Buttmunker

This was a TV show that aired in 1959 and ended in 1963, and had Warren Beatty and Tuesday Weld,, as well as our own beloved Bob Denver as "Maynard B. Krebbs," America's first beatnik on TV.

I, for one, have never seen this show. It, so far as I know, wasn't present in the rerun craze where I, born in 1970, saw shows like Gilligan's Island, I Dream of Jeannie, and Leave It to Beaver.

I don't think the show is available on DVD, and isn't evident on Netflix. Am I missing out on a great show? I've never seen it.

tonyc3742

I caught it on either Nick at Nite or TVLand maybe 15, 20 years ago, during a brief resurgence. As such my memory is a little fuzzy, but...
It's not one I would necessarily hunt down on DVD. I'd probably watch some episodes on streaming, if available, and that'd do me.
Krebbs's anti-work ethic and Dobie's girl-craziness were pretty much the main things I recall about the show, and a little of that could go a long way.
Bob Denver might be the only reason i'd pursue it, and if I were to look for him, I"d probably just get Gilligan's Island.
Other folks might have a clearer memory about the program, and I'd rather have content available than have it disappear/destroyed/lost forever, but Dobie's not on the top of my list - I don't think you're missing out on a 'great' show.

Ayre

Yes. I was 6 when it went off the air. It was a typical goofy early 60's sitcom, like the Donna Reed show, My Three Sons and Leave It To Beaver. It was full of those 50's gosh's and gollies and gee willikers, but Maynard was one hep cat on those bongo's

wendersfan

Yeah. It was stupid.

Toonview

I'll agree to disagree with the above and say that it was a good, nicely written show. I discovered it via Nick at Nite in the 90's and enjoyed it quite a bit. As near as I could tell it had not been in syndication here in LA during my childhood in the 70's or 80's.

It was a bit repetitive, but the character names were creative and Frank Faylon (sp) as Dobie's Dad was great. I liked it a lot and still do.

Pizza

I loved, loved, loved this show as a kid. Dwayne Hickman, I'll say his name if no one else will, was great in the lead role. I would buy this in a heartbeat on DVD.

movie diva

I saw it as a kid

wmansir

I remember watching it many years ago when it was on Nick at Night. Don't recall much except it was more watchable than some of the other shows of it's era like Beaver or Donna Reed.

I remember thinking the Zelda was cute, even though she played the plain Jane girl who Dobie routinely brushed off in his pursuit of genuine hotties. So I looked her up and she went from:


to



I guess her acting career suffered when it became known that she was a lesbian. She left acting to get a degree from Harvard Law School and became the first openly gay person elected to the California legislature.

Doc Moonlight

This is one of my favorite situation comedies. There were a lot of great characters in the show all played broadly, but very enjoyably and the show moved quickly. So far no one has mentioned Dobie's father, Herbert T Gillis, played by Frank Faylen (Bert, the Cab Driver in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE) or spoiled rich kid Chatsworth Osborne Jr.

Tuesday Weld and Warren Beatty were only in the first season. After that , the show title was changed to DOBIE GILLIS, Dobie's hari went from blonde to brown and Dobie and his father had less of an adversarial relationship.

DeFan

Dobie Gilles is playing daily on METV. Channel 56.3 in Los Angeles.

Cardsfan111

I remember catching it years ago on Nickelodeon. Don't recall it being great, but I thought it was ok.

RoboDad

I've always liked this show. The writing was above average, and Bob Denver was hilarious as Maynard G. Krebs (I loved his "Work!" reactions).

Oh, and as an interesting side note, the human characters in the Scooby Doo series were based directly off of the characters from Dobie Gillis.

Quatermass

It was on late at night on one of the superstations in the early 80's. Probably WGN, KSHB or WTBS. I was never crazy about it, but I only saw a few episodes and can't say I remember it that well.

misterchimpy

Looks like there are a few episodes up on youtube(broken up into 10 minute segments)

I had never seen it before, but it doesn't seem like you've missed much. Laugh track is really annoying.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW2Kw0AjMLg

Charlie Goose

Bert was the cop, Ernie was the cab driver.

I think I saw a reunion movie about 25 years ago. Or part of it anyway. It was ungodly fluff, as these things tend to be.

Spiderbite

Think of it as an early Parker Lewis Can't Lose. Or a live take on Archie Andrews.

Dobie would talk to the camera and get himself into dumb/humorous situations that he would eventually work himself out of. He chased lots of girls and girls chased him.

I loved it as a kid (it was on in reruns all the time back in the early to mid 80's) and Denver was the highlight. His character was so dumb that you couldn't help but like him. Kinda surprised that it hasn't been (officially) released on dvd now that you mention it. It was pretty popular in it's day. I remember having one or two old comic books of it years ago.

movielib

Yes, I remember him talking to the camera. IIRC, it was in a park, in front of a statue of Rodin's "The Thinker." Another thing I remember is Maynard blurting out an involuntary "work!" as if it was something horrible any time another character said the word, as RoboDad mentioned.

I also loved it as a kid (I am old enough that I saw it when it first was broadcast). But I take into account that I was twelve when it began. It was quirky and stylized and in those ways different from a lot of sitcoms of its day. I have never seen it since and suspect it would hold up OK but not spectacularly.

madcougar

Neil Patrick Harris?!

I was born in 1970 also and I think I saw a few episodes of this on Nick at Night or something. I don't remember it being all that. I remember being surprised to see Gilligan with facial hair.

Work!

Jeffy

I was born in 83 and I absolutely remember watching it growing up on nick at night along with Get Smart and Green Acres.

wm lopez

He looks like the actor who was the bad guy in DIE HARD 4.
Did they explain why Dobie's hair went from blonde to dark?

SkullOrchard

I was born in 1964. This is the first show that I ever remember watching. I liked it so much that I named my first dog Doby. Doby was a mutt that I picked from a litter when I was about a year old. He lived for 16 years and was still alive until about a year after I graduated high school.

writer106

I saw several episodes years on TVLand. My parents loved watching the reruns and I thought it was an ok classic show.

Doc Moonlight

Thanks, Goose, I stand corrected

leeta

It's on MeTV now - or was last season. I remember seeing it very early in the morning within the last couple of months. The guy who played Gilligan was on it.

JimRochester

I remember seeing as a kid and it was a typical sitcom of the era. One thing that sticks out was one of Dobies friends (girlfriends?) was a rather butch looking girl who years later I read had come out as a lesbian. This was YEARS before it was fashionable like it is now. It was still considered pretty controversial to be gay at that time.