Challenge of the Yukon
Encyclopedia
Challenge of the Yukon was a radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...

 series that began on Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...

's station WXYZ (as had The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked Texas Ranger who, with his Native American companion Tonto, fights injustice in the American Old West. The character has become an enduring icon of American culture....

 and The Green Hornet
The Green Hornet
The Green Hornet is an American radio and television masked vigilante created by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell, in 1936. Since his radio debut in the 1930s, the Green Hornet has appeared in numerous serialized dramas in a wide variety of media...

), and an example of a Northern genre
Northern (genre)
The Northern or Northwestern is an American and Canadian genre in literature and film made popular by the writings of Rex Beach and Zane Grey. It is similar to the Western genre but the action occurs in the Canadian North and typically features Mounties instead of, for example, cowboys or sheriffs...

 story. The series was first heard on February 3, 1938. The title changed from Challenge of the Yukon to Sergeant Preston of the Yukon in November 1951, and remained under that name through the end of the series and into television.

The program was an adventure series about Sergeant William Preston of the North-West Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...

 and his lead sled dog
Sled dog
Sled dogs, known also as sleigh man dogs, sledge dogs, or sleddogs, are highly trained types of dogs that are used to pull a dog sled, a wheel-less vehicle on runners also called a sled or sleigh, over snow or ice, by means of harnesses and lines.Sled dogs have become a popular winter recreation...

, Yukon King
Yukon King
Yukon King was a fictional dog on the radio and television versions of Challenge of the Yukon .Although nominally the sidekick to Sergeant Preston, in both versions, the real hero was often King, his "wonder dog". Yukon King, an Alaskan husky, was the lead dog for Preston's sled team, as well as...

, as they fought evildoers in the Northern wilderness during the Gold Rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...

 of the 1890s. Preston, according to radio historian Jim Harmon
Jim Harmon
James Judson Harmon , better known as Jim Harmon, was an American short story author and popular culture historian who wrote extensively about the Golden Age of Radio. He sometimes used the pseudonym Judson Grey, and occasionally he was labeled Mr...

, first joined the Mounties to capture his father's killer, and when he was successful he was promoted to Sergeant. Preston worked under the command of Inspector Conrad, and in the early years was often assisted by a French-Canadian guide named Pierre.

Preston's staunchest ally, who was arguably the true star of the show and indeed often did more work than he did, was the brave Alaskan husky
Alaskan Husky
The Alaskan husky is not a breed of dog rather it is a type or a category. It falls short of being a breed in that there is no preferred type of and no restriction as to ancestry; it is defined only by its purpose, which is that of a highly efficient sled dog...

, Yukon King. Typical plots involved the pair helping injured trappers, tracking down smugglers, or saving cabin dwellers from wolverines. Sgt. Preston's faithful steed was Rex, used primarily in the summer months, but generally Yukon King and his dog team were the key mode of transportation (as signaled by Preston's cry of "On, King! On, you huskies!."

There is some confusion regarding King's actual breed. The writers seemed to use malamute and husky
Husky
Husky is a general name for a type of dog originally used to pull sleds in northern regions, differentiated from other sled dog types by their fast hard pulling style...

 interchangeably. At least once, Preston answered "malamute" to the question from another character. In the early radio shows, the cry of "On, you huskies!" would alternate with "On, you malamutes" from show to show.

The theme music was Emil von Reznicek
Emil von Reznicek
Emil Nikolaus Freiherr von Reznicek was an Austrian late Romantic composer of Czech ancestry.-Life:...

's overture to Donna Diana
Donna Diana
Donna Diana is a comic opera in three acts by Emil von Reznicek. The libretto, written by the composer, is based on a German translation by Carl August West titled Donna Diana oder Stolz und Liebe of the Spanish comedy El desdén con el desdén by Agustín Moreto y Cavana.-Performance history:It was...

 a now long-forgotten opera, though the overture remains a concert staple to this day. The shows episodes ended with the official pronouncement, Well, King, this case is closed.

History

Following the success of Lone Ranger and Green Hornet, George W. Trendle
George W. Trendle
George Washington Trendle was a Detroit lawyer and businessman, best known as the producer of the Lone Ranger radio and television programs along with The Green Hornet. He is entombed in Detroit's Woodlawn Cemetery.-Movie theaters:...

, the station owner, asked for a similar adventure show, but with a dog as the hero. According to WXYZ staffer Dick Osgood, in his history of the station, Trendle insisted that it not be "a dog like Lassie because.. this must be an action story. It had to be a working dog." Writer Tom Dougall, who had been influenced by the poems of Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service
Robert William Service was a poet and writer who has often been called "the Bard of the Yukon".Service is best known for his poems "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" and "The Cremation of Sam McGee", from his first book, Songs of a Sourdough...

, naturally chose a Husky
Husky
Husky is a general name for a type of dog originally used to pull sleds in northern regions, differentiated from other sled dog types by their fast hard pulling style...

. The dog was originally called Mogo, but after criticism by Trendle, Dougall re-christened the canine King. Dougall likewise created Sgt. Preston and the French-Canadian guide. Fran Striker
Fran Striker
Fran Striker was an American writer for radio and comics, best known for creating The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet, and Sgt...

, who wrote for The Lone Ranger, also contributed scripts.

However, Trendle's criticism of Dougall may have had another reason behind it. Shortly before the two Trendle series aired (Lone Ranger and Challenge of the Yukon), popular author Zane Grey
Zane Grey
Zane Grey was an American author best known for his popular adventure novels and stories that presented an idealized image of the Old West. Riders of the Purple Sage was his bestselling book. In addition to the success of his printed works, they later had second lives and continuing influence...

 had a book in circulation (Lone Star Ranger) about a Texas Ranger like the Lone Ranger and a comic book series in circulation (King of the Royal Mounted
King of the Royal Mounted
King of the Royal Mounted is a fictional series featuring the character Dave King, created by Stephen Slesinger in 1936. Slesinger licensed popular Western writer Zane Grey's byline and marketed the character as Zane Grey's King of the Royal Mounted....

) about the adventures of Sgt. King, a Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman like Sgt. Preston. It could be that Trendle borrowed both ideas from Grey's work and wanted to retain the name "King" as a tribute to Grey, who died after a long illness one year following the first airing of Challenge of the Yukon.

Challenge of the Yukon began as a 15-minute serial
Serial (film)
Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials, Film serials or Chapter plays, were short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a feature film. They were related to pulp magazine serialized fiction...

, airing locally from 1938 until May 28, 1947. Shortly thereafter, the program acquired a sponsor, Quaker Oats, and the series, in a half-hour format, moved to the networks. The program aired on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...

 from June 12, 1947, to December 30, 1949. It was then heard on The Mutual Broadcasting System
Mutual Broadcasting System
The Mutual Broadcasting System was an American radio network, in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the golden age of U.S. radio drama, MBS was best known as the original network home of The Lone Ranger and The Adventures of Superman and as the long-time radio residence of The Shadow...

 from January 2, 1950, through the final broadcast on June 9, 1955. In November 1951, the title changed to Sergeant Preston of the Yukon.

Radio cast

  • Sgt. Preston – The part of Sgt. Preston was played by different actors over the course of the long run. Jay Michael, who had often played villain Butch Cavendish on The Lone Ranger, originated the role, and played the brave Mountie from 1938
    1938 in radio
    The year 1938 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting.-Events:*13 March: CBS carries the first-ever point-to-point news roundup, including Edward R. Murrow's first live report, as part of its coverage of the Anschluss in Austria...

     through the mid 1940s. Former movie actor Paul Sutton
    Paul Sutton
    Paul Sutton was an American film actor, appearing mostly in uncredited roles, and most often in low budget B-movies during the 1930s and 1940s. He is perhaps best known as one of the actors who portrayed Sergeant William Preston on the radio serial Challenge of the Yukon...

     took over the role, followed briefly by Brace Beemer
    Brace Beemer
    Brace Beemer was an American radio actor and announcer at radio station WXYZ, Detroit, Michigan.Born in Mount Carmel, Illinois, Beemer was six foot, three inches tall and was an expert horse rider. He served as the deep-voiced announcer for The Lone Ranger soon after its first broadcast in 1933...

     when The Lone Ranger ended in 1954
    1954 in radio
    The year 1954 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*1 February: KECA and KECA-FM, both in Los Angeles, change call letters to KABC and KABC-FM, reflecting their owners, ABC-United Paramount Theaters....

    . Sutton took over again, however, by the time of the final broadcast.

  • Yukon King – The barks, whines, and howls of Yukon King were supplied by one of the station's sound effects men, Dewey Cole, and following Cole's death, by actor Ted Johnstone.

  • Narrator and supporting players – The original announcer
    Announcer
    An announcer is a presenter who makes "announcements" in an audio medium or a physical location.-Television and other media:Some announcers work in television production , radio or filmmaking, usually providing narrations, news updates, station identification, or an introduction of a product in...

    /narrator
    Narrator
    A narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...

     was Bob Hite
    Bob Hite (announcer)
    Bob Hite, Sr. was an American radio and television announcer, voice-over artist, and news anchor.Hite began his announcing career in the 1930s at WXYZ in Detroit, Michigan...

    , also a narrator for the Lone Ranger, Green Hornet and The Shadow. Hite was replaced by former star Jay Michael when Sutton took over. Lone Ranger narrator Fred Foy
    Fred Foy
    Frederick William Foy was an American radio and television announcer, who used Fred Foy as his professional name. He is best known for his narration of The Lone Ranger...

     also filled the role from time to time. John Todd
    John Todd (actor)
    John Todd , born Fred McCarthy was an American radio actor.A former stage actor known for Shakespearean roles, Todd soon gained work at Detroit radio station WXYZ, as part of director James Jewell's repertory company, with roles on the various series produced by the station.His most famous work was...

     was heard occasionally as Inspector Conrad, and Frank Russell played Pierre. Episodic performers came from the same talent pool as the other WXYZ shows.

Episode guide

Airdate Title Length
43-07-17 Meeting the Terms of a Contract 00:14:42
43-07-24 Till a Man's Proved Dead 00:14:52
43-07-31 A Swindler Swindled 00:14:46
43-08-14 A Footprint in Leather 00:14:38
43-08-21 Caught by a Button 00:14:45
43-08-28 The Last Days of a Freight Line 00:14:34
43-09-11 A Swill O' Gunpowder 00:15:00
43-09-18 King's Ransom 00:14:46
43-09-25 Murder on Train Time 00:14:46
43-10-02 A Previewed Confession 00:14:41
43-10-09 Attempted Manslaughter 00:14:37
43-10-16 Lantern Rock 00:14:46
43-10-23 The Ring on His Finger 00:14:46
43-10-30 The Tell-Tale Bullet 00:14:19
43-11-06 A Date to Remember 00:14:32
43-11-13 Belated Revenge 00:14:21
43-11-20 Return to the Crime 00:14:26
43-11-27 King Spots Murder 00:14:32
43-12-04 Self Defense or Murder 00:14:16
43-12-11 By Hook or by Crook 00:14:45
43-12-18 The Eleventh Hour 00:14:42
43-12-25 Murder in ABC's 00:13:26
43-12-27 Bob Hite Announces (Audition) 00:28:51
44-01-01 No Escape for a Murderer 00:14:42
44-01-06 Revenge in the Yukon 00:14:39
44-01-13 Forgery and Murder 00:14:20
44-01-20 Macbeth's Bloody Knife 00:14:32
44-01-27 Wolf Pack 00:14:35
44-02-03 Cabin on the Trail 00:14:41
44-02-10 Lady Luck Claim 00:14:24
44-02-17 As a Man Thinketh 00:14:54
44-02-24 The Hannagan Brothers 00:14:17
44-03-02 The Great Dog King 00:14:29
44-03-09 The Vallera Diamond 00:14:21
44-03-23 King Meets Soapy Smith 00:14:01
44-03-30 A Pack of Bacon 00:13:59
44-04-06 Edward Carson 00:14:11
44-04-13 The Plaid Coat 00:14:07
44-04-20 Belle Brady's Gesture 00:14:17
44-04-27 Preston's Right Hand Man 00:14:11
44-05-04 A Woman Scorned 00:14:12
44-05-11 Outlaw Dog 00:14:16
44-05-18 The Outlaw's Nemesis 00:14:32
44-05-25 The Idol 00:14:23
44-06-01 A Joke Led to the Gallows 00:14:11
44-06-08 Reverend Jim 00:14:22
44-06-15 The Man from Missouri 00:14:38
44-06-22 Design for Murder aka Killing Sullivan 00:14:31
44-06-29 The Duke Bows to a King 00:14:28
44-07-13 The Lady's Locket 00:14:39
44-07-20 Lucky Walters 00:14:43
44-07-27 Of Dogs and Horses 00:14:40
44-08-03 Maintiens Le Droit 00:14:42
44-08-10 The Plan That Failed 00:14:40
44-08-17 King Breaks the Wheel of Fortune 00:14:39
44-08-24 A Rendezvous 00:14:40
44-08-31 Smokey 00:14:53
44-09-07 A Frame-Up That Failed 00:13:48
44-09-14 Death and the Flickering Eye 00:13:36
44-09-21 A Masquerade 00:13:51
44-09-28 Eyes for the Blind 00:13:47
44-10-12 King Saves the Day 00:14:33
44-10-19 Suzanne Verrill 00:14:41
44-10-26 Case History of a Mountie 00:14:30
44-11-02 Seahorse City's Editor 00:14:14
44-11-09 King Found the Clue 00:14:15
44-11-16 Florabelle's Adventure 00:14:19
44-11-23 Paula Buchanan 00:14:23
44-11-30 King Meets a Grizzly 00:14:08
44-12-07 Trial by Fire 00:14:06
44-12-14 One Went to the Gallows 00:14:11
44-12-21 How Connelly Paid the Law 00:14:11
44-12-28 Preston's Dilemma 00:13:47
45-01-04 Trap for a Mountie 00:13:44
45-01-13 Manhunt 00:13:57
45-01-18 Murder on the Trail 00:14:03
45-01-25 The Fugitives 00:14:50
45-01-30 King Led the Way 00:14:55
45-02-06 An Unlucky Gambler 00:14:23
45-02-13 Guilty by Proxy 00:15:01
45-02-20 Wilderness Girl 00:14:50
45-02-27 Glynns Canyon 00:14:56
45-03-06 Trail Scent 00:14:40
45-03-13 The Dog-Head Nugget 00:14:48
45-03-20 Silver Point Renegades 00:14:25
45-03-27 Landslide 00:14:19
45-04-03 Blizzard in the Yukon 00:14:28
45-04-10 Back Door of the Mountain 00:14:36
45-04-24 Her Weight in Gold 00:14:22
45-05-01 Spawn of the North 00:14:30
45-05-08 The Dog Team Race 00:14:23
45-05-15 God of the Mountain 00:14:27
45-05-22 A Boy and a Dog 00:14:27
45-05-29 Ambush 00:14:24
45-06-05 Trap Robber 00:14:28
45-06-12 Medicine Man 00:14:22
45-06-19 Thunder 00:14:15
45-06-26 Recovered Claim 00:14:23
45-07-03 Old Tom 00:14:32
45-07-10 The Brass Button 00:14:24
45-07-17 Escape 00:14:31
45-07-24 Skipper 00:14:27
45-07-31 The Chase 00:14:19
45-08-07 The Map 00:14:14
45-08-14 Arctic Chase 00:14:31
45-08-21 Maw Baker's Pies 00:14:15
45-08-28 Magnamimous Ghost 00:14:33
45-09-04 Bear Trap 00:14:24
45-09-11 Alibi 00:14:19
45-09-18 Big Bill 00:14:29
45-09-25 The Red Mitten 00:14:28
45-10-02 Chechako 00:14:23
45-10-09 The Black Bear 00:14:16
45-10-16 Scorpion Sam's Gold 00:14:09
45-10-23 Dynamite Provides 00:14:24
45-10-30 The Trail 00:14:30
45-11-06 The Last Laugh 00:14:17
45-11-13 The Irish Wolf Hound 00:14:25
45-11-20 Father Donovan 00:14:16
45-11-27 Long Fall Canyon 00:14:16
45-12-04 The Bonanza Belle 00:14:34
45-12-11 The Dachshund 00:14:32
45-12-18 Christmas Present 00:14:26
45-12-29 New Year's Eve 00:14:21
46-01-05 The Grave Robbers 00:14:20
46-01-10 The Mail Team 00:14:29
46-01-17 Preston Takes Over 00:14:00
46-01-24 Jane Gets Her Man 00:14:34
46-01-31 The Blind Man 00:14:16
46-02-14 The Cure 00:14:30
46-02-21 Mabel 00:14:34
46-02-28 The Shamaness 00:14:40
46-03-07 Mad Wolf 00:14:23
46-03-14 The Bully 00:14:36
46-03-21 Hold Up 00:14:41
46-03-28 The Rivals 00:14:46
46-04-04 The Return of Pete Hill 00:14:41
46-04-11 Ned's Wife 00:14:45
46-04-18 Rex 00:14:46
46-04-25 Torn Parka 00:14:46
46-05-02 Balmy Bill 00:14:45
46-05-09 Eskimo Justice 00:14:44
46-05-16 Shrimp Togan 00:15:07
46-05-23 Chap 00:14:46
46-05-30 The Mitten 00:14:38
46-06-06 Annie Jones 00:14:21
46-06-13 The Great Dane 00:14:40
46-06-20 How Preston Got King 00:14:27
46-06-27 The Sharp Shooter 00:14:35
46-07-04 The Pup That Ate Too Much 00:15:01
46-07-11 Flash 00:14:49
46-07-18 Preston Breaks a Rule 00:14:58
46-07-25 Beaver Dam 00:14:32
46-08-01 The Silver Fox 00:14:40
46-08-15 The Mute Speaks 00:14:40
46-08-22 Grizzly Martin 00:14:20
46-08-29 Preston Goes to Jail 00:14:33
46-09-12 The Epidemic 00:14:12
46-09-19 Preston Sells King 00:14:22
46-09-26 Blind Man's Claim 00:14:01
46-10-03 The Wooden Case 00:14:08
46-11-07 Trap in the Mountains 00:14:01
46-11-14 The Choice 00:14:10
46-11-21 The Cat Collar 00:14:21
46-11-28 Thanksgiving in the Wilderness 00:13:56
46-12-05 The Watch Dog 00:14:11
46-12-12 The Dog Fight 00:14:14
46-12-19 Christmas Present 00:14:19
46-12-26 The Man Who Limped 00:14:12
47-01-02 The False Beard 00:14:09
47-01-09 Zeb 00:14:13
47-01-16 The Black Dog 00:14:16
47-01-23 A Question of Ethics 00:14:15
47-01-30 The Gold Fang 00:14:16
47-02-04 Pet Bear 00:14:07
47-02-11 The Substitution 00:16:10
47-02-20 The Red Parka 00:14:08
47-02-27 The Hermit of Nugget Hill 00:14:41
47-03-06 The Coffin 00:08:58
47-03-12 Sunshine Stones 00:14:30
47-03-19 The Birthday Present 00:14:03
47-03-26 The Big Stone House 00:14:18
47-04-02 The Dancing Bear 00:14:04
47-04-09 The Story of Big John 00:14:11
47-04-16 The Torn Sleeve 00:14:10
47-04-23 The Mad Trapper 00:14:12
47-04-30 The Red Setter 00:13:55
47-05-14 The Usurpers 00:14:20
47-05-28 Lost Mitten 00:14:03
47-06-12 The Wolf Cub 00:28:45
47-06-19 Grizzly 00:29:01
47-06-26 Pet Bear 00:27:26
47-07-03 The Puppy 00:28:08
47-07-12 Sam's Gold 00:29:18
47-07-19 The Man in the Fur Cap 00:28:32
47-07-26 A Dog Named Mabel 00:28:19
47-08-02 Messenger of Mercy 00:28:55
47-08-09 Derelict Dog 00:27:41
47-08-23 The Revenge of Steve Carlton 00:29:29
47-08-30 Clue to a Killer 00:29:18
47-09-06 The Stolen Pups 00:28:28
47-09-11 The Northern Pursuit 00:28:05
47-09-18 The Fraud 00:29:20
47-09-25 Reprisal 00:29:24
47-10-02 The Proof 00:29:24
47-10-09 The Malamute Pup 00:29:20
47-10-16 The Last Cabin 00:29:46
47-10-23 Rex 00:29:16
47-11-01 Sam's Wife 00:29:13
47-11-08 King's Escape 00:29:50
47-11-15 The Limping Dog 00:27:28
47-11-22 King Gets His Man aka The Piano 00:29:21
47-11-29 Tara 00:29:32
47-12-06 The Marked Cards 00:28:23
47-12-13 White Man's Law 00:28:45
47-12-27 The Shepherd Dog 00:28:52
48-01-03 The Silent One 00:29:23
48-01-10 Tago, the Half Breed 00:29:18
48-01-17 The Bridge 00:29:45
48-01-24 The Loyalty of Chief 00:29:43
48-01-31 The Pamphlet 00:29:42
48-02-07 The Red Herring 00:29:41
48-02-14 The Klondike Palace 00:29:44
48-02-21 Aunt Em 00:29:37
48-02-28 Silvertip 00:29:41
48-03-06 The Debt 00:29:37
48-03-13 Witness for the Crown 00:29:34
48-03-20 King Comes Home 00:29:38
48-03-27 The Wire Haired Terrier 00:29:37
48-04-24 Rusty 00:30:22
48-06-26 Breakup 00:28:45
48-09-06 Shots in the Dark 00:29:17
48-09-08 Winner by Proxy 00:29:29
48-09-13 The Fraud 00:29:48
48-09-15 Trader Muldoon 00:29:17
48-09-17 The Showdown 00:25:32
48-09-20 Lost Indian Mine 00:26:02
48-09-22 Icebound 00:25:54
48-09-24 Old Ben's Gold 00:29:12
48-09-27 Pot Luck Killers 00:25:12
48-09-29 Ghost Town 00:29:30
48-10-01 Find the Body 00:29:37
48-10-04 The Extra Uniform 00:28:49
48-10-06 Record Run 00:29:04
48-10-08 Parson Shorty Meadows 00:29:04
48-10-11 The Red Ace 00:29:02
48-10-13 Mine of Good Hope 00:29:07
48-10-15 White Hawk 00:28:46
48-10-18 Underground Ambush 00:29:04
48-10-20 The False Trail 00:29:06
48-10-22 The Poisoner of Chiliwaw 00:29:04
48-10-25 Samaritan of the Trail 00:29:32
48-10-27 Preston Turns the Tables 00:29:35
48-10-29 The Phantom Gang 00:29:38
48-11-01 The Call of Duty 00:29:25
48-11-03 The Man with the Red Hair 00:29:37
48-11-05 Death on the Trail 00:29:37
48-11-08 The Wilderness Uprising 00:29:38
48-11-10 Ben Yancy's Legacy 00:29:41
48-11-12 Shadow 00:29:32
48-11-15 The Second Chance 00:29:42
48-11-17 Manhunt 00:29:34
48-11-19 The St Bernard Dog 00:29:31
48-11-22 Mutiny on the Penguin 00:29:21
48-11-24 Old Moby's Cairn 00:23:46
48-11-26 Lost River Roundup 00:29:24
48-11-29 Strike at Pelican Creek 00:29:11
48-12-01 The Black Husky 00:28:40
48-12-03 The Sergeant's Right 00:21:40
48-12-06 Timber 00:29:22
48-12-08 The Dawson Fire 00:29:24
48-12-10 The Trap in Cabin Four 00:29:31
48-12-13 Escape to the North 00:29:24
48-12-15 Marlow's Gang 00:24:23
48-12-17 Faith in a Mountie 00:25:33
48-12-20 The Emerald in the Nugget 00:23:54
48-12-22 The Man with the Red Coat 00:29:19
48-12-27 Injun Devil 00:29:17
48-12-29 Arrowhead Frame-Up 00:29:10
48-12-31 Case of Frank Weaver 00:29:14
49-01-03 King Takes Over 00:29:35
49-01-07 Jim Beldens Secret 00:29:47
49-01-10 King Proves His Worth 00:29:12
49-01-14 Lem Baileys Pet Bear 00:29:15
49-01-17 White Water 00:29:14
49-01-19 Jimmy's Birthday Cake 00:29:18
49-01-21 Skagway Patrol 00:29:20
49-01-24 Mystery in the Cave 00:29:18
49-01-26 The Moose River Murder 00:29:23
49-01-28 Lost River Ambush 00:29:09
49-01-31 The Mongrel 00:29:12
49-02-02 On One Condition 00:29:15
49-02-04 The Trail of Grizzly Grayson 00:29:58
49-02-07 Rogue's Progress 00:29:25
49-02-09 Sergeant Preston Faces Death 00:29:35
49-02-11 Ambush 00:29:24
49-02-14 The Coward 00:29:24
49-02-16 Double Cross Creek 00:29:30
49-02-18 The Dog with the Gold Tooth 00:29:31
49-02-21 The Magic Light 00:29:32
49-02-23 Signal in Green 00:29:28
49-02-25 Danger Signal 00:29:24
49-02-28 River Pirates 00:29:28
49-03-02 Ambush at Forty Mile 00:29:27
49-03-04 The Music Hall Murder 00:29:27
49-03-07 Trail Mates 00:25:59
49-03-09 Bulldog Charm 00:29:24
49-03-11 The Meal the Convicted 00:29:24
49-03-14 The White Huskie 00:29:44
49-03-16 The Kondike Queen 00:20:04
49-03-18 The Caribou Case 00:29:42
49-03-21 The Black and White Pup 00:00:52
49-03-23 The Devil Dog 00:29:47
49-03-25 Letters to a Killer 00:24:44
49-03-28 Conover's Crime 00:21:29
49-03-30 Crumpled Handbill 00:29:42
49-04-01 The Killer 00:29:37
49-04-04 The Remittance Man 00:29:41
49-04-06 Dead Man's Man 00:29:31
49-04-08 The Knife Throwers 00:29:37
49-04-11 The Lucky Shirt 00:29:42
49-04-13 The Trail of the Werewolf 00:29:33
49-04-15 Trouble at Forty-Mile 00:29:24
49-04-18 The Luck of the Newtons 00:29:27
49-04-20 The Empty Coffin 00:29:04
49-04-22 The Doomed Witness 00:29:06
49-04-25 The Bear Trap 00:29:45
49-04-27 The Perfect Crime 00:29:03
49-04-29 Fire in the Sky 00:29:34
49-05-02 Escape to the North 00:29:09
49-05-04 The Sparrow 00:29:09
49-05-06 The Case of the Hard-Hearted Hermit 00:29:22
49-05-09 Race to Twenty Mile 00:29:20
49-05-11 The Million Dollar Deadline 00:29:07
49-05-13 The Skagway-Mail 00:29:00
49-05-16 The Counter Plan 00:29:05
49-05-18 The Bad Penny 00:29:45
49-05-20 Adventure in Selkirk 00:29:33
49-05-23 The Duel 00:29:06
49-05-25 Death and the Lucky Seven 00:29:31
49-05-27 The Skull in the Stone 00:11:25
49-05-30 The Case of the Turncoat Mountie 00:29:29
49-06-01 The Case of the Frightened Child 00:29:30
49-06-03 The Case of the Canyon Holdup 00:29:33
49-06-06 The Missing Code 00:32:21
49-06-08 The Case of the Yellow Ribbon 00:22:46
49-06-10 A Boy and His Dog 00:25:38
49-06-15 The Uphill Sled 00:26:10
49-06-22 King Takes Over 00:29:34
49-06-29 The Case of the Beautiful Swindler 00:29:52
49-07-06 The Case of the Crown Fire 00:29:18
49-07-13 Trickery in the River 00:30:46
49-07-20 The Case of the Kind Hearted Killer 00:29:32
49-07-27 The Case of the Unwilling Guardian 00:29:52
49-08-03 The Renegade Huskie 00:27:46
49-08-10 What Price King 00:28:53
49-08-17 The Case of the Friendly Enemies 00:29:17
49-08-24 The Yellow Kitten 00:29:37
49-08-31 The Minister's Missing Money 00:29:32
49-09-07 The Case of the Detective Who Liked Excitement 00:29:51
49-09-12 The Fan-Tan Gold Robbery 00:27:57
49-09-14 The Boy Who Feared Dogs 00:29:39
49-09-16 The Case of the Wishbone 00:29:43
49-09-19 Fire on the Trail 00:29:59
49-09-21 King and the Baxter Gang 00:29:25
49-09-23 The Case of the River Pirates 00:29:45
49-09-26 Ambush Near Selkirk 00:29:34
49-09-28 The Case of the Sourdough's Dog 00:29:47
49-09-30 The Phantom Witness 00:29:31
49-10-03 The Scent of Blood 00:29:46
49-10-05 Murder on the Mountain 00:29:24
49-10-07 The Generous Hobo 00:29:41
49-10-10 Allen's McRae's Birthday Present 00:29:07
49-10-12 The Burning Cabin 00:29:31
49-10-14 The Great Charlotta 00:29:22
49-10-17 The Doctor Disappears 00:29:48
49-10-19 Hazel Crest Decision 00:29:28
49-10-21 Rescue in the Forest 00:29:42
49-10-24 The Missing Money 00:29:37
49-10-26 Bad Boy 00:29:43
49-10-28 The Last Will 00:29:11
49-10-31 Nipper Moves Himself 00:29:27
49-11-02 Bear Trap 00:29:24
49-11-04 Dr Blake's Surrender 00:29:39
49-11-09 The Miser and the Mob 00:51:28
49-11-11 The Old Timer 00:59:19
49-11-14 The Senator Finds a Treasure 00:41:34
49-11-16 Note of Evidence 00:37:05
49-11-18 The Brothers' Promise 00:47:43
49-11-21 The King Emperor 00:56:00
49-11-23 The Stolen Box 00:39:30
49-11-25 The Barbary Gang 00:54:32
49-11-28 Grubstake for Vickers 00:53:12
49-11-30 48 Hours to Pay 00:32:16
49-12-02 Outlaw's Twin 00:39:51
49-12-05 Dance at Caribou Creek 00:29:24
49-12-07 The Return of Tom Becket 00:29:23
49-12-09 Swindlers Luck 00:33:18
49-12-12 Copper Gulch Patrol 00:31:08
49-12-14 The Wainwright Cache 00:32:12
49-12-16 The Black Bag 00:32:15
49-12-19 Missing Gold 00:33:07
49-12-21 The Shanghaied Sergeant 00:31:49
49-12-23 The Sergeant's Present 00:29:13
49-12-26 Journey for Revenge 00:37:18
49-12-28 Swindler's Luck 00:42:46
49-12-30 The Prodigal Father 00:34:21
50-01-02 Rainbow's End 00:33:16
50-01-04 Jeff Marco's Gang 00:32:08
50-01-06 The Battle at Bradley's 00:37:36
50-01-09 Barry Jeffer's Trust 00:42:20
50-01-11 Red Devil 00:34:56
50-01-13 The Miners' Meeting 00:33:55
50-01-16 The Diamond Collar 00:37:04
50-01-18 The Long Trail 00:35:48
50-01-20 No Epitaph for Tombstone 00:34:39
50-01-23 The Ten Thousand Dollar Rewards 00:34:45
50-01-25 The Trap That Failed 00:37:13
50-01-27 The Ghost Raider 00:35:26
50-01-30 Casper Mott's Adventure 00:29:24
50-02-01 Circumstantial Evidence 00:29:18
50-02-03 Blind Man's Buff 00:29:12
50-02-06 Jailbreak 00:25:39
50-02-08 The Runaway Heir 00:29:22
50-02-10 Flaming Valley 00:29:19
50-02-13 The Haunted Mine 00:36:33
50-02-15 The Black Cat 00:33:25
50-02-17 Alias Al Gibson 00:29:22
50-02-20 The Murdered Witness 00:35:30
50-02-22 Trail's End 00:33:53
50-02-24 Uncle Joe's Luck 00:28:38
50-02-27 Guardian for Jimmy 00:34:16
50-03-01 When Thief Catches Thief 00:33:50
50-03-03 The Innocent Criminal 00:29:37
50-03-06 Wolf Creek 00:29:46
50-03-08 Restitution 00:29:53
50-03-10 The Lost Lady 00:29:37
50-03-13 Hidden Evidence 00:29:53
50-03-15 Secret Orders 00:29:36
50-03-17 The Man Who Fled 00:33:14
50-03-20 The Cascade Case 00:32:13
50-03-22 The Fugitive Bride 00:30:41
50-03-24 The Wolf Cub 00:29:55
50-03-27 Canyon Cache 00:31:18
50-03-29 Mystery of the Ridge 00:30:01
50-03-31 Twenty Little Indians 00:31:03
50-04-03 Unfinished Note 00:30:01
50-04-05 The Two Bullets 00:30:01
50-05-26 Wand Diamond 00:28:44
50-05-29 Notorious Chet Craig 00:30:10
50-05-31 The Dead Man's Trail 00:29:12
50-06-02 The Angel of Death 00:31:39
50-06-05 Six Gun Clue 00:29:44
50-06-07 Jose's Return 00:31:36
50-06-09 Revenge from Beyond 00:29:21
50-06-28 The Bag of Gold 00:29:43
50-07-07 Race of the River Boats 00:29:42
50-07-10 The Diamond Solitaire 00:29:44
50-07-19 Stolen Gold 00:30:12
50-07-26 The Spread Eagle Raid 00:30:52
50-08-02 The Beaverton Legacy 00:30:57
50-08-09 A Change of Mind 00:31:31
50-08-16 Ten Thousand Counterfeit 00:29:47
50-08-23 The Branded Pelts 00:30:45
50-08-30 Logan's Luck 00:29:52
50-09-06 Cal Dorset's Hair 00:30:29
50-09-11 The Gold Behind the Waterfall 00:30:47
50-09-13 The Polar Quest 00:24:22
50-09-15 Left to Die 00:30:40
50-09-18 The Sack of Sand 00:31:44
50-09-20 The Malemute Express 00:22:00
50-09-22 The Torn Map 00:30:15
50-09-25 Diagram of Danger 00:28:14
50-09-27 The Red Raiders 00:24:52
50-09-29 Dog Crazy 00:29:09
50-10-02 The Malacca Cane 00:22:15
50-10-04 The Vagabond 00:26:34
50-10-06 The Criminal Collie 00:23:48
50-10-09 The Blue Paper 00:28:12
50-10-11 Harper's Castle 00:22:56
50-10-13 A Dog Called Sparky 00:28:48
50-10-16 Fugitive from Bald Rock 00:28:48
50-10-18 The Masked Gunman 00:27:05
50-10-20 Out of the Night 00:25:48
50-10-23 Heart of a Killer 00:29:12
50-10-25 Dead Man's Whistle 00:28:17
50-10-27 A Call to Action 00:28:23
50-10-30 Undercover 00:28:01
50-11-01 Contention 00:29:31
50-11-03 Whistling in the Dark 00:29:41
50-11-06 Friend in Need 00:29:43
50-11-08 The Ghost Riders 00:29:10
50-11-13 The Clue of the Silver Pup 00:29:23
50-11-15 Passport to Death 00:29:29
50-11-17 The Telltale Knife 00:29:43
50-11-20 The Wrong Map 00:24:26
50-11-22 The Rebel Yell 00:27:12
50-11-24 Death Waits on the River 00:27:14
50-11-27 The Man in the Canyon 00:25:15
50-11-29 Gold Fever 00:27:33
50-12-01 Spider Burke's Daughter 00:27:50
50-12-04 Wild Dog 00:28:55
50-12-06 The Indian Sign 00:29:23
50-12-08 The Notorious Hawk Cooper 00:29:30
51-01-20 Danger at Devil's Gorge 00:29:40
51-01-27 Murder on Fox Run 00:31:00
51-01-28 Escape by Night 00:29:56
51-02-03 White Fox for Marie 00:29:09
51-02-04 Storm the Pass 00:30:53
51-02-10 The King of Keena Creek 00:30:36
51-02-11 The Trail Robbers 00:29:10
51-02-17 Wrong Trail 00:32:11
51-02-18 Honest Young Man 00:30:56
51-02-24 Blackmailer's Payoff 00:32:01
51-02-25 Vanished Loot 00:30:17
51-03-03 Job for Jim Lackey 00:31:52
51-03-04 The Russian Rubies 00:30:44
51-03-10 Secret of the Closed Room 00:31:38
51-03-11 Doctor Redcoat 00:29:36
51-03-17 The Third Strike 00:31:44
51-03-18 Never Be Missed 00:29:44
51-03-24 The Counterfeit Heiress 00:31:36
51-03-25 Old Faithful 00:31:05
51-03-31 Cabin 102 00:32:38
51-04-01 The Blue Scarf 00:31:53
51-04-07 Trapper's Trail 00:26:54
51-04-08 Take It Easy 00:29:16
51-04-14 The Blind Husky 00:26:55
51-04-15 Team-Mates 00:30:49
51-04-21 Rowdy's Choice 00:29:41
51-04-22 Indian Dream 00:29:03
51-06-10 Number One Challenger 00:28:52
51-07-01 The Stuffed Shirt 00:28:39
51-07-08 Murder at the Flood 00:29:28
51-07-12 A Boy Called Jack 00:29:28
51-07-15 Thieve's Congress 00:29:27
51-07-19 Tom Barry's Return 00:29:22
51-07-22 The Trail's End 00:29:23
51-07-26 The Innocent Fugitives 00:29:31
51-08-02 And Far Away 00:29:29
51-08-05 The Widow's Son 00:29:23
51-08-09 The Man Who Feared Dogs 00:29:21
51-08-12 Ambush in Bellary Flats 00:29:23
51-08-16 Against Time 00:28:17
51-08-19 The Red Parka 00:28:36
51-08-23 The Scent of Death 00:28:21
51-08-26 Bullets for Preston 00:28:38
51-08-30 Red Coated Crook 00:25:05
51-09-02 Boy Alone 00:28:41
51-09-06 Junior Partner 00:28:40
51-09-09 Dividend on Murder 00:28:32
51-09-13 The Landlady 00:22:01
51-09-16 The Killer Cree 00:28:20
51-09-20 Chance Meeting 00:28:30
51-09-23 Trapper's Gold 00:28:01
51-09-27 Uncle Ben 00:27:55
51-10-04 Open and Shut 00:27:46
51-10-07 Fire in the Forest 00:28:10
51-10-09 Man in Hiding 00:27:41
51-10-11 Double Identity 00:27:51
51-10-21 The Mutiny's Survivor 00:29:23
51-10-25 Claim 22 00:22:21
51-10-30 Reward for Shiloh 00:28:45
51-11-01 Trail to Trouble 00:29:04
51-11-04 The Diamond Solitaire 00:28:33
51-11-13 Sneak Gun 00:27:57
52-09-07 Murder on the Mountain 00:29:31
53-02-19 The Queen's Parlor 00:29:09
53-03-05 SOS from Panamint 00:28:45
53-10-29 The Death Dart 00:29:19
53-11-03 The Rag Doll 00:29:16
55-01-06 Outlaw in Uniform 00:28:28

Comic book series

From 1951 to 1958 Dell Comics
Dell Comics
Dell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1973. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium...

 published 29 issues of Sergeant Preston of the Yukon. The first four issues appeared bi-annually, then quarterly, in the weekly catch-all series, Four Color Comics (#344,373,397,419), then assumed its own numbering with issue #5, most-often as a quarterly but also bi-monthly.

All issues were written by Gaylord Du Bois (creator of Turok
Turok
Turok is a fictional American comic book character initially in comics from Western Publishing published through licensee Dell Comics. He first appeared in Four Color Comics #596 , then graduated to his own title, Turok, Son of Stone...

), and illustrated by Alberto Giolitti
Alberto Giolitti
Alberto Giolitti was an Italian-American comic book artist.He was born in Rome, where his family held one of the most famous café, Giolitti, where he also worked for a while. He debuted as artist for Il Vittorioso in the late 1940s...

 (best-known as the long-time illustrator of Turok
Turok
Turok is a fictional American comic book character initially in comics from Western Publishing published through licensee Dell Comics. He first appeared in Four Color Comics #596 , then graduated to his own title, Turok, Son of Stone...

).

The Dell comic book covers were paintings portraying drama or action, featuring Yukon King and Sergeant Preston in exciting scenes. Once the Sergeant Preston of the Yukon television series premiered, the comic book featured photo covers of the TV series star in character as Sergeant Preston.

Television series: Sergeant Preston of the Yukon

In 1955, the same year the radio show ended, Sergeant Preston of the Yukon premiered as a television series. Richard Simmons
Richard Simmons (actor)
Richard Simmons , also known as Dick Simmons, was an American actor.-Early life and career:Born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Simmons started his film acting career in 1937...

 starred as Sgt. Preston, and was supported by Yukon King and Rex, now played by real animals. The dog cast as King was not a husky, however, but a large Alaskan Malamute
Alaskan Malamute
The Alaskan Malamute is a generally large breed of domestic dog originally bred for use as a utilitarian dog and later an Alaskan sled dog. They are sometimes mistaken for a Siberian Husky, but in fact are quite different in many ways...

. Charles Livingstone, who had worked on the radio version, directed several episodes. Though no plotlines seem to have been re-used from the radio show, they were generally built upon the same themes. The same few buildings were regularly seen as part of many settlements in the shows. The additional visual component of the snowy Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....

, however, did give the television version a different feel but like all such films when filmed on a stage set, the frosty breath of people in Arctic conditions could not be simulated. Generally, however, there was an outdoor feel though a few times shadows on the skyline could be seen. Genuine outdoor scenes were added to give the show some reality though the viewer could not help but notice a sameness to them as they were all filmed in the same area and reused at times.

Mainly filmed at Ashcroft
Ashcroft, Colorado
Ashcroft originally known as Castle Forks City and then Chloride until 1882, was a mining town located ten miles south of Aspen near Castle Creek, in Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. A few buildings remain standing as a testament to the town's past.-The early years:In the spring of 1880 two...

, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

, the series was telecast on CBS from September 29, 1955, to September 25, 1958. The first two seasons were produced by Trendle-Campbell-Meurer, and the show was broadcast in the same time slot as ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...

's The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked Texas Ranger who, with his Native American companion Tonto, fights injustice in the American Old West. The character has become an enduring icon of American culture....

. In its last season, Sergeant Preston of the Yukon was purchased and produced by the Jack Wrather
Jack Wrather
John Devereaux "Jack" Wrather, Jr. , was a petroleum millionaire who became a television producer and later diversified by investing in broadcast stations and resort properties...

 Corporation.

In 1955, the Quaker Oats company gave away land in the Klondike
Klondike, Yukon
The Klondike is a region of the Yukon in northwest Canada, east of the Alaska border. It lies around the Klondike River, a small river that enters the Yukon from the east at Dawson....

 as part of a promotional tie-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
Puffed rice
Puffed rice is a type of puffed grain made from rice; usually made by heating rice kernels under high pressure in the presence of steam, though the method of manufacture varies widely.-Origin:Pori has been mentioned in various Tamil...

 cereal boxes.

Guest stars

The guest stars on Sergeant Preston included:
  • Francis De Sales
    Francis De Sales (actor)
    Francis A. De Sales was an American actor. He was known for his roles on two early television series: as police Lieutenant Bill Weigand on the CBS and then NBC drama Mr. and Mrs. North and as Sheriff Maddox in the syndicated western Two Faces West...

     appeared in five episodes, concluding as Cy Bartok in "The Diamond Collar".
  • Kelo Henderson
    Kelo Henderson
    Kelo Henderson is an American former actor who co-starred as Deputy Clint Travis in the 1957-1959 syndicated western television series 26 Men. The program starred Tristram Coffin as Captain Thomas H. Rynning, the real-life commander of the Arizona Rangers, the case files of which were the basis...

    , a future Golden Boot
    Golden Boot Awards
    The Golden Boot Awards honor actors, actresses, and crew members who have made significant contributions to the genre of Western television and movies. The award is sponsored and presented by the Motion Picture & Television Fund...

     winner who appeared as Pete Hollis in the 1958 episode "Escape to the North".
  • Ed Hinton
    Ed Hinton (actor)
    Edgar Latimer Hinton, Jr., known as Ed Hinton and sometimes as Edward Hinton , was an American actor known particularly for guest-starring roles on television westerns...

     appeared twice in 1956 as Barry Jeffers in "Remember the Maine" and as Lefty "Red" Burke in "The Rookie".
  • I. Stanford Jolley
    I. Stanford Jolley
    Isaac Stanford Jolley, Sr., known as I. Stanford Jolley was a prolific American character actor of film and television, primarily in western roles as cowboys, law-enforcement officers, or villains...

     guest starred as Sam Haley in "The Fancy Dan" (1956) and as Frisco in "Gold Rush Patrol" (1958)
  • Tyler MacDuff
    Tyler MacDuff
    Tyler MacDuff, born Tyler Glenn Duff, Jr. , was an American actor, primarily on television westerns and dramas who was cast as Billy the Kid in The Boy from Oklahoma.-Biography:...

     appeared as Bill Corey in "Lost River Roundup" in 1957
  • John M. Pickard
    John Pickard (American actor)
    John M. Pickard was an American actor who appeared primarily in television Westerns.-Early life and career:...

     appeared four times in 1956-1957 in different roles, including the role of Red Brody in "Old Ben's Gold".


Season one of the series is scheduled for DVD release on March 17, 2009.

Spoofs and cultural references

The series was parodied many times over the years. Radio comics Bob and Ray
Bob and Ray
Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding were an American comedy team whose career spanned five decades. Their format was typically to satirize the medium in which they were performing, such as conducting radio or television interviews, with off-the-wall dialogue presented in a generally deadpan style as...

 came up with King Yukon of the Northwest, a rabid dog who viciously attacked the mountie and all around him. Two episodes of the animated series Dudley Do-Right
Dudley Do-Right
Dudley Do-Right, created by Alex Anderson, is the eponymous hero of a segment on The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show which parodied early 20th century melodrama and silent film in the form of the Northern genre....

 paired Dudley with a wild wolf who he attempted to train in the manner of Yukon King. More recently, in an issue of the comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...

 Cerebus the Aardvark
Cerebus the Aardvark
Cerebus the Aardvark, or simply Cerebus , is an independent comic book, written and illustrated by Canadian artist Dave Sim, with backgrounds by fellow Canadian Gerhard. Cerebus ran for 300 issues from December 1977 to 2004, and was over 6000 pages long, the longest-running original...

, bungling superhero The Roach posed as Sgt. Preston.

The series was parodied in the 1972 short film Sergeant Swell of the Mounties
Sergeant Swell of the Mounties
Sergeant Swell of the Mounties is a 1972 short film written and directed by Len Janson and Chuck Menville, and starring Menville in the title role.The film is a pixilation spoof of Sergeant Preston of the Yukon....

, written by and starring Chuck Menville
Chuck Menville
Charles David "Chuck" Menville was an American animator and writer for television. His credits included Batman: The Animated Series, Land of the Lost, The Real Ghostbusters, The Smurfs, Star Trek: The Animated Series, and Tiny Toon Adventures.-Pixilation: career in 1960s and 1970s:Menville was...

.

The National Lampoon Radio Hour parodied Sergeant Preston in "Corporal McInerny of the Northwest Mounted Library Police, with Yukon Glenn, the Wonder Moose." In the parody, Corporal McInerny tracked down a trapper, Frenchy LeMerde, who had broken an unwritten law of the Yukon by keeping the only copy of the Kama Sutra within 500 miles past its due date.

The title "Sergeant Preston of the Yukon" was also used for a song written and performed by Ray Stevens
Ray Stevens
Ray Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:...

 for National Recording Corporation
National Recording Corporation
-Early years:National Recording Corporation was incorporated in Atlanta in 1958. Founders were Bill Lowery, at the time the number one Country Music disc jockey and already a successful music publisher, and Boots Woodall, whose band recorded for Capitol, King, and Bullet Records and performed on...

. The producers of the program, The King-Trendle Broadcasting corporation, objected to Stevens' use of their characters without permission and threatened him with a lawsuit. Unaware that he had committed copyright infringement
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...

, NRC agreed to pull the record, and King dropped the suit.

The Arrogant Worms song "The Mountie Song" contains the lines "Sometimes I just want to puke on/Sergeant Preston of the Yukon".

Listen to


See also

  • Northern (Genre)
    Northern (genre)
    The Northern or Northwestern is an American and Canadian genre in literature and film made popular by the writings of Rex Beach and Zane Grey. It is similar to the Western genre but the action occurs in the Canadian North and typically features Mounties instead of, for example, cowboys or sheriffs...

  • Old-time radio
    Old-time radio
    Old-Time Radio and the Golden Age of Radio refer to a period of radio programming in the United States lasting from the proliferation of radio broadcasting in the early 1920s until television's replacement of radio as the primary home entertainment medium in the 1950s...

  • Due South
    Due South
    Due South is a Canadian crime drama series with elements of comedy. The series was created by Paul Haggis, produced by Alliance Communications, and stars Paul Gross, David Marciano, and latterly Callum Keith Rennie...

  • Sergeant Preston (board game)
    Sergeant Preston (board game)
    The Sergeant Preston Game is a Milton Bradley Company board game copyright dated 1956, and based on the television program, Sergeant Preston of the Yukon starring Richard "Dick" Simmons.-Object of the game:...


Sources

  • Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-507678-8
  • Harmon, Jim (1967). The Great Radio Heroes. New York: Doubleday and Company.
  • Ohmart, Ben (2002). It's That Time Again. Albany: BearManor Media. ISBN 0-9714570-2-6
  • Osgood, Dick (1981). Wyxie Wonderland: An Unauthorized 50-Year Diary of WXYZ Detroit. Ohio: Bowling Green University Press.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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