Was Lassie Really the First TV Series with a Child as the Main Character?

Lassie has been a beloved character in popular culture since the 1940s. However, a common misconception exists that Lassie was the first television series to feature a child as the main character. This article will explore the true history of Lassie and the first TV series with a child as the main character.

The Historical Context of Lassie

Lassie is a legendary dog character that made its debut in a 1940 book titled 'Lassie Come Home'. This book was later adapted into a 1943 film, also named 'Lassie Come Home'. The main character in both the book and the first film is a boy named Joe Carraclough.

The Dog's Journey

MGM produced a total of seven Lassie movies between 1943 and 1951. After these films, the original dog 'Pal' was given the rights to the character of Lassie, while his successor, 'Lassie Junior', acted in the first two pilots for the television series. Lassie Junior, named such due to his parentage, was eventually retired due to his advanced age, and his son 'Spook' took over. However, Spook's lack of proper training led to an accident, and he was replaced by 'Baby', who unfortunately passed away at a young age of 8. The final dog to play Lassie was 'Mire'. All these dogs played the female role, and while there was a trainer, none were the main character of the show.

When Did a Child Become the Main Character in TV?

Given that Lassie was not the main character, the question remains: when did a child first become the main character in a television series?

The First TV Series with a Main Child Character

The show that truly fits the description is Leave it to Beaver, which debuted in 1957 and featured Ronald Thompson as Algernon (which was misspelled as "Algie" in the show's opening credits) and later "Beaver". Additionally, June MYERS (not filmed at the same time) played the character of Myron Beaver, a younger brother of Richard WALTER (from 1963) in the series.