This series was one of TV's best sitcoms of the early days of TV, and it has unfortunately been ignored in most of the tribute shows over the years. Having recently watched some episodes taped some years ago on TV Land--back when TV Land had many shows worth watching, which hasn't been the case for some time--I like this series more than I used to. UPDATE: I have now been through most episodes this year. I laugh heartily at almost every episode. Far funnier than I remembered. I have also seen how Mrs. Wilson added more to the series than I remembered. She was excellent in her role, and that was tough because Joseph Kearns was the person most responsible for making this series so wonderful.
What I like, in particular, is how Dennis is a good kid who tries to help people, Mr. Wilson and others, but has accidents and has other things go wrong. Frequently, he accidentally destroys something while trying to be very careful. Maybe I like this show because that type of thing happens to me--spilling and breaking things often when I am trying hardest to be careful.
Many reviewers speak of what a great actor Joseph Kearns was. One of the series' chief strengths was how likable this fussbudget was, and how he didn't ALWAYS hate Dennis being around, as he understood that he was a good boy overall, and said so often. He also recognized that quite often Dennis would straighten things out, sometimes getting him out of a fix that was his own doing. One example is an early episode where if not for Dennis, Wilson would have given money to a phony, instead of the man who really had owned the old radio George bought at an auction.
Plots were fairly simple, believable, but mostly lots of laughs. Just as Wilson could never stay mad at Dennis, Dennis never quit trying to do everything he could for his "best friend." I think Dennis on TV was far more likable than in the comic books, where he just seemed to run rampant with little parental supervision. TV Dennis had much better parents, who did teach him things. Part of this is because the TV boy was supposed to be a couple of years, or more, older than the perennial four-year-old of the cartoons.
Jay North was a marvelous child actor, and the other kids around him, while not as good, played characters more realistic than many other TV children. It is most sad that Jay's life wasn't always the best, but that doesn't detract from his wonderful work on one of the dozen funniest TV series of all-time! (One man's opinion.)
What I like, in particular, is how Dennis is a good kid who tries to help people, Mr. Wilson and others, but has accidents and has other things go wrong. Frequently, he accidentally destroys something while trying to be very careful. Maybe I like this show because that type of thing happens to me--spilling and breaking things often when I am trying hardest to be careful.
Many reviewers speak of what a great actor Joseph Kearns was. One of the series' chief strengths was how likable this fussbudget was, and how he didn't ALWAYS hate Dennis being around, as he understood that he was a good boy overall, and said so often. He also recognized that quite often Dennis would straighten things out, sometimes getting him out of a fix that was his own doing. One example is an early episode where if not for Dennis, Wilson would have given money to a phony, instead of the man who really had owned the old radio George bought at an auction.
Plots were fairly simple, believable, but mostly lots of laughs. Just as Wilson could never stay mad at Dennis, Dennis never quit trying to do everything he could for his "best friend." I think Dennis on TV was far more likable than in the comic books, where he just seemed to run rampant with little parental supervision. TV Dennis had much better parents, who did teach him things. Part of this is because the TV boy was supposed to be a couple of years, or more, older than the perennial four-year-old of the cartoons.
Jay North was a marvelous child actor, and the other kids around him, while not as good, played characters more realistic than many other TV children. It is most sad that Jay's life wasn't always the best, but that doesn't detract from his wonderful work on one of the dozen funniest TV series of all-time! (One man's opinion.)