Dennis the Menace (1959 TV series)

Dennis the Menace is an American sitcom based on the Hank Ketcham comic strip of the same name. It preceded The Ed Sullivan Show on Sunday evenings on CBS from October 1959 to July 1963. 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.

Originally sponsored by Kellogg's cereals and Best Foods (Skippy peanut butter), the series was produced by Dariell Productions and Screen Gems.

Plot summary
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.

While the series was based on the Dennis the Menace comic strip, there are differences between the two. 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. In early episodes of the first season, more outlandish disasters occurred as a result of his actions. The character of Dennis was toned down by the sixth or seventh episode. 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. He did not appear during the fourth season, when John and Eloise Wilson moved into 625 Elm Street.

Season 1
01. Dennis Goes to the Movies

02. Dennis and the Signpost

03. The Fishing Trip

04. Grandpa and Miss Cathcart

05. Innocents in Space

06. Dennis' Garden

07. The New Neighbors

08. Tenting Tonight (Live Action)

09. Dennis Sells Bottles

10. Mr. Wilson's Award

11 .The Christmas Story aka Dennis & Christmas

12. Dennis and the Cowboy

13. Dennis Haunts a House

14. Dennis' Tree House

15. Dennis and the Rare Coin

16. Dennis and the Bike

17. Dennis and the Open House

18. Dennis and the Duck

19. Dennis and the Swing

20. Dennis and the Dog

21. Mr. Wilson's Sister

22. Dennis and the TV Set

23. Dennis Creates a Hero

24. Dennis' Paper Drive

25. Dennis and the Bees

26. Alice's Birthday

27. Dennis Becomes a Baby Sitter

28. Dennis and the Starlings

29. The Party Line

30. Dennis by Proxy

31. Dennis Runs Away

32. Miss Cathcart's Sunsuit

Season 2
1. Out of Retirement

2. Dennis and the Wedding

3. Dennis and the Radio Set

4. Dennis and the Ham-pher

5. The Stock Certificate

6. Man of the House

7. The Rock Collection

8. Henry and Togetherness

9. Paint-up, Clean-up Week

10. Dennis Learns to Whistle

11. The Raffle Ticket

12. The Christmas Horse

13. Dennis' Allowance

14. Dennis' Penny Collection

15. Dennis, the Campaign Manager

16. Miss Cathcart's Friend

17. Pythias Was a Piker

18. Dennis and the Saxophone

19. Wilson Sleeps Over

20. Dennis' Birthday

21. Dennis Goes to Camp

22. Dennis' Tool Chest

23. The Going Away Gift

24. Dennis and the Fishing Rod

25. Dennis and the Good Example

26. Dennis' Obligation

27. The Dog Trainer

28. Woodman, Spare That Tree

29. The Boy Wonder

30. The Soapbox Derby

31. Dennis and the Camera

32. Dennis and the Miracle Plant Food

33. Dennis' Newspaper

34. Mr. Wilson's Paradise

35. The Fortune Cookie

36. The Pioneers

37. Father's Day for Mr. Wilson

38. Dennis and the Picnic

Season 3
01. Trouble from Mars

02. Best Neighbor

03. Keep Off the Grass

04. Mr. Wilson's Safe

05. Haunted House

06. The School Play

07. The Fifty-Thousandth Customer

08.Dennis and the Pee Wee League

09. Mr. Wilson's Inheritance

10. Dennis Is a Genius

11. The Lucky Piece

12. The Fifteen-Foot Christmas Tree

13. Dennis' Bank Account

14. Through Thick and Thin

15. Calling All Bird Lovers

16. Silence Is Golden

17. Dennis Has a Fling

18. Frog Jumping Contest

19. Where There's a Will

20. Mr. Wilson's Uncle

21. A Quiet Evening

22. The Private Eye

23. Mr. Wilson's Housekeeper

24. A Dog's Life

25. Dennis' Documentary Film

26. Horseless Carriage Club

27. Junior Pathfinders Ride Again

28. The Treasure Chest

29. Wilson Goes to the Dentist

30. The Man Next Door

31. Dennis and the Dodger

32. Dennis' Lovesick Friend

33. John Wilson's Cushion

34. John Wilson Wins a Chicken

35. The Bully

36. The Club Initiation

37. The Community Picnic

38. Dennis and the Witch Doctor

Season 4
01. The Chinese Girl

02. You Go Your Way

03. Dennis and the Circular Circumstances

04. The Little Judge

05. Poor Mr. Wilson

06. Dennis in Gypsyland

07. The New Principal

08. San Diego Safari

09. Dennis at Boot Camp

10. Henry's New Job

11. Wilson's Second Childhood

12. Jane Butterfield Says

13. Dennis and the Hermit

14. My Uncle Ned

15. Junior Astronaut

16. Wilson's Little White Lie

17. Dennis, the Rain Maker

18. The Creature with the Big Feet

19. Dennis, the Confused Cupid

20. Dennis Goes to Washington

21. The Big Basketball Game

22. Wilson's Allergy

23. Baby Booties

24. My Four Boys

25. Dennis and the Homing Pigeons

26. A Tax on Cats

27. The Uninvited Guest

28. Dennis Plays Robin Hood

29. The Three F's

30. Never Say Dye

31. The Lost Dog

32. Tuxedo Trouble

33. Hawaiian Love Song

34. The Lucky Rabbit's Foot

35. Listen to the Mockingbird

36. First Editions

37. A Man Among Men

38. Aunt Emma Visits the Wilsons