Born Free (TV series)

Last updated
Born Free
Diana Muldaur Born Free Complete Series DVD CROPPED.jpg
DVD cover
Genre Adventure/drama
Based on Born Free by Joy Adamson
Developed by Carl Foreman
Directed by Leonard Horn
Paul Krasny
Russ Mayberry
Starring Gary Collins
Diana Muldaur
Narrated byDiana Muldaur
Theme music composer John Barry
Composers Dick DeBenedictis
Richard Shores
Harry Sukman ("A Matter of Survival")
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producer David Gerber
Production location East Africa
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time60 minutes
Production companiesDavid Gerber Productions
Paul Radin Productions
Columbia Pictures Television
Original release
Network NBC
ReleaseSeptember 9 (1974-09-09) 
December 30, 1974 (1974-12-30)

Born Free is an American adventure/drama series based on the 1966 movie of the same name. It aired on the NBC television network from September 9 to December 30, 1974, produced by Columbia Pictures Television and starring and narrated by Diana Muldaur.

Contents

Synopsis

Gary Collins stars as George Adamson and Diana Muldaur portrays Joy Adamson. The couple live in Kenya with their adopted lioness Elsa, where they protect the animals in the surrounding area from all sorts of danger, both natural and human.

An unrelated television movie called Born Free: A New Adventure was broadcast by ABC in 1996, starring Linda Purl and Chris Noth. Joy and George Adamson do not appear as the main characters in the story.

Cast

Main

Guest stars

Guest stars included Peter Lawford, Barbara Parkins, Alex Cord, Susan Dey. Juliet Mills had a recurring role as Dr. Claire Hanley.

Production

The series was set in Kenya and filmed in East Africa.[ citation needed ]

Reception and cancellation

Born Free was scheduled opposite ABC's Top 20 hit The Rookies and CBS's Top 30 hit Gunsmoke . Rating for the series were low and it was canceled in the middle of the 1974–75 television season after thirteen episodes.

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1"Pilot" Gary Nelson Richard Fielder September 9, 1974 (1974-09-09)
2"Elephant Trouble"Gary NelsonSy SalkowitzSeptember 16, 1974 (1974-09-16)
3"A Matter of Survival" Jack Couffer Don Ingalls September 23, 1974 (1974-09-23)
4"Death of a Hunter"Paul Radin Nina Laemmle and Sy Salkowitz (teleplay), Nina Laemmle (story)September 30, 1974 (1974-09-30)
5"Africa's Child" Leonard Horn Hesper AndersonOctober 7, 1974 (1974-10-07)
6"The Masai Rebels" Richard Benedict Richard Fielder (teleplay), Nina Laemmle (story)October 14, 1974 (1974-10-14)
7"The Flying Doctor of Kenya" Paul Krasny Hesper Anderson (teleplay), Nina Laemmle (story)October 28, 1974 (1974-10-28)
8"The Trespassers"Barry CraneRichard FielderNovember 4, 1974 (1974-11-04)
9"The Maneaters of Merti"Paul KrasnyNina Laemmle and Sy Salkowitz (teleplay), Carl Foreman (story)November 11, 1974 (1974-11-11)
10"Elsa's Odyssey" Russell Mayberry Richard Fielder and Nina Laemmle (teleplay), Carl Foreman and Nina Laemmle (story)November 18, 1974 (1974-11-18)
11"The White Rhino"Barry CraneHesper AndersonNovember 25, 1974 (1974-11-25)
12"The Raiders" Russ Mayberry Dale EunsonDecember 9, 1974 (1974-12-09)
13"The Devil Leopard"Gary NelsonDavid ChantlerDecember 30, 1974 (1974-12-30)

DVD release

The complete series Born Free was released in DVD format on August 7, 2012, by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment via its "manufacture on demand" program. [1] It was later re-released by Mill Creek on September 25, 2018. [2]

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References

  1. Lambert, David (June 21, 2012). "Born Free - The 1974 Show's One-and-Only Season is Coming to DVD". TVShowsOnDVD.com . Archived from the original on June 23, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  2. "Born Free: The Complete Collection". Amazon. 2 October 2018.