Tuesday, April 06, 2021
HBO Max Announces Minx, Set in the 1970s; Remembering Gloria Henry of Dennis the Menace
HBO Max has ordered ten episodes of the half-hour comedy Minx from Ellen Rapoport, Feigco Entertainment and Lionsgate Television. Set in 1970s Los Angeles, the series centers around an earnest young feminist who joins forces with a low-rent publisher to create the first erotic magazine for women. Minx stars Ophelia Lovibond (W1A, Elementary) and Jake Johnson (New Girl, Stumptown), who was previously announced as a guest star. Other series regulars include Idara Victor (Shameless, Turn), Jessica Lowe (Wrecked, Tacoma PD, Blended), Lennon Parham (Bless this Mess," Playing House, Veep), Michael Angarano (Emmy®-nominated for This Is Us, I'm Dying Up Here, The Knick) and Oscar Montoya (Reno 911, Bless the Harts, host of Spanish AquĆ Presents podcast). Showrunner Ellen Rapoport executive produces the series alongside Paul Feig and Dan Magnante for Feigco Entertainment. Rachel Lee Goldenberg directed and executive produced the pilot. Lionsgate Television is the studio. Feigco and Lionsgate Television previously partnered with HBO Max on Love Life, which was renewed for a second season. Lionsgate is also producing Santa Inc. and Julia for HBO Max.
Actress Gloria Henry, who starred as Alice Mitchell on Dennis the Menace, has died. She died on April 3, the day after her 98th birthday, at her home in Los Angeles, California.
Henry starred as Michele "Mike" Malone on the 1954-1955 syndicated crime drama The Files of Jeffrey Jones. Jeffrey Jones (Don Haggerty) was a New York City private investigator working his way through law school. Michele "Mike" Malone was an impulsive newspaper reporter who often had to be rescued by Jones while she was trying to help with his investigations.
She starred as Alice Mitchell on the 1959-1963 CBS sitcom Dennis the Menace. Alice Mitchell was the mother of Dennis (Jay North) and the wife of Henry Mitchell (Herbert Anderson). The series ran for four seasons and 146 episodes. The cast included Joseph Kearns (1959-1962), Sylvia Field (1959-1962), Jeannie Russell, Gil Smith (1959-1960), Irene Tedrow, Billy Booth, Gale Gordon (1962-1963), Sara Seegar (1962-1963), Willard Waterman, Mary Wickes (1959-1962), Kathleen Mulqueen (1961), George Cisar (1960-1963) and Robert John Pittman (1961-1963).
Some of her sitcom guest appearances included My Little Margie, The Abbott and Costello Show, Father Knows Best, The Life of Riley, Hazel, The Farmer's Daughter, The Brady Brides, Newhart, Silver Spoons, Easy Street, Mr. Belvedere and Doogie Howser, M.D.. Her final television credit was as Mary-Elizabeth Clinch on the 2012 Parks and Recreation episode "Campaign Shake-Up."
Her drama guest appearances included Fireside Theatre, The Ford Television Theatre, TV Reader's Digest, Navy Log, Perry Mason, The Walter Winchell File, Tales of Wells Fargo, Broken Arrow, Rescue 8, Alcoa Theatre, The Thin Man, Bare Essence, Simon & Simon, Our House, Dragnet (1989), Dallas and Sisters. Some of her film credits included Sport of the Kings (1947), Keeper of the Bees (1947), The Strawberry Roan (1948), Triple Threat (1948), Racing Luck (1948), Miss Grant Takes Richmond (1949), Riders in the Sky (1949), Kill the Umpire (1950) and Rancho Notorious (1952). Her final film credit was as Mrs. Porter in Her Minor Thing (2005).
Ms. Henry was wonderful on Dennis the Menace. Alice Mitchell was an iconic and beloved TV mother. It's unfortunate Henry's career slowed down after Dennis the Menace and she became typecast in mother roles. She will be deeply missed.
Share your memories on our Dennis the Menace message board. View photos in our galleries.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Sunday, September 8
Universal Basic Guys - "Pet Projects (Pilot)" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Threatened by a doctor's kindness toward Tammy, Mark tries to get her an exotic animal; Hank bonds with the chimpanzee via its bluetooth; David's dog saves David and Mernft Man from a pet snake.
Bob's Burgers - "The Big Stieblitzki" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
The family gets invited to Rudy's father's birthday party; Tina attempts to convince a woman to commit to a relationship with Rudy's father.
The Great North - "Welcome To Miami Adventure" / "Worst Drives Club Adventure" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Coming off the heels of her break-up, Judy is taken on a wild adventure with Honeybee and Aunt Dirt; Judy tries to learn to drive.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 2)
Friday, September 6
- Kumail Nanjiani (Bless the Harts/Silicon Valley) - Watch Kumail on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Michael Keaton (Report to Murphy/Working Stiffs/All's Fair) - Michael appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Conner O'Malley (Shrill) - Conner is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Edie Falco (Bupkis/Nurse Jackie) - Edie talks about her film I'll Be Right There on NBC's Today in the 10am hour and on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Josh Gad (Wolf Like Me/Avenue 5/The Comedians/1600 Penn/Back to You) - Josh is joining Drew and telling her about getting denied from his college's musical theater program and making his return to Broadway after eleven years with bestie Andrew Rannells on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Diane Farr (Splitting Together/Like Family/The Job) - Diane discusses the CBS drama series Fire Country on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
04/03 - Too Close for Comfort - The Complete Series (VEI)
04/08 - Check It Out! - The Complete Series (VEI)
05/21 - Frasier (2023) - Season One
06/11 - The Jeffersons - The Complete Series (2024 Release)
06/11 - Welcome Back, Kotter - The Complete Series (2024 Release)
07/05 - Letterkenny - Season 12 (Final Season)
07/30 - Ted Lasso - The Richmond Way (The Complete Series) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/10 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-7
09/10 - Ted - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/17 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
09/17 - Top Cat - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/24 - Friends - The Complete Series (4K Ultra HD)
09/24 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Seventh Season (DVD) / The Complete Series (DVD) (Blu-ray)
10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
10/22 - Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
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