TV comic science fiction movie " The Adventures of Captain Zoom in Outer Space " . Starring in the title role was Daniel Riordan , while Nichelle Nichols , Ron Perlman , and Liz Vassey had supporting roles . Dow also produced the visual effects for this project and even made a cameo appearance as a producer . In addition to directing several episodes of " Babylon 5 " , Dow supervised the show ' s visual effects . He was also visual effects producer on the 1996 TV movie revival of " Doctor Who " , starring Daphne Ashbrook .