The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams

Even though this show lasted for only a Year, the program made for a great Family series. Haggerty,Pyle,and even the actor Shanks(who plays Indian friend Nakuma)were wonderful! The program starts off, where a man is accused of a crime he did not commit. He goes into hiding off to the Mountains and befriends characters that teach him and the viewer Lessons about Life. I recall the film "Challenge to be Free"; Both main characters hide away and become "One with Nature".I do enjoy stories about Friendship, working together and Grizzly Adams is a very sweet,and wholesome show. The viewer learns about Teamwork,compromise and respecting the great gifts of the World that God gave us.

srchn4 wrote:

The good old days of Sun Productions, 2 January 2006 Author: srchn4 from Park City Utah My father was a forest ranger at the Soapstone Guard Station for nearly 30 years. As a child and early teen, the Uinta Mountains, where many of Sun Productions' films and TV series were filmed, was "my childhood back-yard." With my dirt bike allowing me access to miles of travel all around the area, along with my intimate knowledge of the area and any big events occurring in or around it, I was able to watch many, many days of scenes being set-up and filmed.

Grizzly Adams with Doug Suess' huge grizzly-bear Ben, was one of my favorites. Doug and his son Clint still live in the Heber City area and have quite a stable of film-ready "wild animals" for hire. Another classic movie filmed in and around the area was Robert Redford's "Jeremiah Johnson." Still classic films... and even fonder memories

FACT: THE BEAR USED FOR THE PART OF BEN IN GRIZZLY ADAMS WAS SUPPLIED BY LLOYD BEEBE, OWNER OF THE OLYMPIC GAME FARM LOCATED IN SEQUIM, WASHINGTON. THE BEAR WAS A FEMALE NAMED BOZO AND MOST DEFINITELY DID NOT BELONG TO DOUG SEUS OF HEBER CITY,UTAH.

My father was a forest ranger at the Soapstone Guard Station for nearly 30 years. As a child and early teen, the Uinta Mountains, where many of Sun Productions' films and TV series were filmed, was "my childhood back-yard." With my dirt bike allowing me access to miles of travel all around the area, along with my intimate knowledge of the area and any big events occurring in or around it, I was able to watch many, many days of scenes being set-up and filmed.

Grizzly Adams with Doug Suess' huge grizzly-bear Ben, was one of my favorites. Doug and his son Clint still live in the Heber City area and have quite a stable of film-ready "wild animals" for hire. Another classic movie filmed in and around the area was Robert Redford's "Jeremiah Johnson." Still classic films... and even fonder memories.

Those who wonder why many people of a certain age wax poetic about their childhood viewing experiences will understand once they watch The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams. It was a short-lived but outstanding show which provided life lessons in friendship, perseverance, love of animals and respect for nature and each other. It portrayed James Adams, wanted for a murder he didn't commit, who fled into the mountains to start his life anew. While overcoming various obstacles in his struggle to survive in the rugged wilderness, he also demonstrated an uncanny ability to communicate with many of the various animals that populated the area, gaining their trust and co-existing peacefully in common territory. His primary companion was Ben, an adult bear whom he rescued as a cub.

Everything about the show was wonderful. Each episode featured beautiful scenery and provided a wholesome hour of television. Dan Haggerty was well cast in the title role and is convincing in his portrayal of Adams as a gentle, caring soul. Equally good is character actor Denver Pyle as the ornery but kind-hearted mountain man Mad Jack. Don Shanks rounded out the cast as Nacoma, a young Native American Adams befriended who knows the territory. The theme song "Maybe", beautifully written and performed, brings a sense of longing and a tear to the eye.

I am blessed to have grown up at a time with quality television. This show is currently broadcast on MeTV on Sunday mornings in the NJ/NY area. Give it a look!

What a wonderful escape from all the drama and hostility of today's world. It's funny how many adults watch this with their kids, and end up loving it themselves! A sweet, sweet show full of ethical, likable characters and some good moral lessons. Both two and four legged.