Show V' BY 0 JAMES BRADY "IF YOU ARE EVER IN Africa and have to go wading in a pond inhabited by hippos and crocodiles it is advisable to go barefoot So says Boyd Matson who actually has been in such ponds His reason for the bare feet? If you wear boots they might Fill up with water and mud — and when the hippos and crocs come running uni can't get running being nx) weighted-dow- n The reason Matson knows tutf like this is that he's the host each Sunday night of TBS' and very popular show ational Geographic Explorer Belore taking the job in mid- SW4 he was an anchorman and or correspondent for NBC News and ABC News and the host of Hie Heal Storv on CNBC As host of Explorer he works for the National Geographic Society and is the senes' fourth host following Tom Chapin Bob Ballard and the actor Robert Urich "He Unch gave 'em ratings" Matson said “and now they want a host who writes and does short films and someone who could go on location I'm ajoumalist and pause lor laughter 1 had a large khaki wardrobe" Matson is only half joking when he talks about owning khakis Although much of his vork as host is shot at the tele- ision studio m Manhattan — introducing the films and so on — 'tuning in the tall he said "we'll se on location somewhere every Boyd is a big guy who lives J I long-runni- Liens storks crocs pcisr Boyd tes? Mata gels close to tai £3 ki Extfcrcr&'WKifa tar2ntd2si8S3ys week" Matson has been out in the rHHndocks a bit during this first 'Cason "My first trip was to Africa to Botswana to do the Explorer episode ‘The Lions of Darkness"' he said And it was something of a shixk to him to discover while on safari filming lions that "the toilet seat was a giraile's awbone and it was an Montclair PUL with his wife Betty (tise’s an executive producer for NBC and tall too — 6 feet 1!) and their two children What do the kids think about Daddy’s job on Explorer? “It’s the first time they actually have been in interested in anything I’ve done on TV" he said TBS will air 48 episodes a year-- 31 of them original shows said V Boyd “We’ll get him dirty” the producers elephant's pelvis that held our Born: April 26 1947 in Oklahoma City Personal: Mamed to Betty Hudson 198- 5two children Erica 7 and Taylor S Television: Senior correspondent lor Today 1978-8-8 ol Sunday Today 1987 Coanchor and weekly correspondent lor USA Today on TV 1988-8-9 Correspondent tor Real Lite With Jane Pauley 1990 Host ol The Real Story 1991-9- 2 lor World Newt Now 1993-9-4 Host ol National Geographic Explorer 199- 4or or sink" Never mind that When they were tracking lions and wading with the hippos wasn't there someone around with a rifle just in case ? "No" Matson aid “we were knee-dee- p in hippo dung but no weapons Except The Botswana expedition led to one in Zaire (“Lots of bugs lots of swamps" he said ) Then it was on to Churchill in Manitoba Canada to do a story on polar bears and bear attacks "The tourists view them from tundra vehicles” Matson said "but I had to get on the ground near them while the bears wrestled (The guides told me ‘When we say run just run! Right up the ladder' Which I was absolutely willing to do considering that on their hind high-wheel- ed promised when he was hired and Boyd said they’ve been as good as their legs polar bears are consider- word It sounds ably taller than me Matson is like fun I said —much like old 6 feel 5 While it was temMarlin Perkins tranknocked a out porarily by on Wild Kingdom quilizer we measured one that “1 was a fan of hadn't eaten recently and he that” Boyd said “But remember weighed out to 1015 pounds" And what is coming next tor Perkins had a big young guy our intrepid explorer? named Jim with sharks" "Swimming to handle the Matson said "Hammerheads rough stuff among them Probably off Costa That's what I Rica" need — a Jim" So 1 inquired isn't there any- His riskiest adventure? thing that scares him that he “For Halloween — doesn't like and won t get near we went to a tarantula for example? psychics and "I grew up in West Texas" tarot-car- d Matson answered "and we used readers" said to ‘fish’ for tarantulas with some Boyd “With one woman chewing gum on a line I've held was a there dispute ot But tarantulas rattlers plenty over her pay) now with rattlers you are cauand she put a IK curse on tious" us” PAGE n etuxj 26 ‘ MAY 7 1995 PARADE MAGAZINE ' j j j i i |