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High Adventure (TV series)

High Adventure with Lowell Thomas is an American TV series presented by Lowell Thomas. It ran on CBS from 1957 to 1959. Some episodes were made by the Australian producer Lee Robinson.[1]

One of these was called "Australian Outback". It involved the search for the explorer Lasseter. Robinson claimed he found Lasseter's bones. He was charged with an offence by the government but charges were dropped.[2][3]

Footage from this episode was later used in the 1979 documentary The Legend of Lasseter.[4]

Reruns of the series were shown on CBS from June 16, 1964, through September 15, 1964. They were seen on Tuesdays from 8 to 9 p.m. Eastern Time.[5]

Episodes

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  1. New Guinea (12 Nov 1957)[6]
  2. Top of the World (23 Dec. 1957)
  3. Africa (22 Jan. 1958)
  4. Tibet (25 Feb. 1958)
  5. Australian Outback (24 Mar. 1958)
  6. Tiger Hunt: India Assam (19 Apr. 1958)
  7. Morocco (28 May 1958)
  8. The Last Frontier (8 Oct. 1958) - Exploration of Alaskia[7]
  9. Mountains of the Moon (6 Dec. 1958) - Explored the Rwenzori Mountains in the Belgian Congo.[8]
  10. Danger Island (22 Jan. 1959) - "Unusual sights and sounds" of Madagascar.[9]
  11. The Sinbad Story (27 Mar. 1959) - Traveled from the Persian Gulf to Zanzibar on an old Arab dhow with use of old methods of navigation.[10]

Production

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Thomas was the executive producer, Gil Ralston was the producer, and Milton Fruchtman was the executive director.[11] General Motors sponsored the show at a cost of more than $200,000 per episode. It was broadcast as specials in several time slots, pre-empting "top hour shows".[12]

Critical response

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A review of the premiere episode in The New York Times said that parts of it were "interesting and informative footage", while other parts formed "a rather primitive travelogue, superficial in its approach ..."[6] It called the series a "sound idea" but added the hope that future episodes would contain "greater substance and depth".[6]

The trade publication Billboard's review of the first episode said that it was designed for fans of action magazines, with little effort devoted to in-depth coverage. It said that some of the scenes were "neatly caught and striking".[13] In contrast, it added, "much of the footage, brilliant when viewed in color on a big projection screen, looked small and ordinary in the usual black and white of TV".[13] Commercials were called "truly outstanding".[13]

A review of the final episode in The New York Times said, "The 3,500-mile voyage made a fascinating finale" for the series.[10] The review called Thomas's commentary "commendably informative" and said that the episode had "no obvious staging of incidents, such as have marked other shows in the series."[10]

References

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  1. ^ "Continuum". wwwmcc.murdoch.edu.au. Retrieved Sep 23, 2019.
  2. ^ "Lasseter's Bones Charge Dropped". The Canberra Times. 21 February 1958. p. 3. Retrieved 30 August 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "The Age - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved Sep 23, 2019.
  4. ^ "The Sydney Morning Herald - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved Sep 23, 2019.
  5. ^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1999). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (7th ed.). New York: The Ballentine Publishing Group. p. 445. ISBN 0-345-42923-0.
  6. ^ a b c Gould, Jack (November 13, 1957). "TV: Superficial Journey: Lowell Thomas Presents First of His New Series--A Trip to New Guinea 'The White Hunter'". The New York Times. p. 71. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  7. ^ Shanley, John P. (October 9, 1958). "Lowell Thomas' First 'High Adventure'". The New York Times. p. 74. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  8. ^ "TV: A Trip to the Congo: Lowell Thomas' 'High Adventure' Focuses on Unusual Personalities of Area". The New York Times. December 8, 1958. p. 63. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  9. ^ Shanley, J. P. (January 23, 1958). "Madagascar Visit: Sights and Sounds of the Island Are Highlights of Lowell Thomas Film". The New York Times. p. 55. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Shepard, Richard P. (March 28, 1959). "TV Review: Lowell Thomas Offers Last 'High Adventure'". The New York Times. p. 35. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  11. ^ Shepard, Richard F. (November 10, 1957). "Far from Broadway: 'High Adventure With Lowell Thomas' Looks High amd Low for New Fare Moving Problems". The New York Times. p. 157. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  12. ^ "'Adventure' Protopye Drumes C-E Business". Billboard. November 4, 1957. p. 8. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c Sinclair, Charles (November 18, 1957). "'High Adventure' Bow Fascinating and Faulty". Billboard. p. 14. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
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