# Bring 'Em Back Alive (TV series)

Bring 'Em Back Alive is an adventure television series starring Bruce Boxleitner, Cindy Morgan, and Ron O'Neal.

## Premise

Frank Buck is a big game trapper and collector of wild animals who works out of the Raffles Hotel bar in Singapore during the 1930s, fighting a range of villains in pre-war Malaya. He is assisted in his adventures by U.S. Consul Gloria Marlowe, and Ali, Buck's friend and number-one boy.

## Cast

* Bruce Boxleitner as Frank Buck, big game trapper and collector of wild animals
* Cindy Morgan as Gloria Marlowe, United States Consul, Singapore
* Clyde Kusatsu as Ali, Buck's friend and number-one boy
* Ron O'Neal as H.H., His Royal Highness, the Sultan of Johore
* Sean McClory as Myles Delaney, manager of the Raffles Hotel
* John A. Zee as G.B. Von Turgo, smuggler and kingpin of the Singapore underworld
* Harvey Jason as Bhundi
* George Lazenby as Captain Hayward, Head of the Palace Guard

## Production

The show was based on a 1930 book, Bring 'Em Back Alive, written by well-known big-game trapper Frank Buck. Buck appeared in several movies, including a 1932 adaptation of the book, and is remembered by serial fans as the star of Jungle Menace. Set in Singapore, it was one of several shows, along with the likes of Tales of the Gold Monkey, to try to capitalize on the public's renewed interest in old adventure serials catalyzed by the cinematic success of Raiders of the Lost Ark. The show often hearkened back to the cliffhanger endings of serial installments by having a cliffhanger before a commercial such as Buck's truck literally going off a cliff, then after the commercial break showing him jumping from the truck before it went over. Bruce Boxleitner and Cindy Morgan were cast after having co-starred together in the Walt Disney Productions feature film Tron the same year.

## Broadcast

The series was shown in the United States from September 1982 to May 1983. The television series lasted only 17 episodes before being cancelled because of low ratings. The show was scheduled against NBC's top-10 hit The A-Team, and ABC's top-30 hits Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley.

## Episodes

| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 1 | "Bring 'Em Back Alive" | E.W. Swackhamer | Story by : George Schenck & Frank Cardea Teleplay by : George Schenck & Frank Cardea & Tom Sawyer | September 24, 1982 (1982-09-24) |
| 2 | "Seven Keys to Singapore" | Bob Kelljan | Tom Sawyer | September 28, 1982 (1982-09-28) |
| 3 | "There's One Born Every Minute" | Paul Krasny | George Schenck & Frank Cardea | October 5, 1982 (1982-10-05) |
| 4 | "The Reel World of Frank Buck" | Don Weis | B. W. Sandefur | October 12, 1982 (1982-10-12) |
| 5 | "The Pied Piper" | Mike Vejar | Story by : Hamilton Berg Teleplay by : Hamilton Berg & Arthur Weingarten | October 19, 1982 (1982-10-19) |
| 6 | "The Warlord" | Bob Sweeney | Billy Marks | October 26, 1982 (1982-10-26) |
| 7 | "Thirty Hours" | Paul Krasny | Juliet Law Packer | November 16, 1982 (1982-11-16) |
| 8 | "Wilmer Bass and the Serengeti Kid" | Bruce Bilson | Story by : Bill Kelley Teleplay by : B.W. Sandefur | November 23, 1982 (1982-11-23) |
| 9 | "Escape from Kampoon" | Paul Kransky | Tim Maschler | November 30, 1982 (1982-11-30) |
| 10 | "The Best of Enemies" | Nicholas Sgarro | Ira Steven Behr | December 7, 1982 (1982-12-07) |
| 11 | "To Kill a Princess" | George McCowan | Story by : Bob Moloney & Scott Miller Teleplay by : B.W. Sandefur & Arthur Weingarten | January 8, 1983 (1983-01-08) |
| 12 | "Bones of Contention" | Peter H. Hunt | Story by : Bob Shayne & Tim Maschler Teleplay by : Tim Maschler | January 15, 1983 (1983-01-15) |
| 13 | "A Switch in Time" | George McCowan | Arthur Weingarten | January 22, 1983 (1983-01-22) |
| 14 | "The Shadow Women of Chung Tai" | Peter H. Hunt | B.W. Sandefur | January 29, 1983 (1983-01-29) |
| 15 | "The Hostage" | Paul Krasny | Steven Thornley | February 12, 1983 (1983-02-12) |
| 16 | "Dead Run" | Reza Badiyi | Tim Maschler | February 19, 1983 (1983-02-19) |
| 17 | "Storm Warning" | Joel Oliansky | George Schenck & Frank Cardea | May 31, 1983 (1983-05-31) |

## Ratings

| Season | Episodes | Start Date | End Date | Nielsen Rank | Nielsen Rating | Tied With |
| 1982–83 | 17 | September 24, 1982 | May 31, 1983 | 82 | N/A | N/A |