March 28, 2008
"I'll Stand Downstream While Jim Wrestles The Llama To The Ground."
Today is the anniversary of the birth in 1905 of Marlin Perkins in Carthage, Missourah.
Stumbling across this bit of trivia, I was suddenly reminded of those early Saturday evenings of my yoot, when "Wild Kingdom" was on the tee vee and Mom and Dad always seemed to be making a bee-line for the door. (In retrospect, I can hardly blame them.) I can almost taste the Spam, Spaghetti-o's and Handy-Andy soda water again.
I have fond memories of "Wild Kingdom". It was much better than the PBS Marty Stouffer's PC "Wild America". However, even Marty couldn't get around the fact in the "peaceful outdoors" animals are trying to eat each other....
Posted by: kmr at March 28, 2008 10:58 AMWe watched Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom as a family. Ah, good times. (had to get the commercial plug in there.)
Jim Perkins wrestling a llama? As long as Jim McGreevy's ex-wife isn't involved somehow. . .
Posted by: rbj at March 28, 2008 12:54 PMI remember the Stouffer ads on PBS - the shots of adorable bear cubs and owls and whatnot and then the cut to Marty himself looking through his binocs with a smug smile on his face. My reaction every time was, "Hippie..."
Posted by: Robbo the LB at March 28, 2008 02:29 PMAnd! Let's not forget that ever memorable Mutual of Omaha jingle!
Posted by: GroovyVic at March 28, 2008 03:42 PMI watched this all through my youth and hoped that Jim was well-paid in relation to the risks he took.
Posted by: Captain Ned at March 28, 2008 04:01 PMYup. One of the only nights we got to eat in the living room and watch tv during dinner. That and Hee-Haw.
Not sure what I'd watch with kids now that would entertain me as well as them. Discovery channel maybe. Animal Planet sometimes, I guess.
Oh, and speaking as a native... Missoureee, please. :P
Posted by: Nicole at March 28, 2008 04:10 PMOh no, Wild Kingdom, Hee Haw, and Lawrence Welk!
Posted by: GroovyVic at March 28, 2008 04:23 PMYup, we watched Hee Haw, too. And we always watched Lawrence Welk when we went to stay over at my grandmother's.
Posted by: Robbo the LB at March 28, 2008 04:40 PMWow, I had forgotten all about that show. I don't think we missed it. It was several years before I understood that Mutual of Omaha was the "sponsor" and not just part of the title.
Posted by: bobgirrl at March 28, 2008 06:44 PMBrings to mind. Wonder what happened to all those old episodes of AMERICAN SPORTMAN? The one's that Curt Gowdy narrated. Probably to un-PC for today's TV. There would be Phil Harris and Bing Crosby out hunting. They'd take a break and croon a little song between'em then get back to assassinating ducks, or pheasents, or quail or whatever. Robert Stack fightin' huge marlin off New Zealand. Fred Bear on the ice pack shootin' a broadhead into a polar bear from 20 yards. The celebrity of the week in Africa puttin' a .458 winchester between the eyes of some well-tusked pachyderm or eland or kudu or water buffalo or so other animal they now make National Geographic specials about.. Gee...I'd love to see them again.
Posted by: Tbird at March 29, 2008 05:37 PMYeah, I remember the show that made Marlin start waiting in the helicopter while Jim tackled the critter-du-jour.
An Anaconda had Marlin in a good grip and was headed for deep water with it's lunch when the cavalry arrived and peeled it off the geezer.
Posted by: mojo at April 1, 2008 01:08 PM
Image courtesy of the lovely and talented 