# Dennis the Menace (1985)

> A cowlicked, mischievous boy named Dennis stumbles into one harmless scrape after another alongside his loyal dog Ruff and his group of friends.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/3346

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 78
- Episode runtime: 22 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: animation, comedy, family
- Network: CBS, Syndication
- Cast: Phil Hartman, Jeannie Elias, Marilyn Lightstone, Brennan Thicke, Maurice LaMarche, Stevie Vallance
- TMDB rating: 6.2/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0166910/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: breezy, gentle, cheerful, comforting, playful

## What critics say

Audiences gave the animated kids' comedy a mildly negative reception, with little critical acclaim behind it.

## Synopsis

Dennis the Menace (1985-1988) is a Canadian and American animated family comedy created for CBS and syndication, adapted in spirit from the long-running newspaper comic. Its mischievous title boy, a cowlicked child with a knack for trouble, is voiced in the series by a cast that includes Phil Hartman as George Wilson, the grown-up figure who watches over the neighborhood chaos. Dennis is never far from his loyal dog Ruff, and the two move through a circle of friends named Joey, Margaret, Gina, Tommy, PeeBee and Jay. Each episode follows a small, self-contained scrape that grows from a harmless prank or misunderstanding into a comic tangle before being sorted out by its closing minutes. The engine of the show is simple: Dennis wants to help or to have fun, and his good intentions produce escalating mayhem that his friends and family must untangle. The series runs across two seasons and seventy-eight episodes of roughly twenty-two minutes each, a standalone episodic format built for young viewers. Its tone is breezy, gentle and cheerful, with broad slapstick and warm family humor that never turns genuinely menacing. Fans of The Berenstain Bears, Lassie and Rugrats will find a similar mix of gentle childhood mischief and affectionate family comedy.

## Shows like Dennis the Menace

- [Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats (1984)](https://ember.film/tv/12847)
- [Recess (1997)](https://ember.film/tv/1458)
- [Dennis the Menace (1959)](https://ember.film/tv/9269)
- [A Pup Named Scooby-Doo (1988)](https://ember.film/tv/390)
- [Doug (1991)](https://ember.film/tv/357)
- [What's with Andy? (2001)](https://ember.film/tv/1660)
- [Richie Rich (1980)](https://ember.film/tv/2878)
- [2 Stupid Dogs (1993)](https://ember.film/tv/1808)
- [Dexter's Laboratory (1996)](https://ember.film/tv/4018)
- [Bobby's World (1990)](https://ember.film/tv/1665)

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