The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams (1977–1978)

An innocent fugitive from the law lives in the wilderness with a grizzly bear companion and helps passers-by in the forest.

Creator:

Charles E. Sellier Jr.

Stars:

Dan Haggerty, Denver Pyle, Don Shanks

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Dan Haggerty	...	James 'Grizzly' Adams (37 episodes, 1977-1978)
Denver Pyle	...	Mad Jack (37 episodes, 1977-1978)
Don Shanks	...	Nakoma (36 episodes, 1977-1978)

Storyline

In the 1850s, a farmer named James Adams is accused of a crime he didn't commit and must flee into the mountains. There, he rescues and cares for an abandoned grizzly bear cub who subsequently grows into a powerful adult companion named Ben. In addition, Adams learns that he has an uncanny link to much of the wildlife of the region who interact with him on their own without fear or aggression. Now "Grizzly" Adams lives in the wilderness with only an old trader named Mad Jack and an Native American named Nakuma as his only regular human friends. There he meets and aids a variety of visitors who usually are unused to the dangers this beautiful land can have. Unfortunately, while he protects the wildlife from unnecessary harm, he still must be watchful for the bounty hunters looking for the price on his head.

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Plot Keywords:

wilderness | grizzly bear | bear | grizzly adams | fugitive | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Family | Western

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Details

Official Sites:

Grizzly Adams Productions

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 February 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

Grizzly Adams

Filming Locations:

Park City, Utah, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sunn Classic Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min 60 min (39 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The show's theme song was titled "Maybe," and was written and sung by Thom Pace.

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Quotes

Mad Jack: [title sequence narration] They call me Mad Jack, and if there is anybody in these mountains that knows the real story about James Adams, that'd be me. So I'm putting it down in writing just how it happened in hopes of setting the record straight. Well, my friend Adams was accused of a crime he didn't commit, so he escaped into the mountains, leaving behind the only life that he ever knew. Now that wilderness out there ain't no place for a greenhorn and his chances of survivin' were mighty slim....
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theatre 3000: Colossus and the Headhunters (1994)

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Soundtracks

"Maybe"
Written by Thom Pace
Performed by Thom Pace

User Reviews

Poor Memory About The Good Old Days

srchn4 wrote:

The good old days of Sun Productions, 2 January 2006 Author: srchn4 from Park City Utah My father was a forest ranger at the Soapstone Guard Station for nearly 30 years. As a child and early teen, the Uinta Mountains, where many of Sun Productions' films and TV series were filmed, was "my childhood back-yard." With my dirt bike allowing me access to miles of travel all around the area, along with my intimate knowledge of the area and any big events occurring in or around it, I was able to watch many, many days of scenes being set-up and filmed.

Grizzly Adams with Doug Suess' huge grizzly-bear Ben, was one of my favorites. Doug and his son Clint still live in the Heber City area and have quite a stable of film-ready "wild animals" for hire. Another classic movie filmed in and around the area was Robert Redford's "Jeremiah Johnson." Still classic films... and even fonder memories

FACT: THE BEAR USED FOR THE PART OF BEN IN GRIZZLY ADAMS WAS SUPPLIED BY LLOYD BEEBE, OWNER OF THE OLYMPIC GAME FARM LOCATED IN SEQUIM, WASHINGTON. THE BEAR WAS A FEMALE NAMED BOZO AND MOST DEFINITELY DID NOT BELONG TO DOUG SEUS OF HEBER CITY,UTAH.