View Full Version : Why is Dennis Not in School???


McGillicuddy
08-06-2011, 02:22 AM
:confused: It has just occurred to me that I've never seen any indication that Dennis goes to school. We never see him in school, going to school, coming home from school, making mention of school or doing homework! He's also not home schooled. Why doesn't Officer Mooney say anything about him not being in school?

Then I thought--maybe all the episodes take place in the summer months, but there's Christmas episodes. Very Odd.

tiredmike59
08-06-2011, 02:37 AM
I saw an episode where Mr.Wilson attended school with him.

old grouch
08-06-2011, 09:28 AM
Maybe he was expelled. :lol:

1960'sTVfan
08-06-2011, 01:56 PM
The TV show stayed true to the format of the Dennis comics. In the comics, Dennis wasn't quite school age yet, about 5 years old. So the TV show went with the same format, although Jay North was obviously old enough to be school age.

For several reasons, I think the Dennis comics are better than the TV show. I've always thought the TV show should have matched the comics and been animated instead of using real life human actors.

McGillicuddy
08-14-2011, 09:58 AM
OK, I finally saw an episode that indicates Dennis goes to school. In the intro to the episode, "Dennis Goes to Camp" (sea.2), Dennis comes home from school at lunch time and announces he's home early because his teacher got sick.

1960'sTVfan
08-14-2011, 12:04 PM
So there is at least one episode that strays from the comics and makes a mention of Dennis attending school. But is there an episode where scenes actually take place at school in the classroom with Dennis and other kids? I imagine it's possible but I don't recall seeing one.

tazz765
08-14-2011, 10:22 PM
I believe the Season 2 episode Pythias Was a Piker shows Dennis in school reading an essay he wrote about his "best friend" Mr. Wilson.

Hazel Anyday
08-17-2011, 12:08 PM
There's also an episode where Dennis gets in trouble because the teacher is short and thinks Dennis is making fun of him, another episode where the classroom is putting on a play and Mr. Wilson plays a cowboy, also an episode where Dennis makes a film project of the town for his classroom and shows it at school. There are several episodes that involve school.

McGillicuddy
08-17-2011, 06:21 PM
There was no indication that he went to school, in season 1. But yes, now in season 2, I see there's alot of episodes involving school.

1960'sTVfan
08-17-2011, 09:56 PM
There's also an episode where Dennis gets in trouble because the teacher is short and thinks Dennis is making fun of him, another episode where the classroom is putting on a play and Mr. Wilson plays a cowboy, also an episode where Dennis makes a film project of the town for his classroom and shows it at school. There are several episodes that involve school.

So there are a few episodes where Dennis attends school. That's good to know, I had always thought the series kept the format of the Dennis comics which had Dennis not yet attending school.

gilligan fanatic
08-18-2011, 07:58 AM
I never even noticed he wasn't-lol

Hazel Anyday
08-18-2011, 12:37 PM
I've watched Dennis for years and knew many episodes involved school. I also prefer, by far, the live b/w Dennis shows over the animated Dennis. The cartoon Dennis was meant for kids, whereas the b/w live Dennis was written to be genuinly funny and with comic situations with great character actors and classic situations. The 2 (toon and b/w show) really can not be compared, they're 2 different beasts.

1960'sTVfan
08-18-2011, 06:56 PM
While the TV show has it's funny moments, to me it's basically a watered down version of the Dennis comic books. When comparing the two, in my opinion the Dennis comics are zanier and funnier than the TV show.

comedyfreak
08-21-2011, 01:29 PM
You can only do so much with tv it's a sitcom not a comic. I prefer the tv show for the comedy and great character actors plus the wardrope and cars from that era.

gonzo40
10-25-2013, 09:10 PM
There was a few of him in school.... I've noticed quite a bit of them talking about tomorrow being Saturday, so maybe we are to believe most episode's took place on Sat......

gonzo40
11-16-2013, 11:01 AM
In season 2 "Dennis goes to camp" at the beginning he walks into the kitchen with a metal lunch box and talks about coming home from school and we are to assume that it is Friday as the next day he is driven to check out a summer camp with Mr. Wilson and troop... There were many school references but they were kept brief and were not part of the plot except the Proxy episode where Mr. Wilson went to school and was voted by Dennis to be his best friend... Mentions of school were brief and most episodes seem to be situated on a Saturday......

McGillicuddy
11-16-2013, 11:37 AM
In season 2 "Dennis goes to camp" at the beginning he walks into the kitchen with a metal lunch box and talks about coming home from school and we are to assume that it is Friday as the next day he is driven to check out a summer camp with Mr. Wilson and troop... There were many school references but they were kept brief and were not part of the plot except the Proxy episode where Mr. Wilson went to school and was voted by Dennis to be his best friend... Mentions of school were brief and most episodes seem to be situated on a Saturday......

.....or summer vacation!

ThomasE
03-06-2014, 04:05 PM
Dennis went on and got his education. That episode with Mr. Wilson participating as a student annoyed me a bit. I didn't like the way that teacher addressed Mr. Wilson #2. Talking to the man as though he was a child. I would have put up with that mess.

Wawwie
03-06-2014, 05:24 PM
I always figured that most all of the episodes took place on a Saturday which also explains why we see Dennis in those same play clothes.

Sweathog
05-07-2014, 11:19 AM
He gets into so much mischief outside of school they didn't want him in school.:lol:

schmave
05-12-2014, 01:22 PM
In "Mr. Wilson's Safe," when Dennis is asked to name some important dates, one of them is July 12. He says that's because that's the day school gets out! Man, rough to have such a short summer vacation!

gonzo40
05-13-2014, 07:50 AM
In "Mr. Wilson's Safe," when Dennis is asked to name some important dates, one of them is July 12. He says that's because that's the day school gets out! Man, rough to have such a short summer vacation!



18-24-36 Hike..... Just watched that the other evening.... Those numbers will forever be remembered.....

pjpiazza
05-27-2014, 01:29 AM
I bet Jay himself has never forgotten.