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{{short description|American television series (1954–1973)}}
{{Dablink|This article is about the American TV series of 1954–1973, later syndicated as "Jeff's Collie" and "Timmy and Lassie". For other Lassie TV shows and movies, see ]}}
{{Infobox Television {{Infobox television
| show_name = Lassie | image = Lassie title screen.jpg
| caption = Title screen of ''Lassie'' (seasons 1–4)
| image = ]
| alt_name = {{Plainlist|
| caption = Title screen of ''Lassie'', seasons 1-10
| show_name_2 = Jeff's Collie (episodes 1-116)<br />Timmy and Lassie (episodes 116-352) * ''Jeff's Collie'' (episodes 1–116)
* ''Timmy & Lassie'' (episodes 117–352)
| genre = ]s
| creator = Robert Maxwell
| starring = ]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]
| theme_music_composer = Les Baxter
| opentheme = Whistle
| composer = ]
| country = {{USA}}
| language = ]
| num_seasons = 19
| num_episodes = 588
| list_episodes = List of Lassie episodes
| executive_producer = ]<br />]<br />]
| co_exec =
| producer = ]<br />]<br />]<br />]
| asst_producer = ]<br />]<br />]<br />]
| location = ]
| runtime = 26 minutes
| network = ]
| picture_format = ] (seasons 1-10)<br />Color ] (seasons 11-19)
| audio_format = ] sound
| first_aired = ], ]
| last_aired = ], ]
| related = '']''
| imdb_id = 0046617
| tv_com_id = 1110
}} }}
| genre = {{Plainlist|

* Family
'''''Lassie''''' is an ]-winning ] ] that follows the adventures of a female ] named ] and her companions, human and animal. One of the longest running dramatic series on television, ''Lassie'' was first broadcast from ], ], to ], ]. The show saw seventeen seasons on ] before entering ] for its final two seasons. Filmed initially in black-and-white, the show transitioned to color during the 1960s.
* ]/]

}}
The show's first ten seasons follow Lassie's adventures in a small ] with two boys, Jeff Miller (1954-1957) and Timmy Martin (1957-1964). When her exploits on the farm end in the eleventh season, Lassie finds new adventures in the wilderness with ] Corey Stuart, Bob Erickson, and Scott Turner. Following a year without human leads (1970), Lassie finally settles at a children's home for her final seasons.
| creator = ] and ]

| starring = {{Plainlist|
''Lassie'' found critical favor from its inception and won two ]s in its first years. Merchandise produced during its run included books, ] costumes, clothing, toys, and other items. ] offered two premiums (a ring and a wallet), and distributed thousands to fans. A multi-part episode was edited into the feature film, ''Lassie's Great Adventure'' and released in August 1963. In 1989, '']'' brought series' star ] back to television as Steve McCullough, a man denying his identity as Timmy Martin after learning the Martins did not properly adopt him. ''Lassie'' is occasionally seen in reruns and some episodes are available on ] and ].
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ] (various dogs)
}}
| theme_music_composer = ]
| opentheme = Whistle
| composer = ]
| country = United States
| language = English
| num_seasons = 19
| num_episodes = 591
| list_episodes = List of Lassie (1954 TV series) episodes
| producer = {{Plainlist|
* Robert Golden
* ]
* Dusty Bruce
* ]
* ]
* Leon Fromkess
}}
| company = {{Plainlist|
* Lassie Television
* Robert Maxwell Associates
* Jack Wrather Productions
}}
| location = ]
| runtime = 26 minutes
| network = {{Plainlist|
* ] (1954–1971)
* ] (1971–1973)
}}
| first_aired = {{Start date|1954|09|12}}
| last_aired = {{End date|1973|03|24}}
| related = {{Plainlist|
* '']''
* '']''
}}
}}
'''''Lassie''''' is an American television series that follows the adventures of a female ] dog named ] and her companions, both human and animal. The show was the creation of producer ] and animal trainer ] and was televised from September 12, 1954, to March 25, 1973, making it the ]. The show ran for 17 seasons on ] before entering ] for its final two seasons. Initially filmed in black and white, the show transitioned to color in 1965.


==Production== ==Production==
===Concept and development=== ===Narration===
Wrather's wife, ], who was the series' associate producer, narrated numerous episodes throughout the run of the series, usually the beginning and/or ending of multi-part episodes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://episodes.lassieweb.org/lassie08.htm|title=Wrather narration|publisher=Lassie Web|access-date=2014-07-26}}</ref>
In the 1940s, ]'s fictional collie, Lassie became the central character in six popular ] ]s. ], owner and trainer of Lassie's canine portrayer, ], took all rights to the Lassie trademark and name in lieu of back pay owed him by MGM. Producer Robert Maxwell then sold Weatherwax on his concept of a Lassie television series with a "boy and his dog" theme set on a weatherbeaten American farm. After viewing the two pilots, CBS executives gave the show a full-year contract. ''Lassie'' went into production, debuting on Sunday, ], ].


===Writers===
In 1957, ], owner of the hit western '']'', purchased the Lassie trademark and the show's production company. When Maxwell left, Wrather guided the show through the popular Timmy and Lassie seasons. As 1964 and the show's eleventh season approached, the decision was made to completely rework the show by teaming Lassie with a succession of ]. In 1970, however, Lassie became a loner for a season, and, in 1971, when new rulings regarding primetime were handed down from the FCC, CBS cancelled the show. The show then entered first-run syndication for two seasons with Lassie living at a children's home. The last first-run episode aired March 24, 1973.<ref name="Collins">{{cite book |last=Collins |first=Ace |title=Lassie: A Dog's Life |date=1993-10-01 |publisher=Penguin Books |location=New York |isbn=978-0140231830|oclc=29878000 }}</ref><ref name="Collins2">{{cite book |last=Collins |first=Ace |title=Lassie: Celebrating 50 Years of Love guide book (included with DVD set) |year=2004 |publisher=Classic Media }}</ref>
Many early episodes were written by ] under the pseudonym Claire Kennedy.<ref>{{cite book |date=January–June 1954 |title=Catalog of Copyright Entries |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NDQhAQAAIAAJ&q=lassie+%22claire+kennedy%22+%22robert+maxwell%22&pg=RA1-PA43 |publisher=The Library of Congress |page= 43 |series=Third Series |volume=8, Part 2, Number 1}}</ref> In later years, the writing partnership of Robert Schaefer and ] was responsible for over 150 episodes. They were also responsible for developing the idea of having Lassie with a forest ranger.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://claytonmoore.tripod.com/freiwald.htm |title=Eric Freiwald |last=Jensen |first=Steve |access-date=2020-07-13}}</ref>


===Pilots=== ===Theme music===
''Lassie'' used several pieces of theme music during its long broadcast history. For the first season, "Secret of the Silent Hills (Theme from the Lassie TV series)", is used for both the opening and ending theme. Composed by ], the orchestral theme was originally created for the 1940 radio show ''The Courageous Dr. Christian''.<ref name="Lassie /Jeffs Collie /Timmy and Lassie">Lassie /Jeffs Collie /Timmy and Lassie</ref>
Two pilots were filmed in ], ], ] with associate producer Rudy E. Abel, writer Claire Kennedy, and director Leslie Goodwins. "The Inheritance" became the premiere episode and "The Well" was filmed to give potential sponsors and network buyers an idea of a typical episode. After viewing the pilots, CBS placed the show on its fall 1954 schedule and ] signed on as the show's sole sponsor. As word spread through the Hollywood community about the series, the MGM legal office halted production and drew up a copyright infringement lawsuit, claiming the studio still owned the Lassie trademark and name. Before court action began, Weatherwax produced documentation proving the studio had given up all rights to Lassie two years before for $40,000. Filming for the series went forward in the summer of 1954.<ref name="Collins" />


For the second and third season a variation of this theme, titled simply "Lassie Main & End Title", was used for the opening and ending theme. ], the music director for the series, is the listed composer for the theme; however the changes he made to the original are so slight that only a trained ear can tell the difference. The third theme used for the series is an orchestral rendition of the ], "Dio Possente" (Even Bravest Hearts May Swell) from ]'s opera, '']''. The exact time this theme started being used is uncertain due to conflicting records; however it is agreed that it was the third series, and was used for at least part of season four for the change of ownership of Lassie.<ref name="Lassie /Jeffs Collie /Timmy and Lassie" />
===Lassie's portrayers===
The show's titular character is portrayed in the two pilots by Pal, the MGM film Lassie. Thereafter, five of his male descendants played the role. His son Lassie Junior performed through the Jeff years and first two Timmy years (1954-1958), retiring in 1959 to battle cancer. Though he recovered, Lassie Junior never worked the show again. His son Spook was rushed into the series while his brother Baby was in training for the role. Spook was inadequately prepared and never became comfortable on the set after an overhead light crashed to the floor on his first day. Weatherwax, however, coaxed a natural and seemingly confident performance from the frightened dog, and, for some, Spook's portrayal represents Weatherwax's finest work. Spook played the role in the spring and fall of 1960. Baby, son of Lassie Junior and brother to Spook, appeared in the last Timmy years, and two of the Ranger years (1960-1965). His large expressive eyes and unquestionable talent made him an audience favorite. Baby died at eight years of age, the only Lassie not to live at least seventeen years. He was succeeded in the role by Mire who appeared in the last Ranger Years and the Lassie Alone Year (1966-1970). Hey Hey portrayed Lassie during the two syndicated seasons (1971-1972).<ref name="Collins" />


The most famous of the Lassie theme songs appeared at the start of the fifth season. Copyrighted as "Lassie Main & End Title", the composer credit has never been definitively claimed to this day. The melody is whistled by ]. Nicknamed "The Whistler," it remained the series theme for the rest of the "Martin years". With the coming of the "Ranger years", the opening and ending theme was changed to an orchestral version of "The Whistler". Beginning in season 17 (where Lassie traveled alone), and continuing throughout the Holden Ranch era, the theme was changed again, this time to ]'s arrangement of the traditional folk tune '']'', which became the series theme song for the rest of its run. For the final two seasons, the familiar closing visual of Lassie standing on a hill and lifting her paw, was replaced by the credits on a green background, and flashing from one slate to the other instead of scrolling as in most of the series run.<ref name="Lassie /Jeffs Collie /Timmy and Lassie" /> Television composer ] scored the music to nearly every episode between 1963 and 1973,<ref name=variety>{{cite news|first=Jon|last=Burlingame|title=Nathan Scott, 94, scored TV shows&nbsp;– Composer's credits included 'Dragnet,' 'Lassie' |url=https://variety.com/2010/scene/news/nathan-scott-94-scored-tv-shows-1118016005/ |magazine=]|publisher=]|date=March 3, 2010 |access-date=March 10, 2010}}</ref> except for four episodes.<ref name=latimes>{{cite news|first=Dennis|last=McClellan|title=Nathan Scott dies at 94; film and TV composer, arranger and conductor |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-mar-04-la-me-nathan-scott5-2010mar05-story.html |newspaper=]|date=March 4, 2010 |access-date=March 13, 2010}}</ref>
===Casting===
]
With the pilots written and ready to film, ], a Broadway star and quiz show panelist was hired to play farm woman Ellen Miller with ], a septuagenarian with two hundred film roles to his credit, playing her father-in-law, George “Gramps” Miller. Child actor ] auditioned for the role of Ellen’s eleven-year-old son Jeff Miller and found himself in competition with two other boys. The three juvenile actors spent a week at Rudd Weatherwax's home in ] with Pal, and, as Rettig recalled, “Lassie liked me better than the other two kids. I loved animals, and this seemed to be very important to Rudd.” Rettig won the role.


==Plot and themes==
With the show in production, producers decided Jeff needed a boy companion his own age. Donald Keeler (], 1954-1957) was cast as Jeff's friend, "Porky" Brockway, after defeating 1,500 other children for the role. Keeler made his debut in the first season's "The Lion" (1954).<ref name="Collins" /> ] was cast as Porkey's father Matt Brockway and ] as veterinarian Doc Weaver.<ref name="Jenkins" /> Porky's ] Pokey is a recurring animal character through the Miller Years.<ref name="Collins" />
<gallery mode=packed heights=220px>
Lassie cast 1955.jpg|Original series stars ] (as Ellen Miller - top left), ] (as Gramps - top right), and ] (as Jeff Miller - at bottom with Lassie)
Lassie cast 1957.jpg|From left to right - ] (as Uncle Petrie), ] (the original Paul Martin), ] (as Timmy Martin) and ] (the original Ruth Martin) during season 4 when the show transitioned from the Millers to the Martins
Lassie 1960 cast photo.JPG|] and ] would take over as Paul and Ruth Martin from 1958-1964 (seasons 5–10).
Robert Bray Lassie 1967.JPG|After 10 seasons on the farm with the Millers and the Martins, the series shifted to Lassie's adventures with the ] during seasons 11–16, the bulk of that time featuring ] as Ranger Corey Stuart.
Lassie portrait 1968.JPG|Season 17 - the final CBS season - saw Lassie on her own, getting into different adventures each week. In seasons 18 and 19 (with the series airing in syndication), Lassie settled in at the Holden Ranch to close out the show's run.
</gallery>


The first 10 seasons of the series saw Lassie living on a farm, first with the Miller family (Jeff, his mother Ellen, and her father George - who was called "Gramps" by Jeff). Season 4 saw the Millers taking in young orphan Timmy, who then lived with them on the farm, as well as the unexpected death of Gramps, (reflecting the real life death of actor ], who played the character), and with that the Millers moved off the farm, but Timmy and Lassie would stay behind with his new foster parents, Paul and Ruth Martin, who also took over the farm. All 10 of the Miller/Martin farm seasons would for the most part focus on "boy and his dog" adventures with Jeff or Timmy getting involved in some sort of trouble, and Lassie eventually coming to the rescue.
In 1957, Rettig was outgrowing his role and Clayton wanted to return to musical theater. The decision was made to find a new boy and ease the Miller family out of the show. Two hundred boys were interviewed unsuccessfully. Wrather’s wife ] then followed a friend’s tip and brought six-year-old film star ] to the proceedings. After one interview (and a few days at Weatherwax’s home with Lassie Junior), Provost was hired with a salary of $350 a week and made his debut as ] in the fourth season opener, "The Runaway". In the middle of the fourth season, George Cleveland's sudden and unexpected death forced producers to drop Clayton, Rettig, and Keeler. ] and Hollywood newcomer ] were quickly hired as Timmy’s adoptive parents with ] playing Paul’s uncle, Petrie. Leachman grew unhappy playing a tired farm woman, feuded on-set with co-workers, and proved unpopular with viewers. Ratings dropped. ]When filming was completed for the 1957-58 season in February 1958, Wrather severed ties with Maxwell and dropped Leachman and Shepodd. ] was chosen as producer while film veteran ] and Broadway stage star ] were hired in the roles of Ruth and Paul Martin. The two performers made their debuts in the fifth-season opener. In 1958, Chandler was dropped and replaced in 1959 by ] as eccentric farmer Cully Wilson in the show's "grandfather" role.<ref name="Collins" /> In 1958, ] played Timmy's friend Boomer Bates and his dog Mike was a recurring character.<ref name="Jenkins" /><ref name="Collins" /> Guest appearances included ] great ], ] ], and ] (]). The offspring of cast and crew played background schoolchildren, 4-H members, and church-goers.<ref name="Collins" />


Seasons 11–16 were the "Ranger years" of the series, as Lassie (because she was not able to go to Australia with the Martins when Paul got a job teaching agriculture there) was taken in by U.S. Forest Ranger ] (who appeared in a few episodes of season 10) and began to work with the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://episodes.lassieweb.org/lassie11.htm|title=Lassie season 11|publisher=Lassie Web|access-date=2014-03-23}}</ref> ] was exploited during the Ranger years with Lassie and her friends sent to exotic locations such as ] and ], creating mini-] for viewers. Other rangers would be featured during the latter part of this era when ] (who played Stuart) left the series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://episodes.lassieweb.org/lassie15.htm|title=Lassie season 15|publisher=Lassie Web|access-date=2014-03-23}}</ref>
In 1964, Wrather grew concerned about the show's future. Jon Provost was fourteen and no longer wanted to play a child while teen viewers were leaving the show's homey family format for more exciting fare. Producers decided ''Lassie'' needed to be reworked. The Martin family was dropped and ], a former ] and ] look-a-like who had appeared in the multi-part wilderness adventure "Disappearance", returned to the series in his role as Forest Ranger Corey Stuart. As time passed, however, Bray's emotional and alcoholic problems forced him from the show. ] and ] were then hired to play Forest Rangers Bob Erickson and Scott Turner for the 1968 and 1969 seasons.<ref name="Collins" /> Guest stars included ], ], ], ], and ].<ref name="Collins" />


For season 17, the program shifted gears again and became essentially an ], with Lassie traveling on her own, getting into different adventures each week (similar in format to '']'' and, later, to '']''). No explanation was given as to why Lassie was no longer with the Forest Service.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://episodes.lassieweb.org/lassie17.htm|title=Lassie season 17|publisher=Lassie Web|access-date=2014-03-23}}</ref> Some episodes during this final CBS season were animals only.
Lassie wandered alone for a season then settled at a children's home where director Garth Holden (], 1971), his brother Keith (], 1972), his college-age son, Ron (], 1971-1972), and Ron's friend, Dale Mitchell (], 1971-1972), provided for her. Sue Lambert (], 1971), played a veterinarian, and Lucy Baker (], 1971-1972), a deaf child.<ref name="Jenkins" />


During seasons 18 and 19 (with the series having moved to ]), Lassie was taken in by Garth Holden (played by ]) who was in charge of the Holden Ranch – a home for orphaned boys – which he ran with his college-age son and his friend. This (somewhat) brought the show back to its roots by giving Lassie a farm/ranch home base, which is where she settled in for the final two years of the series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://episodes.lassieweb.org/lassie18.htm|title=Lassie season 18|publisher=Lassie Web|access-date=2014-03-23}}</ref><ref name="Collins">]:</ref>
===Writers===
Some scripts were produced by writers blacklisted during the heyday of ] and the ]. These writers included ] (as J. E. Selby) and ], one of the ] who went to prison for contempt of ]. His wife, writing as Joanne Court, attended story conferences and gave her husband notes so he could do rewrites.<ref name="NYTimes"> ''New York Times'', September 16, 2004.</ref>


===Filming=== ==Episodes==
{{Main|List of Lassie episodes}}
Typically, there were two dog trainers on the set, each teetering on a stepladder only Lassie could see and waving a chunk of meat at the dog. "It would look as though Lassie was looking at Jon (Provost), but he was really looking past Jon at the piece of beef," Lockhart recalled in 2004. When Provost delivered his line, the trainer behind Lockhart would whisper "Lassie!" and wave another piece of meat. Lassie's head would turn to Lockhart who would deliver her line. Then the trainer behind Provost would get Lassie's attention again, and Provost would deliver his next line. "The sound editor would cut out all that," Lockhart said, "You finally got to where you never heard the trainers. Often, if the scene had gone well, and maybe we hadn't gotten the dialogue quite right, if the dog was right, they'd print it." <ref name="NYTimes" /> In addition to the main Lassie, three other Lassies might be involved in an episode shoot: a stand-in for rehearsals, a stunt double, and a "fighter" for scenes involving battles with other animals.<ref name="NYTimes" />
{{:List of Lassie episodes}}


==Characters and cast==
===Filming locations===
===Human leads===
The show's first studio was Stage One of KTTV in Los Angeles, California<ref name="Collins" /> with the production moving to ] in 1957.<ref name="Provost" /> Iverson Ranch, ], Kanab Movie Ranch, ], and ], ] also saw shootings. During the Timmy seasons, episodes were filmed at the ] and the ] and, during the ranger seasons, ], ] and other locations.<ref name="Collins" />
] starred as Jeff Miller during the early years of the series (1954–1957), which were syndicated as ''Jeff's Collie''.]]
] starred as Timmy Martin during the middle years of the series (1957–1964), which were syndicated as ''Timmy & Lassie''.]]
] starred as Ranger ] during the majority of the Forest Service years of the series from 1964–1968.]]
] (left) and ] (right) starred as Rangers Bob Erickson and Scott Turner, respectively, during the later Forest Service years of the series from 1968–1970.]]
] (1971–1973).]]


====1954–1957: Miller Family (''Jeff's Collie'')====
===Theme music===
* Ellen Miller – war-widowed farm woman (])
''Lassie'' used several pieces of theme music during its long broadcast history. For the first season, "Secret of the Silent Hills (Theme from the Lassie TV Series)," is used for both the opening and ending theme. Composed by ], the orchestral theme was originally created for the 1940 radio show '']''. For the second and third season, a variation of this theme, titled simply "Lassie Main & End Title", was used for the opening and ending theme. ], the music director for the series, is the listed composer for the theme, however the changes he made to the original are so slight that only a trained ear can tell the difference. The third theme used for the series is the ] "Dio Possente" (Even Bravest Hearts May Swell) from ]'s opera '']''. The exact time this theme started being used is uncertain due to conflicting records, however it is agreed that it was the third series, and used for at least part of season 4 for the change of ownership of Lassie.<ref name="ClassicThemes" />
* Jeff Miller – Ellen's eleven-year-old son (])
* George "Gramps" Miller – Ellen's father-in-law and Jeff's paternal grandfather (])
* Sylvester "Porky" Brockway – a farm boy and Jeff's friend (] – using the stage name "Donald Keeler")
* Constable Clay Horton – the sheriff (])


====1957–1964: Martin Family (''Timmy & Lassie'')====
The most famous of the Lassie theme songs, appeared at the start of the fifth season. Copyrighted as "Lassie Main & End Title", the song was created by ], with the whistling itself performed by ]. Nicknamed "Whistle," it remained the series theme for the rest of the Martin Years. With the coming of the Ranger Years, the opening and ending theme is changed to ]'s arrangement of the traditional folk tune '']''. "Whistle" returned as the series theme during the thirteenth season for the seven-part "Voyager" episode, and would remain the series theme for the rest of its run.<ref name="ClassicThemes">{{cite web |url=http://www.classicthemes.com/50sTVThemes/themePages/lassie.html |publisher=The Media Management Group |work=ClassicThemes.com |title=Lassie /Jeffs Collie /Timmy and Lassie |accessdate=2008-02-16 }}</ref>
* Timmy Martin – a foster boy on the Miller farm (])
* Paul Martin – a young farmer, Ruth's husband and Timmy's adoptive father (] 1957–1958; ] 1958–1964)
* Ruth Martin – Paul's wife and Timmy's adoptive mother (] 1957–1958; ] 1958–1964)
* Uncle Petrie J. Martin – Paul's uncle (]) (1957–1959)
* Cully Wilson – a neighbor of the Martins, who was a farmer and nature lover (]) (1959–1964)
* Ralph "Boomer" Bates – a neighbor of the Martins who owned a dog named Mike and was Timmy's best friend (Todd Ferrell) (1958–1959)
* Scott Richards, another of Timmy's friends (]) (1958)


====1964–1970: ]====
===Sponsor===
* Forest Ranger Corey Stuart (]) (1964–1968)
] sponsored the entire nineteen year run of ''Lassie''. The company asked that their products be visible on the set and so, in episode after episode, Campbell's products are seen in background shots. Campbell's also required the show's stars to avoid appearing in any film or theatrical production that undermined their All-American images.
* Assistant Forest Ranger Hank Whitfield (])<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/333334289/|title=Clyde Houdeshell Dies|work=]|location=]|date=October 8, 1969|access-date=July 15, 2022|page=15|via=]}} {{Closed access}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=10dXAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA134|title=Hollywood Stunt Performers, 1910s-1970s: A Biographical Dictionary, 2d ed.|pages=134–135|first=Gene|last=Scott Freese|date=April 10, 2014|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9780786476435|via=]}}</ref> (1964–1966)
* Forest Ranger Bob Erickson (]) (1968–1970)
* Forest Ranger Scott Turner (]) (1968–1970)


====1970–1971: Traveling on her own====
In 1956, the company held a "Name Lassie's Puppies" contest with the grand prizes being Lassie's pups and $2,000. Company executives hand-delivered puppies to the winner's homes. ]Two premiums were offered in connection with particular episodes. In 1958, for twenty-five cents and a label from a Swanson's TV dinner, viewers could receive a Lassie portrait friendship ring based on the one Uncle Petrie fashions for Timmy in the fourth season episode, "The Ring" (1957). The company mailed 77,715 rings to viewers. In 1959, the company offered a wallet "made of rich brown plastic" emblazoned with a picture of Lassie in conjunction with the episode, "Old Henry"; 1,343,509 wallets were mailed to viewers who sent in five different labels from Campbell products. The labels represented 6.5 million cans of Campbell's products sold. <ref name="Collins" /> Campbell's paid the Wrather Company $7 million a year to air its commercials. The soup company's profits rose seventy percent over its pre-''Lassie'' days.
* No human leads


====1971–1973: Holden Ranch====
Lassie was spokesdog for Recipe Dog Food, a Campbell's product introduced in 1969, which was reportedly based on the homemade stew mixture Weatherwax prepared for Lassie. Printed advertisements for the product announced, "Now all dogs can come home to the dinner Lassie comes home to." In its first year, Recipe earned $10 million for Campbell's, and, in its third year, $40 million. To help boost sales, Campbell's paid Weatherwax to write a dog-training manual called ''The Lassie Method'' which the company used as a premium offer.<ref name="Collins" />
* Garth Holden – director of the Holden Ranch (])
* Ron Holden – Garth's son (Skip Burton)
* Dale Mitchell – Ron's friend (])
* Keith Holden – Garth's brother (])
* Lucy Baker – a deaf child living near the Holden Ranch (])


==Plot and themes== ===Dog actors as Lassie===
* ] (Pilot episodes)
* Lassie Junior (1954–1959)
* Spook (1960)
* Baby (1960–1966)
* Mire (1966–1971)
* Hey Hey (1971–1973)


==Media information==
Plots during both the Jeff and Timmy seasons were similar: the boy got into some sort of trouble, usually with a wild or misunderstood animal. Lassie then dashed off to get help or rushed in to save her master's life herself. After being reunited with family and breathing a sigh of relief, the boy received a light lecture on why he shouldn't have done what he had done.<ref name="Collins" /> In 2004, June Lockhart described the show as "...a fairy tale about people on a farm in which the dog solves all the problems in 22 minutes, in time for the last commercial."<ref name="NYTimes" />
===Broadcast history===
First-run ''Lassie'' was televised September 12, 1954 to March 24, 1973 with its first 17 seasons airing on CBS Sundays at 7:00&nbsp;p.m. ]. In 1971, in order to promote community-related programming among local affiliates, the ] moved ] Sundays to 8:00 P.M. EST with the institution of the ]. CBS executives felt ''Lassie'' would not be well received in a time slot other than its traditional 7:00&nbsp;p.m. slot, and, with the network's other family programs set, the show was canceled.<ref name="Collins"/> (''Lassie'' was among several shows that CBS canceled during this time period as part of a ].) ''Lassie'' then entered first-run syndication with Jack Wrather and Campbell's Soup still on board, and remained on the air for another two years with its final episode airing in March 1973. All totaled, 591 episodes were produced.


An animated reworking, '']'', followed in fall 1973, immediately after the original series ended (the ] aired in 1972 while the live-action series was still on the air). ''Lassie's Rescue Rangers'' was denounced by both Weatherwax and the ], the latter of which made note of the animated series' "violence, crime and stupidity."<ref name=Erickson>{{cite book |last1=Erickson |first1=Hal |title=Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 |date=2005 |edition=2nd |publisher=McFarland & Co |isbn=978-1476665993 |pages=487–488}}</ref>
Two Timmy and Lassie episodes launched Campbell's Soup premiums while two others promoted a ] Halloween project and the Peace Patrol, a children's ] program spearheaded by Lassie and The ]. The same seasons saw several ] episodes while ] and ] were brought center stage. Some scripts dealt with race and ethnicity with both Jeff and Timmy championing Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asian Americans. Aging Americans were presented in a positive light during the years when Andy Clyde was a cast member. Color filming was exploited during the Ranger Years with Lassie and her friends sent to exotic locations such as ] and ], creating miniature travelogues for viewers. In the seventeenth season, Lassie wandered alone, with some episodes being animals-only. In her final seasons, Lassie found a domestic setting reminiscent of the early years of the show yet enjoyed rugged outdoor adventures recalling her wilderness years.<ref name="Collins" />


===Later series===
''Lassie'' themes explored the relationship between boys and their dogs with the show helping to shape the viewer's understanding of mid-twentieth century American ]. ''Lassie'' was associated with the wholesome family values of its period but some parents' groups monitoring television content found cliffhanger plots showing children in danger too intense for very young viewers and objected to some of Timmy's actions which were believed to encourage children to disobey parents. Lassie, however, was consistently depicted as caring, nurturing, and responsible with a commitment to family and community, often rescuing those in peril and righting wrongs. She was the perfect 'mother' within the American ideology of the 1950s and 1960s.<ref name="Jenkins">] ]. Retrieved 2008-04-25.</ref>
In 1973, ABC created an animated Saturday-morning ] program called '']'' produced by ].<ref name="Collins"/>


In 1989, what was essentially a sequel series, '']'' – featuring Jon Provost as Steve McCullough – aired in first-run syndication. In its seventh episode ("Roots"), June Lockhart reprised her Ruth Martin role when Steve McCullough is revealed to be the adult Timmy Martin. It is revealed that Timmy was never properly adopted by the Martins and consequently was forced to remain in the U.S. when Ruth and Paul emigrated to Australia. Timmy was then subsequently adopted by the McCullough family and began going by his middle name Steven. In 1992, Tommy Rettig made a guest appearance in the final episode, "The Computer Study". This would be his last television appearance prior to his death in 1996.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0720568/|title=Tommy Rettig|website=]|publisher=]|access-date=May 9, 2010}}</ref>
==Media information==
===Broadcast history ===
First-run ''Lassie'' was televised ], ] to ], ] with its first seventeen seasons airing on CBS Sunday evenings 7:00 P.M. EST. In 1971, in order to promote community-related programming among local affliates, the ] moved ] Sundays to 8:00 P.M. ]. CBS executives felt ''Lassie'' would not be well received in a time slot other than its seventeen-year held 7:00 P.M. slot, and, with the network's other family programs set, the show was cancelled.<ref name="Collins" /> ''Lassie'' then entered first-run syndication with Jack Wrather and Campbell's Soup still on board, and remained on the air for another two years Sundays 7:30 P.M. EST<ref name="Collins2" /> with its final episode airing ], ]. The Miller years were sold into syndication in 1958 as ''Jeff's Collie''. In rerun syndication, the Martin family episodes aired under ''Timmy and Lassie.'' ] currently owns the rights to the entire ''Lassie'' television series, as well as the Lassie trademark.


In 1997, a modified remake – also called '']'' – debuted, airing in the U.S. on the then new ] cable network. This show (which was filmed in Canada and set in ]) also revolved around a boy named Timmy and his dog, though differences in setting and character circumstances precluded it from being an exact remake of the original series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118380/locations|title=Filming locations for "Lassie" (1997)|website=IMDb|publisher=Amazon|access-date=May 9, 2010}}</ref>
=== Show-specific merchandise ===
Merchandise specific to the television series produced during its first-run includes children's pyjamas, shirts, and sneakers, Halloween costumes, Viewmaster reels, a variety of storybooks, novels, activity books, and other items.<ref name="Collins" /> In 2005, Karen Pfeiffer released ''The Legacy of Lassie: an Unauthorized Information and Price Guide on Lassie Collectibles'' (ISBN 978-0975887066).


From 2014-present, a new animated series called '']'' or ''The New Adventures of Lassie'' was aired. Lassie lives with the Parker family, 10-year-old red-headed Zoe and her family, Ranger Graham Parker and Dr. Sarah Parker (a veterinarian), in the Grand Mountain National Park. Her best friend is Harvey Smith, whose mother Beth works in the park visitor center. Harvey's late father was a mountain climber. The children's antagonist is a snooty rich girl named Samantha Humphrey. Two seasons were done, the first with traditional drawn animation and the second season with computer-generated animation.
===Spinoffs===
The original TV series had no direct spinoffs. However, a few subsequent productions cashed-in on the Lassie character and her enduring popularity. In 1973, CBS created a Saturday-morning ] program called '']''. Rudd Weatherwax described the series as "trash".<ref name="Collins" /> In 1989, '']'', starring Jon Provost as Steve McCullough, aired in first-run syndication. In its seventh episode, June Lockhart reprised her Ruth Martin role when Steve McCullough is revealed to be Timmy Martin. The viewer learns Timmy was never properly adopted by the Martins and consequently forced to remain in the States when the couple emigrated to Australia. Timmy was then adopted by the McCulloughs and began using his middle name, Steven.<ref name="TNL Ep07">{{cite episode |title=Roots |episodelink= |series=The New Lassie |serieslink=The New Lassie |credits=Director: Alan Cooke, Writer: Bud Wiser |airdate=1989-10-21 |season=1 |number=7}}</ref> Tommy Rettig made guest appearances as professor and computer specialist, Jeff Miller. In 1997, another series called '']'' aired. The show was filmed in Canada, set in ] and briefly employed Weatherwax dogs and trainers. While maintaining the "boy and his dog" theme of the original, the series was criticized for relegating Lassie to the background.


===Feature film=== ===DVD releases===
The series was released to DVD between 2001–2007.
During ] week 1962, a five-part color episode was filmed in the ] called "The Journey".<ref name=Provost>{{cite book |last=Provost |first=Jon |authorlink=Jon Provost |co-author=Jacobson, Laurie|title=Timmy's in the Well: The Jon Provost Story |date=2007-11-01 |publisher=Cumberland House |location=Nashville, Tennessee |isbn=978-0140231830 |oclc=154674404}}</ref> First broadcast in February and March 1963, the episode follows Timmy and Lassie as the two are swept away in a ] ] that eventually comes to rest in the ] wilderness, forcing the the voyagers to face many perils before being rescued by the ]. Richard Simmons, star of another Jack Wrather property, '']'', made an appearance<ref name="Provost" /> while ''Lassie'' star, Jon Provost, performed his own ] stunts.<ref name="Provost" /> ''Lassie'' sponsor Campbell's Soup objected to multi-part episodes, believing viewers would not want to tune in week after week to find out what happens from one segment to the next, but three of the five segments from "The Journey" hit the top-ten for the weeks in which they aired.<ref name="Collins" /> The five segments were edited into a feature length film and released in August 1963 through ] as ''Lassie's Great Adventure''.<ref name="Collins" /> The film is approximately 73 minutes in length and is available on DVD.


{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto;"
===DVD releases===
!style="background: #CCCCFF"|DVD Name
<center>
!style="background: #CCCCFF"|# Ep
{| class="wikitable"
!style="background: #CCCCFF"|DVD Name
!style="background: #CCCCFF"|# Ep
!style="background: #CCCCFF"|Release Date !style="background: #CCCCFF"|Release Date
|- |-
| Lassie's Great Adventure | Lassie's Great Adventure
| 5 | 5
| ], ] | June 26, 2001
|- |-
| Lassie: Best of the Lassie Show | Lassie: Best of the Lassie Show
| 3 | 3
| ], ] | November 25, 2003
|- |-
| Lassie: Lassie's Christmas Stories | Lassie: Lassie's Christmas Stories
| 3 | 3
| ], ] | November 25, 2003
|- |-
| Lassie: Best of Jeff's Collie | Lassie: Best of Jeff's Collie
| 3 | 3
| ], ] | November 25, 2003
|- |-
| Lassie: Lassie's Birthday Surprise | Lassie: Lassie's Birthday Surprise
| 3 | 3
| ], ] | November 25, 2003
|- |-
| Lassie: Lassie's Gift of Love | Lassie: Lassie's Gift of Love
| 3 | 3
| ], ] | November 25, 2003
|- |-
| Lassie: 50th Anniversary Collection | Lassie: 50th Anniversary Collection
| 24 | 24
| ], ] | September 14, 2004
|- |-
| Lassie: Flight of the Cougar | Lassie: Flight of the Cougar
| 3 | 3
| ], ] | March 6, 2006
|- |-
| Lassie: A Mother's Love | Lassie: A Mother's Love
| 4 | 4
| ], ] | May 1, 2007
|-
| Lassie's Greatest Adventures Collection<br>{{small|(similar release of Lassie: 50th Anniversary Collection)}}
| 18
| September 17, 2019
|} |}

</center>
==Comics==
The TV series was adapted into a comic book by ], distributed by ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lambiek.net/artists/s/spiegle_d.htm|title = Dan Spiegle}}</ref>

==Reception== ==Reception==
===Ratings=== ===Ratings===
Every year of its 17 year run on CBS, ''Lassie'' placed first in its time slot, Sunday 7:00 P.M. EST and often ranked among the top twenty-five shows on television. The show's highest ranking years in the ] were the Martin years when the show placed #24 in 1957, #22 in 1958, #15 in 1959, #15 in 1961, #21 in 1962, #13 in 1963, and #17 in 1964. The only Martin year ''Lassie'' did not climb into the top twenty-five was 1960, when it ran opposite '']'' on ] and '']'' on ]. With the departure of the Martin family in the first episode of the eleventh season, the show began a steady decline in ratings.<ref name="Collins" /> Every year of its 17-year run on CBS, ''Lassie'' placed first in its time slot, Sunday 7:00 P.M. EST, and often ranked among the top 25 shows on television. The show's highest ranking years in the ] were the Martin years when the show placed #24 in 1957, #22 in 1958, #15 in 1959, #15 in 1961, #21 in 1962, #13 in 1963, and #17 in 1964. The only Martin year ''Lassie'' did not climb into the top twenty-five was 1960, when it ran opposite '']'' on ] and '']'' on ].<ref name="Col166">] 1993, p.166</ref> However, ''Lassie'' still ran opposite Disney when the ] moved to NBC in 1961, and still managed to climb into the Top 25. With the advent of the Forest Service seasons, the show began a steady decline in ratings.<ref name="Jenkins">]</ref>


{| class="wikitable"
===Awards===
|-
''Lassie'' won Emmy Awards for Best Children's Program in 1955 and for Best Children's Series in 1956.<ref name="CBS">{{cite web |url=http://www.cbs.com/specials/cbs_75/timeline/1950.shtml |publisher=] |title=CBS at 75: 1950s |accessdate=2008-02-22 }}</ref> Jan Clayton was nominated for two Emmys in 1957 and 1958 for her portrayal of Ellen Miller, while June Lockhart was nominated for an Emmy in 1959 for her role as Ruth Martin. The show received another Emmy nomination in 1960 for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Children's Programming. The show was awarded a ] in 1956.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.peabody.uga.edu/winners/PeabodyWinnersBook.pdf |title=Peabody Winners Book |format=pdf |publisher=Peabody Awards |accessdate=2008-02-14}}</ref> Honors for the show were also received from the PTA, the National Association for Better Radio and Television, Gold Star, and ''Billboard''.<ref name="Collins" /> In 2003, Jon Provost was nominated for ]'s Favorite Pet-Human Relationship Award (Timmy and Lassie).
! Season !! Rank
|-
| 1954–1955 || rowspan="2" | Not in the Top 30
|-
| 1955–1956
|-
| 1956–1957 || #24
|-
| 1957–1958 || #22
|-
| 1958–1959 || Not in the Top 30
|-
| 1959–1960 || #29
|-
| 1960–1961 || Not in the Top 30
|-
| 1961–1962 || #15
|-
| 1962–1963 || #19
|-
| 1963–1964 || #12
|-
| 1964–1965 || #17
|-
| 1965–1966 || #27
|-
| 1966–1967 || #33
|-
| 1967–1968 || #30
|-
| 1968–1969 || rowspan="3" | Not in the Top 30
|-
| 1969–1970
|-
| 1970–1971
|}

===Awards and honors===
(All awards listed given during the time of, or specifically related to the TV series)
* Two-time ] winner for Best Children's Program (1955, 1956)<ref>]</ref>
* 1956 ]<ref>]</ref>
* Three stars on the ] (Lassie – 1960, June Lockhart – 1960 for television, Jon Provost – 1994)
* 1967 ] Conservation Award (awarded to Lassie for promoting conservation during the series' Forest Service era)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lassie.net/awards.htm |title=Lassie Awards |publisher=Lassie.net |access-date=2014-03-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130714031851/http://www.lassie.net/awards.htm |archive-date=2013-07-14}}</ref>
* Timmy Martin's shirt, jeans, and Keds displayed at the ]


===Cultural impact=== ===Cultural impact===
] in a promotional photo for his autobiography ''Timmy's in the Well!'' (essentially portraying "Timmy" reading to "Lassie")]]
In 1960, the Lassie character became one of only three animal characters to receive a star on the ].<ref>{{cite web | title=Lassie (History timeline) | publisher=Classic Media | year=2005 | url=http://www.lassie.com/lassie_star.html | accessdate=2007-10-29 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Hollywood Walk of Fame: MP | publisher=Hollywood Chamber of Commerce |url=http://www.tibp.com/cgi-bin/foxweb.dll/wlx/dir/wlxdirecatn?catid=5&Client=WOFAME&lcTemplate=DIRENAME.HTM&CITY= | accessdate=2008-02-14 }}</ref> Jon Provost's ] sneakers are in the collections of the ].<ref> Smithsonian Institution.</ref> Lassie and the show's stars have appeared on nine '']'' covers.<ref name="Collins" /><ref name="Provost" />
Jon Provost called his autobiography ''Timmy's in the Well!'' because a well was the one place Timmy never fell into—abandoned mine shafts, off cliffs, into rivers, lakes, and quicksand, but never a well.<ref name="Provost">]:</ref><ref></ref>
In 1967, in conjunction with Lassie's unofficial role with the United States Forestry Service and her perception by many Americans as an environmental activist, Lassie was welcomed to the ] by ]. In January 1968, President ] signed into a law a bill that targeted soil and water pollution unofficially called by many "the Lassie program". Lassie was honored with a luncheon in the Senate Dining Room on March 19, 1968 when a plaque recognizing her commitment to ] was presented her by senators ] and ].<ref name="Collins" />


'']'' parodied the show as "Lizzy", where it was revealed that the collie was actually a circus midget in a dog suit, while the real Lizzy was a dimwitted mutt.
In an episode of '']'' ("Dino Goes Hollyrock"), the character Dino wins an appearance on the smash hit TV show "Sassie" starring a heavily made-up and snobby girl dinosaur and her Lassie-like adventures.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fandango.com/theflintstones:dinogoeshollyrock_v345322/plotsummary |title=Flintstones' Lassie takeoff |publisher=Fandango.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202121546/http://www.fandango.com/theflintstones%3Adinogoeshollyrock_v345322/plotsummary |archive-date=2014-02-02 |access-date=2014-06-21 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Belgian comics artist ] created his own version of the TV show with a collie named '']'' in 1954. Apart from the fact that his comic strip starred the same dog breed with a similar name, it had little to do with the series overall, since the comic was a Western comic.
{{clear}}
==References== ==References==
; Notes
;General
{{reflist|group=note}}
*"Lassie ... My Best Friend". ''Jack and Jill'', November 1959.

*"The Life and Times of Lassie". ''TV Guide'', July 4, 1959.
; Footnotes
*"The Man with Dog Appeal". ''TV Guide'', August 14, 1965.
{{reflist|2}}

; Works cited
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite news |author=Barron |first=James |title=At Lunch With June Lockhart, Jon Provost and Lassie |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/16/arts/television/16lass.html?_r=1&oref=slogin |work=] |date=September 16, 2004 |access-date=April 4, 2009}}
* {{cite web |url=https://www.cbs.com/specials/cbs_75/timeline/1950.shtml |publisher=] |title=CBS at 75: 1950s |access-date=February 22, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060505030928/http://www.cbs.com/specials/cbs_75/timeline/1950.shtml |archive-date=May 5, 2006}}
* {{cite book |last=Collins |first=Ace |title=Lassie: A Dog's Life |year=1993 |publisher=Penguin Books |location=New York |isbn=978-0-14-023183-0}}
* {{cite web |title=Hollywood Walk of Fame: MP |publisher=Hollywood Chamber of Commerce |url=https://www.tibp.com/cgi-bin/foxweb.dll/wlx/dir/wlxdirecatn?catid=5&Client=WOFAME&lcTemplate=DIRENAME.HTM&CITY= | access-date=February 14, 2008}}
* {{cite web |last=Jenkins |first=Henry |author-link=Henry Jenkins |url=https://museum.tv/eotv/lassie.htm |title=Lassie |publisher=] |access-date=April 25, 2008}}
* {{cite web |url=https://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/small_exhibition.cfm?key=1267&exkey=143&pagekey=254 |title=Jon Provost's Keds sneakers |publisher= Smithsonian Institution}}
* {{cite web |title=Lassie (History timeline) |publisher=Classic Media |year=2005 |url=http://www.lassie.com/lassie_star.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060813111647/http://www.lassie.com/lassie_star.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 13, 2006 |access-date=October 29, 2007}}
* {{cite web |url=https://classicthemes.com/50sTVThemes/themePages/lassie.html |publisher=The Media Management Group |work=ClassicThemes.com |title=Lassie /Jeffs Collie /Timmy and Lassie |access-date=February 16, 2008}}
* {{cite web|url=https://www.peabody.uga.edu/winners/PeabodyWinnersBook.pdf |title=Peabody Winners Book |publisher=Peabody Awards |access-date=2008-02-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726163315/http://www.peabody.uga.edu/winners/PeabodyWinnersBook.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-26}}
* {{cite book |last=Provost |first=John |title=Timmy's in the Well |date=November 2007 |publisher=Cumberland House Publishing |isbn=978-1-58182-619-7}}
* {{cite episode |title=Roots |series=The New Lassie |series-link=The New Lassie |credits=Director: Alan Cooke, Writer: Bud Wiser |airdate=1989-10-21 |season=1 |number=7}}
* {{cite news |last=Stevens |first=Val |title=News of TV and Radio |date=February 9, 1964 |work=] |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1964/02/09/97169021.pdf |access-date=2009-11-03}}
{{refend}}

; Bibliography
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last=Jenkins |first=Henry |year=2007 |chapter='Her Suffering Aristocratic Majesty': The Sentimental Value of ''Lassie'' |title=The WOW Climax: Tracing the Emotional Impact of Popular Culture |publisher=New York University Press |isbn=978-0-8147-4282-2}}
* {{cite journal |title=Lassie ... My Best Friend |journal=Jack and Jill |date=November 1959}}
* {{cite journal |title=The Life and Times of Lassie |journal=TV Guide |date=July 4, 1959}}
* {{cite journal |title=The Man with Dog Appeal |journal=TV Guide |date=August 14, 1965}}
{{refend}}


==External links==
;Specific
{{commons category}}
{{reflist}}
* {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20121205191803/http://www.lassie.com/|date=2012-12-05}}
*
* {{IMDb title|0046617|Lassie}}


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Latest revision as of 18:52, 24 December 2024

American television series (1954–1973)
Lassie
Title screen of Lassie (seasons 1–4)
Also known as
  • Jeff's Collie (episodes 1–116)
  • Timmy & Lassie (episodes 117–352)
Genre
Created byRobert Maxwell and Rudd Weatherwax
Starring
Theme music composerLes Baxter
Opening themeWhistle
ComposerRaoul Kraushaar
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons19
No. of episodes591 (list of episodes)
Production
Producers
Production locationCalifornia
Running time26 minutes
Production companies
  • Lassie Television
  • Robert Maxwell Associates
  • Jack Wrather Productions
Original release
Network
ReleaseSeptember 12, 1954 (1954-09-12) –
March 24, 1973 (1973-03-24)
Related

Lassie is an American television series that follows the adventures of a female Rough Collie dog named Lassie and her companions, both human and animal. The show was the creation of producer Robert Maxwell and animal trainer Rudd Weatherwax and was televised from September 12, 1954, to March 25, 1973, making it the eighth longest-running scripted American primetime television series. The show ran for 17 seasons on CBS before entering first-run syndication for its final two seasons. Initially filmed in black and white, the show transitioned to color in 1965.

Production

Narration

Wrather's wife, Bonita Granville Wrather, who was the series' associate producer, narrated numerous episodes throughout the run of the series, usually the beginning and/or ending of multi-part episodes.

Writers

Many early episodes were written by Robert Maxwell under the pseudonym Claire Kennedy. In later years, the writing partnership of Robert Schaefer and Eric Freiwald was responsible for over 150 episodes. They were also responsible for developing the idea of having Lassie with a forest ranger.

Theme music

Lassie used several pieces of theme music during its long broadcast history. For the first season, "Secret of the Silent Hills (Theme from the Lassie TV series)", is used for both the opening and ending theme. Composed by William Lava, the orchestral theme was originally created for the 1940 radio show The Courageous Dr. Christian.

For the second and third season a variation of this theme, titled simply "Lassie Main & End Title", was used for the opening and ending theme. Raoul Kraushaar, the music director for the series, is the listed composer for the theme; however the changes he made to the original are so slight that only a trained ear can tell the difference. The third theme used for the series is an orchestral rendition of the aria, "Dio Possente" (Even Bravest Hearts May Swell) from Charles Gounod's opera, Faust. The exact time this theme started being used is uncertain due to conflicting records; however it is agreed that it was the third series, and was used for at least part of season four for the change of ownership of Lassie.

The most famous of the Lassie theme songs appeared at the start of the fifth season. Copyrighted as "Lassie Main & End Title", the composer credit has never been definitively claimed to this day. The melody is whistled by Muzzy Marcellino. Nicknamed "The Whistler," it remained the series theme for the rest of the "Martin years". With the coming of the "Ranger years", the opening and ending theme was changed to an orchestral version of "The Whistler". Beginning in season 17 (where Lassie traveled alone), and continuing throughout the Holden Ranch era, the theme was changed again, this time to Nathan Scott's arrangement of the traditional folk tune Greensleeves, which became the series theme song for the rest of its run. For the final two seasons, the familiar closing visual of Lassie standing on a hill and lifting her paw, was replaced by the credits on a green background, and flashing from one slate to the other instead of scrolling as in most of the series run. Television composer Nathan Scott scored the music to nearly every episode between 1963 and 1973, except for four episodes.

Plot and themes

  • Original series stars Jan Clayton (as Ellen Miller - top left), George Cleveland (as Gramps - top right), and Tommy Rettig (as Jeff Miller - at bottom with Lassie) Original series stars Jan Clayton (as Ellen Miller - top left), George Cleveland (as Gramps - top right), and Tommy Rettig (as Jeff Miller - at bottom with Lassie)
  • From left to right - George Chandler (as Uncle Petrie), Jon Shepodd (the original Paul Martin), Jon Provost (as Timmy Martin) and Cloris Leachman (the original Ruth Martin) during season 4 when the show transitioned from the Millers to the Martins From left to right - George Chandler (as Uncle Petrie), Jon Shepodd (the original Paul Martin), Jon Provost (as Timmy Martin) and Cloris Leachman (the original Ruth Martin) during season 4 when the show transitioned from the Millers to the Martins
  • Hugh Reilly and June Lockhart would take over as Paul and Ruth Martin from 1958-1964 (seasons 5–10). Hugh Reilly and June Lockhart would take over as Paul and Ruth Martin from 1958-1964 (seasons 5–10).
  • After 10 seasons on the farm with the Millers and the Martins, the series shifted to Lassie's adventures with the U.S. Forest Service during seasons 11–16, the bulk of that time featuring Robert Bray as Ranger Corey Stuart. After 10 seasons on the farm with the Millers and the Martins, the series shifted to Lassie's adventures with the U.S. Forest Service during seasons 11–16, the bulk of that time featuring Robert Bray as Ranger Corey Stuart.
  • Season 17 - the final CBS season - saw Lassie on her own, getting into different adventures each week. In seasons 18 and 19 (with the series airing in syndication), Lassie settled in at the Holden Ranch to close out the show's run. Season 17 - the final CBS season - saw Lassie on her own, getting into different adventures each week. In seasons 18 and 19 (with the series airing in syndication), Lassie settled in at the Holden Ranch to close out the show's run.

The first 10 seasons of the series saw Lassie living on a farm, first with the Miller family (Jeff, his mother Ellen, and her father George - who was called "Gramps" by Jeff). Season 4 saw the Millers taking in young orphan Timmy, who then lived with them on the farm, as well as the unexpected death of Gramps, (reflecting the real life death of actor George Cleveland, who played the character), and with that the Millers moved off the farm, but Timmy and Lassie would stay behind with his new foster parents, Paul and Ruth Martin, who also took over the farm. All 10 of the Miller/Martin farm seasons would for the most part focus on "boy and his dog" adventures with Jeff or Timmy getting involved in some sort of trouble, and Lassie eventually coming to the rescue.

Seasons 11–16 were the "Ranger years" of the series, as Lassie (because she was not able to go to Australia with the Martins when Paul got a job teaching agriculture there) was taken in by U.S. Forest Ranger Corey Stuart (who appeared in a few episodes of season 10) and began to work with the U.S. Forest Service. Color filming was exploited during the Ranger years with Lassie and her friends sent to exotic locations such as Sequoia National Forest and Monument Valley, creating mini-travelogues for viewers. Other rangers would be featured during the latter part of this era when Robert Bray (who played Stuart) left the series.

For season 17, the program shifted gears again and became essentially an anthology series, with Lassie traveling on her own, getting into different adventures each week (similar in format to The Littlest Hobo and, later, to Here's Boomer). No explanation was given as to why Lassie was no longer with the Forest Service. Some episodes during this final CBS season were animals only.

During seasons 18 and 19 (with the series having moved to first run syndication), Lassie was taken in by Garth Holden (played by Ron Hayes) who was in charge of the Holden Ranch – a home for orphaned boys – which he ran with his college-age son and his friend. This (somewhat) brought the show back to its roots by giving Lassie a farm/ranch home base, which is where she settled in for the final two years of the series.

Episodes

Main article: List of Lassie episodes
SeasonSettingEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast releasedNetwork
1Miller years
(Jeff's Collie)		26September 12, 1954 (1954-09-12)March 6, 1955 (1955-03-06)CBS
239September 11, 1955 (1955-09-11)June 3, 1956 (1956-06-03)
338September 9, 1956 (1956-09-09)May 26, 1957 (1957-05-26)
4Martin years
(Timmy & Lassie)		40September 8, 1957 (1957-09-08)June 8, 1958 (1958-06-08)
539September 7, 1958 (1958-09-07)May 31, 1959 (1959-05-31)
637September 6, 1959 (1959-09-06)May 22, 1960 (1960-05-22)
736September 11, 1960 (1960-09-11)May 28, 1961 (1961-05-28)
836September 10, 1961 (1961-09-10)May 27, 1962 (1962-05-27)
932September 30, 1962 (1962-09-30)May 19, 1963 (1963-05-19)
1029September 29, 1963 (1963-09-29)May 3, 1964 (1964-05-03)
11Ranger years33September 6, 1964 (1964-09-06)May 16, 1965 (1965-05-16)
1232September 12, 1965 (1965-09-12)May 1, 1966 (1966-05-01)
1330September 11, 1966 (1966-09-11)April 30, 1967 (1967-04-30)
1428September 10, 1967 (1967-09-10)March 24, 1968 (1968-03-24)
1528September 29, 1968 (1968-09-29)April 13, 1969 (1969-04-13)
1622September 28, 1969 (1969-09-28)March 8, 1970 (1970-03-08)
17On her own22September 20, 1970 (1970-09-20)March 21, 1971 (1971-03-21)
18Holden Ranch years20October 7, 1971 (1971-10-07)March 10, 1972 (1972-03-10)Syndication
1924September 16, 1972 (1972-09-16)March 24, 1973 (1973-03-24)

Characters and cast

Human leads

Tommy Rettig starred as Jeff Miller during the early years of the series (1954–1957), which were syndicated as Jeff's Collie.
Jon Provost starred as Timmy Martin during the middle years of the series (1957–1964), which were syndicated as Timmy & Lassie.
Robert Bray starred as Ranger Corey Stuart during the majority of the Forest Service years of the series from 1964–1968.
Jack De Mave (left) and Jed Allan (right) starred as Rangers Bob Erickson and Scott Turner, respectively, during the later Forest Service years of the series from 1968–1970.
Lassie traveled on her own in the final CBS season (1970–71), getting into various adventures before settling in at the Holden Ranch for the final two seasons of the series once it moved to first-run syndication (1971–1973).

1954–1957: Miller Family (Jeff's Collie)

  • Ellen Miller – war-widowed farm woman (Jan Clayton)
  • Jeff Miller – Ellen's eleven-year-old son (Tommy Rettig)
  • George "Gramps" Miller – Ellen's father-in-law and Jeff's paternal grandfather (George Cleveland)
  • Sylvester "Porky" Brockway – a farm boy and Jeff's friend (Joey D. Vieira – using the stage name "Donald Keeler")
  • Constable Clay Horton – the sheriff (Richard Garland)

1957–1964: Martin Family (Timmy & Lassie)

  • Timmy Martin – a foster boy on the Miller farm (Jon Provost)
  • Paul Martin – a young farmer, Ruth's husband and Timmy's adoptive father (Jon Shepodd 1957–1958; Hugh Reilly 1958–1964)
  • Ruth Martin – Paul's wife and Timmy's adoptive mother (Cloris Leachman 1957–1958; June Lockhart 1958–1964)
  • Uncle Petrie J. Martin – Paul's uncle (George Chandler) (1957–1959)
  • Cully Wilson – a neighbor of the Martins, who was a farmer and nature lover (Andy Clyde) (1959–1964)
  • Ralph "Boomer" Bates – a neighbor of the Martins who owned a dog named Mike and was Timmy's best friend (Todd Ferrell) (1958–1959)
  • Scott Richards, another of Timmy's friends (Kelly Junge Jr.) (1958)

1964–1970: U.S. Forest Service

  • Forest Ranger Corey Stuart (Robert Bray) (1964–1968)
  • Assistant Forest Ranger Hank Whitfield (Clyde Howdy) (1964–1966)
  • Forest Ranger Bob Erickson (Jack De Mave) (1968–1970)
  • Forest Ranger Scott Turner (Jed Allan) (1968–1970)

1970–1971: Traveling on her own

  • No human leads

1971–1973: Holden Ranch

  • Garth Holden – director of the Holden Ranch (Ron Hayes)
  • Ron Holden – Garth's son (Skip Burton)
  • Dale Mitchell – Ron's friend (Larry Wilcox)
  • Keith Holden – Garth's brother (Larry Pennell)
  • Lucy Baker – a deaf child living near the Holden Ranch (Pamelyn Ferdin)

Dog actors as Lassie

  • Pal (Pilot episodes)
  • Lassie Junior (1954–1959)
  • Spook (1960)
  • Baby (1960–1966)
  • Mire (1966–1971)
  • Hey Hey (1971–1973)

Media information

Broadcast history

First-run Lassie was televised September 12, 1954 to March 24, 1973 with its first 17 seasons airing on CBS Sundays at 7:00 p.m. EST. In 1971, in order to promote community-related programming among local affiliates, the Federal Communications Commission moved primetime Sundays to 8:00 P.M. EST with the institution of the Prime Time Access Rule. CBS executives felt Lassie would not be well received in a time slot other than its traditional 7:00 p.m. slot, and, with the network's other family programs set, the show was canceled. (Lassie was among several shows that CBS canceled during this time period as part of a change in its target demographics.) Lassie then entered first-run syndication with Jack Wrather and Campbell's Soup still on board, and remained on the air for another two years with its final episode airing in March 1973. All totaled, 591 episodes were produced.

An animated reworking, Lassie's Rescue Rangers, followed in fall 1973, immediately after the original series ended (the pilot movie aired in 1972 while the live-action series was still on the air). Lassie's Rescue Rangers was denounced by both Weatherwax and the National Association of Broadcasters, the latter of which made note of the animated series' "violence, crime and stupidity."

Later series

In 1973, ABC created an animated Saturday-morning animated program called Lassie's Rescue Rangers produced by Filmation.

In 1989, what was essentially a sequel series, The New Lassie – featuring Jon Provost as Steve McCullough – aired in first-run syndication. In its seventh episode ("Roots"), June Lockhart reprised her Ruth Martin role when Steve McCullough is revealed to be the adult Timmy Martin. It is revealed that Timmy was never properly adopted by the Martins and consequently was forced to remain in the U.S. when Ruth and Paul emigrated to Australia. Timmy was then subsequently adopted by the McCullough family and began going by his middle name Steven. In 1992, Tommy Rettig made a guest appearance in the final episode, "The Computer Study". This would be his last television appearance prior to his death in 1996.

In 1997, a modified remake – also called Lassie – debuted, airing in the U.S. on the then new Animal Planet cable network. This show (which was filmed in Canada and set in Vermont) also revolved around a boy named Timmy and his dog, though differences in setting and character circumstances precluded it from being an exact remake of the original series.

From 2014-present, a new animated series called Lassie or The New Adventures of Lassie was aired. Lassie lives with the Parker family, 10-year-old red-headed Zoe and her family, Ranger Graham Parker and Dr. Sarah Parker (a veterinarian), in the Grand Mountain National Park. Her best friend is Harvey Smith, whose mother Beth works in the park visitor center. Harvey's late father was a mountain climber. The children's antagonist is a snooty rich girl named Samantha Humphrey. Two seasons were done, the first with traditional drawn animation and the second season with computer-generated animation.

DVD releases

The series was released to DVD between 2001–2007.

DVD Name # Ep Release Date
Lassie's Great Adventure 5 June 26, 2001
Lassie: Best of the Lassie Show 3 November 25, 2003
Lassie: Lassie's Christmas Stories 3 November 25, 2003
Lassie: Best of Jeff's Collie 3 November 25, 2003
Lassie: Lassie's Birthday Surprise 3 November 25, 2003
Lassie: Lassie's Gift of Love 3 November 25, 2003
Lassie: 50th Anniversary Collection 24 September 14, 2004
Lassie: Flight of the Cougar 3 March 6, 2006
Lassie: A Mother's Love 4 May 1, 2007
Lassie's Greatest Adventures Collection
(similar release of Lassie: 50th Anniversary Collection) 		18 September 17, 2019

Comics

The TV series was adapted into a comic book by Dan Spiegle, distributed by Gold Key Comics.

Reception

Ratings

Every year of its 17-year run on CBS, Lassie placed first in its time slot, Sunday 7:00 P.M. EST, and often ranked among the top 25 shows on television. The show's highest ranking years in the Nielsen ratings were the Martin years when the show placed #24 in 1957, #22 in 1958, #15 in 1959, #15 in 1961, #21 in 1962, #13 in 1963, and #17 in 1964. The only Martin year Lassie did not climb into the top twenty-five was 1960, when it ran opposite Walt Disney Presents on ABC and Shirley Temple Theater on NBC. However, Lassie still ran opposite Disney when the Disney anthology television series moved to NBC in 1961, and still managed to climb into the Top 25. With the advent of the Forest Service seasons, the show began a steady decline in ratings.

Season Rank
1954–1955 Not in the Top 30
1955–1956
1956–1957 #24
1957–1958 #22
1958–1959 Not in the Top 30
1959–1960 #29
1960–1961 Not in the Top 30
1961–1962 #15
1962–1963 #19
1963–1964 #12
1964–1965 #17
1965–1966 #27
1966–1967 #33
1967–1968 #30
1968–1969 Not in the Top 30
1969–1970
1970–1971

Awards and honors

(All awards listed given during the time of, or specifically related to the TV series)

Cultural impact

Jon Provost in a promotional photo for his autobiography Timmy's in the Well! (essentially portraying "Timmy" reading to "Lassie")

Jon Provost called his autobiography Timmy's in the Well! because a well was the one place Timmy never fell into—abandoned mine shafts, off cliffs, into rivers, lakes, and quicksand, but never a well.

Mad parodied the show as "Lizzy", where it was revealed that the collie was actually a circus midget in a dog suit, while the real Lizzy was a dimwitted mutt. In an episode of The Flintstones ("Dino Goes Hollyrock"), the character Dino wins an appearance on the smash hit TV show "Sassie" starring a heavily made-up and snobby girl dinosaur and her Lassie-like adventures.

Belgian comics artist Willy Vandersteen created his own version of the TV show with a collie named Bessy in 1954. Apart from the fact that his comic strip starred the same dog breed with a similar name, it had little to do with the series overall, since the comic was a Western comic.

References

Notes
Footnotes
  1. "Wrather narration". Lassie Web. Retrieved 2014-07-26.
  2. Catalog of Copyright Entries. Third Series. Vol. 8, Part 2, Number 1. The Library of Congress. January–June 1954. p. 43.
  3. Jensen, Steve. "Eric Freiwald". Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  4. ^ Lassie /Jeffs Collie /Timmy and Lassie
  5. Burlingame, Jon (March 3, 2010). "Nathan Scott, 94, scored TV shows – Composer's credits included 'Dragnet,' 'Lassie'". Variety. Reed Business Information. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
  6. McClellan, Dennis (March 4, 2010). "Nathan Scott dies at 94; film and TV composer, arranger and conductor". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 13, 2010.
  7. "Lassie season 11". Lassie Web. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  8. "Lassie season 15". Lassie Web. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  9. "Lassie season 17". Lassie Web. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  10. "Lassie season 18". Lassie Web. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  11. ^ Collins:
  12. "Clyde Houdeshell Dies". The Signal. Santa Clarita, California. October 8, 1969. p. 15. Retrieved July 15, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Closed access icon
  13. Scott Freese, Gene (April 10, 2014). Hollywood Stunt Performers, 1910s-1970s: A Biographical Dictionary, 2d ed. McFarland. pp. 134–135. ISBN 9780786476435 – via Google Books.
  14. Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 487–488. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  15. "Tommy Rettig". IMDb. Amazon. Retrieved May 9, 2010.
  16. "Filming locations for "Lassie" (1997)". IMDb. Amazon. Retrieved May 9, 2010.
  17. "Dan Spiegle".
  18. Collins 1993, p.166
  19. Jenkins
  20. CBS at 75
  21. Peabody
  22. "Lassie Awards". Lassie.net. Archived from the original on 2013-07-14. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  23. Provost:
  24. Thriving Canine Radio
  25. "Flintstones' Lassie takeoff". Fandango.com. Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
Works cited
Bibliography
  • Jenkins, Henry (2007). "'Her Suffering Aristocratic Majesty': The Sentimental Value of Lassie". The WOW Climax: Tracing the Emotional Impact of Popular Culture. New York University Press. ISBN 978-0-8147-4282-2.
  • "Lassie ... My Best Friend". Jack and Jill. November 1959.
  • "The Life and Times of Lassie". TV Guide. July 4, 1959.
  • "The Man with Dog Appeal". TV Guide. August 14, 1965.

External links

Lassie Come-Home by Eric Knight
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