Animals, Animals, Animals

Show format

Episodes typically began with Hal Linden delivering a monologue about the day's animal subject. Between songs, animated segments, and expert interviews, Linden provided additional exposition. The program examined animals in mythology, art, literature, and biology. Roger Caras supplied information, and Lynn Kellogg performed songs. Zoo personnel and researchers often appeared, with voiceover by Estelle Parsons and Mason Adams.

Show history and production

The series premiered on September 12, 1976, replacing Make a Wish on ABC's Sunday morning schedule. Animated segments were created by Al Lowenheim, Arland Barron, Jeff Melquist, Jim Comstock, Ray Pointer, and Stacey Mann of Lions' Den Studio, and David Labelle of David Labelle Animation Studios. In 1981, Animals, Animals, Animals was replaced by This Week with David Brinkley, ending ABC's Sunday morning children's programming that began with Discovery in the 1960s.

Series creator Lester Cooper convinced Hal Linden to host by describing the show as a Sherwood Schwartz-like educational series. Linden, who initially expected only to narrate, requested involvement in live-action portions. He noted being chewed by a camel, crawled over by a tarantula, butted by a bull, clawed by an eagle, wrestled by an alligator, and urinated upon by many creatures. Linden accepted because he felt the show was not an insult to children.

Taping could be taxing due to on-location filming, but Linden was prepared from long Barney Miller taping sessions. He lamented that the show was often preempted for baseball due to its 11:30 am timeslot. Cooper aimed to make the program educational and appealing, approaching each creature from its place in history, mythology, literature, art, and music.

Reception

The series won Emmys for four consecutive years and the Peabody Award, including the 1978 Emmy for Outstanding Children's Informational Series. It also received the Action for Children's Television ACT Prize. The New York Times' Carol Rinzler found Hal Linden's demeanor depressed and called the show boring, boring, boring. Los Angeles Times columnist Cecil Smith praised Lynn Kellogg's songs as charming and described Linden as the soul of the show, with easy charm, wry wit, and a naivete matching his youngest viewers.