The top TV animals we all know and love. Here is a list of some of the greatest animal starring TV show in the last 60 years.
Shark Week - The Discovery Channel has been doing 'Shark Week' since 1987. It's a week long showing of all things sharks. The marathon is home to such shows such as 'Deadly Waters,' 'Shark After Dark,' 'Top 5 Eaten Alive,' and 'Ocean of Fear.' The marathon gets tons of attention every summer.
Lassie - From 1957-1971, Lassie captured the hearts of all Americans. Lassie's heroic escapades built a legacy that probably no other canine will ever get close to. From beating up thugs, to fending off wild animals...Lassie was about loyalty, courage, and honesty. You rarely find such a wholesome show that plays on TV today.
Mister Ed - Who could forget the smart sarcastic talking horse named Mister Ed? From 1961-1966, Ed only talked to Wilbur and drove him nuts with all the trouble he'd get Wilbur in. So how did they get Ed, a real horse, to talk? It wasn't with peanut butter but rather, it was with nylon threads.
Scooby-doo - Each episode featured Scooby and the four teenaged members of the Mystery, Inc. gang: Fred, Shaggy, Daphne, and Velma, arriving to a location in the "Mystery Machine" and encountering a ghost, monster, or other supernatural creature, whom they learned was terrorizing the local populace. After looking for clues and suspects and being chased by the monster, the kids come to realize the ghost is anything but, and - often with the help of a Rube Goldberg-like trap designed by Fred - they capture the villain and unmask him. Revealed as a flesh and blood crook trying to cover up crimes by using the ghost story and costume, the criminal is arrested and taken to jail, often saying something to the effect of "...and I would have gotten away with it, too, if it hadn't been for you meddling kids!"
Flipper - 1964-1967 Flipper was a sensation. The series follows a Bottlenose Dolphin named Flipper who is the wild pet of Porter Ricks, a park warden, and his sons Sandy and Bud. Flipper lives in a lagoon near the Ricks cottage at Coral Key Park and Marine Preserve. With the Ricks family, Flipper helps protect the park and preserve and its wild inhabitants. He is also instrumental in apprehending criminals and thugs in the park. Flipper is generally recognized by the characters in the show (and the theme song) as being a particularly intelligent and capable dolphin. Flipper is the special companion of the youngest member of the Ricks family, Bud, and several episodes feature Flipper rescuing Bud from dangerous situations. There are few women in the lives of the Ricks males but Porter does have a date in the first season while Sandy meets the girl operator of a floating zoo. A female oceanographer enters the series in the second season to add a feminine touch to the proceedings. Promotional material for the third season announced a new girlfriend for Sandy, although she only appeared in one episode. The series is distinguished for its lush photography of subtropical Florida and its colorful underwater sequences.
