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Upon further investigation, I found out there was only one season, 1974-75. Beach scenes were filmed in Jamaica and jungle scenes were filmed in Kleinburg, Ontario!!!! Trust me when I say that Kleinburg is not natural jungle habitat! It's an artsy place, however, with a famous art gallery. But... hold on to your hats all you Canadians of the same age... guess what else was filmed there??? The Forest Rangers and Littlest Hobo! How many horrible episodes of both of those did I watch as a child?!?
The actor who played the father, Johann Robinson, was Christopher Wiggins who was born in England. As well as acting, he did a lot of voice work, the least of which was doing the voice for Will Scarlett on Rocket Robin Hood! Could there have been a more quintessentially hokey series than Rocket Robin Hood??? But when you only got three channels, you watched Rocket Robin Hood.
And there you have a peak at some of my childhood. I also watched Mr. Dressup and the Friendly Giant, but that's for another post.
I'm surprised it only had one season -- I seem to recall watching it for several years, but it must have just been endless reruns, LOL! TV stations trying to fill their Canadian Content requirement. And I watched every single one of those other shows you mention in your post too. What a trip down memory lane!
ReplyDeleteShould we even touch upon King of Kensington or The Beach Combers?
DeleteStop! Stop! Memory Lane overload!
DeleteI was city kid from urban S.Ontario. I LOVED Forest Rangers and vowed to live in the woods as an adult.
ReplyDeleteWell, you do live in an area with lots of trees and you spend time in and around Algonquin, so maybe you're living the dream!
DeleteHaven't seen that! I was in baby production at the time. Now I can look it up.
ReplyDeleteI'm not promising something wonderful...
DeleteI remember watching Forest Rangers as a kid too. I had no idea it was a Canadian program though. It was on ABC tv here in Australia.
ReplyDeleteOh! I didn't even know you were in Australia!
Delete"Skippy the Bush Kangaroo!" Gawd, we watched that for years in Canada too.
DeleteWow! One series?! It seemed like it was on telly for years. I don't recall the other two programmes but maybe they didn't captivate in the same way. Who didn't want to live in a treehouse? Especially in a dirndl drinking out of a coconut!!
ReplyDeleteOh, I wish I'd seen that!
ReplyDeleteIn the 70s we had a truly awful sci-fi series called 'Blake's Seven' which was filmed using disused quarries as sets for other planets. These other planets would always have typically British weather and the acting was atrocious. Everything about it was crap, but I loved it.
ReplyDeleteOh, Blakes Seven was fabulous, not awful! Avon/Paul Darrow died last year and, by coincidence, I saw him in a recent-ish episode of Toast of London around the same time. I recognised his voice first, it was so distinctive.
DeleteIt's been a very long time since I thought of "The Swiss Family Robinson"!
ReplyDeleteSee, I like what just happened here. It's like we're all sitting around talking about our childhood tv memories. Thanks everyone!
ReplyDeleteI guess I missed this program. The information is all interesting though. You be safe and have a wonderful day, hugs, Edna B.
ReplyDeleteWas Swiss Family Robinson a movie? I feel as if perhaps I saw it in the theater with my parents when I was little.
ReplyDeleteI didn't get into the Swiss Family Robinson show but I was a HUGE fan of Mr. Dressup and the Friendly Giant. HUGE!!
ReplyDeleteOh, I didn't even really like it, just watched it because that's what was one. But Mr. Dressup and the Friendly Giant - they were in a league of their own! They were my world when I was little. I introduced Mr. Dressup (the show) to my daughter. She loved him, too. Ironically, Ernie Combs' death was announced the same time that 9 - 11 happened, and in her little head, she put the two together and thought he died in the attacks. It seriously affected her until we realized what she was thinking and explained things to her.
DeleteI loved the Swiss Family Robinson movie; but I don't remember the TV show. Perhaps it aired only in Canada.
ReplyDeletethe Ol'Buzzard
Apparently there was also one from New Zealand in 1998 didn’t look like it didn’t survive more than one outing. And I do remember those people on your post so I’m wondering if per chance it hit American television also because it seems very familiar to me.
ReplyDeleteApparently there was also one from New Zealand in 1998 didn’t look like it didn’t survive more than one outing. And I do remember those people on your post so I’m wondering if per chance it hit American television also because it seems very familiar to me.
ReplyDeleteJenn, I used to watch all of those shows. So, thank you lol, I have both the Littlest Hobo theme and Rocket Robin Hood's theme in my head... :)
ReplyDeleteMaybe tomorrow, I'll want to settle down.....
Band of brothers
Marching together
Head held high in
All kinds of weather....
:)
My friends in high school had a garage type of band and they did a grunge type version of the theme to King of Kensington lol...
Amazing. Thank your for sharing here.
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