Chances are, if you watched any public television in California over the last 20 years or so, you know how brilliantly the Golden State shines thanks in large part to Huell Howser.
The 67-year-old Gallatin, Tenn. native and host of PBS favorite “California’s Gold” died of natural causes in his home Sunday night according to an assistant.
His southern drawl and childlike amazement at even the most mundane details bolstered the popularity of the PBS series “California’s Gold” and cemented Howser’s spot as a public television legend—at least in California. The series spotlighted unique California experiences ranging from hiking Morro Rock to native Yurok salmon fishing techniques on the Klamath River, all while Howser interjected loudly with what became trademark exclamations like, “Look at this!” and “Oh, my gosh!”
Howser visited Monterey several times, documenting the history of famous local trees such as the “Lone Cypress” in Pebble Beach and giving viewers a taste of the Monterey County Fair.
In two decades Howser produced over 440 episodes of “California’s Gold” with his namesake production company in partnership with KCET, a PBS affiliate in Los Angeles, and was known for focusing on the people and places he visited as opposed to expensive on-screen effects.
There has been no word yet on the future of Howser’s much-loved TV series.
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