Dennis the Menace

The young blond boy with a cowlick and a mischievous personality, Dennis the Menace, gets into numerous scrapes and adventures with his dog Ruff and his friends Joey, Margaret, Gina, Tommy, PeeBee and Jay.

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.

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

• The Berenstain Bearsslapstick child mischief, lighthearted family animation tone
• Lassiekid protagonist getting into scrapes with a loyal dog, episodic family comedy
• Rugratsanimated childhood misadventure, episodic kids comedy

Release Date

1985-09-09

Episode runtime

22 min

Rating

6.2 / 10 (272)

What is Dennis the Menace about?

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

What is Dennis the Menace like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Dennis the Menace as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.

Is Dennis the Menace violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Dennis the Menace.

What did critics think of Dennis the Menace?

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

Which shows are like Dennis the Menace?

Shows with a similar feel include The Berenstain Bears, Lassie, and Rugrats.

How long is Dennis the Menace?

Dennis the Menace: 2 seasons, 78 episodes.

Is Dennis the Menace still running?

No, Dennis the Menace has ended.