Dennis the Menace (1986 TV series)

Dennis the Menace
Title card used from 1986
Based on	Dennis the Menace, by Hank Ketcham
Directed by	Michael Maliani
Voices of	Brennan Thicke Phil Hartman Marilyn Lightstone Jeannie Elias Donna Christie Louise Vallance Brian George
Theme music composer	Shuki Levy Haim Saban
Composers	Shuki Levy Haim Saban
Country of origin	France United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	78 (234 segments)
Production
Executive producers	Jean Chalopin Andy Heyward Tetsuo Katayama Christopher Hallowell (for DFS-Dorland/Program Exchange)
Producers	Jean Chalopin Andy Heyward Tetsuo Katayama JoEllyn Marlow (associate producer)
Running time	22 minutes
Production companies	DIC Animation City Crawleys Animation (Season 2 only)[1]
Distributor	DFS-Dorland/Program Exchange (United States) Saban International (worldwide)
Release
Original network	Syndication (1986-1987) CBS (1988)
Picture format	NTSC
Original release	September 22, 1986 (1986-09-22) – March 26, 1988 (1988-03-26)
Chronology
Followed by	All-New Dennis the Menace (1993)

Dennis the Menace is a 1986-1988 French-American animated series produced by DIC Animation City (with season 2 co-produced by Crawleys Animation), based on the comic strip by Hank Ketcham.^[2]

The series was originally aired in syndication in the United States, distributed by The Program Exchange. The second season aired on Saturday mornings on CBS. Each half-hour series consists of three six- or seven-minute episodes. The show was sponsored by General Mills, who are also credited as the show's copyright owner.^[3]

Characters[]

Cast of characters

• Dennis Mitchell, a well-meaning but trouble-prone boy. Voiced by Brennan Thicke.
• Henry Mitchell, father to Dennis and Alice's husband. Voiced by Phil Hartman in Season 1 and by Maurice LaMarche in Season 2.
• Alice Mitchell, Henry Mitchell's wife and Dennis's mother. Voiced by Louise Vallance in Season 1, and Marilyn Lightstone in Season 2.
• Mr. George Wilson, the Mitchells' next-door neighbor, often exasperated with Dennis' antics. Voiced by Phil Hartman in Season 1 and Maurice LaMarche in Season 2.
• Mrs. Martha Wilson, George Wilson's wife, a loving, grandmotherly type who enjoys Dennis' company. Voiced by Marilyn Lightstone or Louise Vallance.
• Joey McDonald, Dennis's best friend who, due to his age, is illiterate. Voiced by Jeannie Elias.
• Tommy Anderson, Dennis's other best friend. Also voiced by Jeannie Elias.
• Margaret Wade, Dennis's frenemy, a goody-good girl in the neighborhood. Also voiced by Jeannie Elias.
• Gina Gillotti, Dennis's tomboyish, yet warm and feminine friend. Voiced by Donna Christie and later Sharon Noble.
• PeeBee Kappa, Dennis' friend and resident genius and technology freak. His name is a play on Phi Beta Kappa. Voiced by Marilyn Lightstone.
• Jay Weldon, Dennis's "too-tall" black friend who loves to play basketball. Voiced by Riva Spier
• Ruff, the Mitchells' family dog. Voiced by Phil Hartman in Season 1 and Maurice LaMarche in Season 2.
• Willy, Dennis' frog.
• Hot Dog, the Mitchells' family cat.
• Other Kids, voiced by Matthew Godfrey and Kimberly "Kim" Duncan in Season 2.

Cast[]

Season 1[]

• Jeannie Elias - Joey McDonald, Tommy Anderson, Margaret Wade
• Brian George
• Phil Hartman - Henry Mitchell, Mr. George Wilson, Ruff
• Marilyn Lightstone - PeeBee Kappa
• Sharon Noble
• Riva Spier - Jay Weldon
• Louise Valance - Alice Mitchell, Mrs. Martha Wilson
• Brennan Thicke - Dennis Mitchell

Uncredited

• Donna Christie - Gina Gillotti

Season 2[]

• Jonathan Beltzner
• Michael Beltzner
• Jeannie Elias - Joey McDonald, Tommy Anderson, Margaret Wade
• Maurice LaMarche - Henry Mitchell, Mr. George Wilson, Ruff
• Marilyn Lightstone - Alice Mitchell, Mrs. Martha Wilson, PeeBee Kappa
• Sharon Noble - Gina Gillotti
• Brennan Thicke - Dennis Mitchell
• Robert Bockstael
• Heather Esdon
• Donna Farron
• Mathew Godfrey - Additional Voices
• Abby Hagyard
• Rick Jones
• John Koensgen
• Bill Luxton
• Les Lye
• Mike O'Reilly
• Eleanor Peat
• Pam Pilkington
• Tyley Ross
• John Tarzwell
• Aline Van Dyke
• Don Westwood

Uncredited

• Kimberly "Kim" Duncan - Additional Voices

Episode list[]

78 episodes were produced:

Season 1 (1986)[]

1. So Long, Old Paint/Trembly Assembly/Private I (September 22 1986)
2. A Visitor from Outer Space/Train That Boy/Genie Madness (September 23 1986)
3. Cheer Up/Ghost Blusters/The Life You Save (September 24 1986)
4. Shark Treatment/Jungle Bungle/Racetrack Menace (September 25 1986)
5. All the President's Menace/The Love Rowboat/Wilson the Menace (September 26 1986)
6. Fishing for Trouble/Future Fortune/Time Bomb (September 29 1986)
7. Spa Blahs/Whale of a Tale/Disaster on the Green (September 30 1986)
8. Here, Kitty!/Circus Berserkus/The Monster of Mudville Flats (October 1 1986)
9. The Price of Stardom/Space Menace/The Magic Flute (October 2 1986)
10. Dennis' Yard Sale/The Abominable Snow Menace/It Came from the Planet Dennis (October 3 1986)
11. Snowman Madness/The Invisible Kid/Home Destruction (October 6 1986)
12. Chitty Chitty Moon Walk/Wet 'N Wild/Dennis at the Movies (October 7 1986)
13. The Supermarket/The Big Candied Apple/The Defective Detector (October 8 1986)
14. Henry the Menace/Come Fly with Me/Camping Out (October 9 1986)
15. Up Up and Away (From Here)/Going Ape/Dennis the Pirate (October 10 1986)
16. It's a Ruff Life/Professor Myron Mentalapse/Dennis Race 2000 (October 13 1986)
17. A Better Mousetrap/The Wizzer of Odd/Canine Car Wash (October 14 1986)
18. Ride'Em Cowboy/Tenting Tonight/A Hair Raising Tale (October 15 1986)
19. Medieval Evil/Beaver-Mania/Say Uncle (October 16 1986)
20. Hopping Mad/Mayan Mayhem/The Big Power Trip (October 17 1986)
21. Strong Medicine/Gold Strike/Lights! Camera! Mud! (October 20 1986)
22. Invasion of the Blob/Wild West Show-Down/The Hen Party (October 21 1986)
23. Up Up and Oh Boy!/The Company Picnic/Aw Nuts! (October 22 1986)
24. Clip-Joint Capers/Tanks for the Memory/Second Honeymoon (October 23 1986)
25. A Couple of Coo-Coos/The Cloneheads/Nothing But the Tooth (October 24 1986)
26. Mummy's Little Boy/Horsing Around/Dennis Plasters Pamplona (October 27 1986)
27. Dennis Predicts/Dennis & the Kangaroo Cavalry/Meatball Mess (October 28 1986)
28. My Fair Dennis/A Good Knight's Work/Life in the Fast Lane (October 29 1986)
29. A Nightmare at the Opera/A Royal Pain/Having a Marbleous Time (October 30 1986)
30. Marky the Menace/Dennis the Genius/A Step Ahead (October 31 1986)
31. The Boss Gets Scalped/Mr. Dennistein/Lean Green Jumping Machine (November 3 1986)
32. Laundry Business/Journey to the Center of Uncle Charlie's Farm/Dennis Springs Into Action (November 4 1986)
33. Ruff's Hat Trick/A Moving Experience/Lemon-Aid (November 5 1986)
34. Sounds in the Night/Dennis Does Hollywood/Ruff to the Rescue (November 6 1986)
35. The Bicycle Thief/Menace of the Mine Shaft/Margaret's Birthday Party (November 7 1986)
36. So Sorry!/Shock Therapy/Yard Wars (November 10 1986)
37. Ruff's Masterpiece/Going to the Dogs/Big Baby (November 11 1986)
38. Building a Better Dog House/Dennis and the Dragon/Hic! (November 12 1986)
39. Strike Up the Band/Queen of Chinatown/Tale of a Tux (November 13 1986)
40. Give a Little Whistle/Charmed I'm Sure/After Hours (November 14 1986)
41. Baseball's Best Ballplayer/Mr. Wilson's Diet/The Backyard Band (November 17 1986)
42. Double Dennis/Timber Wolves/Help Not Wanted (November 18 1986)
43. Million Dollar Dennis/3-D and Me/Barber Shop Disharmony (November 19 1986)
44. Bowling for Dennis/Dennis Conquers the Navy/The Longest Half-Yard (November 20 1986)
45. Vampire Scare/Give Me Liberty or Give Me Dennis/Wilson for Mayor (November 21 1986)
46. Dangerous Detour/The Prodigy/The Chimp (November 24 1986)
47. High Steel/Bicycle Mania/Little Dogs Lost (November 25 1986)
48. Dennis Destroys Dallas/Black & Blue Hawaii/Oil's Well That Ends Well (November 26 1986)
49. Door to Door Bore/Dennis in Venice/Young Sherlock Dennis (November 27 1986)
50. Surf's Up/Yo Ho Ho/The Karate Kiddie (November 28 1986)
51. Dennis and the Deep/K-9 Kollege/Housepests (December 1 1986)
52. Animalympics/No Bones About It/Dennis Takes the Cake (December 2 1986)
53. Quiet Riot/The Magic Pen/A Feeling for Stealing (December 3 1986)
54. Househusband Henry/Wheeling & Double-Dealing/Stop That Car! (December 4 1986)
55. Lights, Camera, Auction!/Boy Ahoy/Faulty Alarm (December 5 1986)
56. Hail to the Chief/Dennis in Microchipland/Handy Dandy Dennis (December 8 1986)
57. Dennis the Businessman/Soccer it to Me, Dennis/Camp Over Here-Over There (December 9 1986)
58. Hullaballoo at the Harmony Homes/Phantom of the Wax Museum/Dennis and the Gypsy Woman (December 10 1986)
59. Attack of the Giant Tomatoes/The Dinosaur Doozy/Funhouse Grouch (December 11 1986)
60. Dennis Rocks Out/Deserted with Dennis/Fashionable Menace (December 12 1986)
61. Back to the Drawing Board/Part-Time Helper/G.I. George (December 15 1986)
62. Wanted: Scarface Wilson/Ruff Come Home/10-4 Dennis (December 16 1986)
63. Heroes Unwelcome/The Martians are Coming/Ancient Olympics (December 17 1986)
64. Pool Haul/Fool for Gold/Nothin' to Be Afraid Of (December 18 1986)
65. Yankee Doodle Dennis/Dennis the Barnstormer/Trial and Error (December 19 1986)

Season 2 (1988)[]

1. Frankenstymied/Space Race/The Incredible Shrinking Dennis (January 2 1988)
2. The Great Pie Swap/Climb of the Century/Little Beauty Shop of Horrors (January 9 1988)
3. Crummy Mummy/Swiss Family Mitchell/Pie in the Eye (January 16 1988)
4. It's Magic Time/Dennis in Wonderland/Water on the Brain (January 23 1988)
5. Tunnel Vision/Super Duper Dennis/Ice Show Show-Off (January 30 1988)
6. Snow Wars/The Moroccan Pigeon/Dennis of the Jungle (February 6 1988)
7. Young at Heart/Thor-Sicle/A Word from Our Sponsor (February 13 1988)
8. A Froggy Day/Loch Ness Mess/Box Office Smash (February 20 1988)
9. Menaced Marriage/Dennis of the Yukon/Seal of Approval (February 27 1988)
10. Instant Replay/Underwater Wonderland/Safe at Home (March 5 1988)
11. A Fox Tale/Gorilla Warfare/Shared Interest (March 12 1988)
12. Kooked Goose/Pell Mell Hotel/The Old Ball Game (March 19 1988)
13. The Wright Stuff/Hassle in the Castle/Wilson's Night Out (March 26 1988)

Broadcast history[]

In the United States, the first season was aired in national first-run syndication from September 5, 1986 until 1988, when CBS brought the series and renewed it for another season for 13 episodes, later reruns of the series were then aired various networks such as Nickelodeon, Fox Kids, Fox Family Channel, Cartoon Network and Boomerang.

In Canada it was shown on YTV and Global Television Network.

In Japan, the series aired on Kids Station and WOWOW.

In the United Kingdom, the series aired on Channel 4, Sky One and CITV and Fox Kids with it being renamed to simply "Dennis" to avoid confusion with the Beano comic strip of the same name. In various places in Europe, it was shown on mainly Fox Kids, Jetix and Jetix Play.

In South Korea, it aired on EBS.

Home video[]

VHS[]

On June 2, 1993, CBS/FOX Video released seven VHS compilations in the United States:

Dennis' Great Adventure – contains the episodes All the President's Menace, The Abominable Snow Menace, Dennis in Venice and The Big Candied Apple.

Animal Antics – contains the episodes Lean, Green Jumping Machine, Shark Treatment, Jungle Bungle and Dinosaur Doozy.

Boys Will Be Boys – contains the episodes Disaster on the Green, Baseball's Best Ballplayer, Soccer it to Me, Dennis and Racetrack Menace.

Spies, Robbers and Ghosts – contains the episodes Ghost Blusters, The Monster of Mudville Flats, Young Sherlock Dennis and The Defective Detector.

Movie Exclusive - The Mitchell's Move (1987) - Dennis' father Henry gets promoted to a new job in his business, only his job is in Alaska, and Dennis and his family have to move in one week. Features the episodes The Boss Gets Scalped, The Big Candied Apple, Going to the Dogs, Vampire Scare, A Royal Pain, Trembly Assembly, and Shock Therapy.

Dennis the Menace: Memory Mayhem (1987) - Features the episodes Future Fortune, A Good Knight's Work, A Moving Experience, Home Destruction, The Invisible Kid, Tanks for the Memories, and Cheer Up.

Dennis the Menace: Dennis the Movie Star (1988)

DVD releases[]

On March 18, 2008, Fox Home Entertainment released a select 7-episode DVD entitled Dennis the Menace: Trouble, Trouble Everywhere in Region 1. This compilation includes the episodes Dennis in Venice, Mayan Mayhem, The Big Candied Apple, A Royal Pain, Dennis and the Kangaroo Cavalry, Dennis Plasters Pamplona and Black and Blue Hawaii.

On March 18, 2014, Mill Creek Entertainment released Dennis the Menace – Volume One on DVD in Region 1.^[4] The 3-disc set contains the first 33 episodes of the series. On August 5, 2014, Mill Creek released Dennis the Menace - Lights! Camera! Menace!, which contains the remaining 32 episodes from the first season.^[5]

In the UK the third series (1993) was released on a number of DVDs, each containing two classic episodes. These DVDs were also released in a box set and later re-released along with the 2002 special.

On September 6, 2016, Mill Creek released Dennis the Menace- The Complete Series 1&2 on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time.^[6] The 9-disc set contains all 78 episodes of the 1986-1988 series, including the final 13 episodes which were previously unreleased.

References[]

External links[]

• Dennis the Menace at IMDb