Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom

Good old Marlin Perkins; always seemed like he was safe and sound in the studio while Jim was up to his ass in alligators. " While Jim wrestles with that giant anaconda, let's talk insurance". Always entertaining, it was the only thing on on an otherwise boring Sunday night except for wonderful world of Disney. If the signal went bad, someone would have to take a pipe wrench outside to turn our 30 foot antenna until the signal came back. Always fun in a thunderstorm.

Named as one of the longest running documentary series in television history, "Mutual Of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" also known as "The Zoo Parade" made its network television debut on January 6, 1963 when it aired on NBC where it was first shown on Sunday afternoons and later moved to Sunday night prime time where it was scheduled with "The Wonderful World Of Disney " and "Bonanza " for the duration of its run that lasted eight seasons for NBC until February 7, 1971. The network aired repeated episodes from earlier seasons during the summer of 1971. After NBC canceled the series in the spring of 1971 the series was picked up for national syndication until 1988 where it remained for the next seventeen seasons. From 1971 until 1985 it was seen in repeated episodes with brand new episodes that were later shown in syndication. By 1985, the series continued in repeated episodes until its last and final telecast in 1988 (spanning more than 25 years on television with more than 275 episodes produced on both network television and in national syndication). Marlin Perkins was the host of this series who appeared in all 275 episodes during its tenture on the air.

"Mutual Of Omaha's Wild Kingdom " was during the early 1960's the first nature style documentary series to be filmed in location in various parts of the world and presented in living color. The show's sponsor throughout its run was The Mutual Of Omaha Insurance Company. Under the guidance of Marlin Perkins and co-creator Don Meier(who was the executive producer of this series under his production company Don Meier Productions) takes audiences to exotic places to study and conduct research on various types of animals and there behaviors.

Each week your host Marlin Perkins along with assistants Jim Fowler, Stan Brock, Tom Allan, and Peter Gros takes us on a fascinating adventure through various parts of the world as they study and conduct various research on different species of animals in there natural habitat. Each week was an exciting adventure through various countries around the globe doing not only intense further study but risking chances in dealing with various types of animals. It was so successful that "Wild Kingdom"won five Prime Time Emmys for Best Documentary Series for Outstanding Programming (1966, 1967, 1969, 1970 and 1971). After its run on television it is still seen in syndicated repeats but more than 60 years after its premiere it it one of the greatest animal shows of all time. Thanks to the great Marlin Perkins, it's still great family entertainment.

I remember this one when it was broadcast in French in the TVA Network in the 70s-80s. It was one I watched among many animal shows of that era.

Host Marlin Perkins (dubbed in French by late Quebec actor Roland Chenail) told how he managed to film and sometimes rescue animals in their natural habitats. Cameras went around the world to see how the animal wildlife survives in its habitats.

Assistant Jim Fowler (dubbed by the late Roger Beaulu in French) added interesting facts in the description.

Sad that Mutual of Omaha has full ownership of this. Even if it was shot in the 60s and beyond, it is still a great encyclopedia of animal wildlife on TV, before the "Animal Planet" and Disovery Channel.

And as Mutual of Omaha did business in Canada, even the french version plugged it in the end. (The show in syndication was broadcast in English version on ABC's WVNY 22, Burlington, Vermont)

FOLLOWING HIS EXPOSURE to national prominence after hosting ZOO PARADE (NBC, 1950-57) Marlin Perkins proved to be the ideal host for this project. Scholarly in appearance and obviously highly knowledgeable, it was as if we had a Professor of Zoology before us.

THE BIG DIFFERENCE between ZOO PARADE and this MUTUAL OF OMAHA'S WILD KINGDOM were many. In spite of their both being nature programs about mainly exotic, wild forms of fauna, the approach was very different in both cases.

WHERERAS THE CONSTRUCTION of the ZOO PARADE show was live and on location, the location was,in this case, Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo. Weekly installments would zero in on one particular family of animals or upon a certain wild region (i.e., the Serenghati). The Sunday half hour would be devoted to whatever the subject was, with live remote televising of the subject animals directly from their housing pens. Local NBC Newsman, Jim Hurlbut assisted.

THE THEME AND subject matter of WILD KINGDOM mandated that the format be far different. On sight filming was done in Africa, Asia and places like Borneo, New Guinea and the outback of Australia. The Arctic and Antarctic weren't off limits, either. Filming featured the animals in the particular, often being threatened by some natural or man-made potential disaster. Marlin and Jim Fowler were always on hand to help out and to do the voice-overs.

AT ONE POINT, Mr. Perkins remained home, leaving the field work to Fowler and Stan Brock. Marlin did, however did participate as in studio host. He would also provide segue-ways for the commercials; doing monologues something like: "The Grizzly Bear always prepares for the worst of Winters! You'll be prepared for whatever emergency with insurance from Mutual of Omaha!"

Mutual of Omaha's "Wild Kingdom" series, which intrigued while it educated from 1963 to 1968 is back in 2003-04 on the Animal Planet network, co-produced by the BBC.

Based on the original format by Don Meier, in which Marlin Perkins played so big a role as expedition leader, the series now has Alec Baldwin narrating.

One recent show on "Cave Elephants" (2004) was shot on location in the Serengeti preserve in Africa. Never before footage of local animals were recorded while they made their trek into an ancient volcano to find precious salt need for their survival.

Using infra-red lighting, we were able to observe the happenings in pitch-black conditions. As the outside land yields less and less salt, predators mix with prey as they proceed on the inner rocky trail to their goal.

Personal friends who've gone on the Kenya-Tanzania safari (the site of this particular show) have reported that it's the closest thing to heaven on earth. Now that there are stiff penalties for poachers, an entire new breed of wild animals exist, living in peace with humans. And the African land is rich in natural resources and beauty (it's said every human originated in this, the "Mother Country.")

"Wild Kingdom" captures these pleasures, and reminds us of our need to preserve with steadfast commitment our fellow earthly inhabitants. Every program in the "Wild Kingdom" series appears a collector's item, and we end totally awe-struck by the miracle of nature.