Radisson (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Radisson is a Canadian
adventure television series which aired on CBC Television
and Radio-Canada
from 1957 to 1958.
(Jacques Godin
) and his brother-in-law and fellow adventurer Médard des Groseilliers (René Caron). The pair explored places such as the Great Lakes
and Hudson Bay
in the context of the region's fur trade
.
Radisson was conceived as a Canadian version of Davy Crockett
, a successful Walt Disney
Company series which portrayed an American adventurer. Like the Crockett series, Radisson was to be supported with considerable merchandising such as apparel, action figures, rifles and board games.
and Île Perrot
. The series was produced in English and French with a common cast. Scriptwriter John Lucarotti was paid $300 per episode, based on single airings per CBC station. The French scripts were translations by René Normand. It was among the first significant filmed television dramas produced in Canada.
Modern activities interfered with the production of this historically-set series. The filmmakers contended with planes from Dorval Airport
, railroad activity and Saint Lawrence Seaway traffic which tipped the canoes used on the series. Adverse weather halted filming for several days and even mosquito attacks took their toll on the production. The originally-planned late-1956 debut was delayed until February 1957. Each episode was originally expected to cost $7000, but the actual production cost ultimately became $1.04 million for the series or over $26,000 per episode.
The series theme song was sung by Wally Koster, with its music and lyrics written by Johnny Cowell and John Lucarotti respectively.
Ottawa Citizen
television critic Bob Blackburn declared the theme song "so closely resembled Davy Crockett that it was a little sickening" and noted the high costs of the problematic production. Blackburn reported that critics deemed the series French debut on Radio-Canada "showy and artificial".
Children in Ottawa who were surveyed by the CBC indicated a negative reaction to Radisson, complaining of artificial characters and pacing that was sluggish or awkward. One respondent noted that the same section of river was seen as the characters travelled by canoe "all the way from Lake Nipissing
to Montreal".
Radisson was cancelled after its 39-episode run. Total revenues from Canadian and international markets of $146,200 represented a fraction of the production expenses resulting in a net loss of approximately $900,000.
's English service Saturdays at 7:00 p.m. (Eastern) in two seasons from 9 February to 4 May 1957, then from 2 November 1957 to 25 January 1958. The French version of Radisson on Radio-Canada aired on Sundays starting 3 February 1957.
Radisson was purchased by broadcasters in Australia and the United Kingdom. It was also syndicated to some United States markets under the title Tomahawk.
Television in Canada
Television in Canada officially began with the opening of the nation's first television stations in Montreal and Toronto in 1952. As with most media in Canada, the television industry, and the television programming available in that country, are strongly influenced by the American media, perhaps...
adventure television series which aired on CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
and Radio-Canada
Télévision de Radio-Canada
Télévision de Radio-Canada is a Canadian French language television network. It is owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, known in French as Société Radio-Canada. Headquarters are at Maison Radio-Canada in Montreal, which is also home to the network's flagship station, CBFT-DT...
from 1957 to 1958.
Premise
This series portrayed various adventures of the 17th century explorer Pierre-Esprit RadissonPierre-Esprit Radisson
Pierre-Esprit Radisson was a French-Canadian fur trader and explorer. He is often linked to his brother-in-law Médard des Groseilliers who was about 20 years older. The decision of Radisson and Groseilliers to enter the English service led to the formation of the Hudson's Bay Company.Born near...
(Jacques Godin
Jacques Godin
Jacques Godin is a Canadian film and television actor. He won the Canadian Film Award for Best Actor for his role in the film O.K...
) and his brother-in-law and fellow adventurer Médard des Groseilliers (René Caron). The pair explored places such as the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
and Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...
in the context of the region's fur trade
North American Fur Trade
The North American fur trade was the industry and activities related to the acquisition, exchange, and sale of animal furs in the North American continent. Indigenous peoples of different regions traded among themselves in the Pre-Columbian Era, but Europeans participated in the trade beginning...
.
Radisson was conceived as a Canadian version of Davy Crockett
Davy Crockett (TV miniseries)
Davy Crockett is a five part serial which aired on ABC in one-hour episodes on the Disneyland series. The series stars Fess Parker as real-life frontiersman Davy Crockett and Buddy Ebsen as his fictional best friend, George Russel....
, a successful Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
Company series which portrayed an American adventurer. Like the Crockett series, Radisson was to be supported with considerable merchandising such as apparel, action figures, rifles and board games.
Production
Filming of the 39-episode series began on 20 August 1956 in studios at Montreal and with location shooting in surrounding areas such as the Saint Lawrence RiverSaint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
and Île Perrot
Île Perrot
Île Perrot is an island west of the island of Montreal in the Canadian province of Quebec. Part of the Hochelaga Archipelago, the island lies between Lake Saint-Louis and Lac des Deux-Montagnes....
. The series was produced in English and French with a common cast. Scriptwriter John Lucarotti was paid $300 per episode, based on single airings per CBC station. The French scripts were translations by René Normand. It was among the first significant filmed television dramas produced in Canada.
Modern activities interfered with the production of this historically-set series. The filmmakers contended with planes from Dorval Airport
Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport or Montréal-Trudeau, formerly known as Montréal-Dorval International Airport, is located on the Island of Montreal, from Montreal's downtown core. The airport terminals are located entirely in Dorval, while the Air Canada headquarters complex...
, railroad activity and Saint Lawrence Seaway traffic which tipped the canoes used on the series. Adverse weather halted filming for several days and even mosquito attacks took their toll on the production. The originally-planned late-1956 debut was delayed until February 1957. Each episode was originally expected to cost $7000, but the actual production cost ultimately became $1.04 million for the series or over $26,000 per episode.
The series theme song was sung by Wally Koster, with its music and lyrics written by Johnny Cowell and John Lucarotti respectively.
Reception
Following substantial preliminary publicity for the series, an episode in late February 1957 received higher viewership in the Toronto and Vancouver markets than other American programming, according to an Elliott-Haynes survey.Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa Citizen
The Ottawa Citizen is an English-language daily newspaper owned by Postmedia Network in Ottawa, Canada. According to the Canadian Newspaper Association, the paper had a 2008 weekly circulation of 900,197.- History :...
television critic Bob Blackburn declared the theme song "so closely resembled Davy Crockett that it was a little sickening" and noted the high costs of the problematic production. Blackburn reported that critics deemed the series French debut on Radio-Canada "showy and artificial".
Children in Ottawa who were surveyed by the CBC indicated a negative reaction to Radisson, complaining of artificial characters and pacing that was sluggish or awkward. One respondent noted that the same section of river was seen as the characters travelled by canoe "all the way from Lake Nipissing
Lake Nipissing
Lake Nipissing is a lake in the Canadian province of Ontario. It has a surface area of , a mean elevation of above sea level, and is located between the Ottawa River and Georgian Bay. Excluding the Great Lakes, Lake Nipissing is the fifth-largest lake in Ontario. It is relatively shallow for a...
to Montreal".
Radisson was cancelled after its 39-episode run. Total revenues from Canadian and international markets of $146,200 represented a fraction of the production expenses resulting in a net loss of approximately $900,000.
Cast
- Jacques GodinJacques GodinJacques Godin is a Canadian film and television actor. He won the Canadian Film Award for Best Actor for his role in the film O.K...
as Pierre Radisson - Rene Caron as Groseilliers
- Raymond Royer as Onenga
Scheduling
This half-hour series was broadcast on CBC TelevisionCBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
's English service Saturdays at 7:00 p.m. (Eastern) in two seasons from 9 February to 4 May 1957, then from 2 November 1957 to 25 January 1958. The French version of Radisson on Radio-Canada aired on Sundays starting 3 February 1957.
Radisson was purchased by broadcasters in Australia and the United Kingdom. It was also syndicated to some United States markets under the title Tomahawk.