Posted by If you’re a Californian who adores road trips, local characters, pie shops, old diners, long-standing traditions, and everything else that is the Golden State then you’re probably already well acquainted with Huell Howser.
He was as quintessential to their Cali experience as animal fries and a double-double from In-N-Out or Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles and his passing in 2013 left a void for many viewers around the state.
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The always affable travel host, a friendly fixture on public television for more than 30 years, knew how to connect with Californians where they lived, doing what they love to do. It was powerful TV, positive and kind, and darn it, watching him explore your own backyard was just plain fun.
Well, the good news is, this Monday at 7 p.m., you’ll get one more chance to hear that affable voice “Woooowwwwwwww” his way into your homes again when KCET will be airing a lost episode of California’s Gold.
We'll air a lost episode of Huell Howser's "California's Gold" right before the season premiere of @KCETArtbound: https://t.co/VfsU7zIhFj
— KCET-TV (@KCET) May 3, 2016
The theme of Huell’s FINAL final (unless they find another lost episode) will be about El Alisal, the former residence of author and historian Charles F. Lummis.
The concrete-and-rock Highland Park house was the “epicenter of cultural activity” in early twentieth century L.A. The home was built almost entirely by Lummis himself and completed in 1904, replete with a 30-foot tower, a 28-by-16-foot “museo,” and legendary parties.
If you’re hoping that Huell will stroll the abode, microphone in hand with a single cameraperson in tow, as was his classic style, get excited: That’s how the interview-centered episode will roll.
A new California’s Gold is a big deal for the host’s many devotees, people who’ve not only used his travel tips for their own explorations, but, more importantly, who’ve been inspired to get acquainted with the people living in the places they visit.
After all, Mr. Howser was a famous people person, encouraging and easy to chat with, and his frequent interjections of “that’s amazing!” gave his interviews a buoyancy that’s hard for any other broadcaster to match.
So if you’re one of the Californians who’s managed to watch the over 1,000 episodes of various public television series, be sure to tune in to KCET on Monday, May 9 at 7 p.m. (or a follow-up airing on May 10 at 8:30 p.m.) to go on one last adventure with Mr. Huell Howser.
[h/t LAist]
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