CBC Television Series, 1952-1982
by Blaine Allan
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CBC Series Index
BACKGROUND
Sun 11:15-11:40 p.m., 5 Jul 1959-26 Jun 1960
Sun 11:20-11:40 p.m., 9 Oct 1960-1 Jan 1961
Sun 10:00-10:30 p.m., 19 Feb-25 Jun 1961
Various times, 1962
Background, produced by Cliff Solway, replaced This Week as a late Sunday night
analysis of issues in the news. The change in format and title reflected a
change in the audience that the CBC projected for the series. This Week had
attracted growing numbers of viewers, and the Talks and Public Affairs
Department explained, "Of these new viewers, we thought there must be a number
who are not as well versed on the background of the topics selected."
Background tried to outline a topic in the news and discuss the events leading
to the current situation. Most programs concerned immediate issues. Some
involved more advance planning, such as segments on international business
mergers, atomic fallout, and political situations in Poland, Bulgaria, and
Portugal. The host and narrator for the series was Rick Hart, a thirty-eight
year old political science graduate of the University of Saskatchewan, who had
spent seventeen years in the army and had little broadcasting experience.
In the 1960 season Hart was replaced with a number of commentators, who
included Alistair Cooke, Malcolm Muggeridge, Philip Deane, Arnold Beichman,
Robert, McKenzie, Robert Fulford, and Michael Maclear, and in January 196l,
Background moved into prime time. Cooke, the U.S. correspondent for the
Manchester Guardian, had appeared frequently on the previous season of
Background, and offered reports on the U.S. scene for Canadian viewers.
Maclear, previously editor of CBC Newsmagazine and a correspondent for CBC News
was the show's writer and chief correspondent.
In 196l, Maclear prepared a two-part report on Israel for the show. Muggeridge
examined monarchy in modern day Europe in one program, and the decline of
political satire in another. Beichman, a correspondent for the Christian
Science Monitor, prepared an examination of the press in Canada. Background
also presented a documentary on the Third Reich, produced with the aid of
journalist and historian William L. Shirer.
For the 196l-l962 season, Background included a subseries of documentaries,
produced by Douglas Leiterman, called The Critical Years. The first, called
Forty Million Shoes, directed by Leiterman with cinematography by Grahame
Woods, concerned social problems in Brazil. Subsequent segments included The
U.S. Presidency; In Peril, an examination of the United Nations activities in
Africa; Report from the Wasteland, about television in North America; and The
Pursuit of Happiness, on Sweden's welfare state. The Critical Years continued
the following season with a documentary on the campaigns of the political
leaders in the Canadian federal election the previous June.
Fri 4:30-5:00 p.m., 5 Apr-6 Sep 1974
A half-hour children's show, divided into two fifteen minute segments. The
first segment, Au jardin de Pierrot, came from the French network. Pierrette
Boucher, for six years a children's singing teacher, led a group of young
children who sang popular French-Canadian folk songs in a playground set,
complete with swings, sandboxes, and a carousel. The series was produced for
Radio-Canada by Maurice Falardeau.
The last fifteen minutes of the program were devoted to production by young
filmmakers. Contributing production companies included the Toronto companies,
Nelvana Ltd., the Visual Education Centre, Moreland Latchford Ltd., and, from
Vancouver, Communicalp Film Productions.
Wed 5:15-5:30 p.m., 16 Jun-23 Jun 1954
A program of folk songs for young people, performed by Greg Curtis. The
short-lived, fifteen-minute broadcast was produced by Peggy Nairn.
Sun 5:30-6:00 p.m., 6 Jul-28 Sep 1969
Also known by its English title, Ballads and Songs, Ballades et chansons
originated in different centres across the country, and featured local artists
from the ten provinces. The musical selections, sung in both French and
English, varied widely in type, and performers included choirs, vocal groups,
and soloists. The series, which aired on the national network for two summers,
was produced for Radio-Canada by Lisette LeRoyer, and the host was Jacques
Fauteux.
Sat 6:30-6:45 p.m., 4 May-29 Jun 1963
Singer Reg Gibson, who had been a member of the chorus on Swingalong, and Jim
Pirie, guitarist with the Selkirk Settlers on Red River Jamboree, had had a
program of country music called Shenandoah on radio since 1962. In July 1962,
they moved the program to television and changed its name to Ballads and Bards.
It was seen in Winnipeg and Edmonton, and went national for nine weeks starting
in May 1963.
Thu 4:30-5:00 p.m., 2 Jan-6 Feb 1969
Rod Coneybeare had successfully blended teaching and humour for young people in
collaboration with Charles Winter on their radio program, The Rod and Charles
Show, and with Bob Homme on The Friendly Giant, where Coneybeare played the
voices of Rusty the Rooster and Jerome the Giraffe. With producer Robert
Gibbons (who also produced Mr. Dressup), Coneybeare created The Bananas as an
attempt to teach young people "attitudes through humour."
They auditioned about l50 performers in their search for versatile and zany
principals to play their series of didactic, Laugh-In style sketches and
blackouts. The four Bananas were Melody Greer, Francois-Regis Klanfer,
Bonnie-Carol Case, and John Davies. Bananaland was populated with other
"characters": The Blob, an electronically created pet "thing"; the Big Mouth,
which spouted facts and information when fed wheelbarrows full of food; and an
Official, Certified, Genuine, Grade-A Gorilla. The other human presence in the
show could be found in the Great Announcer, the offscreen voice of Alan
Maitland.
The show had a theme song, "The Bananas," written by Jim Pirie and Rod
Coneybeare. The series was aimed at viewers nine years of age and above.
Producer Gibbons explained that the CBC planned to produce six or seven
episodes, with the possibility of more in the coming seasons if it proved
popular. Evidently, the series did not catch on.
Thu 9:30-10:00 p.m., 21 Sep 1972-21 Jun 1973
Thu/Fri 2:00-2:30 p.m., 13 Feb-28 Mar 1975
Bandwagon succeeded In The Mood as the CBC's musical variety half-hour devoted
to big band music. The earlier show had limited itself to earlier tunes of the
swing era, while Bandwagon offered more up-to-date arrangements and a quickly
paced show.
The series was produced by Aubrey Tadman and Garry Ferrier, and directed by
Barry Cranston. Regulars included host and vocalist Bob Francis, and trumpet
player Guido Basso leading a band of top-flight Toronto studio musicians.
Tue 12:00-1:00 a.m., 1 Oct 1974-27 May 1975
Sat 9:00-10:00 p.m., 7 Jun-26 Jul 1975
Before developing The Journal, CBC television had tried to use the credibility
Barbara Frum had gained for her incisive telephone interviews on the CBC radio
program, As It Happens. One such attempt was a talk show, which aired on locally in Toronto on Tuesday midnights from October 1974 to May 1975 and moved
to the national network for seven shows in June and July. The shows featured
both interviews with personalities and special segments devoted to isolated
topics. On the first network broadcast, her guests included Roman Gralewicz,
the President of the Seafarers' International Union, and, for a surprise
appearance, Gerda Munsinger, the woman at the centre of a 1966 sex and security
scandal that involved Cabinet Minister Pierre Sevigny. Other guests included
such journalists as Michael Magee, Charlotte Gobeil, Paul Rimstead, Allan
Fotheringham, and Jack Webster.
The local show was produced by Michael Burns, with Associate Producer Eva
Czigler, and directed by Dino Marcuz. The network show's Executive Producer
was William Harcourt, its producer Larry Zolf, and its director Bryn Matthews.
Tue-Fri 4:31-4:59 p.m., 12 Sep 1967-9 Jan 1968
A light comedy series produced for young people by the CBC's Schools and Youth
Department. A young man, Barney Boomer, had built a houseboat on which he
planned to sail the Great Lakes. He anchors in Sixteen Harbour, at a town
called Cedarville, where he intends to visit his uncle, Captain Boomer, who
lives in a lighthouse. His plans for a short stay disappear when a new- found
friend, Florence Kozy, the owner of the town variety store, convinces him to
remain in Cedarville and tries to set him up in business. Barney's nemesis is
Councillor Edgar Q. Russell, a bluff municipal politician who would really
rather that Barney remove his houseboat from the harbour at the Cedarville
Yacht Club. The series was shot both in studio and on location in Oakville,
Ontario. Barney was played by John Clayton, Florence Kozy by Lynn Gorman, and
Councillor Russell by Franz Russell. Other regulars included Trudy Young as
Trudy, Rex Sevenoaks as Captain Boomer, Claire Drainie as Ma Parkin, Claude Rae
as Mr. Andrews, Gerard Parkes as Sam Oliver, and Belinda Montgomery as Susan.
The series was written by Ron Krantz, directed by Flemming Nielson, and
produced by Stu Gilchrist and, later, Herb Roland.
Starting January 1968, the series title changed to Upside Town. Several
regular characters remained, including Barney, the Councillor, and Trudy. Pam
Hyatt replaced Lynn Gorman as Miss Kozy. The show concentrated less on Barney
and broadened its attention to a greater number of characters in the community,
and added new, wacky residents of Cedarville. Ernie Power, played by Jack
Duffy, is a newspaperman newly arrived in town. His assistant, Harvey
Fleetwood, played by Trevor Evans, is Canada's oldest high school student, a
copy boy, and future brain surgeon.
Episodes of Barney Boomer were twenty minutes in length, followed by
Swingaround, a quiz show for schoolchildren.
Fri 5:00-5:30 p.m., 2 may-24 Sep 1958
Comic and singer Barney Potts was the host of this half-hour children's show
from Vancouver, produced by D. Gillingham. It featured filmed visits by a
group of children to places of interest in the Vancouver area. The show also
included west coast Indian legends, illustrated with drawings, and visit by
children with unusual hobbies.
Sat 10:30-11:00 p.m., 21 Sep 1968-25 Jan 1969
For the 1968-l969 season, the CBC tried to fill the slot usually left between
the unpredictable end of Hockey Night in Canada and the national news with a
talk and variety show starring Alex Barris. Unlike predecessors such as
Juliette or In Person, which were produced on videotape, Barris & Company
was designed to go to air live. Nevertheless, the CBC ordered a pilot,
produced and directed by Stan Jacobson and written by veterans Garry Ferrier,
Aubrey Tadman, younger talents Lorne Michaels and Hart Pomerantz, Bill Lynn,
Ken Gunton, and Barris himself. For the pilot, Barris's guests were writer and
broadcaster Gordon Sinclair and singer and dancer Sandra O'Neill, with an
orchestra led by Guido Basso and with Alex Trebek as the show's announcer and
Barris's sidekick.
By the time the show premiered it was already the subject of critical scrutiny.
Patrick Scott used Barris & Company--the CBC's only new variety show on the
schedule--as an example of the network's failure to provide adequate variety
programming (Toronto Star TV Week, xx September 1968). Jacobson had left
Canada for Hollywood, and was replaced by producer Bob Jarvis and director Pat
King (who had worked as a studio director and had little experience as the
director of any production, let alone a live broadcast). Michaels and
Pomerantz had also migrated to Calfornia, and Lynn had left the show. Guido
Basso and the orchestra of Toronto studio musicians remained, and Janet Baird
replaced Alex Trebek as Barris's sidekick.
Apart from the expected tensions of having to produce a live (and presumably
entertaining) variety broadcast each week, Barris & Company suffered further
setbacks. The CBC had committed itself to only thirteen weeks. Broadcasts
from the Olympic Games pre- empted the show for two weeks early in its
broadcast schedule. Sponsors' commitments required that the show be at least
thirty minutes duration. Hockey games that ran long set the commercial
requirements of CBC variety in conflict with the demands of CBC news. Such
problems, and a less specific discontent with the show caused its cancellation
after thirteen weeks. It was to have been replaced by Comedy Cafe, but when
that show was deemed not yet ready for national broadcast, the CBC revived
Barris & Company until the end of January.
Barris tells his version of the problems in the show's production and broadcast
history in a chapter of his memoir, The Pierce- Arrow Showroom is Leaking
(Toronto: Ryerson Press, 1969), called "The Saturday Night Problem."
Wed 9:00-9:30 p.m., 4 Jul-12 Sep 1956
Sat 10:30-11:00 p.m., 20 Oct-30 Jun 1957
A columnist in the entertainment pages of the Toronto Globe and Mail, Alex
Barris intermittently worked as a writer and host on local television programs,
such as Eleven Thirty Friday. The Barris Beat, a variety show with interviews,
music, and comic sketches, was designed as a summer replacement for Cross
Canada Hit Parade. It was produced by Len Casey, and featured as regulars
singers Betty Jean Ferguson and Roy Roberts, the vocal group the Gino Silvi
Octet, and an orchestra led by Bill Isbister. Guests included Sammy Sales,
Doug Romaine, Dave Broadfoot, Joey Hollingsworth, and the Willy Blok Hansen
dance trio. In the middle of the summer season, Norman Jewison replaced Casey
as producer and director, and Jack Duffy was added to the cast as a singer and
actor, and in a repeating role as a copy boy to Barris's newspaper writer.
The CBC moved the show, at the end of the summer schedule, to a slot on every
other Saturday night (alternating with Wayne and Shuster) following the hockey
broadcast. For the cast, Jack Duffy and Roy Roberts remained, but. Gloria
Lambert replaced Betty Jean Ferguson. Jewison added comic actors Sammy Sales
and Larry Mann. A musical trio of Sally Dory, Lorraine Thomson, and Andy Body,
choreographed by Cynthia Barrett performed regularly. Sheila Billing and later
Babs Christie appeared as the "billboard girl," and Bruce Marsh worked as the
show's announcer. Gordon Kushner was hired as musical director, and Phil
Nimmons wrote musical arrangements. Barris, Sales, and Bernie Orenstein
comprised the writing staff. Other writers in the show's history included Saul
Ilson, Allan Manings, Frank Peppiatt, and, for a few weeks, Richard Lester.
Sun 9:50-10:00 p.m., 3 Jul-25 Sep 1960
Possible title: Presenting Barry Morse. No information available.
Sun 7:00-7:30 p.m., 1 Oct 1972-To Date
Mon-Fri 5:00-5:30 p.m., 10 Sep 1979-5 Sep 1980 (R)
The Beachcombers was created by Marc and Susan Strange. The show's Executive
Producers have been Philip Keatley (l972-l976), Elie Savoie (l976-l977), and
Hugh Beard (l977- ).
Photo (courtesy of CBC) shows Bruno Gerussi, Pat John
(rear).
Sat 7:00-7:30 p.m., 14 Aug-11 Sep 1976
A series from St. John's, with Beth Harrington, whose guests included Glen
Simmons, Jace Cormier, Jim Oulton, and David Michael.
Mon 9:00-9:30 p.m., 27 Jun-24 Sep 1977
Tue 7:30-8:00 p.m., 7 Feb-6 Jun 1978
Tue 10:30-11:00 p.m., 19 Sep 1978-16 Jan 1979
Mon-Fri 2:30-3:00 p.m., 2 Jan-30 Mar 1979 (R)
Mon-Fri 4:00-4:30 p.m., 10 Sep 1979-10 Oct 1980
Beyond Reason orginated as a summer replacement for Front Page Challenge.
Former evangelist writer for the Toronto Star, and radio commentator, Allen
Spraggett developed a panel show based on the contemporary interest in psychic
phenomena. Spraggett appeared as the show's expert and adjudicator. The
panelists included astrologer Geoff Gray-Cobb of Vancouver, clairvoyant Irene
Hughes of Chicago, palmist Marcel Broekman of New York, and graphologist
Marilyn Rossner of Montreal. They were brought to the National Theatre Centre
in Winnipeg, where the show was taped, with CBC Winnipeg announcer Bill Guest
as moderator. As in Front Page Challenge, the panelists had to guess the
identity of mystery guests. However, the panelists were given information
appropriate to their practice (Gray-Cobb was given the date, time, and place of
birth of the guest; Hughes was provided with personal possessions from which to
gain impressions; Broekman had a handprint; and Rossner had a sample of the
guest's handwriting). The psychics were also kept in isolation to keep them
from communicating with each other.
A separate section of the program, called the "Psychic Cyclopedia," showed
short coumentaries on subjects of the paranormal: the Oracles of Nostradamus;
the Vampire Research Centre; Hitler's dream; parallels in the lives of Abraham
Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, etc.
After a successful summer, the CBC revived the show as a weekly production in
winter 1978 for its prime time schedule, and later in a weekday slot. Bill
Guest and Allen Spraggett left the show in its last incarnation, and were
replaced by Paul Soles. Beyond Reason was produced by Nigel Napier-Andrews.
Tue 8:00-9:00 p.m., 9 Sep 1952
Mon 8:30-9:30 p.m., 15 Sep-13 Oct 1952
Mon 8:00-9:00 p.m., 20 Oct 1952-18 May 1953
On 9 September 1952, The Big Revue, sponsored by Westinghouse, was the first
series to appear on the CBC. Under the supervision of Mavor Moore, the CBC's
chief of television in Toronto, produced by Don Hudson (later by Norman
Campbell), directed by Norman Jewison, at a cost of six thousand dollars for an
hour each week, it was the new network's flagship variety program. Samuel
Hershenhoren conducted the twenty-five piece orchestra, which played
arrangements by Calvin Jackson. Rudi Dorn designed the sets and Edna Cherry
designed costumes. The show's hostess was twenty-one year old Toby Robins who
earned a salary of one hundred dollars each week to introduce jugglers, musical
performers, ballet numbers, comic sketches, and dance numbers choreographed or
performed by Alan and Blanche Lund, the first performers signed to contracts
for Canadian television. The initial broadcast also showcased singer Phillis
Marshall, comics Doug Romaine and Mildred Morey, and, selling Westinghouse
products to the viewers, Laddie Dennis.
The Big Revue survived on the air for nearly two years. Budd Knapp took over
the duties of introducing the different acts from Toby Robins, In addition to
guests, the show had its regular troupe of singers, including solo performers
George Murray and Phillis Marshall, the Revue Dancers (Lorraine Thomson, Babs
Christie, Anna Wilmot, Bill Yule, Bob Van Norman, and Lloyd Malenfant), and
Terry and the Macs (Terry Griffin and John, Jim, and Bill MacGillivray. It
improved in quality as the production personnel gained experience in assembling
and presenting live variety extravaganzas in Toronto's Studio A. However, the
program always suffered by comparison with its more polished counterparts from
the U.S.A.
Sun 3:00-3:30 p.m., 22 May-10 Jul 1966
After a musical career as a single in the 1930s, with the Ink Spots in the
l940s and as a solo artist in the U.S.A. in the 1950s, Bill Kenny moved to
Vancouver in 196l. Elie Savoie produced The Bill Kenny Show, a half-hour of
easy listening in which Kenny was supported by a vocal group called the
Accents, and an orchestra led by Fraser MacPherson. Kenny's guests included
Susan Pesklevits, Judy Ginn, Marty Gillan, accordion player Ricky Mann, Fran
Gregory, Patty Surbey, Attilo Ronuzzi, and the Rutherford Kids, of Burnaby,
B.C.
Sat 11:10-11:30 p.m., 16 Oct 1954-19 May 1956
Photo (courtesy of CBC) shows Billy O'Connor, his trio,
and Juliette.
Fri 4:30-4:45 p.m., 18 Nov 1955-13 Jan 1956
Bim, Bam, and Boom were three clowns in a show that featured a different fairy
tale each week in this children's show from Vancouver. Bim and Bam were
puppets, manipulated by Kitty Dutcher and with the voices of Rosemary Malkin
and Sam Payne. Boom was a real clown, played by John Allen.
Wed 7:30-8:00 p.m., 6 Oct 1976-27 Apr 1977
Bluff was a game show in which a panel of comedians told tall tales and
contestants had to guess which was true. Both Canadian and imported comics
participated; they included Dave Broadfoot, Hart Pomerantz, Barrie Baldaro,
Foster Brooks, Professor Irwin Corey, Norm Crosby, and Abby Dalton. The host
was Mike Darrow. Riff Markowitz produced the show, with coordinating producer
Jack Budgell.
Mon-Fri 12:00-12:55 p.m., 1 Sep 1975-2 Jul 1976
Mon-Fri 12:00-1:00 p.m., 6 Sep 1976-1 Jul 1977
Mon-Fri 12:00-12:55 p.m., 5 Sep 1977-3 Apr 1978
Mon Fri 1:00-2:00 p.m., 3 Apr 1978-4 Aug 1978
Mon-Fri 1:00-2:00 p.m., 4 Sep 1978-1 Apr 1979
Mon-Fri 3:00-4:00 p.m., 2 Apr 1979-29 Jun 1979
Mon-Fri 3:00-4:00 p.m., 10 Sep 1979-27 Jun 1980
Mon-Fri 12:30-1:30 p.m., 8 Sep 1980-22 May 1981
Mon-Fri 12:30-1:30 p.m., 25 May 1981-28 Sep 1981 (R)
Bob McLean succeeded Elwood Glover as the host/interviewer for the CBC's
lunchtime talk show broadcast from a Cumberland Street shopping mall in
downtown Toronto. Under producer Jack Budgell, McLean continued the easygoing
format that Glover had established. Lightweight chats gave way to topical
interviews that concentrated on more serious issues. Under the hand of
Executive Producer Bill Casselman, from 1976 to 1977, the show minimized U.S.
guests and subjects and concentrated more on Canadian topics. It featured
regular guests, such as opera singer Don McManus, writer Gary Michael Dault
commenting on popular culture, Herman Smith on personal money management, and
Walter Fox on criminal law, as well as a filmed segment on sports with the
bogus commentator, "Hot" Conway. It was also shot on a newly designed set that
reproduced the Toronto skyline. The show's producer during this period was J.
Edward Shaw.
Jack Budgell succeeded Casselman as the show's Executive Producer, and the tone
lightened. Producers included Robert Smith (l979-l980), Nigel Napier-Andrews,
formerly producer of Elwood Glover's Luncheon Date (l980), and John Johnson
(l980- 198l). The show's musical director was Jimmy Dale. In Summer 1978,
McLean presented a "Cavalcade of Nations," which highlighted guests, music, and
food from different nations or regions each day for a month. For comedy,
McLean had as regular guests Roger Abbott and Don Ferguson of CBC radio's Royal
Canadian Air Farce, Howie Mandel, Monica Parker, and Sears and Switzer. In the
l979 season, the producers took the show outside Toronto and originated in
different cities, including Ottawa, Halifax, and Vancouver.
In the summer of 1976 and 1977, the CBC used material from The Bob McLean Show
for a Saturday evening series called The Best of Bob McLean.
As a summer replacement for its noon hour talk show, Luncheon Date, the CBC ran
a Vancouver show, produced by Doug Gillingham and featuring host Bob Switzer.
The show was later retitled Switzer Unlimited.
Mon 11:45-12:45 p.m., 26 Feb-28 May 1979
Wed 2:00-3:00 p.m., 3 Jun-2 Sep 1981 (R)
A series of thirteen hour-long programs on aspects of medicine and science,
with Jonathan Miller. Produced by BBC-TV in association with the CBC, the
Ontario Educational Communications Authority, the Australian Broadcasting
Company, and KCET-TV Los Angeles.
Mon-Fri 9:00-9:15 a.m., 19 Sep 1977-29 May 1978
Mon-Fri 10:15-10:30 a.m., 29 May-29 Sep 1978
A daily, fifteen minute broadcast in both French and English for children,
produced by Ken Buckley. Although bilingual, the program was not intended
specifically for language instruction. Manon Bernard, who played Colette Jarry
on the Radio-Canada series Rue des Pignons, talked or play-acted with Montreal
schoolchildren and, occasionally, interviewed studio guests. Other features of
the show included a musical segment, a clown, and the show's "mascot," Mr.
Funny Bone. The show was produced live on tape, and principally ad libbed.
Mon-Fri 4:00-4:30 p.m., 15 Nov 1965-15 Feb 1966
Mon/Wed/Fri 3:25-3:55 p.m., 13 Jun-9 Sep 1966 (R)
Mon-Fri 11:25-11:55 a.m., 27 Feb-26 May 1967 (R)
Mon-Fri 4:00-4:30 p.m., 30 Oct 1967-11 Jun 1968
Mon-Fri 2:00-2:30 p.m., 17 Jun-20 Dec 1968 (R)
Mon-Fri 2:00-2:30 p.m., 23 Jul-28 Sep 1970 (R)
A half-hour, physical fitness and interview show with Bonnie Prudden who, the
CBC claimed, founded the first school for physical fitness in the U.S.A. in
l944. In the 1967 season, the producers, Crescendo Productions of Toronto,
took the show to Australia and the Far East for shooting. Individual shows
concentrated on specific topics of discussion, including the Scandinavian
woman, socialism and suicide in Sweden, astrology in India, women in India,
arthritis and rheumatism, housing in Singapore, creative play for young
children, ghosts, God, and going on vacation.
Sun 7:30-8:00 p.m., 18 Jul-19 Sep 1954
A discussion program with moderator Arthur Phelps, produced by Cliff Solway.
British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Daily 11:00-12:00 noon,(Eastern Daylight Time) 30 Jul-7 Aug 1954
The CBC mustered all its forces to cover the Fifth Commonwealth Games, held in
Vancouver in summer 1954. Both radio and television provided information, and
the CBC International Service broadcast shortwave reports to the Commonwealth.
The Games were opened by Viscount Alexander of Tunis, the former
Governor-General of Canada, and the Duke of Edinburgh, representing the Queen,
presided over the closing ceremonies. The most anxiously anticipated event was
the one mile run, in which Roger Bannister of the U.K. and the Australian John
Landy were scheduled to compete. Both had broken the four minute mile earlier
in the year.
For television, the CBC leased a coaxial cable and microwave network in order
to carry the signal from Vancouver to Seattle, Buffalo, and Toronto for the
first simultaneous link of west and east in Canada. (Stations in eastern
Canada, not as yet linked to the network by microwave, were to receive films of
material carried on the network for broadcast the following day.) The CBC
stationed its two mobile units at Empire Stadium and at the Empire Pool to
cover both track and field and swimming events on a regular basis throughout
the Games, and at the cycling and boxing finals. Film crews covered the
balance of the events. Film footage was used in the regular coverage for the
network as well as for CBC News Magazine and other CBC programs.
George Retzlaff, supervising sports producer at CBLT in Toronto was brought to
Vancouver to coordinate the CBC's television coverage of the Commonwealth
Games. Four sportscasters, Steve Douglas, Don Sims, and Gil Christy from CBLT
Toronto and Frank Williams from CBMT Montreal, provided commentary.
See (A) Place of Your Own.
Burns Chuckwagon From the Stampede Corral
Wed 10:30-11:00 p.m., 3 Nov 1954-29 Jun 1955
This musical variety show from Vancouver had a western theme, and provided an
outlet for talent from Canada's west coast. Regulars included singers Lorraine
McAllister, Pat Kirkpatrick, and Don Francks, comic Barney Potts, guitarist
Arnie Nelson, and Mike Ferbey, Mark Wald, and Jack Jensen, who comprised the
instrumental group, The Rhythm Pals. The show also featured occasional guests,
such as Wallie Peters on banjo or George Colangis on mandolin. The show's
producer was Mario Prizek.
Tue 10:00-10:30 p.m., 14 Aug-18 Sep 1956
A series of six half-hour programs, produced by Cliff Solway, that used drama,
music, and satire to outline the business of literature and publishing,
particularly in Canada. The first program was a dramatic, composite profile of
an anonymous writer, by Jacqueline Rosenfeld. The second program demonstrated
all the stages in the production of a book, from writer to reader. The third
show outlined the book business with regard to marketing and sales. In the
fourth segment, the letters were used to trace the history of book publishing.
The fifth program was a musical devoted to libraries, library users, and the
role of the library in the community. Censorship, dramatized and discussed,
was the subject of the concluding program.
Mon-Fri 11:30-11:50 a.m., 19 Oct 1964-28 May 1965
Mon-Fri 11:00-11:20 a.m., 18 Oct 1965-27 May 1966
Mon-Fri 11:00-11:30 a.m., 17 Oct 1966-10 Feb 1967
This children's show aimed to help its young viewers to become more aware of
themselves in relation to the world through a series of real and fantasy
adventures. Our guides, Sandy, played by Sandra Cohen, and Mr. Dressup. played
by Ernie Coombs, met in Butternut Square, a town square. They and their
friends led viewers through games, musical numbers, and dances and movements
that aimed to teach children through participation. Their friends included the
Music Man, played by Donald Himes, the dancer and movement artist, in the
l964-l965 season, and Bob, played by Bob Jeffrey from 1965 to 1967. They also
included Judith Lawrence and her puppets Casey, Finnegan, Alexander, Miranda,
and Mrs. Trapeze. Butternut Square was produced from 1964 to 1965 by Don
Carroll, Pat O'Leary, and Olive Richards, and from 1965 to 1967 by Stuart
Gilchrist.
Butternut Square was cancelled in February 1967, according to Maclean's, "in
one of those budget squeezes in which the CBC systematically kills off its best
shows in order to save money." However, Ernie Coombs revived immediately as
Mr. Dressup and was given his own show, where he, Casey, and Finnegan have
survived and flourished ever since.
Thu 2:00-2:30 p.m., 6 Jul-13 Oct 1967
A half-hour program of music and conversation that originated in Winnipeg and
featured Ed Evanko, Mary Nowell, and Neill Harris.
Return to CBC Series Index
BY INVITATION
Background
One of the few successful, continuing dramatic efforts the CBC has produced in
its history, The Beachcombers revolves around the character of Nick Adonidas,
and the star who plays him in this family-oriented series, Bruno Gerussi. As
the series started, Nick was a middle-aged beachcomber who lived in rented
quarters above Molly Carmody's diner. Molly lives with her two grandchildren,
fourteen year old Hughie and eleven year old Margaret, and Nick has a young
native partner, Jesse Jim. Rae Brown plays Molly, Bob Park plays Hughie,
Juliet Randall plays Margaret, a role originated by Nancy Chapple, and Pat John
portrays Jesse Jim. Robert Clothier plays Relic, another scavenger. Other
regular actors have included Stefan Winfield, Diane Stapley (l978), and since
l980, Jackson Davies, Charlene Aleck, Dionne Luther, and Joe Austin. Viewers
have watched the characters grow older through their exploits along the British
Columbia coastline since they first appeared in October 1972. The filmed
series has proven continually popular in its Sunday evening time slot (it
originally followed the Walt Disney show), and it has sold widely around the
world, from the U.K. to the middle east to Australia.
A post-hockey variety show with Billy O'Connor and his trio (Jackie Richardson
on bass, Vic Centro on accordion, and Kenny Gill on guitar), produced by Bob
Jarvis and Drew Crossan. On 20 August 1955, Juliette made her first regular
appearance on the show, in a time slot that she would later claim for her own.
By the end of two seasons together, however, she and O'Connor had conflicted
and the CBC decided to develop a program around her. Other regulars on the
program were singer and comic actor Jack Duffy and pianist Bill Isbister.
