Parents' Guide to

Timmy and Lassie

By KJ Dell Antonia, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Timmy's stuck in the '50s, Lassie! Get help!

TV Discovery Kids Drama 1954
Timmy and Lassie Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 4+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Lowe's man
Lowe's man Adult
July 3, 2015
age 4+

tame; Values are a mixed bag.

Although this show is tame and can be watched by anyone from 4 years old up, kids may not find this show very interesting. (Is that why complete season dvds haven't been released yet?) I was born in 1970, and I didn't find the show very interesting when I was little. That is probably even more true with kids today. The cliffhanger endings may also distress very young children. As for the values, on the whole they're good since this series is all about helpfulness and loyalty. On the other hand, there's sexism. If gender roles were the only issue we'd be able to overlook this since this show was made in sexist times. But there's another problem; Timmy's staunch objection to everything he considers sissy. While that was understandable and arguably acceptable back then, a reality check is in order for kids today.
Sheila Zachreson
Sheila Zachreson Parent of 19, 22 and 25-year-old
July 15, 2009
age 3+
I Really love it and i wish it would come on again. Thanks

This title has:

Too much consumerism
Great role models
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

TIMMY AND LASSIE is the old classic Lassie series (renamed for syndication), with Cloris Leachman in her pre-Phyllis, pre-liberation days playing Timmy's clueless farm-wife mom (later replaced by June Lockhart) and Jon Provost as Timmy. This is the second incarnation of Lassie, after runaway orphan Timmy has been adopted by the Millers, who bought the farm from the family at the center of the original show. The show follows a very simple format: Someone is in peril, and Lassie will run to get help.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (2):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Timmy and Lassie presents the same dilemma as so many programs from the early days of television -- the very-dated portrayal of women and, should they chance to appear, minorities. And then there's Timmy's scorn of all things "sissy." Will your son really stop playing with girls just because young Timmy spurns them? Probably not, and what with Timmy's neatly combed hair and formal conversational style, he probably can't really see himself playing with Timmy much, either. But it's tough to let it pass without comment -- and if you comment, you're going to be scrutinizing every episode.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the differences between life now and how it was for Timmy and his family then (with the caveat that this was fiction then, too, and that real farm wives probably didn't cook in a dainty dress and pearl earrings).

  • There's always room to talk about the role of women and any minority characters, as well as Timmy's scorn for anything "sissy" -- all concepts we might not want our kids to absorb today.

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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