Originally sponsored by Kellogg's cereals and Best Foods (Skippy peanut butter), the series was produced by Dariell Productions and Screen Gems.[1]. North also noted that he gets together with his "Dennis the Menace" co-stars once or twice a year, and they absolutely love meeting fans of the show. [3] Gordon bore a closer resemblance to the comic strip's Mr. Wilson than Kearns did. The character of Dennis was toned down by the sixth or seventh episode. THE REAL MENACE REMAINS AT LARGE. Dennis the Menace: Jay North, Herbert Anderson, Gloria Henry, Joseph Kearns, Gale Gordon, Billy Booth, George Cisar, Lillian Culver Dennis the Menace - Cast, Crew and Credits - TV.com Search Final references to George and Martha Wilson were made early in the fourth season, although they were not mentioned by name after the first episode. The final scene where Joey jumps into bed with Dennis was filmed in the summer of 1959, after half a dozen episodes had been filmed (Dennis was several months older, has a different hairstyle, and is wearing different clothes) to make the episode fit the half-hour time segment. When Ned arrives, he is active, fit, and energetic. Dennis' elderly neighbor was played by Jeannie Russell, who played Dennis' playmate/foe in CBS's Dennis the Menace series from the 1960s. After that, newly made episodes aired mixed in with the initial batch made earlier in 1959, which explains why "Dennis Runs Away", which was the fourth or fifth episode was run later in the first run, and shows an obviously younger Dennis as in the earlier episodes. It can be seen in the episode "The Man Next Door" (season three, episode 30) in which Mr. Wilson and Dennis believe a jewel thief is living next door and climb into a basement window of the home. A guide listing the titles AND air dates for episodes of the TV series Dennis the Menace (1959). On the sitcom and in the comics, Dennis is basically a good, well-intentioned boy who always tries to help people, but winds up making situations worse – often at Mr. Wilson's expense. A Dennis the Menace Christmas is a 2007 direct-to-video film starring Maxwell Perry Cotton and Robert Wagner, based on the comic strip by Hank Ketcham.It is a standalone sequel to Dennis the Menace and Dennis the Menace Strikes Again.The plot is based on Charles Dickens's 1843 novella A Christmas Carol.Composer Peter Allen was nominated for a Leo Award for his score for the film. Now, all of these houses still exist at the Warner Ranch and are used primarily as storage space and production offices across from the suburban park it faces. The show was exported to the United Kingdom and shown on the ITV network, with 103 episodes airing in the London region between 1960 and 1966. It was also used as Miss Cathcart's house in the episode "Miss Cathcart's Sunsuit" (season one, episode 32). Nick Castle's "Dennis the Menace" is a fun, family-friendly take on an iconic comic strip character. In the episode, Dennis causes much destruction such as burying a hose (installing an automatic sprinkler system), trying to repair a leg on the kitchen table and causing it to collapse, and almost knocking Mr. Wilson off the ladder and causing him to ruin his shoes as he steps in a can of paint, among other things. Joey was gradually phased out in season one. He would call Mr. Wilson his "best friend", and often referred to him as "Good Ol' Mr. Wilson", while on many occasions, Mr. Wilson would tell Dennis, "You have far better friends than me." Directed by Charles Barton. 1959-1963; 4 seasons CBS Comedy TVPG Watchlist. By the end of the show's fourth season, Jay North was nearly 12 years old and was outgrowing the antics associated with his character. In one Sunday comic strip, it was revealed that Joey may be 3 years old. For other uses, see, CBS promotional title card for Dennis the Menace, List of Dennis the Menace (1959 TV series) episodes, Learn how and when to remove this template message, http://cobwebtv.blogspot.com/2011/10/great-scott.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dennis_the_Menace_(1959_TV_series)&oldid=998682240, Black-and-white American television shows, Dennis the Menace (U.S. comics) television series, Television series by Sony Pictures Television, Articles needing additional references from May 2018, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. To avoid confusion with the British comic character, the series was known in the UK as Just Dennis. In "Space Race", Dennis pointed Joey's attention to a UFO in a field, and Joey mentioned he was unable to spell yet, which might imply he may actually be a preschooler. North played the mischievous Dennis Mitchell… In the pilot, Dennis was younger and his speech, voice tone, and character had not been as developed as in episodes later in the 1959–1960 season. Walter Matthau (George Wilson) Walter Matthau, who played George Wilson, and countless other roles in the years leading up to and following Dennis the Menace passed away in … [2] The following two episodes were filmed without the character of Mr. Wilson. With Herbert Anderson, Jay North, Gloria Henry, Billy Booth. In early 1959, several other episodes were filmed, including "The Fishing Trip", "Dennis Gets a Duck", "Dennis Runs Away", "The Cowboy", "Open House" (Margaret's debut; this episode was made before, but aired after, "The Sign Post"), and "Dennis Becomes a Babysitter" (in which Margaret also appears). Meet the cast and learn more about the stars of of Dennis the Menace with exclusive news, photos, videos and more at TVGuide.com The corner church, together with The Partridge Family house, burned down in a fire in August 1970. William D. Russell. It preceded The Ed Sullivan Show on Sunday evenings on CBS from October 1959 to July 1963. Go to the Music page for opening & closing music Meet Dennis Mitchell . Seymour Williams (Robert John Pittman) is Dennis' friend (31 episodes, 1961–1963). He isn't as bright as Dennis is, as was proven in some comic strips and cartoon episodes. The Wilsons' house was constructed between 1936 and 1937 for the Blondie film series. The show follows the lives of the Mitchell family – Henry, Alice, and their only child, Dennis, an energetic, trouble-prone, mischievous, but well-meaning boy, who often tangles first with his peace-and-quiet-loving neighbor, George Wilson, a retired salesman, and later with George's brother John, a writer. After that, the original Wilsons were never mentioned again. On "Dennis and the Rare Coin", where Dennis is given milk, he states, "last time I came here I got ice cream", referring to the episode "Dennis Runs Away", where he got an ice-cream cone at the police station, which was made before, but aired after. In a 2010 interview, actress Gloria Henry revealed Kearns followed a strict six-week Metrecal diet that may have contributed to his death. With Herbert Anderson, Gloria Henry, Billy Booth, Robert John Pittman. • Dennis Mitchell (Jay North) is the series protagonist (146 episodes, 1959–1963). George is expecting a visit from his Uncle Ned, a rocker-chair addict. His parents suspect that Dennis is there causing these problems and call Mrs. Porter at the house; she assures them that Dennis has been good. Learn about Dennis the Menace: discover its cast ranked by popularity, see when it released, view trivia, and more. This page was last edited on 6 January 2021, at 15:09. While the series was based on the Dennis the Menace comic strip, differences exist between the two. Ned forces George and Henry into a fitness program. In 1963, NBC began airing reruns of the series on Saturday mornings for two seasons – the show entered syndication in 1965. Second- and third-season episodes began to focus on Dennis at school learning to read, going to camp, playing baseball, being in scouting, and trying to help Mr. Wilson. By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Agreement. Even to the thief who's arrived in town. Director 5 Credits. Joey McDonald (Gil Smith) is Dennis' friend (8 episodes, 1959–1960). On July 1, 1985,[13] the Nickelodeon cable network began airing the series, and continued until October 22, 1994 after Nick Jr.[14] It also aired on TV Land from 2002 to 2003. On both episodes, Dennis is at the police station. Finding the accidental-troublemaking Dennis on an inadvertent campaign of mischief-making against his neighborhood, the story sees the five-year-old earning the ire of the irascible Mr. Wilson. The Partridge Family house, located on the same street, was used as the home of Mrs. Elkins (a Mitchell neighbor). On August 7, 2012, Shout! 26 years have passed since his last acting role in 1986. At that point, CBS consented to air the program at 7:30 pm EST on Sunday evenings after Lassie. In 1986, a three-foot-tall 'Dennis the Menace' statue was erected in Monterey, California. © 2021 TV GUIDE, A RED VENTURES COMPANY. Sylvia Field, who played Martha Wilson, was let go at the end of the season. Factory released a 20-episode best-of set entitled Dennis the Menace- 20 Timeless Episodes. Dennis the Menace Cast & Crew. Factory has released all four seasons on DVD in Region 1. Dennis the Menace is an American sitcom based on the Hank Ketcham comic strip of the same name. It was one of … Charles Barton. The fictional "Blondie Street" located at Columbia Ranch in Burbank, California (now the Warner Ranch) was the backdrop for the series. Television episodes built around the same sorts of incidents found in Hank Ketcham's long-running comic strip. CBS cancelled Dennis the Menace in the spring of 1963. With CBS seeking to replace the hit show it had lost when it allowed Leave It to Beaver to migrate to ABC, a pilot episode titled "Dennis Goes to the Movies" was filmed in late 1958. List of Dennis the Menace characters, with pictures when available. Other neighbors and townspeople aired on a recurring basis included Mrs. Lucy Elkins (a widowed neighbor and the town gossip), Mrs. Dorothy Holland (another widow who aired on a recurring basis in season one only), Miss Esther Cathcart (a lonely spinster), Mr. Otis Quigley (the grocer), Opie Swanson (the TV/appliance store owner), Mr. Lawrence Finch (the druggist), Sgt. The Bradys – Johnny was Dennis's nemesis, the neighborhood braggart with a better-than-you attitude – shown to everyone but his father, Charles – who annoys adults with the same arrogance. Best Movies & Shows on Netflix in January, Best Movies & Shows on Amazon Prime Video in January, 10 Shows Like Shameless That You Should Watch If You Like Shameless, 7 Shows Like Ozark That You Should Watch if You Like Ozark, 9 Shows Like Fleabag That You Should Watch if You Like Fleabag, Best Shows & Movies on Netflix This Month. Jeannie Russell (born Jeanne K. Russell; October 22, 1950) is an American actress best known for playing Dennis's playmate, Margaret Wade, in the television series Dennis the Menace, which was based on the Hank Ketcham comic strip of the same name and aired from 1959 to 1963 on CBS. Also, the famous striped shirt goes from a crew-neck to a "polo"-type shirt with a collar and buttons. Dennis also had a nemesis named Johnny Brady, whose father and Henry Mitchell also were sometimes at odds. This causes Mr. Wilson to go outside to see what is wrong. In the fourth and final season, John Wilson purchased the house from his brother, although where George and Martha had moved was never explained. Dennis's parents then announce that they are going to the movies to see a Western (that Dennis wanted to see "all my life") and that Dennis would stay home with a sitter. Mr. Wilson is arrested for armed robbery when he is found with Dennis's toy gun. Instead of Dennis's dog Ruff, a smaller Cairn Terrier (per the episode "Miss Cathcart's Friend") named Fremont belonged to George and Martha Wilson. In early episodes of the first season, more outlandish disasters occurred as a result of his actions. Shout! When his parents have to go out of town, he stays with George (Walter Matthau) and Martha Wilson (Dame Joan Plowright). Prior to The Partridge Family, the house facade was used by the characters of Mr. and Mrs. Kravitz on Bewitched. George Wilson was referred to as "the other Mr. Wilson" in the second episode, and John Wilson says in the seventh episode that he bought the house from his brother. Gale Gordon joined the cast for the last six episodes of the season as Mr. Wilson's brother John. The series starred Jay North as Dennis Mitchell; Herbert Anderson as his father, Henry; Gloria Henry as his mother, Alice; Joseph Kearns as George Wilson; Gale Gordon as George's brother, John Wilson; Sylvia Field as George's wife, Martha Wilson; and Sara Seegar as John's wife, Eloise Wilson. Both were rebuilt to specification, albeit the church was moved further back and in a different configuration and smaller. On January 3, 2011, Dennis the Menace began airing on Antenna TV. Joey McDonald is one of Dennis'best friends. It was explained that John was staying as a guest while George was settling an estate back east. Dennis then switches places with Joey and sneaks out to the same movie his parents are seeing. Several weeks before the series debuted, the episode "The Sign Post" was produced in which Tommy made his debut. Dennis the Menace aka Michael George Denvir, is a daily syndicated newspaper comic strip originally created, written, and illustrated by Hank Ketcham.It debuted on March 12, 1951, in 16 newspapers and was originally distributed by Post-Hall Syndicate. These characters from the movie Dennis the Menace are ordered by their prominence in the film, so the most recognizable roles are at the top of the list. The garage of the well-known address, 1164 Morning Glory Circle, used as the Bewitched house, can also be seen in several episodes. 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