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The Best Episodes of Gentle Ben

Every episode of Gentle Ben ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Gentle Ben!

Binge this in 1d 4h•Peaking at 7.7/10

Gentle Ben is an American family series that aired on CBS from September 10, 1967 to April 27, 1969. The series follows the adventures, in the Florida Everglades, of a game warden, Tom Wedloe, his

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Gentle Ben Season 1 Episode 2 - Green Eyed Bear
    7.7/10(9 votes)

    #1 - Green Eyed Bear

    S1:E2

    As Tom and Mark are watching a mother bear play with its cub the mother gets shot by a swamp hunter. Tom issues as citation to the hunter and takes the cub. Ben appears to be jealous of the cub and when the hunter's boy steals the cub Mark assumes Ben chased it off. They discover that the boy stole the cub because living in the swamp he had no friends or pets. In an on the spot judgement, Tom tells the boy that the terms of his probation are to take good care of the cub, and the boy's father goes along with it.

    Director:John Florea
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. Gentle Ben Season 1 Episode 4 - Gator Man
    7.7/10(9 votes)

    #2 - Gator Man

    S1:E4

    Mark befriends shoeless Jenny Maddox at school. However, when Tom drops her off at her father's dock in the airboat, he discovers that Jenny's father is the alligator poacher he has been looking for. Before he goes back to arrest him, Jenny's father saves Mark from an alligator. Tom thanks him for saving Mark but still has to run him in, although he offers to help him in any way he can.

    Director:John Florea
    Writers:Earl Hamner, Jr.

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  3. Gentle Ben Season 1 Episode 15 - The Wayward Bear Part 1
    7.6/10(7 votes)

    #3 - The Wayward Bear Part 1

    S1:E15

    While on a shopping trip, Ben climbs into a delivery truck and gets separated from the Mark and Ellen. Subsequently Ben has a number of solo adventures including licking the shaving cream off of a man's face in a barber shop, ending up at a garbage dump after looking for food in a dumpster, and jumping off a railway bridge as a train heads towards him. Part one of two.

    Director:Ricou Browning
    Writers:Earl Hamner, Jr.

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  4. Gentle Ben Season 1 Episode 5 - Voice From the Wilderness
    7.4/10(12 votes)

    #4 - Voice From the Wilderness

    S1:E5

    Mark gets Tom to put a radio transmitter on Ben so he can hear what he's doing when he's away. After Ben wanders off a plane carrying exotic animals crashes in the bush. Ben runs across the plane and when Mark hears the moans of the co-pilot, he figures out where he is and goes to help him. Finding the plane and the injured pilot and co-pilot, Mark calls in the location with Ben's radio. One of the animals is a tiger, whose cage has broken open- Ben protects Mark and the co-pilot. Tom and Ellen then arrive in the jeep and tranquilize the tiger.

    Director:Ricou Browning
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Gentle Ben Season 1 Episode 21 - Batter Up
    7.3/10(9 votes)

    #5 - Batter Up

    S1:E21

    St. Louis Carndinals star pitcher Bob Gibson is vacationing in the Everglades. When his small boat capsizes, Tom comes along in the airboat and gets him out of the water. Gibson agrees to give Mark some pointers and umpire his next game but is not impressed by the way Mark stretches the rules to gain an unsportsmanlike advantage. When Mark has a chance to strike out a batter who has dust in his eye, he decides to play fair and let's the batter compose himself.

    Director:Dennis Weaver
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Gentle Ben Season 1 Episode 18 - The Battle of Birthday Bay
    7.1/10(10 votes)

    #6 - The Battle of Birthday Bay

    S1:E18

    Mark and Tom have a surprise for Ellen's birthday. They are going to a cabin deep in the woods to spend a few days. When they get there they discover that the cabin has been broken into and is inhabited by a family of panthers. After they have scared off the panthers and regained control of the cabin, Ellen says this excursion is the dumbest idea Tom ever had and the best birthday of her life.

    Director:R.G. Springsteen
    Writer:Unknown

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Gentle Ben

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  7. Gentle Ben Season 1 Episode 6 - Invasion of Willie Sam Gopher
    7.0/10(7 votes)

    #7 - Invasion of Willie Sam Gopher

    S1:E6

    Mark is mocked at school and on the school boat when he is the only child in his class that didn't bring in an Indian artifact for show and tell. He decides to go to the private island of Willie Sam Gopher to find his Seminole artifact. Mark befriends Willie's son Jimmie Boy, who wants to go to school so he and Mark sneak off the island. The next day Mark introduces Jimmie Boy as his 'artifact'. Willie comes into the classroom and grabs Mark but is scared off by Ben. Ultimately Willie agrees to allow Jimmie Boy to attend the school.

    Director:William D. Russell
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Gentle Ben Season 1 Episode 9 - Warden For Man and Beast
    7.0/10(7 votes)

    #8 - Warden For Man and Beast

    S1:E9

    Professor Hugo brings his performing bear Victor to the Wedloe home. He has bought a bungalow in a retirement community and wants to release Victor into the wild. Hugo is unable to adapt to the wild, loses a lot of weight and makes enemies with the native wildlife. Tom and Ellen visit Hugo at his home and discover that he is lonely without Victor. The two are reunited and Victor is placed in a zoo and Hugo is made his zookeeper.

    Director:John Florea
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Gentle Ben Season 1 Episode 16 - The Wayward Bear Part 2
    6.8/10(7 votes)

    #9 - The Wayward Bear Part 2

    S1:E16

    An injured Ben wanders into the camp of a couple of old carneys whose own bear is too old to perform anymore. They are going to keep Ben and train him but an announcement on the radio encourages them to return him to Mark.

    Director:Ricou Browning
    Writers:Earl Hamner, Jr., Tam Spiva

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  10. Gentle Ben Season 1 Episode 17 - The Opportunist
    6.8/10(7 votes)

    #10 - The Opportunist

    S1:E17

    Poachers are stealing the animals from a newly repopulated island. As they try to get away with their live cargo they also load Ben onto the truck, but he is spotted by Mark. The poachers are apprehended after a chase involving Tom, Boomhauer on his 'buggy', and the sheriff.

    Director:R.G. Springsteen
    Writer:Rance Howard

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  11. Gentle Ben Season 1 Episode 7 - Restless Bear
    6.6/10(8 votes)

    #11 - Restless Bear

    S1:E7

    Ben gets restless when wild bears come near the Wedloe home during mating season. Tom explains to Mark Ben's natural instincts and Mark agrees Ben should be allowed to wander off to have a family. Missing Ben has left Mark sick and unable to eat but he returns to normal when Ben returns.

    Director:R.G. Springsteen
    Writers:Earl Hamner, Jr.

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  12. Gentle Ben Season 1 Episode 20 - Mama Jolie
    6.4/10(8 votes)

    #12 - Mama Jolie

    S1:E20

    Mark takes Ben to Mama Jolie, a woman with alleged magical powers, to seek a remedy for Ben's lack of appetite. Ultimately, Mark and Tom help her son Geoffrey who is in the country illegally- they stop him from running and hiding and put him in touch with Immigration authorities.

    Director:Gerd Oswald
    Writer:Tam Spiva

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  13. Gentle Ben Season 1 Episode 24 - Take a Giant Step
    6.4/10(7 votes)

    #13 - Take a Giant Step

    S1:E24

    Feeling neglected by his hard-working father, Mark's friend Jamie runs away from home. He hides in a shipwreck but it is in danger of being washed out to sea in a fierce storm. Based on a hunch, Mark leads everybody to the boat and they rescue Jamie.

    Director:Gerd Oswald
    Writer:Rance Howard

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  14. Gentle Ben Season 2 Episode 5 - Flapjacks for Breakfast
    6.4/10(7 votes)

    #14 - Flapjacks for Breakfast

    S2:E5

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Gentle Ben Season 1 Episode 3 - Fish and Chips
    6.2/10(8 votes)

    #15 - Fish and Chips

    S1:E3

    Ben and Mark stumble upon fish poachers and their illegal smokehouse. The men threaten to kill Ben if Mark tells his father. Later Ben wanders off and Mark follows him onto the poachers' boat; they hide but the boat takes off when they hear Tom's airboat approaching. When they start shooting at Tom, Mark and Ben come to his rescue and the poachers are arrested.

    Director:George Sherman
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Gentle Ben Season 1 Episode 1 - Hurricane Coming
    5.6/10(13 votes)

    #16 - Hurricane Coming

    S1:E1

    Mark befriends a boy whose family is vacationing on a houseboat in the river. While out on an adventure together a hurricane quickly comes in. They get the boy's mother from the houseboat and Ben leads them to the safety of a cave.

    Director:Ricou Browning
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. Gentle Ben Season 1 Episode 10 - A Waste of Honey
    5.6/10(8 votes)

    #17 - A Waste of Honey

    S1:E10

    Mark leads some thieves to Boomhauer's honey farm and overhears them saying they will kill the game warden if he catches on. They notice Mark has heard them and tell him that if he says anything to his father they will shoot Tom. When the hives get damaged Ben is blamed but Mark doesn't want to say anything so that he can protect his father. When it comes down to Ben being punished, Mark tells his father what is going on. After a fight and Ben's intervention the thieves are apprehended.

    Director:R.G. Springsteen
    Writers:Earl Hamner, Jr.

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  18. Gentle Ben Season 1 Episode 8 - Battle of Wedloe Woods
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #18 - Battle of Wedloe Woods

    S1:E8

    Developer Philip Garrett wants to clear cut and burn the brush to build a housing development on 60 acres of land adjacent to the game reserve. Concerned about all the animals that will die in the fire, Mark and Boomhauer hatch a scheme to get Mr. Garrett to the woods to see the animals and hopefully decide not to raze the land. They 'borrow' Garrett's wife's dog Hollyhock and tell him the dog liked it there when Mark walked him there and probably returned. But the dog escapes from Boomhauer's buggy and when they find it it is being pursued by wild bear Gertrude, protecting her three cubs (Eeny, Meeny, and Miney). Tom rescues Hollyhock and Mr. Garrett decides to leave most of the land as it is and just use a small area for cattle.

    Director:John Florea
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. Gentle Ben Season 1 Episode 11 - Jennifer
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #19 - Jennifer

    S1:E11

    A little girl gets lost in the Everglades. There is also an injured wildcat roaming the same area. Against his father's orders, Mark and Ben join in the search. Just as the girl is cornered by the wildcat, Mark and Ben find her and Ben scares the wildcat off. The main search party hears the commotion and the girl is reunited with her father.

    Director:R.G. Springsteen
    Writers:Tam Spiva, Gilbert Ralston

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  20. Gentle Ben Season 1 Episode 12 - Warden in the Bear Pit
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #20 - Warden in the Bear Pit

    S1:E12

    A couple of con artists try to steal Ben to gamble on him in fights against dogs. Unable to get Ben, they find another bear. Tom and Ben break up the illegal bear-baiting ring.

    Director:R.G. Springsteen
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. Gentle Ben Season 1 Episode 13 - A Medal For Ben
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #21 - A Medal For Ben

    S1:E13

    A group of Seminole children approach Mark for help in attending his school, having been impressed by him getting Jimmie Boy into the school in the earlier episode ""The Invasion of Willie Sam Gopher"". Their main drawback is that they live on islands and don't have a boat to get them to school. Mark offers the winnings of the air boat race his father is in the next day to buy the boat. On the way to the race, Ellen tips the jeep and is trapped. Mark uses Ben to get the jeep off of her leg but she still can't move because it's broken. Mark contacts his father on the radio- he has just won the race and comes to help. At the victory celebration Tom gives the check to the Seminole kids to buy a boat and Mark gives Tom's winner's medal to Ben, who was the real hero of the day.

    Directors:R.G. Springsteen, George Sherman
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. Gentle Ben Season 1 Episode 14 - The Ransom
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #22 - The Ransom

    S1:E14

    Tom offers Packy Benner some work, but he decides he can make more money more easily by stealing Ben and waiting for a reward. Tom is on to him and runs into Packy at the general store. Speaking so as to be overheard by Packy, he tells the shopkeeper that he's glad Ben is gone because he eats so much. Realizing that his scheme isn't going to work he returns the bear to Tom. Tom tells him that if he wants to give the bear back he wants money from Packy, tricking Packy into doing the work Tom previously offered for pay as compensation for taking Ben from him.

    Director:R.G. Springsteen
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. Gentle Ben Season 1 Episode 19 - Trophy Bear
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #23 - Trophy Bear

    S1:E19

    Hunting guide Joe Cardigan takes rich Miami big game hunter John Coberly into the swamp looking for a bear. Messing up on his first attempt and enticed by the promise of $1000 for a big bear, Cardigan steals Ben when nobody is home at the Wedloe residence. Tom, Mark, Boomhauer and his dogs track Ben's scent to Cardigan's cabin and force him to reveal where Ben is. Meanwhile, Coberly has spotted Ben but gets trapped under a log while tracking him.They find Ben and Coberly and Ben is able to free Coberly.

    Director:R.G. Springsteen
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. Gentle Ben Season 1 Episode 22 - Growing Pains
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #24 - Growing Pains

    S1:E22

    Mark befriends an older boy with a minibike, Steve, and ignores Ben, who stops eating. Mark punishes Ben for being a nuisance and Ben runs away. Mark realizes that Ben is his only true friend when his Steve dumps him for an older boy with a Honda 90 motorcycle. Mark falls into a pit dug by illegal trappers while looking for Ben. When Mark is threatened by a cougar Ben comes to the rescue.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. Gentle Ben Season 1 Episode 23 - Fire in the Glades
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #25 - Fire in the Glades

    S1:E23

    Looking for an injured deer they saw the day before, Mark and Ben hitch a ride directly into the area which becomes engulfed in a wildfire. The instinctively go to the river to seek refuge from the fire and Tom rescues them in the airboat.

    Director:Gerd Oswald
    Writer:Tam Spiva

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Best Episodes Summary

"Green Eyed Bear" is the best rated episode of "Gentle Ben". It scored 7.7/10 based on 9 votes. Directed by John Florea and written by Unknown, it aired on 9/17/1967. This episode scored 0.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "Gator Man".