Shark Bytes

The show totally jumped the shark when Mingo left, but actually it began to jump with the beginning of the 4th season when Israel Boone was suddenly the focus of every other episode.

The episode when it jumped the shark was when Daniel was wounded by Indians and Israel had to help Daniel get back to Rebecca, with Daniel being weak and saying, "No, Israel, I can't make it!"

It was totally out of character for Daniel, and was ridiculous that a boy so young could rescue his dad from the Indians, fight off a mountain lion, and so on.

The show jumped the shark in the 4th season when Jemimah disappeared off the show. Not BECAUSE she disappeared but it just so happened that during the 4th season the scripts became more unbelievable and Mingo seemed to be in less episodes and Dan's son Israel began taking too much of a front seat.

Specifically, it jumped the shark when Israel saved Dan's life after Dan was attacked by Indians. Actually they had TWO episodes dealing with Israel saving Dan's life - both of which were very far-fetched and made Dan look weak.

Seasons 2 and 3 are great, though!

This show is one of the best i have seen in my 27 years. I watch it everyday on the "good life" channel. People these days could learn a thing or two from the show!

The dynamics between Fess Parker and Ed Ames had a Kirk ad Spock quality to it that was never recreated after Ames left the show. I enjoyed Alber Salami in season 1 as well (Sort of the Dr. McCoy of this trio). As Daniel Boone went along the episodes became more routine but many of the shows in the first 4 seasons are wonderful and totally relavant to today's audience. I dare anyone to watch Pompey and not feel moved. It was a thoughtful presentation of a very difficult situation - slavery.

My favorite episode is My Brother's Keeper. Ed Ames has to be one of the sexiest guys ever to appear on TV and anyone who doubts this just has to watch this episode.

I'm glad I can see the show again on DVD!

I suppose Daniel Boone in its day was a very good show and it had and still has very catchy theme music, but when Tvland had it on for a very short run not that long ago, it looked very out of place and I don't think that show could ever draw sustainable ratings in this day and age. Perhaps they had just aired it for the DVD release. I don't know, but what I do know is that TVLand didn't take long to pull it from their schedule.

As a history teacher, I don't look at this show for its historical accuracy, as there is very little of that. However, it was a favorite of mine as a child and now I am delighted to rush home from school and catch it on Harvest Television (I think - I just know it's 321 on Direct TV). The moral lessons it teaches are invaluable. At any rate, I loved Daniel and Mingo and lost interest after Ed Ames left. I also always thought that Patricia Blair was so pretty. I wanted to look like her when I grew up. Oh well.

I don't know why this show doesn't hae a lot more positive reviews!
This show was really a great show for kids and families!
Now, I am not a family guy, I have no kids, and am not a Republican or a Puritan. But we need shows that have good values and that show people how to be honest and brave and trustworthy and basically "good people". If that's corny, well, then we've really come too far down the wrong road!

This show was really good, with good acting and good scripts and good values!

I agree with those folks who cite "Mingo's" departure as the downfall of the show. Ed Ames was a decent actor and a fine singer. His "Mingo" offered one of the few portrayals of an Indian on 60's television that wasn't utterly demeaning.

In the episode where he and his daughter (Rebecca?) were standing in the woods, he announced that he was giving her that land. He proceeded to mark out the area for her with his trusty hatchet. Good ol' Daniel misses the tree and sinks the hatchet in his own leg. The rest of the show was about Rebecca trying to help her dad. Daniel Boone, woodsman extraordinaire, whacked his own leg with a hatchet.

I could never understand how these backwoods people kept themselves so well groomed. Daniel never needed a shave, his teeth were white as snow, and his wife's hair was so perfect. Also, the stories were a shameful misrepresentation of history. In short, total B.S.

Really missed Ed Ames when he left. I will never forget the amazing skill in tomahawk throwing that he displayed for Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show. His aim for the man shaped silhouette was slightly low and he nailed it right in the crotch. I don't think the audience ever laughed so long. That would have been a helluva tactic to use against rampaging enemies in a Daniel Boone episode.

When Albert Salmi left as a co-star. He wasn't there all that long to begin with but the show wasn't that good and got worse after Salmi, a very good actor by the way. When Rosie Grier sang a very hip and soulful version of "Yankee Doodle" the show finally tanked.

Daniel Boone jumped in later years when Fess Parker, for whatever reason, frequently appeared at the beginning and again at the end of an episode, leaving the supporting cast (frequently Jimmy Dean) to carry the show. Contract problems? Poor scripting? Your guess is as good as mine. Whenever this happened, Daniel Boone was as interesting as Mayberry RFD (no Andy Taylor).

The real Daniel Boone bore absolutely *no* resemblance to Fess Parker's portrayal of him. The real Daniel Boone was about 5'1", had red hair, and *never* wore a coon-skin cap as he was allergic to coon-skin. To see the real Daniel Boone, view his portrait at: http://www.pastseeker.com/boone/images/dbpic2.jpg I agree with the other posters: Mingo was the only really decent part of the show. The portrayals of other Native American Indians were downright derogatory.

Daniel Boone was a great show but it did jump when Ed Ames (Mingo) departed the series. The show tried both Jimmy Dean and Rosie Grier as replacements for the Daniel Boone sidekick role but they never worked out.