The Man from Big Bear Lake - Lost Australian children's series : Australian Lost Media!

The Man from Big Bear Lake - Lost Australian children's series

I used to watch it in the 90s when it aired as part of Agro's Cartoon Connection and then became a standalone TV series.

The series followed a man (named Jack) who lived with his talking dog pal (a Caucasian Shepherd) named Wally. They went on adventures on the Big Bear Lake, where they would usually rent a boat and go there.

The series was made for children. It was designed to teach children about the Big Bear Lake and its "hidden secrets". It aired from 1990-1991 as a segment series, and from 1992-2001 as a TV series.

The series itself is lost, only a small quote from the main character has been found. "Hello, you may recognize me, and I'm the one who always has a dog, and his name is Woofy. Now, where should we find in Big Bear Lake?". This was shown right before the theme song.

Submitted 9 months, 2 weeks ago by Whopper1

This sounds like a treasure hunt worth embarking on! If it was standalone, might've had a DVD release in the early 2000s. I’ll check out some thrift stores and old catalogs - they're goldmines for this type of stuff. Let’s all keep an eye out, team!

9 months, 2 weeks ago by retro_rewind

All that effort for some old kiddie show? Bet it wasn't even that good and your nostalgia glasses are just too thick. If it was worth watching, it wouldn't be lost media, it'd be on Netflix or something. Let the past die mate.

9 months, 2 weeks ago by toxicnostalgist

As someone who has been archiving television shows and tracking down lost media for over a decade, 'The Man from Big Bear Lake' remains one of those elusive titles. The fact that it ran for nearly a decade suggests that there should be something out there. The issue is many Australian series from that period were not preserved well, especially children's programming. I recommend contacting former hosts or production crew through social media. Often they're happy to share memories or even memorabilia from the old days.

9 months, 2 weeks ago by rusty_archives

omg I forgot about that show! Wally was such a dope dog. Anybody know if the networks keep archives of their old kids' shows or something? Maybe some former crew member out there has the episodes stashed away.

9 months, 2 weeks ago by MeddleKid

You might want to check with the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA). Old series like 'The Man from Big Bear Lake' sometimes end up in their collections, and if we’re lucky, they digitize them. It’s a long shot, but they’ve been known to hold onto rarities and forgotten media gems.

9 months, 2 weeks ago by culturevulture12

I asked them if they have any copies, they said no, and they said that their last remaining copy got destroyed in a flood.

9 months, 2 weeks ago by Whopper1

Honestly, with how often stuff gets lost, especially niche shows from that era, I wouldn't hold my breath. Too much media's gone forever cause no one thought to preserve it back then. At least we have that one quote...

9 months, 2 weeks ago by SkepticalSid

dont lose hope guys! a lot of shows thought lost have been found in the weirdest places, like garage sales & old libraries. maybe someone has a VHS still? have faith!

9 months, 2 weeks ago by WallyWoof22

In cases like this, it's also worth reaching out to former production staff or voice actors if they're contactable. Sometimes they keep personal copies of their work for sentimental reasons. It's a long shot but might be our only lead if the official archives are gone.

9 months, 2 weeks ago by MediaArchivist777

That's such a bummer, losing it all to a flood. Is there any chance there were backups or did anyone record the episodes? With older shows like that, sometimes you get lucky and a diehard fan has a copy stashed away.

9 months, 2 weeks ago by NostalgiaHunter89

I vividly remember watching this show before heading off to school! I think it used puppets and animation? And wasn't there an episode where they found an old pirate's map in the lake? Stuff like that made it so magical. It's crazy how these things just vanish. I'll ask around some collector groups I'm in, see if anybody's got tapes.

9 months, 2 weeks ago by downunder_memories

Tried to dig around for this series a while back, didn’t have much luck on the usual sites. Best bet might be reaching out to someone who worked on the production back then, or maybe even Agro's Carto... CONNECTION? Anyone remember if this show had merchandise or VHS releases? Sometimes copies turn up in old collections.

9 months, 2 weeks ago by tvtrawler

Man, 'The Man from Big Bear Lake' was my jam back in the day! I've been trying to find episodes online for years but no dice. That quote you mentioned brings back so many memories. I swear I can almost hear the theme song in my head. The show was so chill compared to the crazy stuff kids watch today.