Flipper (1964 TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Flipper |
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Title screen
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| Genre | Children Adventure Drama |
| Created by | Jack Cowden Ricou Browning |
| Starring | Brian Kelly Luke Halpin Tommy Norden Andy Devine (1964) Ulla Strömstedt (1965) Flipper (various dolphins) |
| Country of origin | United States of America |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 88 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | approx. 25 minutes |
| Production company(s) | MGM Television in association with Ivan Tors Films, Inc. |
| Distributor | MGM Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Original release | September 19, 1964 – April 15, 1967 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Flipper Flipper's New Adventure |
| Followed by | Flipper – The New Adventures |
| Related shows | Flipper |
Flipper is a popular American television show that first aired on NBC from September 19, 1964, to April 15, 1967. The show is about a smart bottlenose dolphin named Flipper. Flipper is the special pet of Porter Ricks, who is the Chief Warden at Coral Key Park and Marine Preserve. This park is a made-up place, but it's like the real John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo, Florida. Porter lives there with his two sons, Sandy and Bud. Many people called the show an "aquatic Lassie" because Flipper was so helpful, just like the famous dog. Lots of toys and other items inspired by the show were made when it was first on TV.
Contents
What the Show is About
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The TV series follows a bottlenose dolphin named Flipper. Flipper is the wild pet of Porter Ricks, who works as a park warden. Porter has two sons, Sandy, who is 15, and Bud, who is 10. Flipper lives in a beautiful lagoon close to the Ricks family's home inside Coral Key Park and Marine Preserve.
Flipper works with the Ricks family to keep the park and its wild animals safe. He also helps them catch people who cause trouble in the park. Everyone in the show, and even the theme song, agrees that Flipper is a very smart and helpful dolphin.
Flipper is especially close to Bud, the youngest son. In many episodes, Flipper saves Bud from dangerous situations. Flipper can communicate with Sandy and Bud using different sounds, head nods, and other actions. He uses these to show them when there's danger or when someone needs help. The show is also known for its amazing pictures of Florida's warm, sunny areas and its colorful underwater scenes.
Episodes
Flipper Toys and Collectibles
When Flipper was first on TV, many toys and other items were made for kids. These items are now quite rare and are considered "collectibles." This means they are special items that people like to collect, often because they are old or hard to find.
Some of the cool Flipper collectibles include:
- Lunch boxes
- Song books
- Comic books
- Coloring books
- A novel (story book) from Whitman Publishing
- Big Little Books (small, thick books with pictures)
- Souvenir spoons
- Puzzles from Whitman Publishing
- A board game
- Viewmaster reels (which showed 3D pictures from the "Dolphin Love" episodes)
- A battery-operated water toy that looked like Flipper spouting water
- Children's swim trunks with the Flipper logo
- A special glow-in-the-dark watch made in 1966 by Bradley
There was even a game called Dolphin Paradise on the Hangame app, which was based on the Flipper TV series.
Awards and Special Recognition
The Miami Seaquarium celebrated the 50th anniversary of "Flipper" in late 2013. Tommy Norden and Ricou Browning, who were part of the original show, joined in the celebrations. There were many special events throughout 2014. Before that, in 2004, the 40th anniversary of Flipper was also celebrated with Luke Halpin and Tommy Norden.
Flipper was nominated for two TV Land awards:
- In 2004, it was nominated for the TV Land Favorite Fauna Award (for best animal character).
- In 2003, it was nominated for the TV Land Favorite Pet-Human Relationship Award.
Flipper also appeared on the cover of TV Guide magazine two times, showing how popular it was!
Images for kids
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Flipper the Dolphin
See also
In Spanish: Flipper (serie de televisión) para niños
