Ripley's Believe It or Not! (TV series)
| Ripley's Believe It or Not! | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Pseudoarchaeology |
| Created by | Robert L. Ripley |
| Starring |
Robert L. Ripley • Robert St. John (1949–1950) • Doug Storer • Jack Palance (1982-1986) • Catherine Shirriff (1982–1983) • Holly Palance (1983–1984) • Marie Osmond (1984–1986) • Dean Cain (1999-2003) • Kelly Packard • Gregory Jbara (2000–2003) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production company(s) |
NBC (1949–1950) Haley-Lyon Productions (1982–1986) Rastar (1982-1986) Columbia Pictures Television (1982–1986) Angry Dragon Entertainment (2000-2003) Termite Art Productions (2000-2003) Columbia TriStar Television (2000-2002) Sony Pictures Television (2002-2003) |
| Release | |
| Original network |
NBC (1949–1950) ABC (1982–1986) TBS (2000–2003) |
| Picture format | NTSC |
| Original release | March 1, 1949 – August 20, 2003 |
Ripley's Believe It or Not! is a documentary television series based on the newspaper feature that aired in three incarnations.
The first Believe It or Not TV series, a live show hosted by Robert L. Ripley, premiered on NBC television on March 1, 1949. Shortly after the 13th episode, on May 27, 1949, Ripley died of a heart attack and several of his friends substituted as host, including future Ripley's Believe It or Not! president Doug Storer. Robert St. John served as host from the second season until the series ended on October 5, 1950.
In 1956, ABC Films Syndication had John Gibbs and Meridian Pictures prepare a Ripley's Believe It or Not! television pilot.
Ripley's Believe It or Not! later returned to television in a second series from 1982 to 1986, on the American ABC network. Actor Jack Palance hosted the popular series throughout its run, while three different co-hosts appeared from season to season, including Palance's daughter, Holly Palance, actress Catherine Shirriff, and singer Marie Osmond. The 1980s series reran on the Sci-fi Channel (UK) and Sci-fi Channel (US) during the 1990s.
In December 1998, TBS Superstation was planning 22 hour-long episodes of a new series that would be titled The New Ripley's Believe It or Not, with a planned premiere date in 2000. The new series, simply titled Ripley's Believe It or Not!, premiered on TBS on January 12, 2000, with actor Dean Cain as host. Field correspondent Kelly Packard became a co-host in 2002. Each new episode opens with an act involving the audience. The show also features such regular elements as "Spot the Not," a weekly trivia segment in which viewers are challenged to pick the claim that is not real and a special "Ripley's Record" commemoration for people who break a world record while appearing on the show. Reruns of the new series began airing on The WB in August 2001. Reruns of the 2000 version later began airing on Canada's Space Channel as of 2012. As of 2017, reruns air on Chiller.
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