by Delmer Padgett

Created on: June 01, 2010

"The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" premiered on September 29,1959. It was the first situation comedy to put teenagers in the leading roles and relegate the adults in the series to purely supporting parts. It was also the first television show to glorify the "slacker" lifestyle, as Dobie and his buddy Maynard certainly fit into this image.

The program was set in a place called "Central City" and would begin and end each show with "Dobie" sitting in the city park next to a statue of "The Thinker" pondering his fate and future. "Dobie's" main aims in life were the pursuit of beautiful girls and making a living in the easiest possible way. His best friend was the the town beatnik, "Maynard G. Krebs" whose chief interests were; playing the bongos; hot Jazz music, and avoiding work, which he considered too be a dirty word. Maynard would express his feelings about work each time the subject was mentioned with a high pitched exclamation, WORK!

Dobie was constantly being pursued by "Zelda Gilroy" who was an intellectual with great grades, but kind of plain in appearance. Zelda was certainly not Dobie's ideal of the perfect mate. Miss Gilroy was convinced that she and Dobie were meant to be married and was always looking for ways to improve his lot in life, she thought of Dobie as being handsome but rather dumb. (She was certainly right about the latter.)

During the series first season Dobies main love interest was the beautiful "Thalia Menninger", (ably portrayed by Tuesday Weld) though of modest means herself Thalia's main goal in life was too acquire great wealth, hopefully by marriage. Thalia was always trying to change Dobie, with the main purpose being ways for him to earn more money so he support her in the grand style she thought she deserved. Unlike Zelda, Thalia had her own, not Dobie's best interests at heart.

Dobies main rival for Thalia during season one was the very handsome and rich "Milton Armitage". (Fittingly played by Warren Beatty). After the shows first year both Tuesday Weld and Warren Beatty left the program to pursue movie careers. (Rightly so for both as it turned out). The series had to be partially rewritten and a variety of girls were introduced for Dobie too pursue. A new foil for Dobie was also needed and this was filled with the introduction of "Chatsworth Osborne Jr" in February 1960.

The series had an outstanding cast to say the least, probably one of the best in sitcom history. Besides the aforementioned Beatty and Weld, it included; Dwayne

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