Lorne Green's New Wilderness:

[Praxius]

That's right, a blast from the past.

I was talking a bit on another forum about the BBC Planet Earth series and commenting on how it was right up there with New Wilderness, but a bit different. Then I was asked what was Lorne Green's New Wilderness was all about. Talk about trying to pull from memory.

But it got me thinking. The Wiki article states the following:

Lorne Greene's New Wilderness (or just New Wilderness) was a Canadian television nature documentary series starting in 1982 starring Lorne Greene. The series initially aired on CTV but was later widely syndicated. It was a followup to an earlier, similar 1970s documentary series entitled Untamed World (later titled Untamed Frontier).

It is a multiple award-winning wildlife program, number one in its time slot for five years running, and provides stunning photography coupled with a genuine feeling for the subject matter. There are 104 episodes in the series, each 30 minutes long.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorne_Greene's_New_Wilderness

So I got to wondering. I grew up on this show and was the only other thing besides cartoons that I'd sit and watch. It was #1 in it's time slot for 5 years straight and won so many awards......

..... Why isn't it digitally remastered and put out in a box set to buy?

I looked online for a bit and all I could find were 2nd hand VHS tapes, which I imagine are about as old as the show itself, and I doubt the quality wouldn't be all that great.

Has anybody else ever heard of this show (I imagine most here did) and do you know where one could get the collection, if possible?

Lorne had the proper voice for the show too.... all wilderness-like and such.

 

[karrie]

I didn't get CTV growing up. It wasn't a strong enough signal to reach the antenna in the valley I grew up in. We were a CBC only household until I was 14. I've never even heard of this program.

 

[Tonington]

I hadn't heard of this, but I have watched all the Planet Earth episodes. They were great. I thibk I may be too young to remember if I did see it. My father watched almost any nature programs on TV, and so I got a good dose of it as a kid.

 

[Praxius]

Oh man, you seriously don't know what your missing. It was just fantastic. If memory serves, it went from the begining of one year, to the next and focused on one or two animals and how they delt with their lives in that year. It was well explained, didn't hold much back, showed the good and the bad of nature, and.... well... my parents watched it all the time, and if it could keep my young mind at attention for 30 mins, it must have been pretty good.

But if you seen BBC Planet Eart, it's not quite the same, as it focused on things a bit differently, but the visuals and photography was still amazing like BBC's.

Wait.... you guys did hear of Lorne Green before though right?

 

[karrie]

I hadn't heard of this, but I have watched all the Planet Earth episodes. They were great. I thibk I may be too young to remember if I did see it. My father watched almost any nature programs on TV, and so I got a good dose of it as a kid.

That could be the other issue.... being too young. I always like when that's my problem.

 

[karrie]

Yep... apparently it quit airing when I was 8, 6 years before I would move to town and have access to cable tv. Damn it's nice being too young. lol.

 

[wppvos]

I used to watch this show all the time when I was young. Lorne Greene's voice for this show is unmatched by any wildlife documentary to date, even though Patrick Stewart was pretty good in Earth.
I too am amazed that this has not been remastered and put out on DVD yet. Maybe they lost the original film? I can imagine that might have happened, but boy, what a waste that would be.

 

[mabudon]

Good Ol Lorne Greene.

I totally watched this show, and also enjoyed other non-kiddie shows in a similar vein, like Oceans Alive, that Science International show with Joseph Campanella, and Big Blue Marble

 

[Praxius]

I used to watch this show all the time when I was young. Lorne Greene's voice for this show is unmatched by any wildlife documentary to date, even though Patrick Stewart was pretty good in Earth.

"Earth" or "BBC's Planet Earth?" ~ Cuz David Attenborough did planet Earth..... don't think I seen the Earth one.... let alone any nature show that Picard did.

I too am amazed that this has not been remastered and put out on DVD yet. Maybe they lost the original film? I can imagine that might have happened, but boy, what a waste that would be.

I agree.... it was the only show I watched that wasn't a cartoon at the time.

 

[talloola]

That's right, a blast from the past.

I was talking a bit on another forum about the BBC Planet Earth series and commenting on how it was right up there with New Wilderness, but a bit different. Then I was asked what was Lorne Green's New Wilderness was all about. Talk about trying to pull from memory.

But it got me thinking. The Wiki article states the following:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorne_Greene's_New_Wilderness

So I got to wondering. I grew up on this show and was the only other thing besides cartoons that I'd sit and watch. It was #1 in it's time slot for 5 years straight and won so many awards......

..... Why isn't it digitally remastered and put out in a box set to buy?

I looked online for a bit and all I could find were 2nd hand VHS tapes, which I imagine are about as old as the show itself, and I doubt the quality wouldn't be all that great.

Has anybody else ever heard of this show (I imagine most here did) and do you know where one could get the collection, if possible?

Lorne had the proper voice for the show too.... all wilderness-like and such.

You definitely jogged my memory, as I had forgotton all about that program, and I
would love to see them again too, I'm going to ask around.
My bonanza hero, with the great voice, and, along with the animals, I loved that show.

There is one wildlife show on at present that would be good, but the woman narrating, sounds
like she is teaching a kindergarten class, 'so annoying'.

 

[o0trip0o]

This program was a big part of my early childhood. Along with the CBC's "Hinterland Who's Who" reinforced my appreciation for the natural world around me. If anyone knows where to buy/download this series, it would make me so happy!

 

[Praxius]

Well if I ever see anything anywhere, I'll let you all know.... hell, if I find the whole set on VHS at a flea market, I'll buy them and torrent them for you guys. Not like sharing it as a torrent online would be a bad thing..... since it doesn't seem to exist anywhere, I don't know of anybody owning rights to it anymore, it's on TV or DVD anywhere I can find, and it's pretty well extinct, it's probably the most logical course of action until it does get on DVD or something.

Maybe I'll go bug Lorne's estate and see what they can tell me :twisted:

 

[scratch]

That's right, a blast from the past.

I was talking a bit on another forum about the BBC Planet Earth series and commenting on how it was right up there with New Wilderness, but a bit different. Then I was asked what was Lorne Green's New Wilderness was all about. Talk about trying to pull from memory.

But it got me thinking. The Wiki article states the following:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorne_Greene's_New_Wilderness

So I got to wondering. I grew up on this show and was the only other thing besides cartoons that I'd sit and watch. It was #1 in it's time slot for 5 years straight and won so many awards......

..... Why isn't it digitally remastered and put out in a box set to buy?

I looked online for a bit and all I could find were 2nd hand VHS tapes, which I imagine are about as old as the show itself, and I doubt the quality wouldn't be all that great.

Has anybody else ever heard of this show (I imagine most here did) and do you know where one could get the collection, if possible?

Lorne had the proper voice for the show too.... all wilderness-like and such.

I remember that show. It was okay, but boy did you go back in the archives to retrieve that Prax.

 

[Ron in Regina]

Who remembers "Marlin Perkins" from the "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom?" That's the
one I grew up watching. Marlin in the studio, and his poor assistant (I think it was "Tom")
out doing all the dangerious and stupid stuff without getting the credit. That was a GREAT
show that really pulled the kids in.
Source: Marlin Perkins - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In 1968 as a result of his work on Zoo Parade Perkins was offered the job for which most Americans remember him: host of the famed nature show Wild Kingdom. The enormous fame he gained in his television career allowed Perkins to become an advocate for the protection of endangered species, and through Wild Kingdom he gave many Americans their first exposure to the conservation movement, even if the show did reflect the ideas of the day (namely that the 'natural world' and the 'human world' were somehow separate). Perkins also helped establish The Wild Canid Survival and Research Center (WCSRC) near St. Louis in 1971. This wolf sanctuary has been instrumental in breeding wolves for eventual re-placement in to their natural habitats.

Perkins retired from active zookeeping in 1970 and from Wild Kingdom in 1985 for health reasons. Perkins remained with the Saint Louis Zoo as Director Emeritus until his death On June 14, 1986, when he died of cancer.

Because Walt Disney had fabricated footage of a mass suicide of lemmings in its film White Wilderness, CBC (at that time) journalist Bob McKeown asked Marlin Perkins if he had done the same. Perkins, then in his eighties, "firmly asked for the camera to be turned off, then punched a shocked McKeown in the face."

Ya' just gotta love a Guy with such conviction. He was awesome!!!

 

[mabudon]

Yeah Wild Kingdom was a scream, I always remember "Tom" up on this crazy cliff pulling this HUGE bird from a crevice and the thing flapping around while "Tom" desperately tried to avoid being ripped off the mountainside while holding onto it's leg

 

[Ron in Regina]

Yeah Wild Kingdom was a scream, I always remember "Tom" up on this crazy cliff pulling this HUGE bird from a crevice and the thing flapping around while "Tom" desperately tried to avoid being ripped off the mountainside while holding onto it's leg

Yeah...if anything had to be done in a Lion's mouth or a Rhinoceros's butt, Marlin would do the
lead in from the studio, and Tom would be up to his armpit on the Savannah. I loved that show.

 

[Praxius]

I remember watching one or two Wild Kingdom episodes as a kid, but I don't think I ever got into it.

 

[scratch]

Apparently a lot was staged. Just a rumour.
s.

 

[Ron in Regina]

Apparently a lot was staged. Just a rumour.
s.

Oh I'm sure much of it was, but it was a product of its time. Touchy subject for some I guess
but I just loved the show as a Kid.

Because Walt Disney had fabricated footage of a mass suicide of lemmings in its film White Wilderness, CBC (at that time) journalist Bob McKeown asked Marlin Perkins if he had done the same. Perkins, then in his eighties, "firmly asked for the camera to be turned off, then punched a shocked McKeown in the face."

 

[lone wolf]

I was one of those farm kids with the choice of 2 channels - and both CBC. Lorne Green was Pa - until much later and after I was married and living in the land of the all-night-TV-tower and he became Commander Adama.