# Lassie (1954)

> A farm boy and his loyal collie share adventures and lessons about love and commitment in the American countryside.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/5088

## Facts

- Seasons: 19
- Episodes: 591
- Episode runtime: 24 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: family, drama
- Created by: Robert Maxwell
- Network: CBS
- Cast: June Lockhart, Jon Provost, Hugh Reilly, George Cleveland, Josh Albee, Tommy Rettig, Robert Bray, Larry Pennell
- TMDB rating: 6.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046617/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: wholesome, gentle, nostalgic, comforting, cozy

## What critics say

Audiences regard Lassie as a warm, wholesome family classic whose appeal rests on the bond between the boy and his dog, though critical ratings are mixed.

## Synopsis

Lassie (1954-1973) is an American family drama series created by Robert Maxwell for CBS, running for nineteen seasons and roughly six hundred episodes. Jeff Miller (Tommy Rettig), an eleven-year-old farm boy, and his devoted collie Lassie are the heart of the show, with June Lockhart as Ruth Martin and Jon Provost as Timmy Martin bringing further warmth to the family circle. Each episode is a self-contained countryside adventure, with the dog's instincts and loyalty pulling the family out of minor scrapes, rescues, and misunderstandings on the farm. The engine of the series is the steady bond between a boy and his animal, and the small moral lessons about love, nature, and commitment that come with it. Shaped as a long-running case-of-the-week format, the show moves at an unhurried pace with gentle stakes and no real menace. Its mid-century American small-town atmosphere, with its wide open fields and kitchen-table warmth, feels nostalgic and comforting. Fans of The Adventures of Champion, Flicka and Gentle Ben will find the same wholesome, animal-centered family viewing that defined early television.

## Shows like Lassie

- [Little House on the Prairie (1974)](https://ember.film/tv/1679)
- [Daktari (1966)](https://ember.film/tv/4309)
- [Laramie (1959)](https://ember.film/tv/12952)
- [The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin (1954)](https://ember.film/tv/10039)
- [Charles in Charge (1984)](https://ember.film/tv/535)
- [Gentle Ben (1967)](https://ember.film/tv/32301)
- [My Favorite Martian (1963)](https://ember.film/tv/3694)
- [Blue Skies (2026)](https://ember.film/tv/1104971)
- [Dennis the Menace (1985)](https://ember.film/tv/3346)
- [Leave It to Beaver (1957)](https://ember.film/tv/4872)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt