Skippy, das Buschkänguruh

As a kid growing up in West Australia in the late 60s this was one of the few TV shows I watched that was Australian. For the most part Aussie kids grew up watching American and British TV series and thinking that dolphins could talk, doctors could time-travel and birds flew south for the winter. All that changed when Skippy hopped into our lives and gave us Australian stories, Australian settings, Australian accents and Australian heroes. I had a Skippy cup, Skippy plate and insisted my Skippy Peanut Butter sandwiches and milk were served with them. We loved Skippy and were very proud when we discovered that the rest of the world loved Skippy too. The show was dubbed into 25 languages and was shown in 128 countries, something we Aussies didn't think possible for an Aussie TV show. We had thought that to be successful meant selling our TV shows to the American and British networks where our accent was believed to be a liability. At that time if an Aussie film or TV show made it to American audiences it was usually dubbed with American accented voices (Mad Max) or perceived as a British product. What Skippy demonstrated was that an Australian series could be successful beyond the American and British markets. Consequently Australian TV producers gained the confidence to produce more Aussie TV series knowing that they could sell them successfully to parts of the world where our strange accent wasn't an issue. Today the Aussie TV industry exports significantly more than it imports., particularly in children's programming. While Skippy is showing its age today, it's high production values, imaginative scripts and cultural integrity made it a quality product for its time. While it will always be a sentimental childhood favourite for most Aussies, it should also be remembered for its role as a catalyst for the establishment of a viable Australian TV & Film industry. It seems today that an Aussie accent is an asset in Hollywood and a talking kangaroo had more than a little to do with it.

I always liked Skippy better than Lassie and Flipper. Most critics hated Skippy and the entire show. I have not seen it in 20 years, but the location was surely the attraction for me. It was quite a revelation seeing the adventures of a boy in location quite foreign to a Midwest town.

I doubt this would have much appeal to kids today, but you never know. Skippy was smart as a human and the exotic location of Outback Australia may not be as exciting for kids now as it was for me in the 1970s. I wish this was the type of show that would show up from time to time on one of the dozens of channels we have now. It would be good to see these old classics.

THE THEME SONG................ "Skippy.....Skippy..........Skippy,The Bush Kangaroo Skippy......Skippy..........A good friend true and through.

If you were a kid going up in the mid-1960's/early 1970's,then this show is for you and it bring back wonderful memories of a lost childhood. It is the Austrailan version of Lassie and the Down Under version of Flipper. This show ran mostly on Saturday Mornings during its day,but its legion of fans who grew up with the classic series finally brought back after a decade long absence. The show centered a ranger stationed park deep in the Austrailan outback with the father who was the ranger and responsible for the park and Skippy as head of operations and his three sons,and their marvelous pet, a intelligent and quick witted Kangaroo from the bush named Skippy whom the family took in as a pet---believe me,any kids dream pet!! Anytime the family and the ranger were in a tight situation it was always Skippy to the rescue to save the day from the common sight of outlaws,poachers,and anybody who trying to destroy his blessed home! Skippy was the coolest ever!! Recently,the cable network,Discovery Kids has digitally remastered these episodes and it is worth seeing them again as part of your family!!!! I would love to see a movie version of this soon in theatres with Heath Ledger worth taking a look at!

This show, which revolves around an Australian bush kangaroo, is best described as Australia's "Gentle Ben" Television show. The show has the same story lines of a ranger, his son, their pet kangaroo, and the misadventures they get into. I like the show, as corny as it is, probably because it does remind me of other late 60's & early 70's adventure shows that I grew up with. If you like "Gentle Ben", "Flipper", "Lassie" and "Daktori!", you'll have fun with this Show.

I remember watching Skippy when I was little. It was in syndication here in the U.S. back in the late '60s and early '70s. Skippy was a kangaroo. There was one episode in which Mike Hammond had to dart a wild kangaroo to relocate it away from a populated area.

Sonny, Mike's son, didn't want him to shoot Skippy by mistake.

Mike's love interest in the show was Clarissa "Clancy" Merrick. I haven't seen the new series.