Bruce Boxleitner suited up in his EarthForce uniform in “Babylon 5,” but before that, he traversed the jungle in a pith helmet and jodhpurs.
After the box office success of 1981’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” television networks were apparently scrambling to find their answer to Indiana Jones. CBS’ “Raiders” substitute took the form of 1982’s swashbuckling adventure series “Bring ‘Em Back Alive.”
The show starred a mustached Boxleitner as Frank Buck, a legendary real-life adventurer and wild-animal trader whose 1930 memoir and 1932 documentary feature — both titled “Bring ‘Em Back Alive”– inspired the series. Set in 1939 Singapore, the plot followed Buck as he balanced his time between collecting exotic animals for zoos and clashing with a colorful range of villains, from underworld kingpins and dangerous smugglers to Nazi agents and Japanese spies.
Bring ‘Em Back Alive isn’t forgotten by everyone…
Based out of Singapore’s iconic Raffles Hotel, Buck was often roped into missions by the spunky and sharp-witted U.S. Consul Gloria Marlowe, played by Bruce Boxleitner’s “Tron” co-star Cindy Morgan. The cast of sidekicks included veteran actor Clyde Kusatsu as Buck’s loyal right-hand man, Ali, and “Super Fly” star Ron O’Neal as H.H., the Sultan of Johore — a role far more flamboyant and straitlaced compared to the Youngblood Priest character he’s famous for.
While the show was seemingly high on production value, it was low on longevity. “Bring ‘Em Back Alive” sent its fans on a total of 17 adventures with Buck before its cancellation due to poor ratings in 1983. But it still has some admirers, and it currently holds a satisfactory 7.1 rating on IMDb. One review from user cariart said Boxleitner was “fabulous” as Frank Buck, describing his performance as “swaggering and charismatic,” while observing that the star was “obviously enjoying himself.”
User Rob008 said Boxleitner “does a great job bringing Frank Buck to life,” adding, “I would love to see it released on DVD.” Unfortunately, “Bring ‘Em Back Alive” has never had an official home video release and, as of this writing, it is not available on any major streaming platforms. However, you can watch all 17 episodes on the Internet Archive.