If you’re a fan of classic TV sitcoms, then you’ll want to read this blog post!
We’re going to take a look at the show Gentle Ben.
This show was popular back in the day, and there are probably some things about it that you didn’t know. For starters, who starred in it? How long did it run for? Why do people like it?
8 fun facts about the show
1. The show was originally going to be called ‘Bear Country’, but the title was changed to ‘Gentle Ben’ after a poll of TV executives found that most people thought ‘Bear Country’ sounded like a nature show.
2. The bear suit worn by actor Dennis Weaver in the show was so hot and uncomfortable that he would often pass out from the heat while wearing it.
3. The ‘Gentle Ben’ theme song was written by country singer Merle Haggard.
4. The show was set in the Florida Everglades, but most of the exterior shots were filmed in Los Angeles.
5. In the first season of the show, the character of Hank Gibbs was played by actor Brian Keith. Keith was replaced by Clint Howard for the second season.
6. ‘Gentle Ben’ was one of the first TV shows to air in color.
7. The show’s popularity inspired a series of children’s books, as well as a spin-off TV movie called ‘The Adventures of Gentle Ben’.
8. Actor Mark Harmon got his start on ‘Gentle Ben’, playing the role of Jerry Reed in the show’s final season.
The cast of the classic TV sitcom ‘Gentle Ben’ was a close-knit group both on and off screen.
Here are 5 facts about the cast:
1. Mark Goddard, who played Ben’s father Hank, was actually only 4 years older than Clint Howard, who played Ben.
2. Dan Haggerty, who played wilderness guide Tyler McLain, was an experienced stuntman and had previously worked on such films as ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’ and ‘Spartacus’.
3. Ron Howard, who played Ben, had already appeared in several episodes of ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ before being cast in ‘Gentle Ben’.
4. As a child actor, Missy Francis had already appeared in episodes of ‘Bonanza’, ‘Gunsmoke’, and ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’ before being cast as Mark Goddard’s daughter Christy on ‘Gentle Ben’.
5. Bart the bear, who played Gentle Ben on the show, was actually a female bear named Boo.
Today you can watch ‘Gentle Ben’ on many different streaming platforms.
If you’re a fan of classic TV, then this is a show you definitely don’t want to miss! Thanks for reading!
Did you know all of these facts about Gentle Ben? Share this blog post with your friends and see if they know as much about the show as you do.
5 more little known facts about the show:
1. The show was created by Sidney Sheldon, who also wrote the majority of the show’s episodes.
2. Dennis Weaver was actually 41 years old when he started filming the show, making him the oldest cast member.
3. Clint Howard was only 15 years old when he started filming the show, making him the youngest cast member.
4. Barbara Feldon was only 33 years old when she started filming the show, making her the second oldest cast member.
5. Gentle Ben was filmed in Los Angeles, California, which is where the majority of the cast members lived.
