Ripcord (TV series)

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"Ripcord" was an American syndicated television series that ran for 76 episodes from 1961 to 1963.

It was about a skydiving operation by the same name. It starred Larry Pennell (who was also seen as "Dash Riprock" on "The Beverly Hillbillies") as "Ted McKeever" and Ken Curtis (who later became famous as "Festus" on "Gunsmoke") as "Jim Buckley". Shug Fisher, the second of two people who portrayed the pilot, also turned up in later episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies playing the role of "Shorty Kellems". Guest stars on the show included such actors as Lee Van Cleef, Denver Pyle, and Harry Carey Jr.

The premise was a variety of adventures surrounding the new sport of skydiving. As skydivers, the two are placed in unusual situations where their special skills and abilities are demanded. This leads them on weekly adventures from chasing bad guys to performing daring, if not occasionally absurd rescues.

This series also helped to inspire the first widespread interest in skydiving (often called parachuting back then) as a sport.^{[citation needed]} This show is a great look back into the infancy of the sport.

The show also sponsored a Ripcord toy consisting of a large plastic parachute with a skydiver figure attached to it which kids would throw up in the air and watch it open and float to the ground. It was a big seller.