I watched this show on weekday afternoons when I was in third grade or so. It apparently went to reruns just after its cancellation. I came here looking for Christmas episodes of old shows. I remember a Whirlybirds episode called Christmas in June, when a little girl named Barbara wanted the guys to take her to the North Pole to ask Santa to bring home her father, unknown to her just out of prison. Last time I saw Ken Tobey was playing a judge on an LA Law episode in the 1980s.
I remember an episode in which they were giving a guy a lift who complained about the noise the helicopter was making. So the pilot just flicked a switch and suddenly the aircraft went much quieter. Even as an 8-year-old, I recall thinking "Why don't they have that switch flicked ALL the time?..."
Like so many others here, this was my favorite t.v. show when I was a kid! Often wondered if it would ever be replayed on t.v. like Mr Ed and so many others of its time, but it has never turned up. Thanks for the memories!
It's really really strange seeing these old shows again. There was a time, I think, when they were distant memories we thought never to be seen again. But with the digital age and the rise of the Internet, here they are. It brings back a flood of memories. Amazing.
"Longwood Field" was located in Verdemont, CA., north of San Bernadino. "N975B" was the fictitious registration number issued to Desilu Productions for the helicopter. These same numbers can be seen in the famous "I Love Lucy" episode where she missed the cruise ship to Europe and was lowered onto the deck of the ship from a Bell 'copter. The mock-up was the same that was used in the Whirlybirds series. Ken Tobey was a great character actor who made a lot of movies. I remember him in "Airplane."
most of the success of this show came from its rousing "to the rescue" theme song and the fact that helicopters were not that common a sight in the era of production.
This was one of my mom's favorite shows when she was a kid. Would love to check it out sometime. I like Kenneth Tobey. I read there were 111 episodes in just its three seasons! Jeez, these days it usually takes about midway through the fifth season for a show it reach its 100th anniversary. They used to crank out a lot more episodes for shows back in the '50s. Nowadays there are too much hiatuses during a season.
I met Toby (Chuck) in real life years ago and told him to his face. He admitted to have never lifted his chopper from the ground, he has no clue of what does what in a helicopter, "he was my hero", I even bought a Bell 47 so in love I was with this show.
@pygusso My all time favorite show when I was a kid. I always wanted to be a helicopter pilot. I've looked into it recently, but it's so god awful expensive I'll have to stay on terra firma.
Loved these episodes when I was a kid, but didn't realize until recently their subsequent positive influence on the Viet Nam experience. The creative use of helicopers to solve practical problems illustrated in those TV programs were absorbed by many young men who later became helicoper pilots in the Viet Nam conflict. Sometimes God works in strange ways! Lee Weatherby, University of DaNang AB, class of 71-72.
6P.M. every Sunday night,then Daniel Boone,right into the Wonderful World of Disney...sitting around a 13 inch Admiral TV with a bowl of ice cream and the family.I got the snapshot right here in my head.
Used to watch it on Saturday mornings in the UK about 1970/71. I'm on the lookout for the series on DVD. I think it's available somewhere on recorded DVD. Any clues?
One of my favorite episodes is the one where a rich heiress hires the guys to help her on a scavanger hunt. She keeps encountering danger along the way. Of course. too bad TVLand doesn't air shows like this anymore. And I don't know what happened to this one channel that showed shows like F Troop and Welcome Back Kotter. Comcast no longer carries that one or maybe they went out of business. Hope not!
@aliakatmom You can see from this clip that ken tobey ios great with dialog he was in movies with john wayne gregory peck he starred in the thing played an irish priest in hunter and a mde for tv movie the death squad [ my uncle was in the air force ] .
"A blast from the past,'"indeed - from a time when we were establishing 'The American Century' and were the 'can-do' nation. It would be truly wonderful were a cable station established that specialized in vintage series such as this one - and others too numerous to list ( "Science Fiction Theatre," "The Defenders" and "The Troubleshooters," to name but three). [Trivia: Kenneth Tobey may be best remembered as Capt. Patrick Hendry in Howard Hawks' 1951 classic, "The Thing (From Another World)."]
I watched this show on weekday afternoons when I was in third grade or so. It apparently went to reruns just after its cancellation. I came here looking for Christmas episodes of old shows. I remember a Whirlybirds episode called Christmas in June, when a little girl named Barbara wanted the guys to take her to the North Pole to ask Santa to bring home her father, unknown to her just out of prison. Last time I saw Ken Tobey was playing a judge on an LA Law episode in the 1980s.
CarolinaNIM 2 months ago in playlist Old TV favourites
craig hill is still around made some spaghetti westerns married to teresa gimpera but i hear he's not in good health at the moment bless him.
MultiOmegan 2 months ago
I remember an episode in which they were giving a guy a lift who complained about the noise the helicopter was making. So the pilot just flicked a switch and suddenly the aircraft went much quieter. Even as an 8-year-old, I recall thinking "Why don't they have that switch flicked ALL the time?..."
justlettersandnumber 4 months ago
The predicessor to Airwolf.
jet310 6 months ago
Like so many others here, this was my favorite t.v. show when I was a kid! Often wondered if it would ever be replayed on t.v. like Mr Ed and so many others of its time, but it has never turned up. Thanks for the memories!
Patracat 6 months ago
It's really really strange seeing these old shows again. There was a time, I think, when they were distant memories we thought never to be seen again. But with the digital age and the rise of the Internet, here they are. It brings back a flood of memories. Amazing.
JetMechMA 6 months ago
"Longwood Field" was located in Verdemont, CA., north of San Bernadino. "N975B" was the fictitious registration number issued to Desilu Productions for the helicopter. These same numbers can be seen in the famous "I Love Lucy" episode where she missed the cruise ship to Europe and was lowered onto the deck of the ship from a Bell 'copter. The mock-up was the same that was used in the Whirlybirds series. Ken Tobey was a great character actor who made a lot of movies. I remember him in "Airplane."
DaveWVideo 6 months ago
most of the success of this show came from its rousing "to the rescue" theme song and the fact that helicopters were not that common a sight in the era of production.
diddymuck 6 months ago
This was one of my favorite TV shows back in the day.
thundercloud47 7 months ago
craig hill went on to make many spaghetti westerns and many films in europe.
MultiOmegan 8 months ago
I never missed an episode of this show. Thanks for the memories!
ZoneIII 8 months ago
Tobey, R.I.P. very underrated actor.
viewingut 8 months ago
This was one of my mom's favorite shows when she was a kid. Would love to check it out sometime. I like Kenneth Tobey. I read there were 111 episodes in just its three seasons! Jeez, these days it usually takes about midway through the fifth season for a show it reach its 100th anniversary. They used to crank out a lot more episodes for shows back in the '50s. Nowadays there are too much hiatuses during a season.
MikeAM78 9 months ago
Thanks for this; some wonderful old character actors in the episode, including a couple I recognise from "The Untouchables".
chiefchook 9 months ago
Chuck and P.T. ruined my whole life:
I am a helicopter pilot because of them
I met Toby (Chuck) in real life years ago and told him to his face. He admitted to have never lifted his chopper from the ground, he has no clue of what does what in a helicopter, "he was my hero", I even bought a Bell 47 so in love I was with this show.
pygusso 9 months ago
@pygusso My all time favorite show when I was a kid. I always wanted to be a helicopter pilot. I've looked into it recently, but it's so god awful expensive I'll have to stay on terra firma.
hemming57 9 months ago
Fabulous! favourite series along with Fireball XL5 and super car.
BuddLightbrain 9 months ago
Loved these episodes when I was a kid, but didn't realize until recently their subsequent positive influence on the Viet Nam experience. The creative use of helicopers to solve practical problems illustrated in those TV programs were absorbed by many young men who later became helicoper pilots in the Viet Nam conflict. Sometimes God works in strange ways! Lee Weatherby, University of DaNang AB, class of 71-72.
LeeWeatherby 10 months ago
6P.M. every Sunday night,then Daniel Boone,right into the Wonderful World of Disney...sitting around a 13 inch Admiral TV with a bowl of ice cream and the family.I got the snapshot right here in my head.
DangerBird 10 months ago
Used to watch it on Saturday mornings in the UK about 1970/71. I'm on the lookout for the series on DVD. I think it's available somewhere on recorded DVD. Any clues?
solstice1962 11 months ago
One of my favourite shows as a Kid. Thanks for post
ewaf88 1 year ago
The pilot is on the wrong side
CarMoves 1 year ago
Tobey was fabulous in "The Thing" .
MaryF57 1 year ago
@MaryF57 Yes, he certainly was. He lead a highly visible life in his chose field. But whatever became of his sidekick, Craig Hill (P.T.)?
ccaammiiittoo1 1 year ago
@ccaammiiittoo1 He lives in Spain and became a TV producer
hemming57 9 months ago
@MaryF57 Yes he was, he made the movie.
viewingut 8 months ago
One of my favorite episodes is the one where a rich heiress hires the guys to help her on a scavanger hunt. She keeps encountering danger along the way. Of course. too bad TVLand doesn't air shows like this anymore. And I don't know what happened to this one channel that showed shows like F Troop and Welcome Back Kotter. Comcast no longer carries that one or maybe they went out of business. Hope not!
sallyjosie 1 year ago
Great show! I joined the Air Force because of this show - then found out the Army flies the helicopters!
aliakatmom 1 year ago
@aliakatmom You can see from this clip that ken tobey ios great with dialog he was in movies with john wayne gregory peck he starred in the thing played an irish priest in hunter and a mde for tv movie the death squad [ my uncle was in the air force ] .
spacepatrolman 1 year ago
My fascination of the helicopter started when I watched this series as a child and wouldn't I just love a ride in a 47 today.
MrVideoRater1 1 year ago
"A blast from the past,'"indeed - from a time when we were establishing 'The American Century' and were the 'can-do' nation. It would be truly wonderful were a cable station established that specialized in vintage series such as this one - and others too numerous to list ( "Science Fiction Theatre," "The Defenders" and "The Troubleshooters," to name but three). [Trivia: Kenneth Tobey may be best remembered as Capt. Patrick Hendry in Howard Hawks' 1951 classic, "The Thing (From Another World)."]
AJNorth 1 year ago
Although this show aired before my time, I'd love to see a DVD boxed set of all 111 episodes. Great Show.
DanBell47 1 year ago
Blimey forgot about these guys! Bring on the summer holidays.................
luton69 1 year ago
holy smoke ,every saturday morning this show was on i loved it, a true blast from the past , i love utube
SIRSMITH08 1 year ago
i loved this show !!!!
newall7 1 year ago
Great stuff from Desilu - classic Bell helicopter, and the wonderful trooper Kenneth Tobey who was one of Holywood's most recognisable faces.
CinnAlla 1 year ago
PT and Chuck! My favourite show as a kid!
bhoyardee 1 year ago
What I would have given then and now to fly one of those!
Nickcat5 1 year ago
Ah. What memories.
AbuAvital 2 years ago