| Flipper
- The Original Series, Season 1 - A 1964 television spin-off
from the 1963 movie Flipper, Flipper--Season One is an adventure
series that features extensive underwater photography and intriguing
story lines involving a widowed park ranger, his two sons, and
a clever dolphin named Flipper. This first season of Flipper finds
brothers Sandy (Luke Halpin) and Bud (Tommy Norden), their father
Park Ranger Porter Ricks (Brian Kelly), and their dolphin Flipper
posted at the Coral Key Park and Marine Preserve where they're
charged with upholding the law and responding to a variety of
predicaments ranging from divers injured by shark attacks, to
protecting visitors from incoming hurricanes, rescuing zoo animals
from a sinking ship, and fighting congressional battles for continued
funding to ensure the very existence of their marine preserve.
While Bud's and Sandy's impulsiveness sometimes get them into
trouble, the boys and their father can be counted upon to remain
clear-headed in times of crisis. More often than not, though,
it's Flipper who fulfills the most crucial role in any given rescue
attempt. Guest stars are numerous and include Andy Devine, Margaret
Hayes, Dan Chandler, and Ric Applewhite. The underwater photography
of marine life was cutting-edge in 1964 and holds up well to this
day, providing a fascinating look at trained and instinctive dolphin
behavior and marine ecosystems and, while some of the story lines
may seem a bit dated to today's audiences, the bigger issues like
marine preservation and doing what is right still ring true. Childhood
adventure, peril, and suspense pervade each of the 30 half-hour
episodes in this first season. Flipper--Season One promises to
leave adults born in the nineteen-fifties and nineteen-sixties
reminiscing fondly about their own childhoods and humming the
Flipper theme song--what's more, their children (and perhaps grandchildren)
will enjoy the program right alongside them and are more than
likely to join in wholeheartedly on the refrain "Flipper,
Flipper, faster than lightning. . . ." |
