Customer Reviews

Sergeant Preston of the Yukon: Season 2

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The 78 half-hour episodes of the "kiddie" television adventure series "Sergeant Preston of the Yukon" were originally broadcast on CBS during the 1955 to 1958 broadcast seasons; and in syndication for many years after. The Season Two DVD set features the 23 episodes from the middle season. The episode titles and their original air dates are listed below. Resolution is a bit grainy and overexposed so don't expect a great image-but it is viewable and given the reception quality in many households during the original broadcasts the image will feel like authentic 1950's television viewing. No special features on the DVD's-just the episodes.

This was one of many transplants to early television from network radio. It was created by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker who also put together both the radio and television versions of "The Lone Ranger" and the radio version of "The Green Hornet".

At a time of look-alike westerns filmed on the back-lots of Hollywood, "Sergeant Preston of the Yukon" offered viewers the white landscape of Canada's Yukon Territory. It was actually filmed each winter in the mountains of Big Bear Lake, in southern California.

Like "The Lone Ranger", each week the story's setting and characters were described by the narrator in the opening credits: "Sergeant Preston of the Northwest 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. Back to the days of the Gold Rush, as Sergeant Preston, with his wonder dog, Yukon King, meets the challenge of the Yukon".

The gold rush he is talking about occurred in the 1890's as Canada's desolate western frontier found itself suddenly occupied by a swarm of gold crazed miners, cutthroats, and tenderfeet. It was up to Sgt. Preston (his first name is never used) to track down thieves, murderers, and claim jumpers. The job left him no time for romance even though his Boston Blackie mustache, red uniform, puffed-out trousers, and DI hat must have driven the ladies crazy.

No doubt the education of baby boomers on NWMP lore was responsible for the successful introduction of "Dudley Do-right" to "Rocky and and His Friends/The Bullwinkle Show" (1959-1964).

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Limping King: 13 September 1956, The Rookie: 20 September 1956, Pack Ice Justice: 27 September 1956, Revenge: 4 October 1956, Littlest Rookie: 11 October 1956, Lost Patrol
Original Air Date: 18 October 1956, King of Herschel Island: 25 October 1956, Ghosts of the Anvil: 1 November 1956, Eye of Evil: 8 November 1956, Luck of the Trail: 15 November 1956, Return Visit: 22 November 1956, The Tobacco Smugglers: 29 November 1956, Turnabout: 6 December 1956, Emergency on Scarface Flat: 13 December 1956, The Williwaw: 20 December 1956, Border Action: 27 December 1956, The Black Ace: 3 January 1957, Scourge of the Wilderness: 11 January 1957, Blind Justice: 17 January 1957, The Stolen Malamute: 4 April 1957, The Devil's Roost: 11 April 1957, Ten Little Indians: 18 April 1957, Underground Ambush: 25 April 1957

1950s TV series about a Mountie and his beloved dog, set in the late 1890s Yukon Gold Rush. Think wild woolly western travelling lawman with plenty of snow (the cold and wet kind) and no female companionship whatsoever. Richard Simmons stars as the requisite handsome mustachioed Mountie, derivative of the 1930-1950 Challenge of the Yukon Radio series. Small parts were actually filmed outdoors. There are dogsleds, steamships, telegraphs, Eskimoes, Indians, plus French and English speaking Canadians. Not quite the usual Classic Western, but produced by the same people who did The Lone Ranger. 2nd round of fun stuff.

Much like season one of Sergeant Preston of the Yukon, Season Two had excellent production values. The audio and video restoration was super on this season of the series. Again, all the right values were being displayed during the airing of this season. Again, great writers and producers. Fran Striker stories seemed to be a notch higher than the other writers.