Mister Ed was television's mischievous talking horse, who from 1961 to 1966 led his frustrated owner, architect Wilbur Post, through various misadventures in the weekly CBS television fantasy/situation comedy, Mister Ed. The role of Wilbur Post was played by Alan Young, and the voice of Mister Ed was supplied by former Western film star Allan "Rocky" Lane. The series was a smash hit with viewers, both children and adults, who tuned in to watch the antics of a palomino who not only talked but who had more horse sense than most people. Mister Ed was network television's first non-cartoon talking animal, inspired by his film precursor, Francis the Talking Mule.

The concept of a talking horse named Mister Ed was the brainchild of writer Walter Brooks, whose short stories about the eloquent equine appeared in the Saturday Evening Post and Liberty magazine. These stories were brought to...