HBO Max Announces Minx, Set in the 1970s; Remembering Gloria Henry of Dennis the Menace

Tuesday, April 06, 2021

HBO Max Announces Minx, Set in the 1970s; Remembering Gloria Henry of Dennis the Menace

Minx - Ophelia Lovibond and Jake Johnson

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 Aquí 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.

Gloria Henry

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.

Dennis the Menace

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.

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