Ripley's Believe It or Not! is the name of several documentary television series based on the newspaper feature. The first series aired on NBC from 1949 to 1950, and was hosted by Robert L. Ripley until his death, after which several substitute hosts filled in. The series was revived for ABC in the 1980s, and was hosted primarily by Jack Palance. Another revival debuted on TBS in 2000, and aired until 2003, with Dean Cain as host. A Filipino version, hosted by Chris Tiu, debuted in 2008. An animated series based on the Ripley's franchise was also created.
Video Ripley's Believe It or Not! (TV series)
Original series (1949-1950)
The first Believe It or Not! TV series, a live show hosted by Robert L. Ripley, premiered on NBC television on March 1, 1949. Shortly after the 13th episode, on May 27, 1949, Ripley died of a heart attack and several of his friends substituted as host, including future Ripley's Believe It or Not! president Doug Storer. Robert St. John served as host from the second season until the series ended on October 5, 1950.
In 1956, ABC Films Syndication had John Gibbs and Meridian Pictures prepare a Ripley's Believe It or Not! television pilot.
Maps Ripley's Believe It or Not! (TV series)
Revival (1982-1986)
Ripley's Believe It or Not! later returned to television in a second series from 1982 to 1986, on the American ABC network. Actor Jack Palance hosted the popular series throughout its run, while three different co-hosts appeared from season to season, including Palance's daughter, Holly Palance, actress Catherine Shirriff, and singer Marie Osmond. The 1980s series reran on the Sci-fi Channel (UK) and Sci-fi Channel (US) during the 1990s.
Animated series (1999)
In December 1995, development was underway by Cinar for an animated series based on Ripley's Believe It or Not!. The 26-episode series, titled Ripley's Believe It or Not!, was co-produced by French production company Alphanim, which was founded in 1997. The series premiered on Fox Family Channel on July 14, 1999, and was about three young people who discover unexplained mysteries and unusual items.
Second revival (2000-2003)
In March 1994, a pilot for The New Ripley's Believe It or Not had been ordered for ABC.
In December 1998, TBS Superstation outbid two broadcast network competitors to purchase the rights from Columbia TriStar Television Distribution for 22 hour-long episodes of The New Ripley's Believe It or Not, to premiere on TBS in January 2000. The series would air weekly, and would be an update of the earlier program that aired from 1982 to 1986. The new series was to involve correspondents being sent around the world to report on amazing and unusual subjects. TBS had an option to purchase additional seasons, and had won the rights because it agreed to a full season without seeing a pilot. In June 1999, Erik Nelson was signed on to serve as executive producer for the series. In December 1999, Dean Cain was hired to host the new series. Cain also served as a producer on the show, alongside Dan Jbara.
The new series, simply titled Ripley's Believe It or Not!, premiered on TBS on January 12, 2000. The series was primarily shot at a 15,000 square-foot Ripley's warehouse in Sylmar, Los Angeles. Most episodes open with an act that is performed in front of a live audience, while the rest of the episode involves Cain introducing various segments, each one for a different subject. Gregory Jbara served as one of the narrators for the different segments. Kelly Packard became a field correspondent in 2002, and would host coverage of events in which people demonstrate their unusual abilities, usually in front of an audience. The show also features such regular elements as "Spot the Not," a weekly trivia segment in which viewers are challenged to pick the claim that is not real and a special "Ripley's Record" commemoration for people who break a world record while appearing on the show. Reruns of the series began airing on The WB in September 2001, and were expected to continue until December 2001.
In early 2003, Sony Pictures Television ordered an 11-episode fourth season. In March 2003, 11 additional episodes were ordered for the fourth season, which aired on Wednesday evenings at 9:00 p.m. For its timeslot, the series was the top-rated program among its target audience of people between the ages of 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54. In September 2003, Sony Pictures announced a trimmed half-hour version of the existing show that would start airing in reruns on local television channels across the United States.
Reruns later began airing on Canada's Space Channel as of 2012. As of 2017, hour-long reruns air on Chiller.
2008 version
In 2008, a new version of the series, hosted by Chris Tiu, began airing on GMA Network, a Filipino television channel.
See also
- List of Ripley's Believe It or Not! episodes (1982-86)
- List of Ripley's Believe It or Not! episodes (2000-03)
References
External links
- Ripley's Believe It or Not (1982-1986) on IMDb
- Ripley's Believe It or Not (1999-2003) on IMDb
- TV.com summary (third run)
- Ripley's Believe It Or Not! fan site with episode descriptions and video clips of the 1980s and 2000s (decade) series
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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