09/20/2023
59 years ago today, September 19, 1964, Flipper premiered. It aired from September 19, 1964, until April 15, 1967 on NBC. Flipper, a bottlenose dolphin, is the companion animal of Porter Ricks, Chief Warden at fictional Coral Key Park and Marine Preserve in southern Florida, and his two young sons, Sandy and Bud. The show has been dubbed an "aquatic Lassie", and a considerable amount of juvenile merchandise inspired by the show was produced during its first-run.
Filming began in the early summer of 1964, and the first episode of Season 1 was broadcast on September 19, 1964, with the series ending with the 28th episode of Season 3 being broadcast on April 15, 1967; showing on NBC Saturday nights 7:30–8:00 pm, making 88 episodes in total. NBC continued broadcasts with repeats from season 3 until September 1967. One episode (episode 3 in Season 1 called "SOS Dolphin") was filmed earlier in 1964 as a pilot immediately after the filming of Flipper's New Adventure was completed. Brian Kelly appeared in all 88 episodes, Luke Halpin in 85 and Tommy Norden in 84 episodes. Later, reruns of the first two seasons aired January 1968 – June 1968, NBC, Sunday 6:30–7:00 pm and June 1968 – September 1968, NBC, Sunday 7:00–7:30 pm.
In its debut season in the 1964–65 United States network television schedule, Flipper was a considerable ratings success, rating in the Top 25 especially going up against the long-standing and popular The Jackie Gleason Show on CBS. Ratings declined only slightly in Season 2 1965–66 United States network television schedule buoyed by its proximity to NBC's popular new Saturday night shows I Dream of Jeannie and Get Smart. Ratings fell sharply in Season 3 against the strong rise in ratings for Gleason's show.