Talk:Flipper (1964 TV series)

Citation needed
The famous "voice" of Flipper was actually the doctored song of a Kookaburra bird —Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.161.12.32 (talk) 16:43, 26 November 2009 (UTC)

Color
Was this show color for its entire run??Dogru144 (talk) 23:08, 7 February 2010 (UTC)
 * Yes it was! — unusual as it began in 1964, a year before color became commonplace. 141.158.64.156 (talk) 06:48, 25 March 2010 (UTC)
 * Yes, quite a few series were filmed in color at that time.. though the vast majority of television sets had only black and white displays back then. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.16.11.121 (talk) 09:19, 9 May 2010 (UTC)
 * That last reply was by the "Zipper" vandal. In fact, NOT many shows were in color in 1964 -- it was not until the following year, 1965, that color "caught on" in a big way. 108.1.71.44 (talk) 04:06, 3 November 2012 (UTC)

"The Ricks cottage"
@ DBlomgren: sorry to have to tell you this, but it was acceptable as it was, as "The Ricks cottage", but wrong the way you changed it. "The Ricks cottage" was correct being in the same sense as "the Kennedy mansion", not expressed as a possessive. To properly express it possessively, you would have to indicate the family name "Ricks" in its plural, which is "Rickses", and form the possessive of that (Rickses'), as the cottage belongs to the family group named "Ricks", or all the "Rickses" therein; thus, "The Rickses' cottage". But this is not itself necessary anyway, because it isn't required that it be expressed possessively, as per my "Kennedy mansion" analogy. 108.1.68.213 (talk) 04:43, 24 April 2010 (UTC)

Zipper?
My best friend's grandmother keeps telling us there was another dolphin on the show called Zipper. She keeps saying he was the evil Flipper that would show up every now and then and do something bad, and something else about a pirate. Does anyone have any idea about what she was talking about? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.16.11.121 (talk) 22:52, 5 May 2010 (UTC)
 * No, and inventing nonexistent episodes that supposedly featured this character(s) and a "history" of these episodes' exclusion isn't going to make your fabrications any less fictitious. Give it a rest already. 141.158.64.177 (talk) 04:26, 7 May 2010 (UTC)

What episodes? Your crazy, I didn't do crap, I am looking for a serious answer, not accusations. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.16.11.121 (talk) 04:59, 8 May 2010 (UTC)
 * So you just HAPPENED to bring up the same BS issue as a recent changing-IP-address VANDAL (with an almost-identical number NOW), and I'm NOT supposed to believe for one second that it's him back AGAIN trying yet another tack?? Don't insult me! Anyway, your "best friend's grandmother" is NOT a verifiable, reliable source. 108.1.71.218 (talk) 10:45, 8 May 2010 (UTC)

Are you like some sort of Flipper nerd or something? You are really obsessed with this aren't you? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.16.11.121 (talk) 17:16, 8 May 2010 (UTC)

Actually from what I have heard from friends and family who were around for the original broadcasts, there was indeed an evil Dolphin character named Zipper who made periodic appearances. This character was the companion of a pirate named Cook, they were mostly up to no good and appeared several times during the course of the show. The episodes containing these characters were cut completely from the home video releases due to certain controversies revolving around them, they were also discontinued from syndication following the show's original run at the request of NBC who deemed them unfit for television. Zipper and Captain Cook were pretty much removed from the show's canon decades ago, and though there may be some holes left in the series' continuity because their omission, I find it highly doubtful they will be reintroduced into the main series' canon. I hope some of this information clears up any misunderstandings and disagreements that you may have had with one another. --173.218.170.74 (talk) 05:54, 4 November 2010 (UTC)
 * More elaborate BS, but still pure BS. Get a life!! 141.158.64.241 (talk) 16:08, 25 March 2011 (UTC)
 * Further to all this, I can now establish that the idea of an "evil dolphin" called "Zipper" was jokingly suggested by comedian Brian Regan in his program ca. 1987, "Something's Wrong with the Regan Boy", a portion of which can be viewed at YouTube. At 2:20 in the YouTube clip, he starts discussing the Flipper series, and at length says (with my emphasis), "To be fair, they should've also had  a bad dolphin -- Zipper!" So in other words, it is not  something they DID have, but an idea he was presenting at that time! And therefore anyone who claims that they or someone they know "remembers" seeing 'Zipper' on the show is officially just a lying S.O.B. 108.1.68.205 (talk) 02:36, 31 August 2012 (UTC)

Companion Animal ?
What is the basis for the claim that Flipper is a "companion animal" ? On any reasonable interpretation of what a companion animal actually is, Flipper is not.Eregli bob (talk) 18:20, 3 June 2012 (UTC)
 * Well, Flipper obviously should be described as something in relation to the Ricks family...what term would you recommend? 70.17.167.254 (talk) 03:02, 4 June 2012 (UTC)
 * He is the family dolphin and he should be called the Flipper.--166.137.156.177 (talk) 00:02, 2 March 2013 (UTC)

Flipper's Greatest Flips?
I saw a VHS at a local pawnshop entitled "Flipper's Greatest Flips". The back of the box said that it was a 1968 TV Special that recounts the greatest moments of the Flipper TV series. It also had six "lost" episodes featuring Flipper and another, more antagonistic Dolphin named Zipper. Should this info be listed in the main article?--166.137.156.157 (talk) 04:18, 29 January 2013 (UTC)


 * The existence of "lost episodes" might be worth mentioning, but only if they can be proven with solid, concrete evidence. --Romulan Ale (talk) 10:37, 29 January 2013 (UTC)
 * As mentioned earlier, there are NO SUCH "lost episodes" featuring "Zipper"! These are just more blatant LIES by this perennial, pathetic "166" vandal! 141.158.64.135 (talk) 08:03, 12 February 2013 (UTC)

Flipper attack?
I have been hearing a long standing rumor that one of the Dolphins that played Flipper managed to injure and kill one of the people on set, has anyone else heard this? More specifically, I had heard he had broken an individual's neck who was in the water with him. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.133.74.66 (talk) 00:42, 19 February 2013 (UTC)
 * Ric O'Barry covered the dolphin interactions thoroughly in his book Behind the Dolphin Smile, where he cited that he himself had had a lunging attack by "Patty", which banged him up pretty good; but he never mentioned anyone getting a broken neck or being killed. 70.17.167.209 (talk) 03:37, 19 July 2013 (UTC)

Flipper / Klan Cookout Ad
OK, there is a picture posted online of a Klan Cookout ad with a 2001 date; a dolphin is shown in the image, the image ITSELF does NOTHING to identify the dolphin as "Flipper", although an image of Flipper was likely used as the source -- which is irrelevant to the Flipper article. The online posting has "Flipper" as a tag, which is arbitrary, and thus, also irrelevant. There is also a "Yahoo answers" entry from a week ago asking "Did the Flipper Ku Klux Klan Cook-Out of 2001 really happen?", with an answer supplied citing what was in this article a week ago, effectively trying to make this "self-verifying", which is not legitimate; to say nothing of the fact that the info was supplied here by a well-established vandal. This should be the END of it. 70.17.167.74 (talk) 20:20, 12 January 2014 (UTC)

Source for claim re Ricks cottage being same as Gentle Ben house?
I know there is a Flipper fan page on the web that claims the same house was used for the Ricks in Flipper as for the Wedloes in Gentle Ben. However, I've been going through probably 75 to 100 sources trying to improve the Gentle Ben article, and I can't find anything confirming that the same houses were used or that Gentle Ben was even filmed at the Miami Seaquarium. I have found reliable sources that say Gentle Ben was filmed at the Ivan Tors Studio, at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens, and at some remote location not far from the studio, but nothing that mentions the Miami Seaquarium or that the Ricks house doubled as the Wedloe house. I tried looking for pictures of the two houses online to see if they looked like the same place, but couldn't find very many and the ones I find do not show the houses as looking alike.

I would think if Gentle Ben really was shot at the Seaquarium, there would be more pages talking about that, but it seems like the pages only mention "Flipper". Also, I remember watching both shows as a child and I don't recall Gentle Ben having a lot of scenes that looked like the Flipper locations. The airboat ran through channels in the swamp, and Ben was usually messing around in the woods (looked more like the botanic garden or the remote location than a Seaquarium site).

If there actually is some book or article or Seaquarium history page, etc. that shows at least some of Gentle Ben was filmed there, I'd be interested to know more about it. For now, I find the fan site's claim a little dubious. TheBlinkster (talk) 04:23, 24 May 2015 (UTC)

Edited to add, I've noted that there is one episode of "Gentle Ben" where the bear makes friends with a dolphin who's escaped from the Seaquarium and they swim out to sea together. I'm guessing that might have been filmed partially at the Seaquarium. Also there's an episode called "Battle of Birthday Bay" where the Wedloes go to stay at a different house on a bay for Ellen's birthday and I'm wondering if the Ricks house might have been used for that. TheBlinkster (talk) 12:43, 24 May 2015 (UTC)
 * In case you're still concerned about this question months later, I should point out that in identifying such "a house" on a TV show, you must consider the two distinct entities of interior vs. exterior. Flipper 's "Ricks Cottage" interior was a studio soundstage set, while its exterior was a mere façade of just the front of the house, at an outdoor "lot" in a completely different location. It's entirely possible that after Flipper ended, the same indoor studio set was "redressed" to serve as the Wedloe house interior; same physical set, but all but unrecognizable from its previous incarnation. As for the Wedloe house exterior, it's been awhile since I've seen a Gentle Ben episode, but as it seems that the setting of their house was different from that of the Ricks cottage, I should imagine a different exterior façade was used. 67.186.19.151 (talk) 10:45, 18 September 2015 (UTC)
 * Thank you. To clarify, although it's now been a while, I'm pretty sure the fan page I saw showed the exterior of the Ricks house (not the interior, which as you noted I presumed was a soundstage somewhere) and claimed the same house was used for the Wedloes in "Gentle Ben". Since like you also note, exteriors of the houses did not look alike to me either, I'm now leaning towards the idea that the Ricks house may have been used in one of the episodes of "Gentle Ben" where the family was away from their regular home. TheBlinkster (talk) 18:40, 6 October 2015 (UTC)

"Flipper 2000" VHS Tapes?
When I went to Trader's Village on Saturday one of the vendors had these tapes labeled "Flipper 2000." The box art had Flipper and some orca on it and was printed in metallic ink. The back of the box said:

"Famous aqua hero dolphin Flipper returns in all new feature. Directed by Li Bing and source from 1960s original, Flipper 2000 combines very best premium original scenes with modern computerized effects and all new footage. Never before seen Flipper helps a ship wreck family surive on the going home adventure. Deadly killer whale menace stalks boat for revenge of lost offspring and mate. Boat must evade him in the ice to escape and get home. The storm brewing on the the water and monsters from the deep are threatening to kill them all. Will Flipper and the family get to safety alive? This and more in Flipper 2000!"

Does anyone have any idea on what this tape is? It was only three dollars so I bought it for my grandmother who likes Flipper. 2602:306:3789:8B00:ED49:E36B:247:54D8 (talk) 19:43, 23 September 2015 (UTC)
 * All I could find was a post on Yahoo! Answers describing the movie as, "Flipper 2000 is a 2000 Chinese film produced by Bright Star Studios. It is directed by Li Bing and stars Song Ruikong, Zhou Lunxun, Wu Muren and Wei Mingrui. It features footage from the Flipper television series and movie, as well footage from the movies Orca and Gorgo. There is also some footage from Toho and Daiei giant monster movies, which include clips featuring monsters like Godzilla, Gamera, Mothra, Ebira, Manda, Hedorah, Viras, Kamoebas, Ganimes, Gezora and Giant Octopus. About 75% of the movie is original footage filmed by Bright Star Studios and virtually all of the audio is original to the film. The CGI is awful, but not excessive. It can be found on DVD, VHS, VCD and LaserDisc formats. I ordered it on eBay for around $10 a few years ago." and, "Flipper 2000 is this weird Chinese movie that has clips from the Flipper show, the movie Orca and some giant monster movies. It also has really bad CGI mixed in. It would be a cult classic if it were easier to find. I bought it for $9 on DVD in Chinatown." Some people also said some things about cybernetic dolphin attacks. It sounds like a fun movie, but I seriously doubt that it's an official production. 107.92.56.196 (talk) 20:42, 2 October 2015 (UTC)

Continuity?
Is this show in the same continuity as the 60s movie? What about the 90s Flipper movie and show? --2602:306:321B:B890:3C75:4E49:90BE:7CAB (talk) 00:39, 16 October 2016 (UTC)
 * It is the same continuity as the pair of movies that preceded it. It does engage in one "revision" from them in introducing a second son. The absence on TV of the mother from the first movie got explained in the second movie, wherein also Porter had given up fishing and was training to become a Park Ranger, which at the end of the film sees him assigned as Ranger at Coral Key Park. The 90s Paul Hogan/Elijah Wood movie had no continuity connection, but the TV series of that period was supposedly a continuation of the 60s series (with about 10 years shaved off), with Brian Wimmer's "Dr. Keith Ricks" actually Bud now using his "real name", and Sandy appearing in one episode, played by an Australian actor. Oddly, in one episode some characters mention remembering a TV show from the 60s that sounds like Flipper itself ("a park ranger and his two sons" -- although as the new series was produced in Australia, I can imagine that possibly this was a sly reference to the Australian 60s series Skippy, the Bush Kangaroo, which had basically ripped off Flipper's format). After the show's first season Keith Ricks was dropped, and thus any substantive ties to the old series along with him, although the continuity moved forward supposedly the same. 2601:545:8201:AB7A:0:0:0:14C5 (talk) 04:47, 19 October 2016 (UTC)

Controversy?
The Controversy section says that "several controversies spun off of" the TV show. But then it doesn't mention any of them. It only says that Ric O'Berry, Flipper's trainer, later in life became an animal activist. I don't see any controversy there, let alone multiple controversies. I'm not sure that the trainer's later life is even relevant for an article about the TV show. I think this section should be deleted, but if kept, the title should be changed to something other than "Controversy" and the single sentence referring to unspecified "controversies" should be deleted or changed. CodeTalker (talk) 18:32, 20 July 2018 (UTC)