Mister Ed is one of the few series to debut in syndication and be picked up by a major network for prime time. The show's concept was derived from a series of short stories by children's author Walter R. Brooks. The title role of Mister Ed, a talking palomino, was played by gelding Bamboo Harvester and voiced by former Western film actor Allan Lane. The other main character throughout the series is Wilbur's generally tolerant young wife, Carol (Connie Hines) The Posts also have two sets of neighbors, to whom Ed delights in making Wilbur appear as eccentric as possible.