Dennis the Menace 

Television episodes built around the same sorts of incidents found in Hank Ketcham's long-running comic strip.

Stars:

Jay North, Gloria Henry, Herbert Anderson

1 nomination.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Jay North	...	Dennis Mitchell 146 episodes, 1959-1963
Gloria Henry	...	Alice Mitchell 145 episodes, 1959-1963
Herbert Anderson	...	Henry Mitchell 144 episodes, 1959-1963
Billy Booth	...	Tommy Anderson 111 episodes, 1959-1963
Joseph Kearns	...	George Wilson 102 episodes, 1959-1962
Sylvia Field	...	Martha Wilson 90 episodes, 1959-1962

Storyline

The live-action adaptation of the Hank Ketcham comic strip of the same name. Dennis Mitchell was a loveable young boy, dressed in overalls and carrying a slingshot in his pocket. Everywhere he went, Dennis' wide-eyed curiosity, well-meaning attempts to help out, and his simply being a normal, red-blooded American boy growing up always seemed to lead to trouble. Usually on the receiving end was Dennis' next-door neighbor, retired business machine salesman George Wilson. Dennis worshiped Mr. Wilson, but he usually displayed a less-than-cordial attitude around the young lad. Mr. Wilson's wife, Martha, adored Dennis and saw him as a surrogate grandson (since the Wilsons never had any children). Dennis' long-suffering parents were Henry (an engineer) and Alice (a stay-at-home mother). Episodes revolved around Dennis' adventures and the trouble that usually followed. Also involved in the fun were Dennis' friends Tommy, Margaret, and Seymour. During the final year of the show, Mr. Wilson's ...

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Plot Keywords:

neighbor | dennis the menace | small town life | rhyme in title | small town | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Family

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Certificate:

TV-G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 October 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

Daniel el travieso

Company Credits

Production Co:

Darriell Productions, Screen Gems

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 30 min (146 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dennis Mitchell character was modeled after Dennis Ketcham, son of animator, Hank Ketcham, the creator of the comic strip, with the same title. Despite the affable nature of the character, the real Dennis suffered a somewhat tragical life. When he was only twelve years old, Dennis lost his mother to a drug overdose while she was in the process of divorcing his father. Hank Ketcham then moved them to Switzerland but when Dennis had trouble adjusting to his new life & environment, then started getting into trouble in school, Hank shipped him off to a boarding school back in USA while he stayed behind in Switzerland with his new wife and family. Dennis managed to straighten his life out and even joined the military and fought in Vietnam. After he returned home, he suffered from PTSD and all the while being estranged from his father who, by then, had earned (and continue earning) a lot of money from the daily newspaper comic strips he drew based on his son.

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Goofs

The side of the Wilsons' house closest to the Mitchell residence has an architectural inconsistency between front and back views. When viewed from Elm Street, the Mitchells' driveway appears to directly border the outside wall of the Wilsons' living room. However, in all but season 2, there is a door in the living room that exits toward the Mitchell residence. Beyond that door is a fence, sometimes with a gate that exits into the corner of the Wilsons' front yard. Viewed from the front, that gate could not exist. It would come out into the corner of the Wilsons' yard where the front yard, living room and fence meet the edge of the Mitchells' driveway.

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Quotes

[repeated line]
Dennis Mitchell: You're the best Mom in the whole world.

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Connections

Referenced in Sliders: The Young and the Relentless (1996)

User Reviews

Often Contrived but Almost Always Funny

I was thrilled when I saw TVLand was running this old sitcom this summer and have been taping episodes daily. They give me a good laugh and I am thankful they are only showing the early episodes featuring Joseph Kearns as Good Ole Mr. Wilson. To me he is the second funniest sitcom actor/character ever (next to Carroll O'Connor's Archie Bunker). His anguished cries of "Great Scott" or "Fiddle Faddle" and his easy-to-stroke ego are hilarious. In my opinion, it's one of the most underrated performances in sitcom history.