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Sergeant Preston of the Yukon (TV series)

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Sergeant Preston of the Yukon
Richard Simmons as Sergeant Preston with Yukon King, 1955
Genre
Created by
StarringRichard Simmons
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes78
Production
Executive producerCharles E. Skinner
Running time22–24 minute
Production companyCharles E. Skinner Productions
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseSeptember 29, 1955 (1955-09-29) –
September 25, 1958 (1958-09-25)

Sergeant Preston of the Yukon is a half-hour long American action adventure northwestern television series, broadcast in color on CBS Thursday evenings at 7:30 to 8:00 p.m. from September 29, 1955, to September 25, 1958. It was based on the radio drama Challenge of the Yukon.[1]

Synopsis

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Richard Simmons starred as Sergeant Preston, who patrolled the Yukon Territory in search of renegades and outlaws, during the time of the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890s.[2] In every episode, Preston was assisted by his Alaskan Malamute Yukon King, who had been raised by a female wolf. In episodes taking place during the summer he rode his horse Rex.[3]

The show's theme music was the overture to Emil von Reznicek's opera Donna Diana. As the theme played the announcer stated: "Sergeant Preston of the North-West Mounted Police, with Yukon King, swiftest and strongest lead dog, breaking the trail in the relentless pursuit of lawbreakers in the wild days of the Yukon."[3]

At the end of each episode, Preston would turn to his dog and say "Well, King, this case is closed."[4]

Production

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The series was filmed in mountainous sections of California and Colorado.[2] Trendle-Campbell-Meurer produced the first two seasons, and in its last season the Jack Wrather Corporation purchased the rights and produced Sergeant Preston of the Yukon.

Cast

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Main

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Guest stars

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The guest stars on Sergeant Preston included: [5]

  • Francis De Sales appeared in five episodes, concluding as Cy Bartok in "The Diamond Collar".
  • Kelo Henderson, played Pete Hollis in the 1958 episode "Escape to the North".
  • Ed Hinton appeared twice in 1956 as Barry Jeffers in "Remember the Maine" and as Lefty "Red" Burke in "The Rookie".
  • I. Stanford Jolley was Sam Haley in "The Fancy Dan" (1956) and Frisco in "Gold Rush Patrol" (1958).
  • Tyler MacDuff played Bill Corey in "Lost River Roundup" in 1957.
  • John M. Pickard appeared four times in 1956–1957 in different roles, including the role of Red Brody in "Old Ben's Gold".
  • Robert Shayne, was in the 1957 episode, "The Mark of Crime."
  • William Boyett appeared as Constable Malloy in "Gold Fever" from 1956, and appeared as Cary Braddock in "Ten Little Indians" from 1957.
  • Dan Blocker played 'Mule' Conklin in "Underground Ambush" from 1957.

Episodes

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Season 1 (1955–56)

[edit]
No.
overall
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date
11"Vindication of Yukon King"Charles E. SkinnerDwight BabcockSeptember 29, 1955 (1955-09-29)
22"Rebellion in the North"UnknownUnknownOctober 6, 1955 (1955-10-06)
33"Trouble at Hogsback"UnknownUnknownOctober 13, 1955 (1955-10-13)
44"Incident at Gordon Landing"UnknownUnknownOctober 20, 1955 (1955-10-20)
55"Bad Medicine"UnknownUnknownOctober 27, 1955 (1955-10-27)
66"Hidden Gold"UnknownUnknownNovember 3, 1955 (1955-11-03)
77"Last Mail from Last Chance"UnknownUnknownNovember 10, 1955 (1955-11-10)
88"The Assassins"UnknownUnknownNovember 17, 1955 (1955-11-17)
99"Golden Gift"UnknownUnknownNovember 24, 1955 (1955-11-24)
1010"Cry Wolf"UnknownUnknownDecember 1, 1955 (1955-12-01)
1111"Girl from Vancouver"Edward DewSidney SlonDecember 8, 1955 (1955-12-08)
1212"Treasure of Fifteen Mile Creek"UnknownUnknownDecember 15, 1955 (1955-12-15)
1313"The Boy Nobody Wanted"UnknownUnknownDecember 22, 1955 (1955-12-22)
1414"The Mad Wolf of Lost Canyon"Edward DewRobert BennettDecember 29, 1955 (1955-12-29)
1515"One Bear Too Many"UnknownUnknownJanuary 5, 1956 (1956-01-05)
1616"Crime at Wounded Moose"Edward DewSidney SlonJanuary 12, 1956 (1956-01-12)
1717"Dog Race"Edward DewRobert C. BennettJanuary 19, 1956 (1956-01-19)
1818"Phantom of Phoenixville"Alan Crosland, Jr.Robert C. BennettJanuary 26, 1956 (1956-01-26)
1919"Trapped"Charles D. LivingstoneRobert C. BennettFebruary 2, 1956 (1956-02-02)
2020"Justice at Goneaway Creek"John PeyserMaurice TombragelFebruary 9, 1956 (1956-02-09)
2121"Skagway Secret"Charles D. LivingstoneRobert C. BennettFebruary 16, 1956 (1956-02-16)
2222"Relief Train"Edward DewRobert C. BennettFebruary 23, 1956 (1956-02-23)
2323"Totem Treasure"UnknownUnknownMarch 1, 1956 (1956-03-01)
2424"One Good Turn"UnknownUnknownMarch 8, 1956 (1956-03-08)
2525"The Cache"UnknownUnknownMarch 15, 1956 (1956-03-15)
2626"Cinderella of the Yukon"UnknownUnknownMarch 22, 1956 (1956-03-22)
2727"Gold Fever"UnknownUnknownMarch 29, 1956 (1956-03-29)
2828"The Fancy Dan"UnknownUnknownApril 5, 1956 (1956-04-05)
2929"The Coward"UnknownUnknownApril 12, 1956 (1956-04-12)
3030"Father of the Crime"UnknownUnknownApril 19, 1956 (1956-04-19)
3131"Remember the Maine"UnknownUnknownApril 26, 1956 (1956-04-26)
3232"Love and Honor"UnknownUnknownMay 3, 1956 (1956-05-03)
3333"All is Not Gold"UnknownUnknownMay 10, 1956 (1956-05-10)

Season 2 (1956–57)

[edit]
No.
overall
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date
341"Limping King"UnknownUnknownSeptember 13, 1956 (1956-09-13)
352"The Rookie"UnknownUnknownSeptember 20, 1956 (1956-09-20)
363"Pack Ice Justice"UnknownUnknownSeptember 27, 1956 (1956-09-27)
374"Revenge"UnknownUnknownOctober 4, 1956 (1956-10-04)
385"Littlest Rookie"UnknownUnknownOctober 11, 1956 (1956-10-11)
396"Lost Patrol"UnknownUnknownOctober 18, 1956 (1956-10-18)
407"King of Herschel Island"UnknownUnknownOctober 25, 1956 (1956-10-25)
418"Ghost of the Anvil"Edward DewWilliam LivelyNovember 1, 1956 (1956-11-01)
429"Eye of Evil"UnknownUnknownNovember 8, 1956 (1956-11-08)
4310"Luck of the Trail"UnknownUnknownNovember 15, 1956 (1956-11-15)
4411"Return Visit"UnknownUnknownNovember 22, 1956 (1956-11-22)
4512"The Tobacco Smugglers"UnknownUnknownNovember 29, 1956 (1956-11-29)
4613"Turnabout"UnknownUnknownDecember 6, 1956 (1956-12-06)
4714"Emergency on Scarface Flat"UnknownUnknownDecember 13, 1956 (1956-12-13)
4815"The Williwaw"UnknownUnknownDecember 20, 1956 (1956-12-20)
4916"Border Action"UnknownUnknownDecember 27, 1956 (1956-12-27)
5017"The Black Ace"W.B. EasonFran StrikerJanuary 3, 1957 (1957-01-03)
5118"Scourge of the Wilderness"Alan Crosland, Jr.William LivelyJanuary 10, 1957 (1957-01-10)
5219"Blind Justice"Alan Crosland, Jr.Robert C. BennettJanuary 17, 1957 (1957-01-17)
5320"The Stolen Malamute"UnknownUnknownApril 4, 1957 (1957-04-04)
5421"The Devil's Roost"UnknownUnknownApril 11, 1957 (1957-04-11)
5522"Ten Little Indians"UnknownUnknownApril 18, 1957 (1957-04-18)
5623"Underground Ambush"UnknownUnknownApril 25, 1957 (1957-04-25)

Season 3 (1957–58)

[edit]
No.
overall
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date
571"Old Ben's Gold"UnknownUnknownOctober 3, 1957 (1957-10-03)
582"The Rebel Yell"UnknownUnknownOctober 10, 1957 (1957-10-10)
593"The Mark of Crime"UnknownUnknownOctober 17, 1957 (1957-10-17)
604"Storm the Pass"UnknownUnknownOctober 24, 1957 (1957-10-24)
615"Old Faithful"UnknownUnknownOctober 31, 1957 (1957-10-31)
626"The Skull in the Stone"UnknownUnknownNovember 7, 1957 (1957-11-07)
637"Ghost Mine"UnknownUnknownNovember 14, 1957 (1957-11-14)
648"The Jailbreaker"UnknownUnknownNovember 21, 1957 (1957-11-21)
659"Out of the Night"UnknownUnknownNovember 28, 1957 (1957-11-28)
6610"Three Men in Black"UnknownUnknownDecember 5, 1957 (1957-12-05)
6711"Lost River Roundup"UnknownUnknownDecember 12, 1957 (1957-12-12)
6812"The Old Timer"UnknownUnknownDecember 19, 1957 (1957-12-19)
6913"Battle at Bradley's"UnknownUnknownDecember 26, 1957 (1957-12-26)
7014"The Generous Hobo"UnknownUnknownJanuary 2, 1958 (1958-01-02)
7115"Follow the Leader"UnknownUnknownJanuary 9, 1958 (1958-01-09)
7216"Gold Rush Patrol"UnknownUnknownJanuary 16, 1958 (1958-01-16)
7317"Grizzly"UnknownUnknownJanuary 23, 1958 (1958-01-23)
7418"The Diamond Collar"UnknownUnknownJanuary 30, 1958 (1958-01-30)
7519"Escape to the North"UnknownUnknownFebruary 6, 1958 (1958-02-06)
7620"Outlaw in Uniform"UnknownUnknownFebruary 13, 1958 (1958-02-13)
7721"Boy Alone"UnknownUnknownFebruary 20, 1958 (1958-02-20)
7822"The Criminal Collie"UnknownUnknownFebruary 27, 1958 (1958-02-27)

Release

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Syndication

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Because the series was filmed in color it remained popular long after its original prime-time broadcast.[6] Starting in the early 1960s it was shown on Saturday mornings.[3] The popular show aired internationally for decades.[4]

During the 2010s, the series was shown on GRIT classic TV/movie network, and on FETV (Family Entertainment TV).

DVD

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Timeless Media Group released a two-disc best-of set featuring ten episodes from the series in Region 1 on November 21, 2006.[7]

Infinity Entertainment has released all three seasons of the series on DVD in Region 1.[8][9]

Comic books

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Dell Comics had produced Sergeant Preston comics based on the radio version, and then from 1956 to 1959 they brought out 29 issues based on the television series.[10]

In the 1980s, Don Sherwood adapted the series into comic books, with scripts by Stan Stunell.[11]

Sponsorship

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In 1955, the Quaker Oats company gave away land in the Klondike as part of the Klondike Big Inch Land Promotion which was tied in with the television show. Genuine deeds each to one square inch of a lot in Yukon Territory, issued by Klondike Big Inch Land Co. Inc., were inserted into Quaker's Puffed Wheat and Puffed Rice cereal boxes.[12]

References

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  1. ^ Woolery, George W. (1985). Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981, Part II: Live, Film, and Tape Series. The Scarecrow Press. pp. 440–442. ISBN 0-8108-1651-2.
  2. ^ a b Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946 – Present, 1st Edition, pages 553 - 554, Ballantine Books, 1979
  3. ^ a b c Ken Beck & Jim Clark, The Encyclopedia of TV Pets (ebook), Thomas Nelson, 2002
  4. ^ a b Dennis McLellan, Richard Simmons Actor, Calgary Herald (Calgary, Alberta, Canada), January 18, 2003, page 138]
  5. ^ Lentz, Harris M. (1997). Television Westerns Episode Guide: All United States Series, 1949-1996. McFarland & Company. pp. 371–373. ISBN 978-0-7864-0377-6.
  6. ^ Western Clippings
  7. ^ "Sergeant Preston of the Yukon: Sergeant Preston, N/a: Movies & TV". Amazon. 20 November 2007. Retrieved 2014-04-22.
  8. ^ "Sergeant Preston of the Yukon: Complete Season 1 : DVD Talk Review of the DVD Video". Dvdtalk.com. Retrieved 2014-04-22.
  9. ^ "Sergeant Preston of the Yukon: Complete Season 2 : DVD Talk Review of the DVD Video". Dvdtalk.com. Retrieved 2014-04-22.
  10. ^ Western Clippings Comics
  11. ^ "Don Sherwood". lambiek.net.
  12. ^ Juliano, Frank (October 3, 2010). "Oatmeal lots gave officials indigestion". Connecticut Post. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
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