RETRO TELEVISION
The
Amazing
Cheryl Miller
‘She rides lions and pushes tigers around and isn’t even afraid of snakes!’ BY SUSAN BAILEY WITH KEN LYNCH
At ten years old, I wanted to be Paula Tracy of Daktari. I could not imagine a more exciting life than protecting and caring for wild animals in Africa. The idea of being in the great outdoors, driving a jeep, riding a lion, and cuddling baby animals was intoxicating. Her story was not typical “girl” stuff—Paula, played by actress Cheryl Miller, spoke to the animal and nature-loving tomboy in me. Every Tuesday from 7:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m., I was glued to the TV, watching my heroine in her latest adventure. What would Paula, Dr. Tracy, Jack, and Mike encounter along the way in their efforts to protect the animals—poachers, fires, floods, rhinos, leopards, alligators? All, and then some! But it wasn’t all drama. The hijinks of exotic beasts at the compound, especially Judy the Chimp and Clarence, the Cross-Eyed Lion, provided loads of fun. They were the real stars of the show. Through Paula’s escapades on Daktari, I saw a different kind of girl, physically strong with skills, guts, and resourcefulness. Thanks to Miller’s characterization of Paula, I had a role model. I soon became an enormous lifelong fan of Cheryl Miller and Daktari. With the help of a weekly allowance and a bicycle, I collected every picture and article I could find on Cheryl and Daktari. I frequently rode my bike to stores in the area, where I spent long and happy hours poring over movie magazines. I ordered glossies from Stephen Sally and Jeri of Hollywood; to this day, I still get a thrill from receiving large brown envelopes in the mail. I covered my bedroom wall with my treasures. That Christmas, my parents gave me a scrapbook hoping I would clean off that wall, which I did. I cherished that scrapbook and kept it throughout my life.
CREATING A FOREVER SCRAPBOOK FOR DAKTARI
I am now in my sixties, and my “Wameru” consists of three house cats I adore. I didn’t become Paula, choosing instead to write, but I still love the outdoors. And I remain a Daktari fan. In 2013, I lost my beloved scrapbook. Heartbroken, I turned to the Internet to rebuild my collection. I started a website, Daktari TV Show (https://daktaritvshow.wordpress.com/), thinking others might appreciate such a collection. Quickly I connected with many diehard fans worldwide, including Ken Lynch from Australia, Patrick Sansano from France, and Walter Steeman from the Netherlands. Their expertise and tireless efforts to compile an episode guide and find long-lost photos, videos, and other information have built Daktari TV Show into a popular website with tens of thousands of views each year. I have more pictures now than I can count! All because I had lost my scrapbook (which I finally found two years ago, to my great delight).
RECOLLECTIONS OF DAKTARI
Actress Cheryl Miller in a publicity still from the 1965 pre-Daktari movie release, Clarence the Cross-Eyed Lion. © 1965 MGM. Courtesy of Susan Bailey.
Lynch writes, “Daktari first aired in Australia in late 1966 or early 1967 when I was 12. I loved action-adventure stories and the African landscape at the time, so it was perfect for me. The developing relationship between the Jack and Paula characters was also an added attraction, probably normal interest for a boy about to become a teenager.” Steeman first watched the show on Dutch and German TV when he was four. “I remember most Clarence and his crossed eyes and the funny chimp, Judy,” he said. He admitted to being scared when characters faced danger, such as being RETROFAN
May 2023
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