Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom

I have fond memories of the original series, not just because it was so well done but because I worked for Don Meier Productions, in Chicago, c. 1977-78. It was a great place to work for a first job out of college. (At the wages they paid, though, I was pretty much forced to move on.)

The show had been in production for 15 years at that point, and was a well-oiled machine. The ever-dapper Don Meier had cinematographers scattered around the globe shooting raw footage. The footage was sent to the offices on Chicago's Magnificent Mile, where very experienced editors would piece together each show. Then, the writer (Allan Eckert?) would create a script that conformed to the visuals -- just the reverse of how fictional stories are shot and produced (although this may still be the method used with wildlife and other documentaries).

One of my jobs was to edit in the commercial segues, usually spoken by Marlin Perkins ... "Just as the mother lion protects her cubs, you can protect your family with Mutual of Omaha ..."

It was a treat to watch these pros at work, and to learn from them. Animal Planet and all the animal-related shows on the Discovery Channel owe much to these pioneers. Though it would be great to see the old shows (and Marlin, Jim, Stan) on TV again, I believe the advances in animal photography and documentary production make that, sadly, unlikely.

I enjoyed many episodes of `Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom' over the years -- a fascinating and educational experience! Each week Marlin Perkins and Jim or Stan would lead us on an adventure in an exotic part of the globe to learn about or save wild animals.

What really made this show a winner is Marlin Perkins. His enthusiasm kept you glued to the set. Marlin was one of those rare individuals -- one who achieved a career doing what he really loved. He was no young buck any more, nor very big but he took on every physical challenge that came up. Once Marlin and Jim captured a huge boa constrictor who came very close to crushing Marlin. Once they picked up the giant viper, he pulled the two men around, successfully getting them into a river. The two men kept wrestling the powerful snake who managed to wrap himself three coils around Marlin. Fortunately Jim was able to pull a black cloth bag over the boa's head, who then thought it was night and went to sleep. If I'm ever in boa country I'll bring a heavy black sack.

Many times they tagged animals with radio transmitters to track their migration habits. Sometimes they would capture an animal who had wandered into a populated area and take him or her to a wildlife refuge. That really brought home the need for `civilization' to protect endangered species from extinction. Other times they just photographed animals in their natural habitat. They never killed or injured an animal.

The only time I took exception to their activities was when they captured a baby hippo for a zoo. They drove a huge road grader into a pond between the mother and they young hippo. The road grader managed to block the angry, powerful mother while a team of men hustled the little hippo out of the water and into a truck. I'm not a member of PETA, but the cries of the baby and mother really tugged on your heartstrings. Perhaps they should have waited till the baby was big enough to go out on his own.

One thing I'll never forget was how Marlin always segued from the show to the commercials, something like, `Just as this mother ocelot protects her cubs, you can protect your family with Mutual of Omaha.' Corny -- but effective. Johnny Carson once did a parody of the show, sponsored by `Shifty of Encino.'

Overall, a wonderful program, worth watching. I'd like to see `Wild Kingdom' come back on syndication. The Discovery Channel has some excellent nature shows today, using more advanced technology and a larger knowledge base, but I've never seen any actor draw you into a show like Marlin Perkins.

If you, like myself. enjoy watching well-produced wildlife/nature shows, then the super-thrilling "Wild Kingdom" TV series, which successfully ran from 1963-1988, should be of some real interest to you.

So, sit back, relax, and see why this Emmy award-winning series, which was hosted by zoologist Marlin Perkins (with co-hosts Jim Fowler and Stan Brock), is so highly praised and credited for increasing ecological and environmental awareness wherever it was televised.

These informative episodes from Wild Kingdom take the viewer right across the globe to study the fascinating behavior of animals and their endless struggle to survive as man continues to encroach on their dwindling territory.

Excellently photographed in living color, Wild Kingdom is truly an exciting look at animals in their natural habitat.

This show's episodes have running times that vary from 30-90 minutes.

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.

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.