My Friend Flicka (TV series) facts for kids

My Friend Flicka was a popular TV show about a boy and his special horse, Flicka. Flicka is a Swedish name that means "little girl." The show was a Western and a children's series.

It was based on books by Mary O'Hara and a movie from 1943 called My Friend Flicka. The TV show was filmed in color, which was new for its time. But most people watched it in black-and-white on CBS from February 1956 to August 1957. Even though only one season was made, the show was so loved that it was shown again and again for many years. These repeated airings are called "reruns."

What the Show Was About

The story of My Friend Flicka takes place around the year 1900. It's set on a make-believe ranch called Goose Bar Ranch, near Coulee Springs, Wyoming.

The main characters are the McLaughlin family:

• Rob McLaughlin, played by Gene Evans, was the dad who ran the horse ranch.
• Nell McLaughlin, played by Anita Louise, was his wife.
• Ken McLaughlin, played by Johnny Washbrook, was their son.

There was also Gus Broeberg, played by Frank Ferguson, who was a helpful ranch hand. Gus's niece, Hildy Broeberg, played by Pamela Beaird, also appeared in some episodes.

The show focused on the challenges of living on a ranch. It also showed problems that friends and neighbors faced. Each adventure centered around young Ken and his horse, Flicka. Sometimes Ken made mistakes, but the show always taught how important it is to learn from them. His dad, Rob, would often tell him, "You did what you thought was right son, and that’s the important thing."

How the Show Was Made

The parts of the show filmed indoors were shot at the old William Fox Motion Pictures Studio. The outdoor scenes were filmed at the 20th Century Fox Movie Ranch. This ranch is now part of Malibu Creek State Park.

My Friend Flicka cost more to make than many other shows back then. It used excellent camera work and other technical features. Even though most people had black-and-white TVs in the 1950s, the show was filmed in color. This was a big deal, even if it was first shown in black-and-white.

In the 1950s, it was common for one company to pay for an entire season of a TV show. This is called "sponsoring" the show. CBS asked for $37,500 for each episode of My Friend Flicka. This was a lot of money! One company, Colgate-Palmolive, decided to be the main sponsor for the series.

Many people believe the show's high costs were why it only had one season. Even so, My Friend Flicka was one of the first shows that 20th Century-Fox offered as reruns. This meant people could watch it again and again on different channels.

When the Show Aired

My Friend Flicka first aired on CBS.

• From February 1956 to February 1957, it was on Fridays from 7:30 to 8:00 p.m.
• In March 1957, it moved to Saturdays from 7:00 to 7:30 p.m.
• From April to May 1957, it was on Sundays from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m.
• From June to August 1957, it aired on Wednesdays from 7:30 to 8:00 p.m.

After its run on CBS, the show moved to NBC. This is where it was shown in color for the very first time!

• From September to December 1957, it aired on Sundays from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m.
• From January to May 1958, it was on Sundays from 7:00 to 7:30 p.m.

The show continued to be popular in reruns for many years.

• During the 1959-1960 TV season, ABC showed it on weekdays in the late afternoon.
• It then moved to Saturday afternoons.
• It was broadcast on CBS again during the 1961-1962 season.
• It returned to ABC from September 1962 to December 1963.
• Finally, it was back on CBS from September 1964 to September 1966.

Episodes

The series had 39 episodes in total. Here are some of them:

More Boy and Horse TV Westerns

If you enjoyed My Friend Flicka, you might also like these other TV shows about boys and their horses:

• The Adventures of Champion
• Fury