Dennis & Gnasher Unleashed!

Dennis and the Beanostalk is a short episode from the long‑running “Dennis the Menace” corner of The Beano franchise. It stars the cheeky lad Dennis and his shaggy sidekick Gnasher, both voiced by the usual cast of British child‑actors. The premise is simple: Gnasher’s stuck in bed with a throbbing toothache, so Dennis decides to lift his spirits with a home‑made version of the classic beanstalk tale. The story rolls out like a school‑yard play. While Gnasher moans, Dennis gathers a hodgepodge of props – a garden hose for a “magic” bean, a cardboard giant, even a squeaky toy dragon – and narrates his own twist on Jack’s climb. The episode keeps the humour light, peppering the retelling with slap‑slap jokes and a few nods to the original fairy‑tale (think “up the ladder, down the stairs” gags). There’s no big twist that would ruin the surprise for younger viewers, just a tidy, feel‑good arc that ends with a cheeky moral about sharing. Honestly, it’s not groundbreaking, but it’s surprisingly good for a filler slot. The animation is a bit dated – the colour palette looks like early‑2000s flash – and the pacing drags a touch when Dennis lists the “ingredients” for his bean. Still, the banter between the two characters feels genuinely proper, and the episode works as a nostalgic nod to classic British comic‑strip humour, much like the early Maid Marian specials. Rated U, so it’s safe for the whole family, though the occasional mild pain‑related gag might give squeamish kids a pause. There are no scary moments or strong language, just a few cartoonish sound effects that could be a bit loud for very young ears. This is the first terrestrial showing on CBBC, aired as part of the 2023 “Dennis” revival season, and it slots neatly between the more action‑packed episodes that follow.