Dennis the Menace is a 1986–88 animated series produced by DIC Audiovisuel (with season 2 co-produced by Crawleys Animation), based on the comic strip by Hank Ketcham.
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.
Cast
Brennan Thicke as Dennis Mitchell
Phil Hartman and Maurice LaMarche as Henry Mitchell, George Wilson and Ruff (season 1 and 2, respectively)
Louise Vallance as Alice Mitchell and Martha Wilson (season 1)
Marilyn Lightstone as Alice Mitchell and Martha Wilson (season 2); and PeeBee Kappa
Jeannie Elias as Joey McDonald, Tommy Anderson and Margaret Wade
Donna Christie and Sharon Noble as Gina Gillotti
Riva Spier as Jay Weldon
Episodes
78 episodes were produced:
Season 1 (1986)
So Long, Old Paint/Trembly Assembly/Private I (September 22, 1986)
A Visitor from Outer Space/Train That Boy/Genie Madness (September 23, 1986)
Cheer Up/Ghost Blusters/The Life You Save (September 24, 1986)
Attack of the Giant Tomatoes/The Dinosaur Doozy/Funhouse Grouch (December 8, 1986)
Dennis the Businessman/Soccer it to Me, Dennis/Camp Over Here-Over There (December 9, 1986)
Hullaballoo at the Harmony Homes/Phantom of the Wax Museum/Dennis and the Gypsy Woman (December 10, 1986)
Hail to the Chief/Dennis in Microchipland/Handy Dandy Dennis (December 11, 1986)
Back to the Drawing Board/Part-Time Helper/G.I. George (December 12, 1986)
Dennis Rocks Out/Deserted with Dennis/Fashionable Menace (December 15, 1986)
Wanted: Scarface Wilson/Ruff Come Home/10-4 Dennis (December 16, 1986)
Heroes Unwelcome/The Martians are Coming/Ancient Olympics (December 17, 1986)
Pool Haul/Fool for Gold/Nothin' to Be Afraid Of (December 18, 1986)
Yankee Doodle Dennis/Dennis the Barnstormer/Trial and Error (December 19, 1986)
Season 2 (1988)
Frankenstymied/Space Race/The Incredible Shrinking Dennis (January 2, 1988)
Crummy Mummy/Swiss Family Mitchell/Pie in the Eye (January 9, 1988)
It's Magic Time/Dennis in Wonderland/Water on the Brain (January 16, 1988)
The Great Pie Swap/Climb of the Century/Little Beauty Shop of Horrors (January 23, 1988)
Tunnel Vision/Super Duper Dennis/Ice Show Show-Off (January 30, 1988)
Snow Wars/The Moroccan Pigeon/Dennis of the Jungle (February 6, 1988)
Young At Heart/Thor-Sicle/A Word From Our Sponsor (February 13, 1988)
A Froggy Day/Loch Ness Mess/Box Office Smash (February 20, 1988)
Menaced Marriage/Dennis of the Yukon/Seal of Approval (February 27, 1988)
Instant Replay/Underwater Wonderland/Safe at Home (March 5, 1988)
A Fox Tale/Gorilla Warfare/Shared Interest (March 12, 1988)
Kooked Goose/Pell Mell Hotel/The Old Ball Game (March 19, 1988)
The Wright Stuff/Hassle in the Castle/Wilson's Night Out (March 26, 1988)
Home video
VHS
In 1987, CBS/Fox Video (under the Playhouse Video branding) made a 75-minute VHS three-volume series, by combining the stories into direct-to-video movies, and the producers created new transitional segments. The 65 episodes that was planned to be released on videocassette by Family Home Entertainment via a contract was signed in November 1985, then it was proceeded into a lawsuit by the show's producers, DIC Enterprises. 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, 20th Century 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 (under license from DHX Media) released Dennis the Menace – Volume One on DVD in Region 1. 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.
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. The 9-disc set contains all 78 episodes of the 1986–1988 series, including the final 13 episodes which were previously unreleased.