The New Lassie

The New Lassie is an American children and family oriented drama series which aired in first-run syndication from September 8, 1989 to February 15, 1992. The series stars Will Estes (then using his real name of Will Nipper) as Will McCullough, Lassie's new master. Real life husband and wife Christopher and Dee Wallace-Stone co-starred as Will's parents.

The New Lassie
GenreChildren/Family
Drama
StarringWill Nipper
Christopher Stone
Dee Wallace-Stone
Wendy Cox
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes49
Production
Executive producerAl Burton
ProducerJohn Ward
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time25 mins.
Production companiesAl Burton Productions
Palladium Entertainment
MCA TV
DistributorMCA TV
Release
Original networkSyndication
Picture format480i (SDTV)
Audio formatStereo
Original releaseSeptember 8, 1989 (1989-09-08) 
February 15, 1992 (1992-02-15)
Chronology
Preceded byLassie
Followed byLassie

The New Lassie is essentially a sequel to the 1954 series, and was the latest in the line of works featuring the Lassie character, which debuted in the 1943 film Lassie Come Home, followed by several more movies and the aforementioned television series, which ran from 1954 to 1973.

Synopsis

The series centers on the McCulloughs, a middle-class family living in suburban Glen Ridge, California. The McCulloughs are the owners of the then-present-day descendant of Lassie. Real life spouses Christopher and Dee Wallace-Stone played Chris and Dee McCullough, with Will Estes (credited by his given name of Will Nipper) and Wendy Cox appearing as their young son Will and teenage daughter Megan respectively.[1]

Will McCullough (Will Nipper) with Lassie

Jon Provost, who starred in the original Lassie series, portrayed Chris' brother Steve McCullough who was revealed in a later episode to be the adult Timmy Martin in an episode guest-starring June Lockhart in a reprisal of her role as Timmy's foster mother Ruth Martin. In the episode titled "Roots", Timmy reveals that he was never officially adopted by the Martins, and thus couldn't go with them to Australia when they moved there (at the beginning of season 11 of the original Lassie series). Subsequently, he was later adopted by the McCullough family, and began going by his middle name of Steven (Steve).[1]

Cast

Guest stars

Guest stars with a Lassie past included Roddy McDowall, who had starred in the first movie Lassie Come Home (1943)[2][3] and Tommy Rettig,[4] who had played Jeff Miller in the early years of the original television series (later syndicated as Jeff's Collie).[5] Other guest stars included Leonardo DiCaprio and Todd Bridges.[6][7]

Episodes

Season 1 (1989–90)

No.
overall
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date
11"Occurrence at Glen Ridge"Sigmund Neufeld Jr.Steve FeldSeptember 9, 1989 (1989-09-09)
22"City Lights"Sigmund Neufeld Jr.Mark BurleySeptember 16, 1989 (1989-09-16)
33"Bingo Was Her Name-O"Sigmund Neufeld Jr.Alan MoskowitzSeptember 23, 1989 (1989-09-23)
44"Heatwave"Bruce GreenPaul HunterSeptember 30, 1989 (1989-09-30)
55"Lassie at Last"Dennis DonnellyJoel RogosinOctober 7, 1989 (1989-10-07)
66"Halloween"Scott BaioMichael Thomas Mann & Bruce RushOctober 14, 1989 (1989-10-14)
77"Roots"Alan CookeBud WiserOctober 21, 1989 (1989-10-21)
88"Tinker"Sigmund Neufeld Jr.Joel RogosinOctober 28, 1989 (1989-10-28)
99"A Dog and His Boy"Sigmund Neufeld Jr.Bud WiserNovember 4, 1989 (1989-11-04)
1010"New Generation"Robert CaramicoBud WiserNovember 11, 1989 (1989-11-11)
1111"Once Upon a Time"Tony DowChristopher Stone & Bruce CameronNovember 18, 1989 (1989-11-18)
1212"Quality Time"Larry StewartMark BurleyNovember 25, 1989 (1989-11-25)
1313"Guess Who's Coming to Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner?"Christopher StoneJoel RogosinSeptember 8, 1990 (1990-09-08)
1414"Still Life"Alexander SingerChristopher Stone & Bruce CameronSeptember 15, 1990 (1990-09-15)
1515"Trapped"Scott BaioBob HamnerSeptember 22, 1990 (1990-09-22)
1616"Just Another Saturday"Sigmund Neufeld Jr.Susan GoldbergSeptember 29, 1990 (1990-09-29)
1717"He's Back"Dennis DonnellyChristopher Stone & Bruce CameronOctober 6, 1990 (1990-10-06)
1818"Wild West"Alan CookeStory by: Mitchell Cohen & Bruce Cook
Teleplay by: Bud Wiser
October 13, 1990 (1990-10-13)
1919"Pot Hunters"Sigmund Neufeld Jr.Cathryn Michon & Eric VennerbeckOctober 20, 1990 (1990-10-20)
2020"Watch Your Step"Dennis DonnellyAlan MoskowitzOctober 27, 1990 (1990-10-27)
2121"Burglary"Dennis DonnellyMichael Thomas Mann & Bruce RushNovember 3, 1990 (1990-11-03)
2222"Snake Pit"Renny TempleStory by: Bud Wiser
Teleplay by: Mitchell Cohen & Bruce Cook
November 10, 1990 (1990-11-10)
2323"Livewire"Tony DowJack KaufmanNovember 17, 1990 (1990-11-17)
2424"Kindness is Contagious"Christopher StoneDavid H. VowellNovember 24, 1990 (1990-11-24)
2525"Witness"Bruce GreenJack KaufmanDecember 1, 1990 (1990-12-01)

Season 2 (1991–92)

No.
overall
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date
261"The Diary of Sandy Frank"Sigmund Neufeld Jr.Bruce RushSeptember 7, 1991 (1991-09-07)
272"Best of Show"Sigmund Neufeld Jr.Bud WiserSeptember 14, 1991 (1991-09-14)
283"On the Beach"Christopher StoneBud WiserSeptember 17, 1991 (1991-09-17)
294"Leeds, the Judge"Christopher StoneChristopher Stone & Bruce CameronSeptember 21, 1991 (1991-09-21)
305"The Gathering of the Clans"Corey AllenChristopher Stone & Bruce CameronSeptember 28, 1991 (1991-09-28)
316"The Stranger"Sigmund Neufeld Jr.Ken Peragine & Howard FriedlanderOctober 5, 1991 (1991-10-05)
327"The Kitty Saver"Robert CaramicoRobert Weatherwax & Arthur AndersonOctober 12, 1991 (1991-10-12)
338"Slumber Party"Mary Kay PlaceBud WiserOctober 17, 1991 (1991-10-17)
349"The Amazing Lassie"Larry StewartBud WiserOctober 25, 1991 (1991-10-25)
3510"The Cave"Christopher StoneMark BurleyNovember 2, 1991 (1991-11-02)
3611"Lassie P.I."Larry StewartBud WiserNovember 9, 1991 (1991-11-09)
3712"Hit and Run"Sigmund Neufeld Jr.Jack KaufmanNovember 23, 1991 (1991-11-23)
3813"Nikki's Family"Christopher StoneBud WiserDecember 7, 1991 (1991-12-07)
3914"Dog Day Afternoon"Arthur AndersonChristopher Stone & Bruce CameronDecember 14, 1991 (1991-12-14)
4015"The Represa"John H. WardSteve Stark & Michael HitchcockDecember 21, 1991 (1991-12-21)
4116"The Commercial"Robert CaramicoChristopher Stone & Bruce CameronJanuary 4, 1992 (1992-01-04)
4217"Fallen Idol"Scott BaioMark BurleyJanuary 11, 1992 (1992-01-11)
4318"Punch Drunk"Sigmund Neufeld Jr.Jennifer Burton & David LangJanuary 18, 1992 (1992-01-18)
4419"A Rabbit's Tale"Robert WeatherwaxStory by: Jon Provost
Teleplay by: Bud Wiser & Steve Stark
February 1, 1992 (1992-02-01)
4520"A Will and a Way"Christopher StoneChristopher Stone & Bruce CameronFebruary 15, 1992 (1992-02-15)
4621"Hostage: A Dog's Life"Sigmund Neufeld Jr.Jack KaufmanFebruary 22, 1992 (1992-02-22)
4722"Twin Pekes"Sigmund Neufeld Jr.Steve FeldFebruary 29, 1992 (1992-02-29)
4823"The Computer Study"Sigmund Neufeld Jr.Tom Rettig & Joe PerretMarch 7, 1992 (1992-03-07)

Production notes

The collie featured in The New Lassie was a fifth generation of Lassie. The dog was trained by Robert Weatherwax, the son of Rudd Weatherwax who trained the original Lassie. Robert was assisted by his only son Robert Jr.[8]

Syndication

After its cancellation, reruns of The New Lassie aired on TV Land Canada in 2007.[9]

References

  1. Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (2007-10-17). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present (9 ed.). Ballantine Books. p. 973. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.
  2. Gussow, Mel (4 October 1998). "Roddy McDowall, 70, Dies; Child Star and Versatile Actor". New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  3. Gussow, Mel (2 December 1997). "Roddy McDowall: The Las Has Come Far From 'Lassie'". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  4. King, Susan (18 November 1990). "Jeff Comes Home Again to 'Lassie'". LA Times. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  5. AP (19 February 1999). "Tommy Rettig, 54, Actor on 'Lassie'". New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  6. Maytum, Matt (13 July 2010). "The Evolution of Leonardo DiCaprio". Games Radar. Future Publishing Limited Quay House. p. 1. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  7. "Todd Bridges Gets New Start With 'New Lassie'". Orlando Sentinel. 29 August 1990. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  8. "A new Lassie comes home to TV this fall". Anchorage Daily News. May 19, 1989. p. B5. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
  9. "TV Land Canada Reveals Fall 2007 Premiere Dates" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-06-29.
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