Gentle Ben
The adventures in the Florida Everglades of game warden Tom Wedloe, his wife Ellen, their son Mark, and Mark's tame bear Ben.
- 1967-1969
- 2 seasons
- CBS
- Action & Adventure, Drama, Family
The adventures in the Florida Everglades of game warden Tom Wedloe, his wife Ellen, their son Mark, and Mark's tame bear Ben.
Season 1 Episode Guide
28 Episodes 1967 - 1968
Episode 1
Hurricane Coming
Sun, Sep 10, 1967 30 mins
Mark and Ben save a women and her son when a Hurricane hits.
Episode 2
Green-Eyed Bear
Sun, Sep 17, 1967 30 mins
Ben becomes jealous when the family adopts a rescued cub bear. Another new kid (Ronnie Howard) just moved into the area, creates conflict with Mark.
Episode 3
Fish and Chips
Sun, Sep 24, 1967 30 mins
Ben and Mark stumble upon a pair of crooked fisherman who are taking too many fish and selling them up river.
Episode 4
Gator Man
Sun, Oct 1, 1967 30 mins
Mark's new friend, Jenny, is the daughter of an alligator poacher, who his is being tracked by Park Ranger, Tom.
Episode 5
Voice from the Wilderness
Sun, Oct 8, 1967 30 mins
A plane loaded with zoo animals, crashes into the Everglades, One of the pilot crew (Burt Reynolds), asks Mark to go for help.
Episode 6
Invasion of Willie Sam Gopher
Sun, Oct 15, 1967 30 mins
Mark invites his Seminole friend Jimmie Boy to go to school with him. The boy's father Willie is angry about his son's contacts with the outside world and Tom must reason with him.
Episode 7
Restless Bear
Sun, Oct 22, 1967 30 mins
Mark realizes keeping Ben as a pet might not be fair to the bear. He struggles with the decision whether to let Ben return to the wild and find a mate.
Episode 8
Battle of Wedlow Woods
Sun, Oct 29, 1967 30 mins
A businessman sees 40 acres of wilderness as the perfect place to build homes. He plans to clear the land with a burnoff which Mark and Boomhauer work together to stop.
Episode 9
Warden for Man and Beast
Sun, Nov 5, 1967 30 mins
A bear that has been living in captivity and taught tricks is released into the wild. Wildlife Officer Tom keeps an eye on the animal, learning it has forgotten how to survive in nature and is starving to death.
Episode 10
A Waste of Honey
Sun, Nov 12, 1967 30 mins
Ben gets unfairly blamed for ransacking nearby beehives
Episode 11
Jennifer
Sun, Nov 19, 1967 30 mins
A five year old girl goes missing in the Everglades, while a wild cougar is on the prowl.
Episode 12
Warden in the Bear Pit
Sun, Nov 26, 1967 30 mins
Two unscrupulous men plan to stage an illegal paid fight between a bear and a dog.
Episode 13
A Medal for Ben
Sun, Dec 3, 1967 30 mins
Mark's mother, is trapped under a crashed vehicle. Husband, Tom, unaware, is competing in a boat race. Mark and Ben must race to get help, against an incoming tide set to engulf the crashed vehicle and his Mother.
Episode 14
The Ransom
Sun, Dec 17, 1967 30 mins
Packy and Cluny see how much Ben means to the Wedloe family which makes them believe he's worth kidnapping. But their ransom note gets lost so they have a very hungry and playful bear to take care of.
Episode 15
Wayward Bear: Part 1
Sun, Dec 24, 1967 30 mins
"Be-e-e-n!" cries Mark, missing his furry friend who stowed away on a Jacksonville-bound produce truck. Misadventures ensue as Ben attempts to escape the city and wend his way home to the heartbroken Wedloes.
Episode 16
Wayward Bear: Part 2
Sun, Dec 31, 1967 30 mins
As Mark loses hope that Ben will ever return, the homeward-bound bear is found and adopted by an elderly couple of animal trainers who see Ben as their ticket back into the circus business.
Episode 17
The Opportunist
Sun, Jan 7, 1968 30 mins
Tom has his hands full when he encounters those two crafty swamp rats Reed and Chet. They make a dishonest living capturing wild animals and selling them outside the reserve's boundaries.
Episode 18
Battle of Birthday Bay
Sun, Jan 14, 1968 30 mins
The best laid plans of Tom and Mark certainly go astray when the boys take Mom on a hike to a remote cabin for a surprise birthday party.
Episode 19
Trophy Bear
Sun, Jan 21, 1968 30 mins
Will Ben be in the crosshairs after a big city hunter eager to bag a black bear as a trophy pays a thousand dollars to a corrupt hunting guide to find him one?
Episode 20
Mama Jolie
Sun, Jan 28, 1968 30 mins
When Ben refuses to eat, a desperate Mark sneaks off into the swamp at night to consult the mysterious Mama Jolie, not knowing that he and Ben are the good omen she's been awaiting.
Episode 21
Batter Up
Sun, Feb 4, 1968 30 mins
St. Louis Cardinals star pitcher Bob Gibson takes time from his Florida fishing vacation to give the local little leaguers baseball tips and encourages Mark with wise counsel on good sportsmanship.
Episode 22
Growing Pains
Sun, Feb 11, 1968 30 mins
"Ben's getting to be a drag," bemoans Mark, frustrated that his furry friend is nosing into his new friendship with Steve. But Mark learns a lesson in loyalty when a friend in need is a friend indeed.
Episode 23
Fire in the Glades
Sun, Feb 18, 1968 30 mins
A fire raging in the Everglades, traps Ben and Mark
Episode 24
Take a Giant Step
Sun, Feb 25, 1968 30 mins
A fisherman's young son, feeling neglected by his Father, runs away from home.
Episode 25
Survival in the Swamp
Sun, Mar 3, 1968 30 mins
Ranger, Tom, is abducted by two criminal fugitives, during a camping trip.
Episode 26
Who's Afraid?
Sun, Mar 10, 1968 30 mins
Mark's cousin Virginia visits for the weekend. He takes her fishing and swimming with Ben. They find an unusual object in the water.
Episode 27
Greener Pastures
Sun, Mar 17, 1968 30 mins
Park ranger , Tom , is offered a new job in the City, requiring the whole family to leave behind , Ben, their home and lifestyle.
Episode 28
Ol' Joe's Gotta Go
Sun, Mar 24, 1968 30 mins
An old swamp alligator is unfairly blamed for a farmer's missing pigs and chickens