From 1965 to 1967, the program was hosted by Joe Foss, former South Dakota Republican Governor, American Football League commissioner, and World War II hero.
Some of the celebrities shown included Bing Crosby, Andy Griffith, General Jimmy Doolittle, Burt Reynolds, Larry Hagman, Phil Harris, Bert Jones, Redd Foxx, William Shatner, and Shelley Hack.
For me, the American Sportsman series was some of the best times in my life.”[1] The show has its roots in a 20-minute segment depicting Curt Gowdy and Joe Brooks fly fishing in the Andes Mountains in Argentina in 1964.
The segment appeared on Wide World of Sports and immediately was spun off into its own series airing at 3 PM EST on Sundays January through March on ABC.
Several members of the production team of the classic series (including executive producer Bud Morgan and head writer Pat Smith) were involved with the revival.