Flipper: Season One

Bitten by a shark and need a blood transfusion (type A-)? Trapped underwater in a sunken ship? Who ya gonna call? Flipper, "the king of the sea/ever so kind and gentle is he." Flipper the dolphin is the faithful, amazingly resourceful, and uncannily intuitive companion to the Ricks family: Porter (Brian Kelly), a ranger in Florida's Coral Key Park, and his two sons, 15-year-old Sandy (Luke Halpin) and 10-year-old Bud (Tommy Norden). Each episode brings outdoor adventures, ranging from foiling poachers to searching for buried treasure, as well as lessons for Sandy and Bud in responsibility and teamwork. Western buffs will enjoy the appearance in a couple of episodes of Andy Devine as "Hap," who performs odd jobs and regales Bud with his tall tales. But Flipper is the real star. When he isn't saving the day, the chattering "enchanted creature" performs remarkable tricks. As with Lassie, Flipper made the leap from feature films to his own weekly series, which ran from 1964-67. More than 40 years later, Flipper is not only a nostalgic treat for baby boomers, but should also make a big splash with animal-loving kids who will thrill to Flipper's nick of time rescues and underwater frolics. Compiling all 30 episodes from the 1964-65 debut season, DVD extras are limited to a multiple choice trivia game. Highly recommended. (D. Liebenson)[Blu-ray Review—Sept. 5, 2017—Olive, 3 discs, 780 min., not rated, Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its debut on Blu-ray, 1964-65's Flipper: Season One features a great transfer and a mono soundtrack, but no extras. Also newly available is Flipper: Season Two. Bottom line: this ‘60s TV classic makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray.]