Remember Marlin Perkins? "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" returns

[John Corn]

Animal Planet has scheduled the first three of six monthly Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom specials.

The first primetime hour is set for Sept. 17, Lost Elephants of Timbuktu. That will be followed Oct. 8 by Great Cats of India and Nov. 12 by Black Mamba.
Three other hour-long programs in the Wild Kingdom package are due next year, with airdates not yet decided. Two of those programs will focus on amphibians and snakebites.

The program will be promoted by the insurer on select United Air Lines Inc. domestic flights and at the Animal Planet booth at various dog shows, as well as via on-air promos across the Discovery Networks U.S. family and in Discovery Channel retail stores.

Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom ran as a weekly half-hour series from the 1960s through the mid-1980s, first in Sunday primetime on NBC, then in barter syndication.

[TNGTony]

I used to LOVE Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom.

Marlin Perkins: "While I study stay in this shady village with beautiful native women, Jim will wrestle the giant Hipopotomus."

The "Jim" was Jim Fouler (sp) now at the San Diego Zoo. He's still making the rounds on the talk shows.

See ya
Tony

[gcutler]

I remember that show as well. I remember always watching it, I think more my parents turned it on and TV zombie I was would just sit there. Yes Jim getting chased by some animal was alot of the fun. Pre-Crocodile Hunter :D

[Mark Holtz]

I used to watch that show all the time. It was both educational, and fun to watch.

[jrjcd]

is jim going to involved in the new programs???

too bad they can't clone the genetic material to create a new marlin perkins...lol

[RichW]

Tony,

In his early year, it was Marlin who wrestled the animals. I rember a show back in the 50s when he do so with a giant anaconda. I think the program was called "Zoo Parade" back then. It was only in later years that Jim Fowler showed up and did the "dirty" work.

Even today, when I see shows like the Crocodile Hunter, I think back to Zoo Parade - M.P. was the prototype for these new animal adventurers.

[TNGTony]

Thanks Rich,

I knew that Marlin did his own dirty work. He had paid his dues and now it was time for some one else to wrestle the animals. I was just too young to remember those. But I vividly remember the early 70's shows. :)