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Taken from the Swahili word for “doctor,” Daktari was a CBS show about Dr. Marsh Tracy, an American veterinarian and conservationist working at the Wameru Study Center for Animal Behavior in Africa. He was joined there by Paula, his daughter, and Jack Dane, another American, along with Mike, an African native. The idea for the show came from the 1965 feature film, Clarence the Cross-Eyed Lion.

 

Each episode would focus on Dr. Marsh working with the Africans, treating animals, and stopping poachers. He would work closely with Hedley, a British game warden who would come to the doctor for help. In 1968, Dr. Marsh’s colleague Jack left the show, to be replaced by Bart Jason. Bart was a camera-safari guide who used to be a ranger. They were also joined by Jenny Jones, an orphan that Dr. Tracy takes in.

 

The humans worked alongside Dr. Tracy’s and Judy’s pets Judy the chimp and Clarence the lion. Yes, the same lion name as the Clarence in the original feature, relegated here to sideman status. But everybody got along anyway, and the show remained on the air for three seasons.