Did You Know?
All the Lassies were actually male dogs because female collies tend to "blow coat" (go through a massive hormone-induced shedding process) with each heat cycle. While males blow coat as well in reaction to a change in season, it is much less noticeable than what occurs with an intact female. By the time that spaying, which would reduce the dramatic shedding of the female, became commonplace, it had become tradition to use a male in the role. Additionally, it was believed that males, who often outweigh their female counterparts by as much as fifteen pounds, would look more impressive on film.
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This was one of the first long-running television shows to remain in its time slot and day of the week during its entire prime-time run on a US television network. It became a syndicated program for the last three years of its run.
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The only program to regularly bump "Lassie" off the air in the USA was the annual CBS television showing of The Wizard of Oz, which, from 1959 to 1967, always took place on a Sunday evening.
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Pal, the first ever dog to play the legendary dog "Lassie" in Lassie Come Home, appeared in the pilot of this TV series (broadcast as the first two episodes). It was his last appearance before his death in 1958.
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Although it has been the subject of many spoofs and misquotes, the one situation that Timmy never needed saving from in the entire history of the show was falling down a well.
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The famous "whistle" theme associated with the show's opening and closing credits was not actually introduced until Season 5. The previous four seasons used a more traditional orchestral theme for its opening and closing music.
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Lassie was both owned and trained by Rudd Weatherwax and reportedly lived to be 19 years old.
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On 11 August 2009 the US Postal Service issued a pane of twenty 44ยข commemorative postage stamps honoring early USA television programs. A booklet with 20 picture postal cards was also issued. On the stamp honoring "Lassie" is a picture of its canine star, Lassie. Other shows honored in the Early TV Memories issue were The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Dinah Shore Show, Dragnet, "The Ed Sullivan Show" (originally titled The Ed Sullivan Show), The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, Hopalong Cassidy, The Honeymooners, "The Howdy Doody Show" (original title: The Howdy Doody Show), I Love Lucy, Kukla, Fran and Ollie, The Lone Ranger, Perry Mason, The Phil Silvers Show, The Red Skelton Hour, "Texaco Star Theater" (titled The Buick-Berle Show, 1954-1956), The Tonight Show (which began as Tonight!), Twilight Zone, and You Bet Your Life.
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