Sergeant Preston of the Yukon
It’s true, Sergeant Preston got his start in 1938 on WXYZ radio in Detroit, the same station that gave us the Lone Ranger and Green Hornet. Sergeant Preston was created by writer Tom Dougall for WXYZ station owner George Trendle, who wanted an adventure show featuring a dog. King was played on the radio by actors who impersonated animals. (What do you do on the radio dad? I’m a dog.) Sergeant Preston didn’t get a lead dog until he made it to television.
The program, Challenge of the Yukon ran as a fifteen minute serial until 1947 when sponsor Quaker Oats took the show to a thirty minute feature on ABC. In 1951 the program name changed to Sergeant Preston of the Yukon and took to the little screen in 1955 where it ran for three seasons and seventy eight weekly episodes.
The TV show became a popular dogsled version of the horse opera westerns that dominated TV schedules of the day. The show starred Richard Simmons, a handsome square-jawed athletic actor- no relationship other than name to a more contemporary less square-jawed Richard Simmons. Sergeant Preston skied, show-shoed, drove a dog sled, rode a horse, climbed mountains, paddled canoes and fought all manner of bad guys without using a double.
Yukon King rated star billing right along with his master. Big, strong and cleaver, King had a knack for finding bad guys and battling predators. Together he and the sergeant tracked down murderers, robbers, claim jumpers and folks caught in natural perils found in the wilds. When the weather was cold and the chase was on we heard “On King! Mush you huskies!” In warm weather, King trotted along beside the Mounty’s favorite horse Rex (Latin for King- the sergeant may have had a complex.)
In one of the more interesting promotions ever run, in 1955 Quaker Oats gave away land in the Klondike. Genuine deeds to one square inch of land were inserted in boxes of Quaker puffed wheat and puffed rice. Does it get any better than that? “Well King, this case is closed.”
Next Week: Fury, ‘55-‘60
Return to Facebook to comment
Ride easy,
Paul
The program, Challenge of the Yukon ran as a fifteen minute serial until 1947 when sponsor Quaker Oats took the show to a thirty minute feature on ABC. In 1951 the program name changed to Sergeant Preston of the Yukon and took to the little screen in 1955 where it ran for three seasons and seventy eight weekly episodes.
The TV show became a popular dogsled version of the horse opera westerns that dominated TV schedules of the day. The show starred Richard Simmons, a handsome square-jawed athletic actor- no relationship other than name to a more contemporary less square-jawed Richard Simmons. Sergeant Preston skied, show-shoed, drove a dog sled, rode a horse, climbed mountains, paddled canoes and fought all manner of bad guys without using a double.
Yukon King rated star billing right along with his master. Big, strong and cleaver, King had a knack for finding bad guys and battling predators. Together he and the sergeant tracked down murderers, robbers, claim jumpers and folks caught in natural perils found in the wilds. When the weather was cold and the chase was on we heard “On King! Mush you huskies!” In warm weather, King trotted along beside the Mounty’s favorite horse Rex (Latin for King- the sergeant may have had a complex.)
In one of the more interesting promotions ever run, in 1955 Quaker Oats gave away land in the Klondike. Genuine deeds to one square inch of land were inserted in boxes of Quaker puffed wheat and puffed rice. Does it get any better than that? “Well King, this case is closed.”
Next Week: Fury, ‘55-‘60
Return to Facebook to comment
Ride easy,
Paul
No comments have been added yet.
