Los Angeles TV 1960s

[Cynophile]

Hi,
Does anyone remember a scuba TV show in the L.A. area mid 60s?
there we’re two hosts that narrated the dives they shown. All I can recall was the
opening theme was the song RebelRouser by Duane Eddie. I’m thinking 64-66?
I don’t think they were on any of the network channels. Had to be channel 13, 9, or 11
Thanks

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I recall one syndicated show on KNBC called Territory Underwater, but I can't find any videos of it online. George and Don Brauer made underwater films for the show, if I recall correctly.

​

 

[Sam Miller III]

@Cynophile
I recall responding to this two daya ago via a PM
Or -- was it someone else?

Nevertheless, my answer
It was Territory Underwater which was aired around 65 years ago, in the mid 1950s to veery early 1960s.
FYI I suggest that you google the name -- there is an old SCUBA Board post that has a lot of first-person accounts of the show


Territory Underwater

George & Don Brauer (deceased}
Ski N Dive (long gone)
Main store located on Bellflower Blvd in Downey California
Front was retail, behind was TV production and diving equipment manufacturing

At one time a giant in diving
Expanded to numerous stores in LA area
Early wet suit manufacturer
Very large active club
One of the first to recognize and produce a red & white dive flag patch

Expanded into snow skiing -- over extended had to close all shops

The passing parade of diving

SDM

 

[Cynophile]

Thanks Max and Sam, that was it!
When you mentioned Ski n Dive, that jogged my ever fading memory!
I did PM you Sam, I am new here and haven’t found any message. I’ll have to look in my profile.

 

[Sam Miller III]

@Cynophile
Hombre you gottat start sometime,

A precious few divers, who are now rapidly dwindling in numbers were participants or witness to dive history. Others?--well, if it can't be googled didn't happen,

There is a SCUBA Board thread of over 15 plus years ago, but which is no longer in the SCUBA Board archives, that can be accessed by googling Territory Underwater

It is a very in-depth exchange of witness and participants who were, alive and well during at that era in diving history, but now most are diving in that big reef in the sky

May I suggest that you research that lost thread.
(And if so inclined, repost post it here for all to enjoy)

So many memories of people places and events that shaped modern diving-- Needs persevering now for the future divers,



SDM

 

[Sam Miller III]

@Cynophile

FYI from my file FYI

There are many who in the history of recreational diving have documented the underwater world via the Television camera.

John D Craig, who in 1938 published one of the early bestselling dive books "Danger is my business" presented the first underwater syndicated diving program titled "Kingdom of the sea." in the very early 1950s His side kick on this program was the very young ever lovely Zale Parry

In the mid 1950s two California dive shop owners, Earl Sugarman, and the well-known Florida treasure hunter Mel Fisher, gave California and perhaps other parts of the US a weekly televised dive show, whose name I can't recall at this junction of my life

In the late 1950s and into the early 1960s the very popular "Territory Underwater" appeared on the small B&W screens. It was presented by the Bauer brothers, George and Don. Copies of selected programs were available for a short period by Voit Rubber company prior to the company disappearing into dive dust.

All these programs appeared before NAUI or PADI and were presented by local pioneer LA County Underwater instructors- (the term "SCUBA" was not in common usage-) We were all close social friends and frequent diving companions. Sadly John, Earl, Mel, and George, all LA Co UW Instructors) areare now diving in the big reef in the sky and most of their work has deteriorated to ash and is no longer available.

Then along came Hollywood....

Hugh Downs, a popular TV product pitchman gave us several totally forgettable programs.

Then Sea Hunt ...& Mike Nelson, which so many credit for their entry i into the UW world

Finally, David Wolper presented the Underwater world of JYC,

A few years later National Geographic presented Bobbie Ballard ( The discoverer of the Titanic) --for a short while, with a totally forgettable series. So totally forgettable I can't recall the series title.

Then "Undersea Detectives".. with John & Bobbie which has also disappeared almost as soon as it appeared.

Now Shark week!

SDM

 

[Jared0425]

Don't forget Clive Cusslers Sea Hunters that ran for 2 seasons in the early 2000s. Unfortunately it was soiled by James Delagado's appearance.

 

[Sam Miller III]

Don't forget Clive Cusslers Sea Hunters that ran for 2 seasons in the early 2000s. Unfortunately it was soiled by James Delagado's appearance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
@Jared0425
Appreciate your input.

Please bear in mind the subject was/is "Los Angeles TV 1960s." 2000 ~1960 is a period of 40 years and the mid-west (Detroit) is a long way from Los Angeles, California.

Clive Cussler was a basic diving student of mine and the late Ron Merker. (Also Dr. Bills Basic instructor.) We remained in contact via letters and occasional telephone conversations.

Clive never mentioned he had or there was a TV program titled "Sea Hunters." We did chat about and I have a two-volume set of the books titled "The Sea Hunters."

I am also baffled by the name "James Delagado." How or why was he a component and why are you so concerned over his involvement?

Once again thank you for the heads up!

Cheers from California

SDM III

 

[k4kafka]

Why the LARGE TYPE? I can read ya just fine…

 

[Jared0425]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
@Jared0425
Appreciate your input.

Please bear in mind the subject was/is "Los Angeles TV 1960s." 2000 ~1960 is a period of 40 years and the mid-west (Detroit) is a long way from Los Angeles, California.

Clive Cussler was a basic diving student of mine and the late Ron Merker. (Also Dr. Bills Basic instructor.) We remained in contact via letters and occasional telephone conversations.

Clive never mentioned he had or there was a TV program titled "Sea Hunters." We did chat about and I have a two-volume set of the books titled "The Sea Hunters."

I am also baffled by the name "James Delagado." How or why was he a component and why are you so concerned over his involvement?

Once again thank you for the heads up!

Cheers from California

SDM III

I thought Undersea Detectives was a show from the early 1990s that aired over on your side of the coast and I mentioned Clive Cussler because he was active over there from the late 70s on up. His television program is heavily influenced by the book SeaHunters.

As for James Delagado, I have a strong dislike of his anti-treasure hunter-Diver stance. His presence on modern television programs is distasteful and I believe him and Clive had a testy relationship, but I can't say for certain. Some archeologists don't realize the amount of effort to locate and document a site and believe it is theirs alone to discover.

Getting back on topic, there was a British program in the 60s that dealt with commercial diving around the North Sea. I will look it up and post here when I find it.