Classic TV: Ripley's Believe it or Not! (1982)

Robert L. Ripley's long running Ripley's Believe it or Not! made its television debut 70 years ago, transitioning from radio, as many before it had. However, this first series, airing on NBC, lasted a year. Ripley passed away during the season, necessitating the use of guest hosts for the rest of the term. The series had also been a comic strip, appearing in several newspapers, for many years.

In 1981, producer Jack Haley, Jr., one of the folks behind the "That's Entertainment!" movies in the 70's, obtained the rights to develop another TV series based on Ripley's. A pilot aired on ABC in May 1981, bringing Jack Palance (ex-Bronk) back to television. As it turned out, Ripley's would solve ABC's Sunday night problems over the course of four seasons (1982-6), while Palance had three different co-hosts over that span, including his daughter, Holly, and singer-actress Marie Osmond.

This sample entry comes from 1983.

In 1999, a French animation studio tried to adapt Ripley's as an adventure series aimed at kids, but managed only 26 episodes for the then-Fox Family Channel (now Freeform). A year later, Sony revived the live-action series, with Dean Cain (ex-Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman) as host, and lasted three seasons on TBS.

Next month, Ripley's returns, with the fourth live-action series in this country. Actor-producer Bruce Campbell is the series host this time, and the series shifts over to the Travel Channel for 10 weeks.

The 1982 version merits an A. My folks alternated between this and Voyagers! during the latter's lone season.