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Fans of classic television will recognize

one of pop culture's most famous talking animals, Mr. Ed.

But the story of the real live horse behind the iconic sitcom

is even stranger than a show about a man and his talking

pet.

Today, we're talking about everyone's favorite talking

horse, Mr. Ed.

But before we get started, be sure to subscribe to the Weird

History channel, then feel free to leave a comment, and let

us know what other unusual TV shows

you would like to hear about.

OK, let's chat.

For six hilarious-- or is that heylarious seasons,

Mr. Ed and his friend Wilbur captivated audiences

nationwide.

The show ran for a staggering 143

black-and-white episodes starting in syndication only

to be picked up by CBS as its popularity soared.

And it all started with an unusual phrase.

When you hear the words bamboo harvester,

you might immediately picture an adorable, tree-climbing mammal

or fuzz bear.

But in this case, bamboo harvester

isn't a koala or a panda--

or an obscure working title for a Star Wars.

It's actually the name of the horse who played Mr. Ed on TV,

and he has a prestigious pedigree.

Born in 1949 to two purebred horses,

including prized show horse, Harvester,

the young palomino would eventually

be owned by Les Hilton, protege of iconic entertainer Will

Rogers, who owned a house and stable in North Hollywood,

working on animal shows like My Friend Flicka

and Frances the Talking Mule.

It was a real Brat Pack of four-legged TV stars.

Hilton's training style was the true secret of his success.

He was gentle, never striking a horse.

He only used his whip as an extension

to guide them during training.

In a time when many animal actors were mistreated

or drugged to perform, Hilton's horses were something special.

I think we've all had a couple managers who could

learn something from this guy.

Bamboo Harvester was a beautiful and energetic creature

who galloped, among other places,

through the prestigious Pasadena Rose Parade, winning plenty

of awards as a show horse.

However, Bamboo Harvester was not the originally intended

star of Mr. Ed.

The original show pilot, titled, The Wonderful World

of Wilbur Pope, was produced in the late 1950s,

but it never aired.

Why?

It simply didn't work.

The cast was all wrong, and the original chestnut

gelding taking on the starring role

had a breakdown on the set.

It was all a steaming pile of horse--

well, you know.

But it was probably still better than that caveman show.

The show would later be retooled with Alan Young as Wilbur

Post and Bamboo Harvester as Mr. Ed,

and its title was changed to the cleaner Mr. Ed--

like when Justin Timberlake told Mark Zuckerberg to drop

the The from Facebook.

And the rest is classic television history.

Being the star of a beloved television show

certainly comes with its perks, one of which

is a sense of entitlement.

Although the real Mr. Ed couldn't talk,

Bamboo Harvester figured out how to communicate.

Growing up in Hollywood, the horse's attitude

matched that of his human co-stars.

He was known to stop in the middle of a scene.

And sometimes, he decided a shoot

was finished by leaving the stage and not returning.

Bet he had a better trailer than his co-stars, too.

If that wasn't enough, he had some celebrity-sized demands.

Nothing near the level of Van Halen's legendary no brown M&Ms

clause, but still pretty big.

He loved drinking sweet tea by the gallon.

And he ate 20 pounds of hay every day.

Then again, what else would you expect a horse to eat after

a long day on set, M&M's?

In a 1962 article for Western Horseman, which

was a magazine that people allegedly read and you could

apparently subscribe to, the show's producers

But that's a duck tale for another time.

It's also been said the horse only missed

one day of shooting throughout his entire career

and rarely needed his stunt double,

Pumpkin, during the show.

But Pumpkin did become just as famous,

eventually playing roles in Green Acres and several pudding

commercials.

Wonder if they fed him 20 pounds of pudding per day.

That sounds like a better gig, but once you

eat 20 pounds of it, everything is kind of hay.

many of which are B-grade Westerns before dying

in 1973 from lung cancer.

He notably played the popular character, Red Ryder,

known for the namesake of the infamous BB0 gun in A Christmas

Story and in a number of different films

before going on to voice America's favorite talking

horse.

Taking on the uncredited role of Mr. Ed's voice

may have seemed unremarkable for the journeyman actor

at the time.

But it was his voice and performance that

gave the horse his personality.

And for that, he continues to delight viewers who stream

or watch the show to this day.

The Golden Globes, the Emmys, the Razzies--

it seems like there's an award for everything in show

business, including animals.

The performing animal top star of the year or PATSY Awards,

honored exceptional animal actors in movies and television

despite sounding more like an awards ceremony for people who

do jail time for mob bosses.

For a while, during the reign of animal stars like Benji,

Lassie, and Rin Tin Tin, the PATSY Awards were a big deal.

Even future President Ronald Reagan

was a presenter at one of the early ceremonies,

presumably because there were jellybeans at crafty,

and everyone else was ignoring them for hay.

And Bamboo Harvester received plenty of awards

for Mr. Ed including four PATSYs in a row.

The awards were discontinued in 1986

presumably because Reagan had other commitments that year

and couldn't return to host.

But their meaning lives on as film and television history.

Elvis, JFK, Andy Kaufman--

conspiracy theories about their deaths

persisted for a long time after they

passed, a phenomenon that happens with many celebrities

and historical figures.

Now, we can add another name to the list, Bamboo Harvester.

After the show's conclusion, one theory

states he was euthanized due to poor health

in a stable in Oklahoma.

Another, more optimistic, theory stated

that he was running free on a farm

until he succumbed to old age.

But Allan Young, Wilbur himself, stated otherwise

in his autobiography.

He wrote that Bamboo Harvester lived longer

than other reports had stated and claimed

he'd even visited the horse in his retirement

at a stable in Burbank, California.

And if you've never been to Burbank,

it's the perfect place for a horse to retire in the 1970s--

Johnny Carson, warm weather, ample parking.

What's not to love?

Most bizarrely, Bamboo Harvester's eventual passing

did not spell the end for the show.

Hey, you never leave talking-horse money

on the table.

For at least nine years, an entirely different horse

was used for Mr. Ed's still shots and press kits.

And when that horse clopped off to the big hay bale in the sky,

the public believed it was the original Mr. Ed.

Young knew about the switch but kept

it a secret to avoid spoiling people's memories.

If you're like most people, you've

probably had the show's theme song stuck in your head

for at least the past few minutes.

It's a jaunty tune that stood the test of time,

even though Ohio preacher Jim Brown accused it

of hiding secret satanic messages back in 1986.

He claimed that if you play the horse song backwards,

you'd hear the phrase, "Someone sung this song for Satan."

Obviously, that only made the song

seem vaguely dangerous and, therefore, cool,

even though it does not actually contain any hidden messages.

Go ahead and check.

But the most bizarre part of the song's history

might be a cover that emerged from an unlikely source, Tiny

Tim, a falsetto-wielding oddity who played ukulele and crooned

his way through Tin Pan Alley tunes

like a ghost haunting your memories.

And filmmaker James Wan agreed.

Tiny Tim's biggest hit, "Tiptoe Through the Tulips,"

is a recurring trope in Wan's insidious horror franchise.

Tiny Tim's take on the Mr. Ed theme

was released in 1984, well past Tiny Tim's time

in the spotlight.

In his inimitable style--

or irritating style depending on your tastes--

Tim takes us through a typically ukulele-driven rendition

complete with imitation horse sounds.

So if they ever need to set an insidious sequel at a stable,

they know what recording to use.

So what do you think?

Were you a fan of Mr. Ed back in the day?

What other famous animals would you like to hear about?

Let us know in the comments below.

And while you're at it, check out some of these other videos