Born Free
DVD cover
GenreAdventure/drama
Based onBorn Free by Joy Adamson
Developed byCarl Foreman
Directed byLeonard Horn
Paul Krasny
Russ Mayberry
StarringGary Collins
Diana Muldaur
Narrated byDiana Muldaur
Theme music composerJohn Barry
ComposersDick DeBenedictis
Richard Shores
Harry Sukman ("A Matter of Survival")
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producerDavid Gerber
Production locationEast Africa
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time60 minutes
Production companiesDavid Gerber Productions
Paul Radin Productions
Columbia Pictures Television
Original release
NetworkNBC
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.

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.

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 NelsonRichard FielderSeptember 9, 1974 (1974-09-09)
2"Elephant Trouble"Gary NelsonSy SalkowitzSeptember 16, 1974 (1974-09-16)
3"A Matter of Survival"Jack CoufferDon IngallsSeptember 23, 1974 (1974-09-23)
4"Death of a Hunter"Paul RadinNina Laemmle and Sy Salkowitz (teleplay), Nina Laemmle (story)September 30, 1974 (1974-09-30)
5"Africa's Child"Leonard HornHesper AndersonOctober 7, 1974 (1974-10-07)
6"The Masai Rebels"Richard BenedictRichard Fielder (teleplay), Nina Laemmle (story)October 14, 1974 (1974-10-14)
7"The Flying Doctor of Kenya"Paul KrasnyHesper 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 MayberryRichard 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 MayberryDale 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]

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.
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