Wild Kingdom

Overview of original program

The idea for Wild Kingdom came out of conversations in 1962 between zoologist Marlin Perkins and V. J. Skutt, the head of Mutual of Omaha. That insurance company had previously backed Zoo Parade, a show about animals that Perkins hosted from 1952 to 1957. Don Meier, who produced Zoo Parade, is recognized as the one who created Wild Kingdom. Mutual of Omaha provided sponsorship and put its name on the program.

The show earned Emmy Awards for outstanding program achievement in 1966, 1967, 1968, and 1969. In 1970, Liz and Henk Maartens, a couple from Irene, Pretoria, South Africa, won five Emmys for the program—one for camerawork and the rest for production elements. Wild Kingdom first appeared on NBC as a half-hour Sunday show on January 6, 1963, and ran until 1971, when it moved into first-run syndication. As a prime-time syndicated series, it became very popular.

Most episodes after 1971 were reruns, but new installments were made until 1987. After going into syndication, the show collected 41 major honors, including four Emmys from the National Academy of Arts and Sciences and the First Annual Communications Award from the National Wildlife Association. Cameraman Roy Pinney filmed several episodes. Perkins hosted the series for most of its run until health issues forced him to retire in 1985, and his longtime assistant Jim Fowler took over.

The show’s typical setup had Perkins narrating from off-camera while describing Fowler’s on-screen interactions with wild animals. This led to a common parody where Perkins would say he would stay somewhere safe while Jim dealt with a dangerous creature, but Fowler explained in a 1997 interview that Johnny Carson started those jokes in his monologues. Perkins also kept pet chimpanzees in the studio, one named W. K. and another called Mr. Moke.

Controversy

The show faced heavy criticism in a 1982 investigative piece titled "Cruel Camera" by The Fifth Estate, a CBC Television news magazine program, for staging scenes of animal capture or rescue for dramatic effect, which could be construed as cruelty or create undue risk. Several former crew members confirmed that many sequences were staged, such as an episode where a bear was placed in the Florida swamps for production. Perkins denied the allegations on camera, and when pressed by interviewer Bob McKeown, said, "I'd like you to stop your camera right now, please," then punched the reporter in the face.

Revivals

In 2002, a completely new Wild Kingdom, again sponsored by Mutual of Omaha, began airing specials on Animal Planet. The specials proved so popular that in 2005 the network began airing new weekly episodes in the original Sunday night timeslot. On November 3, 2013, Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom premiered as a series of webisodes featuring new host Stephanie Arne, a new format, and new stories, including episodes on coral reefs, American bison, tegus, and California condors.

A second season of webisodes began in July 2014, a third in March 2015, and the fifth and last season was released in 2018. On October 20, 2022, a fourth incarnation—the third regular series revival—was announced with the title Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild, featuring co-hosts Peter Gros (from the original series) and Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant. The new series premiered in October 2023 on NBC as part of the Saturday morning The More You Know educational and informational programming block, produced by Hearst Media Production Group.