Challenge of the Yukon
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Challenge of the Yukon was a long-running radio series that began on Detroit's station WXYZ (as had The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet), and an example of a Northern genre story. The series was first heard on February 3, 1938. Under the title Sergeant Preston of the Yukon, it later transferred to television.
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[edit] Plotline
The program was an adventure series about Sergeant William Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police and his lead sled dog, Yukon King, as they fought evildoers in the Northern wilderness during the Gold Rush of the 1890s. Preston, according to radio historian Jim Harmon, 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, 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 signalled by Preston's cry of "On, King! On, you huskies!."
There is some confusion regarding King's actual breed. The producers seemed to use malamute and husky 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.
Von Reznicek's Donna Diana Overture was the pulsing theme music, and the episodes ended with the official pronouncement, Well, King, this case is closed.
[edit] History
Following the success of Lone Ranger and Green Hornet, George W. Trendle, 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 studio, 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, naturally chose a Husky. 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, 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 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) 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, 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 from June 12, 1947 to December 30, 1949. It was then heard on The Mutual Broadcasting System from January 2, 1950 through the final broadcast on June 9, 1955. 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.
[edit] Radio cast
- Sgt. William 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 through the mid 1940s. Former movie actor Paul Sutton took over the role, followed briefly by Brace Beemer when The Lone Ranger ended in 1954 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/narrator was Bob Hite, replaced by former star Jay Michael when Sutton took over. Lone Ranger narrator Fred Foy also filled the role from time to time. John Todd was heard occasionally as Inspector Conrad, and Frank Russell played Pierre. Episodic performers came from the same talent pool as the other WXYZ shows.
[edit] Television series
In 1955, the same year the radio show ended, Sergeant Preston of the Yukon premiered as a television series. Richard Simmons 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. 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, 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 you did see shadows on the skyline. Genuine outdoor scenes were added to give the show some reality though you 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, Colorado, 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 that The Lone Ranger was shown on rival network ABC. The show was purchased and produced by the Wrather Corporation during it's final season.
[edit] Spoofs and cultural references
The series was parodied many times over the years. Radio comics Bob and Ray 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 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 Cerebus the Aardvark, bungling superhero The Roach posed as Sgt. Preston.
The series was parodied in the 1972 short film Sergeant Swell of the Mounties, written by and starring Chuck Menville.
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 for National Recording Corporation. 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, NRC agreed to pull the record, and King dropped the suit.
There was a comic book published by Dell, and with artwork by celebrated Western artist Till Goodan, called "Sergeant Preston of the Yukon."
[edit] Listen to
[edit] 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.
- Osgood, Dick (1981). Wyxie Wonderland: An Unauthorized 50-Year Diary of WXYZ Detroit. Ohio: Bowling Green University Press.
