I grew up with the original Lassie TV program. A person's best friend is a dog. The innocence and love is always heartfelt. The TV series lasted 19 wonderful years. Inasmuch as The New Lassie is its sequel, I need briefly review its predecessor.
We never met Lassie's original owner. However, there were at least four families we witnessed Lassie living with, more if you include change of actors for some characters, plus one season by herself. Viewers of the whole differ over which they preferred.
My favorite was the first: the Miller family with Jeff, his mother Ellen, and his gramps. Others were partial to little Timmy, who before being adopted by Ruth and Paul Martin, lived with Jeff's family. Some liked the various Forest Rangers. When on her own, Lassie felt a bit lonely as did we, but she was discovered by the caring Holden Ranch clan which she and we admired.
But looking at the whole, when it ended it was incomplete. You see, in life, we want to feel we've completed a process, sometimes returning to our roots. In the case of Lassie, that meant reuniting with Jeff Miller. (Lassie's character was portrayed by different collies over the course of the series, but was supposedly the same ageless dog throughout.)
The New Lassie premiered in 1989. The beginning of each episode reprises the famous whistle of the Martin saga, then updates to a truly haunting piece of music highlighting a cast including Jon Provost, the now adult Timmy staying with the McColloughs. It takes over two years to reach the finale, where both Timmy and Lassie reunite with their long lost friend, Jeff, replayed by Tommy Rettig. (In this program, Lassie is a descendant of the first series canine appearing to have similar memories.) I can only surmise that Tommy felt elated returning to his TV series roots. The actor passed away only a few years later, at least having experienced the chance to do so.
One hopes that the entire Lassie and The New Lassie series will be transferred to DVD, rather than searching channels to find an occasional episode. Comparing the beautiful music and stories of each segment of Lassie together with The New Lassie would constitute an inspirational journey.
I'm writing this on Thanksgiving Day 2014, thankful for the opportunity to express these thoughts and feelings.
We never met Lassie's original owner. However, there were at least four families we witnessed Lassie living with, more if you include change of actors for some characters, plus one season by herself. Viewers of the whole differ over which they preferred.
My favorite was the first: the Miller family with Jeff, his mother Ellen, and his gramps. Others were partial to little Timmy, who before being adopted by Ruth and Paul Martin, lived with Jeff's family. Some liked the various Forest Rangers. When on her own, Lassie felt a bit lonely as did we, but she was discovered by the caring Holden Ranch clan which she and we admired.
But looking at the whole, when it ended it was incomplete. You see, in life, we want to feel we've completed a process, sometimes returning to our roots. In the case of Lassie, that meant reuniting with Jeff Miller. (Lassie's character was portrayed by different collies over the course of the series, but was supposedly the same ageless dog throughout.)
The New Lassie premiered in 1989. The beginning of each episode reprises the famous whistle of the Martin saga, then updates to a truly haunting piece of music highlighting a cast including Jon Provost, the now adult Timmy staying with the McColloughs. It takes over two years to reach the finale, where both Timmy and Lassie reunite with their long lost friend, Jeff, replayed by Tommy Rettig. (In this program, Lassie is a descendant of the first series canine appearing to have similar memories.) I can only surmise that Tommy felt elated returning to his TV series roots. The actor passed away only a few years later, at least having experienced the chance to do so.
One hopes that the entire Lassie and The New Lassie series will be transferred to DVD, rather than searching channels to find an occasional episode. Comparing the beautiful music and stories of each segment of Lassie together with The New Lassie would constitute an inspirational journey.
I'm writing this on Thanksgiving Day 2014, thankful for the opportunity to express these thoughts and feelings.