One of the many advantages of living in the Florida Everglades turned out to be a pet bear that was smart, loyal and never ever tried to maul anyone. Ivan Tors, maven of nature dramas like Flipper and Daktari, produced Gentle Ben, the story of a boy and his bear.

Clint Howard (Ronnie Howard’s brother) had starred in a feature movie called Gentle Giant and reprised that role in the TV adaptation. He played Mark Wedloe, a boy whose father was a wildlife officer in the Everglades; as a result, Mark, his mother Ellen and dad Tom lived smack dab in the middle of the swampy wilderness. Not many kids around the neighborhood but goodness, there were plenty of animals.

Mark and Ben became good friends despite the language barrier and went on to have many adventures. Most of them revolved around animals and wildlife in general, as the show was shot on location in Florida. Cougars, snakes, alligators and even the occasional escaped tiger made frequent appearances. If Mark and Ben weren’t running for their lives from assorted beasties, they were defending the very same from unscrupulous hunters and poachers. Many of those hunters set their sights on capturing Ben, but Mark and his father always came to the rescue.

Other residents of the area included Spencer, Tom Wedloe’s friend, young Willie, Mark’s friend and Henry Boomhauer, a backwoodsman and friend to the Wedloe family. Rance Howard, Clint’s real life father, played Boomhauer. Not seen on screen was Monty Cox, Ben’s handler and trainer, who merits a mention because he was probably the thin line between the bear and the rest of the crew.

The show was a family favorite in the late 60s and after its two-year run, moved on to syndication.