The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis is an American sitcom starring Dwayne Hickman that aired on CBS from September 29, 1959, to June 5, 1963. The series was adapted from the short stories written by Max Shulman since 1945, first collected in 1951 under the same title as the subsequent TV series, which drew directly on the stories. Dobie's best friend was American television's first beatnik, Maynard G. Krebs, who became the series' breakout character.