Cannonball (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Cannonball was a 1958 Normandie Productions and ITC Entertainment
ITC Entertainment
The Incorporated Television Company was a British television company largely involved in production and distribution. It was founded by Lew Grade.-History:...

 co-production half-hour family drama series. Filmed in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 but starring two American actors, the series followed the adventures of Mike Malone and Jerry Austin as they drove trucks across the US and Canada.

The series would appear to be unusual, as sources say it is one of the few ITC productions to air on ABC Weekend TV
Associated British Corporation
Associated British Corporation was one of a number of commercial television companies established in the United Kingdom during the 1950s by cinema chain companies in an attempt to safeguard their business by becoming involved with television which was taking away their cinema audiences.In this...

 in the UK. Because Associated TeleVision
Associated TeleVision
Associated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a British television company, holder of various licences to broadcast on the ITV network from 24 September 1955 until 00:34 on 1 January 1982...

 (ATV) owners of ITC, also ran the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 weekend and Midlands weekdays ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...

 companies, they tended to hold the rights for ITC series in order to show each one in the Midlands (where ABC was the weekend operator) during the week.

The series ran for 39 episodes in monochrome. In the last episode, Austin who was Malone's co-driver on the truck has a chance to go back and finish college. Malone knows this and knows he won't because Austin doesn't want to split their partnership. In his yearly medical, Malone pretends to have tunnel vision (lack of peripheral vision) which means he can't drive trucks any more. This means Austin is now free to go to college.

Main cast

  • Paul Birch
    Paul Birch (actor)
    Paul Birch was an American actor of stage and film.Birch was born Paul Smith in Atmore, Alabama. He was a veteran of 39 movies, 50 stage dramas and a number of television shows including the Hallmark Hall of Fame...

     as Cannonball Mike Malone
  • William Campbell
    William Campbell (film actor)
    William Campbell was an American actor who appeared in supporting roles in major film productions and also starred in several low-budget B-movies, including two cult horror films.-Career:...

     as Jerry Austin
  • Beth Lockerbie as Mary Malone
  • Beth Morris
    Beth Morris
    Bethany Morris is a British actress.She is probably best known for her performance as Drusilla in the 1976 BBC adaptation of I, Claudius...

     as Ginny Malone
  • Steve Barringer as Butch Malone
  • Howard Milsom as Harry Butler

Episode list

The original production order appears to be lost and all that remains is a partial list based upon Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...

and ITV air dates. As titles were not shown on-screen, these titles may be speculative.
  • The Runaway Truck
  • Pills
  • Nitro Haul
  • Small Cargo
  • The Big Ambulance
  • Mark Time
  • The Necklace
  • Shock
  • The Attack
  • The Girl Reporter
  • Butch
  • Little Old Man
  • Sauce for the Goose
  • The Girl at Joe's Place
  • Nanette
  • Lil's Cafe
  • The Hostage
  • Fallout
  • Marooned
  • Undercover
  • Vendetta
  • The Has-been
  • The Flying Dutchman
  • Rodeo
  • Trip to Buffalo
  • Wild Party
  • Driving School
  • Eyewitness
  • Ginny
  • Racket
  • Green-eyed Monster
  • Sights on Safety
  • Moose Hunt
  • Big Buck
  • Willy
  • The Dog
  • Snake Eyes
  • The Iron Lung
  • Tunnel Eyes

External links

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