# The Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis \[edited title\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 18, 2015, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028 "2015-10-18T17:44:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Daniel\_Boone\_Fanatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Daniel\_Boone\_Fanatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daniel_Boone_Fanatic)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/1 "2015-10-18T17:44:06Z")
I love this show! I was watching The Sandwich episode earlier. It was hilarious! Definitely one of the most finest tv series ever made! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/2 "2015-10-18T17:49:12Z")
I doubt it. Now “Dobie Gillis” I might believe. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/3 "2015-10-18T18:04:32Z")
Yes, an under-appreciated gem. Up there with “Car 54 Where Are You?” ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/4 "2015-10-18T18:09:24Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Now “Dobie Gillis” I might believe. 😛 My good buddy Dobe! :o ---
**Author:** ![Daniel\_Boone\_Fanatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Daniel\_Boone\_Fanatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daniel_Boone_Fanatic)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/5 "2015-10-18T18:11:13Z")
Ahh yes. Car 54, Where Are You! That was another show I loved! I remember watching it when it was first on tv. Those were the days. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/6 "2015-10-18T18:12:43Z")
Max Shulman, the creator of the character in his books, wrote dialogue that was miles above any other sitcom of the time. The actors lived their roles. Maynard G. Krebs (the “G” stands for Walter) was a transcendental character. (And who else pitched jazz on tv?) There were good spurts and failing ones. Plots weren’t its long suit. But the characters were brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/7 "2015-10-18T20:30:57Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Maynard G. Krebs (the “G” stands for Walter) Named after his aunt, of course. The “G” is silent. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/8 "2015-10-18T22:01:34Z")
Usually they gave Maynard dialogue of the “oh those stupid beatniks” caliber, but sometimes he’d say something decades ahead of its time. In one episode he’s babysitting a toddler and explaining Westerns on the TV they’re watching: “If he’s wearing a white hat, he’s a good guy and if he’s looking at his watch, he’s a bad guy. Wait, this guy has a white hat AND he’s looking at his watch! This must be one of those ‘adult’ westerns.” ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/9 "2015-10-18T22:03:38Z")
I was thinking about this show just last week. I used to watch it on Nick at Night. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/10 "2015-10-18T22:36:38Z")
My sister and I were avid viewers of both _Dobie Gillis_ and _Car 54_ many MANY years ago, but neither has popped into my mind for many decades. This is the place to come for trips down TV nostalgia lane. 😉 Our favorite show was _It’s a Man’s World_, which premiered 1962 and was canceled just a few months later. I see from Wikipedia that many others thought it was a top show. A click or two away from that show are other old favorites, like _Route 66_ and _Naked City_. I see some of these are on YouTube. I’ll try some _Naked City_, but expect to be disappointed. The characters in old TV shows often seem much too simplistic compared with more recent TV. ---
**Author:** ![Daniel\_Boone\_Fanatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Daniel\_Boone\_Fanatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daniel_Boone_Fanatic)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/11 "2015-10-18T23:10:03Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > My sister and I were avid viewers of both _Dobie Gillis_ and _Car 54_ many MANY years ago, but neither has popped into my mind for many decades. This is the place to come for trips down TV nostalgia lane. 😉 > > Our favorite show was _It’s a Man’s World_, which premiered 1962 and was canceled just a few months later. I see from Wikipedia that many others thought it was a top show. A click or two away from that show are other old favorites, like _Route 66_ and _Naked City_. > > I see some of these are on YouTube. I’ll try some _Naked City_, but expect to be disappointed. The characters in old TV shows often seem much too simplistic compared with more recent TV. You know what? You just missed The Naked City Marathon on Decades channel. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/12 "2015-10-18T23:15:05Z")
I have heard two bits of trivia about this series. First, in the first season, Maynard was replaced by a similar character (his brother?) because Bob Denver had been drafted, but when Denver took his Army physical, they discovered he had broken his neck once, so he was 4-F and put back on the show; I don’t think they ever referenced what happened to the other character. Second, the show could have had a jump the shark moment had it been renewed for one more season; the plan was for Dobie’s mother to get pregnant, and Dobie to spend quite a bit of the season resenting his new sibling. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/13 "2015-10-18T23:21:18Z")
I remember watching Dobie and Car 54. Was Fred Gwynne Toodie or Muldoon? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/14 "2015-10-18T23:21:22Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > I see some of these are on YouTube. I’ll try some _Naked City_, but expect to be disappointed. The characters in old TV shows often seem much too simplistic compared with more recent TV. Yeah, the only show that holds up for me is _Burke’s Law_. It was intended as a spoof, which somehow works to give it a more modern feel. And the scripts were delightfully demented. Much like the best Dobie Gillises in some ways. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/15 "2015-10-18T23:42:01Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > I remember watching Dobie and Car 54. Was Fred Gwynne Toodie or Muldoon? Gwynne was Muldoon (BTW, Gwynne was editor of the Harvard Lampoon and a professional artist). Toodie was Joe E. Ross, perhaps [the most disgusting human being of his time](http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2011/01/king-of-slobs.html). Dobie Gillis was a comedy classic. I actually read some of the stories, which were OK, but not as good as the series (And with no continuity – Dobie would be a sophomore in one story and a freshman in a later one, with no attempt to explain why). ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/16 "2015-10-19T00:25:33Z")
Work? **WORK!!** :eek: ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/17 "2015-10-19T00:30:19Z")
I just remembered: Didn’t Maynard also say “Ooh! Ooh!” just like Toodie did? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/18 "2015-10-19T01:41:15Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I doubt it. > > Now “Dobie Gillis” I might believe. 😛 And not the failed hippie remake, Doobie Gillis. Great show. On my list to rewatch, since I was too young to get all the jokes when I saw it when it was on. Also too young to appreciate Tuesday Weld. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/19 "2015-10-19T04:47:05Z")
Don’t forget Zelda and the face-scrunch reflex. ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/20 "2015-10-19T06:05:56Z")
"Oh rats and mice!"became a family byword at our house. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028.md?page=2)