Maynard G. Krebs

The coolest cat in the history of primetime, Maynard G. Krebs was Bob's first breakthrough TV role as the beatnik-best friend of Dobie Gillis on the TV series "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis". Maynard still remains the most famous beatnik in history. Just ask TV Guide, who recently voted Maynard one of the
50 best TV characters ever!
Bob was a school teacher and working parttime at the post office when he got to audition for the pilot for the series in 1958. After the pilot sold, the series started shooting in February 1959.

Max Shulman created Maynard's character specifically for the TV show. When Bob Denver asked Max why Maynard wasn't in either of the Dobie books, Shulman would only
reply, "Because I wanted to sell a few copies!"

But it was Bob himself who actually fleshed out the character, mainly because the writers had no idea what beatniks were really like. Bob researched Maynard by hanging out at college coffee houses, studying the beatniks there. He had also played a beatnik in a college production of Gilbert and Sullivan's Patience.  (You might wonder how beatniks got into Gilbert and Sullivan. They had changed the two opposing factions to advertising men in suits against the beatniks.) He has been accused many times of starting the whole hippy movement in the '60's.

This photo is available in Gilligan's Gift Gallery

Maynard lived in his own world with its own twisted logic.  His name was also illogical, the "G" stood for Walter. According to the show's creator, Maynard was named after his Aunt Walter who was married to his Uncle Edith.  His speech was full of colorful phrases such as "You rang?" and "Like, I'm getting all misty".  But Maynard G. Krebs will always be best remembered for his response whenever anyone mentioned the subject of work.  He would instantaneously shudder, and let out a plaintiff cry of "WORK!?!?"

Like Maynard, Bob Denver also loved jazz -- he "dug" Thelonius Monk and Dizzy Gillespie. On the show,
Maynard played bongos, ocarina and anything else he
could find that made sounds.  If there were no
instruments available, he just sang scat.

During the series, a rumor started that Bob Denver as Maynard G. Krebs had recorded an album called "Like What?".   The whole thing was a myth, and never actually happened, but Bob had people offering him big money for a copy of the album.  Even here on the web the legend continues, and it's reported that the album is a highly sought after collector's item fetching thousands of dollars in mint condition. They
even show a picture of the so-called album cover. 
Bob, himself, can't figure out where the picture came from. Possibly a CBS photo shoot -- but even Bob is not absolutely sure!   Maybe Bob should really record that album --
so many people think he already did!