Every January, the Television Crossover Hall of Fame kicks off another year of inductions into the Hall with a classic TV character. This year is no different, but I never would have guessed this entry would be so sad. And so soon.
From The Hollywood Reporter:
Jay North, who starred as the young mischief maker with the characteristic blond cowlick on the 1959-63 CBS comedy 'Dennis the Menace', has died. He was 73.
On Sunday, 04/07/2025, Jay North died at his home in Lake Butler, Florida, after years of battling colon cancer, according to Jeannie Russell, who played Margaret Wade on his show, told The Hollywood Reporter. She called him her “otherworldly brother.”
Here are the credits which qualified him for membership in the Hall....
149 EPISODES (1959-1963)
From the IMDb:
The live-action adaptation of the Hank Ketcham comic strip of the same name. Dennis Mitchell was a loveable young boy, dressed in overalls and carrying a slingshot in his pocket. Everywhere he went, Dennis' wide-eyed curiosity, well-meaning attempts to help out, and his simply being a normal, red-blooded American boy growing up always seemed to lead to trouble. Usually on the receiving end was Dennis' next-door neighbor, retired business machine salesman George Wilson.
Dennis worshiped Mr. Wilson, but he usually displayed a less-than-cordial attitude around the young lad. Mr. Wilson's wife, Martha, adored Dennis and saw him as a surrogate grandson (since the Wilsons never had any children). Dennis' long-suffering parents were Henry (an engineer) and Alice (a stay-at-home mother).
Episodes revolved around Dennis' adventures and the trouble that usually followed. Also involved in the fun were Dennis' friends Tommy, Margaret, and Seymour. During the final year of the show, Mr. Wilson's brother, John, moved in after George and Martha left the neighborhood (due to the death of Joseph Kearns). The live-action "Dennis the Menace" ran for years in syndication; an animated series showed up in the 1980s.—Brian Rathjen
DONNA DECORATES (1960)
From the IMDb:
Donna has her kitchen remodeled and new appliances installed.
While crossover appearances are not uncommon in television shows (it is an easy way to promote a second show), this particular instance was unusual. Even though the two shows were produced by the same studio (Columbia), they were broadcast by different networks. Donna's show was on ABC while Dennis' show was on CBS.
Jay North and Joseph Kearns reprise their roles from the CBS series "Dennis the Menace" in this episode, which aired on ABC. This marks one of the earliest times in TV history that two scripted series on different networks cooperated on a multi-network crossover, not counting variety shows.
SKITLANDIA
FREDDIE'S MILLIONS (1960)
From the IMDb:
Just as he's about to apply for unemployment insurance, Freddie the Freeloader finds himself a multimillionaire, but has to contend with small boys, newspapers, bureaucrats and police.
O'Bservation:
North plays Dennis in this episode. Two seasons later, he returns, playing himself. So Freddie is one of those rare TV characters to meet both the actor and the character he played.)COMMERCIALS
FOR RICE KRISPIES, BOSCO'S, BEST FOOD MAYONNAISE, SKIPPY PEANUT BUTTER
I can only vouch for the Skippy and Rice Krispies commercials that North appeared as Dennis. Both can be found online.
Because he also appeared in the commercial for Skippy, George Wilson (as played by Joseph Kearns) will one day be inducted into the TVXOHOF as well. (That's Gale Gordon as George's brother John in the Rice Krispies picture above.)
As Red Skelton would say, “Good night and may God bless.”
Welcome to the TVXOHOF, Dennis….
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