Original title
Flipper
Released
9/19/1964
Origin country
US
Genre
Action & Adventure, Drama, Family
Production companies
MGM Television, Miami Seaquarium, Ivan Tors Films
Status
Ended
Number of seasons
3
Number of episodes
88
Flipper, from Ivan Tors Films in association with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television, is an American television program first broadcast on NBC from September 19, 1964, until April 15, 1967. Flipper, a bottlenose dolphin, is the companion animal of Porter Ricks, Chief Warden at fictional Coral Key Park and Marine Preserve in southern Florida, and his two young sons, Sandy and Bud. The show has been dubbed an "aquatic Lassie", and a considerable amount of juvenile merchandise inspired by the show was produced during its first-run.
Dr Phil Harmon is attacked by a shark. He radios to bring a rare blood type that can save his life.
The boys find themselves in deep water when they disobey their father and dive down to investigate a car that has been dumped in the ocean.
Flipper comes to the rescue when a submarine gets caught on the bottom of the ocean, trapping its occupant who is fast running out of air.
Bud isn't happy with the new woman in his father's life. Feeling alone in the world, Bud stays out in the ocean too late and winds up lost in an underwater cave at high tide.
City boy, Mike Beldon arrives in Corel Key with a huge chip on his shoulder about his mother's new husband. However, a near death accident helps him see his new step-father in a different light.
Dorrie steals Flipper and sells him to a carnival owner.
Porter is concerned that Bud is taking old Hap Gorman's stories too seriously and warns his son that not everything the old man tells him is true.
Flipper's days are numbered when he is accused of eating a prized fish worth a lot of money. Just as Flipper is to be cut open to retrieve the fish, Bud and Sandy discover it has been stolen by Jim and race to prove their pet's innocence in before it's too late.
Bud and Sandy hear Flipper say in plain English he wants to leave for London with Professor Marvello, and the professor's circus colleagues bring nets to take Flipper away.
Flipper saves the life of an old Greek sponge poacher in the preserve, but Bud and Sandy tell Po of his illegal activities.
Po and Sandy rescue a despondent former water ski champion, now in a wheelchair, and her mother from a hurricane. Flipper gets tangled in a fishnet.
Despite their best attempts to impress a visiting Congress woman, Porter and the boys are devastated to learn that she plans to close the park.
In a last ditch attempt to convince Congress woman Helen Browning that she should use government funding to keep the Park open, Sandy and Bud take her skin-diving.
Bud and Sandy, on a trip with Hap Gorman to his secret fishing grounds, board an abandoned boat, not knowing that a hidden charge of dynamite is about to blow it to pieces.
Sandy, Bud and Flipper decide to become detectives when reports claim that someone has been looting boats in Coral Key Park.
When Flipper finds a Spanish doubloon on the ocean bottom and brings it to Bud and Sandy, rumours about Spanish Treausures spread quickly and an underwater gold rush ensues.
Flipper leads Bud to a beach where Lynn Borden lies half conscious after falling off a boat 20 miles at sea.
Porter Ricks, Sandy and Marine Researcher Dr Williams Tollner go to sea to investigate a school of lemon sharks which have invaded Coral Key Park.
Pretty teenager Bonnie McCoy takes Sandy by surprise when she sails into view aboard a floating zoo.
Flipper finds money underwater and presents some of the bills to Bud. Flipper shows Bud where it came from and they collect more from the underwater wreck.
Flipper goes to Bud and Porter Ricks for detective help after seeing a treasure chest stolen from the wreck of a sunken Spanish ship hidden on a nearby island.
Flipper disappears for several days and, when found by Porter Ricks, Sandy and Bud, is with another dolphin, an amazing albino the only white dolphin in Porter's memory.
While Sandy and Bud prepare for the annual Coral Key Park swimming race, Porter is overcome by toxic chemicals dropped from a passing ship while he is carrying out an underwater investigation.
Sentinel of the sea Flipper discovers a sinking raft, manned by Bonnie McCoy, her father, an elephant and a chimpanzee.
In an effort to raise money to pay off creditors of McCoy's Floating Zoo, Sandy and Bud join Bonnie McCoy in a scheme to run away with her father's elephant and chimpanzee.
Judy the chimp steals a briefcase full of money and Sean McCoy of McCoy's Floating Zoo is arrested. Sandy, Bud and Bonnie decide to put on a show with Flipper to raise money for her father's bail.
Like the heroes he sees on TV, Bud tries to rescue a damsel in distress, but fails to tell Porter or Sandy of his intentions, and suddenly finds himself caught in a dangerous rip.
Bud trying to help an injured man and his wife marooned on a sailboat, has to call desperately for help from Flipper when the boat becomes caught in treacherous coral reefs.
Flipper, being a pack animal by instinct, is attracted by the sound of a school of dolphins and nothing Porter, Sandy or Bud can do will bring him back.
A motion picture company moves in to film an underwater monster picture in Coral Key Park, and Flipper become star struck.
Flipper rescues a lady oceanographer from a barracuda and finds a permanent new friend as Ulla Norstrand joins the adventures of the Ricks family.
The Ricks', in need of some TLC, take off to a nearby island to go camping. On their way they get word that there is an escaped convict at large. Porter gets permission to continue on his vacation, but after his boat is stolen, he gets a feeling that this is no vacation. Flipper takes off in hot pursuit!
In the conclusion of a two-part adventure, Flipper tows Porter Ricks to his stolen launch, where he finds that the thief has imprisoned Ulla and stolen her submarine.
Flipper's natural curiosity gets him tangled up in a cable attached to a dangerous floating mine that could explode any minute.
Ranger Ricks is knocked unconscious by an underwater explosion while tracking down a coral poacher.
A young ranger trainee has arrived at Coral Key to meet with Porter Ricks. It doesn't take long for the Ricks to figure out that this new ranger is cocky and needs to be taught what a real ranger is all about - following the rules. He endangers Bud's life by disobeying his advice then blames it on Bud. Will this Ranger ever "get" what it's all about?
Things take an ominous turn for Sandy and Flipper when the plane carrying them to the Bahamas crashes in the Ocean.
Flipper is the only hope of saving Sandy from drowning in a plane that crashed at sea, in the conclusion of this two part adventure.
Flipper and Sandy are duped into helping a spy when a secret instrument package from a rocket is lost in Coral Key Park.
A school of killer sharks keep Sandy and Bud trapped in a sunken wreck while Flipper tries to arouse Porter Ricks to come to their aid.
Flipper fights to save Sandy's life and the lives of a film crew when he discovers a power leak in an underwater electric cable.
While Bud shows off Flipper to his new friend Stevie, thieves steal Stevies valuable show horse.
Bud is fascinated when an old ship called the Bounty arrives at Corral Key Park. Without anyone's knowledge, he decides to sneak on board and explore.
A school of killer sharks attack Flipper after he saves a swimmer and leads Porter Ricks and Sandy in a hunt for the deadly fish.
Flipper helps Sandy and Bud search for stolen jewels when Ranger Porter Ricks is charged with robbery and hauled off to jail.
Flipper is captured by some fishermen who transport him a long way up the coast to stock a new marine exhibit.
The Ricks family sails up the coast in search of their missing friend, Flipper, only to find that the dolphin that saved a man's life, and who they hoped would be Flipper, has gone.
While Flipper recovers from the injuries received during a battle with an alligator, Bud grieves over the loss of his pet just a few miles down the coast.
Bud, Ulla and Stevie are trapped when their truck swerves into a drainage canal.
A well meaning Bud skips his chores to go off in search of a way to earn some money for a birthday present for his Dad.
When Flipper and Bud discover some of Sandy's high school classmates setting lobster traps before the season opens, bud is faced with the problem of reporting it to his father or letting the older boys off.
Sandy and Bud place a down payment on a used air boat and plan to pay it off by operating a touring service through the everglades.
While fishing in the waters off Florida, visiting Prince Kaza and a state department official run aground on a reef. Sharks appear while the pair attempt to free the boat.
A park inspector, who believes animals should remain wild and not be made pets pays Porter an official visit. He clashes with Bud over the ownership of Flipper.
The Ricks family gets an inside look at the Navy's dolphin research when Ulla calls on Porter for assistance with a Navy dolphin that seems to have gone berserk.
The Navy and the Coast Guard launch an extensive search for a research Dolphin worth half a million dollars, that escaped from the Ricks while Flipper was trying to nurse him back to health.
An industrial spy takes a sonar device from Ulla that has been entrusted to her by an electronics company for field testing her submarine.
When Porter dives into the depths with Ulla in her submarine for a survey of the ocean floor, the tiny craft snaps its propeller on the rocky coral stranding them under 50 metres of water.
Flipper falls in love with another Dolphin much to Bud's puzzlement, and swims about the park with his new girlfriend until Ted Marlowe mistakes the female dolphin for a shark and spears her.
Flipper is concerned over the outcome of an operation on his girlfriend, who was speared by Ted Marlowe.
When two pilots crash into the ocean and become trapped in their aircraft it is up to Porter and Sandy to save the day, with a little help from Flipper and Bud's newly honed secret agent detective skills.
Whilst on a routine check of the Everglades, Porter Ricks steps in a poacher's trap. Badly injured, he is taken to Barney's secluded hide-away where he discovers that Barney has been poaching the local wildlife.
Sandy and Bud become increasingly worried as they have still heard no word from their father, who failed to return from a routine check of the Everglades.
Another family lays claim to Flipper after he suffers from amnesia and cannot recognize Bud and Sandy.
After witnessing all the marine animals fleeing the area, Bud and Sandy alert the local folk of a hurricane headed their way, despite their father's instructions and a clear weather forecast. No such hurricane eventuates and believing they have wasted time and money in securing their boats, the towns people look to Porter for compensation. It is only after a tidal wave hits that everyone in the town is grateful to Flipper and the boys for the warning.
After Sandy's girlfriend shows more interest in Porter than Sandy, Flipper works as cupid to bring the two teen lovebirds back together.
Porter is frustrated as he waits in the middle of the ocean for Flipper to deliver the tools to repair his broken plane. His anger soon dissipates when he realises that Flipper was busy saving lives all day.
While researching his book report, Bud dreams of sailing the deep blue seas with Moby Dick.
A friend of the Ricks' wants to earn some fast money to send his brother to school. He offers to help do some blasting by lying to the foreman, after the professional they hired is critically injured.
Bud gets himself into trouble when he plays Executive, hiring his friends to do the jobs he's being paid for. He learns a valuable lesson in business when things go wrong and it takes a greater effort to organise others to do the work than it would have to do it himself.
Flipper and Bud come to the rescue of a puppy left stranded on an island after falling of his owner's boat.
Bud and Sandy run into gun smugglers while camping alone on an uncharted island.
Flipper's life is in danger when he becomes the unwitting star in a movie fight scene between himself and an alligator.
In the aftermath of a hurricane, Flipper discovers a man unconscious in his boat and tows the boat to a beach. Porter rescues the obvious bank robber and takes him back to his home, unaware of who the stranger really is.
After returning home to find a fugitive holding Porter and Sandy hostage, Bud sends Flipper for help.
Bud fights to save Flipper's life after an expensive bracelet falls into the ocean and is believed to have ended up in the dolphins' stomach.
A 20 year-old young man is accused of stealing mollusks from an area of the park that Porter Ricks has been doing experiments in.With the help of Flipper and Bud's picture,a seal is caught as the real thief.
The boys rush to find Flipper when he drifts to the bottom of the ocean after being hit by a tranquilizer dart.
Porter's Aunt Martha comes to lend a helping hand in raising the boys. Her presence puts a strain on the Ricks' when she takes over and rules everything from the boys wardrobe to Flipper's place as a member of the family.
When Porter orders a teenager to be in court early Monday morning for poaching lobsters, he revenges Porter by stealing Flipper and holding him for Ransom.
Scott Emson is trying to study sharks, but Flipper doesn't seem to understand he wants the sharks - not saved!
A scientist goes to Bud to ask his permission to take Flipper for a special study. He and Bud make a deal, but then Flipper is called upon to help find a missing diver.
Porter leaves Sandy and Bud in charge while he goes to take care of some business for the day. He even tells them that they can open his mail when it comes. They do as instructed, only to find a check that says "termination pay" on it. Bud and Sandy are distressed about having to leave Coral Key, so they set out to find their father a job. You wouldn't think they could get into any trouble but...
Sandy and Bud took a short cut on the way to their errand and end up in the middle of an active shooting range. While they are stuck there being shot at after their motor is struck, Porter Ricks desperately looks for his boys, then tries to save them from being killed.
A large sting ray has shown up in Coral key park and everyone is afraid of it. Porter is told he must get rid of it - one way or another.
Flipper comes to the rescue of Cap'n Flint (Bud's friend's pet parrot) when the raft the bird is perched on drifts into and explosion zone.
Flipper befriends a young brother and sister who have moved to Coral Quay with their widowed mother.
Flipper and the dog try to get help to two lost children stranded on a deserted island.
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