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). The series was first heard on February 3, 1938. Under the title Sergeant Preston of the Yukon, it later transferred to television. Flag Seal Nickname: Motor City, Motown, D-Town, The D, The Renaissance City, Detroit Rock City Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (Latin for, We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes) Location Location in Wayne County, Michigan Coordinates , Government Country State County United States Michigan Wayne County... WXYZ is the ABC affiliate in Detroit, Michigan. ... The Lone Ranger. ... The Green Hornet (above) and Kato (below). ... February 3 is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...

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. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP or Mounties; French, Gendarmerie royale du Canada, GRC) is both the federal police force and the national police of Canada. ... Sled dogs, known also as sleigh dogs, sledge dogs or sleddogs are dogs that are used to pull a wheel-less vehicle on runners (a sled or sleigh) over snow or ice, by means of harnesses and lines. ... Yukon King, as seen in the television version of Sergeant Preston of the Yukon Yukon King was a fictional dog on the radio and television versions of Challenge of the Yukon (aka Sergeant Preston of the Yukon). ... A California Gold Rush handbill A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers into the area of a dramatic discovery of commercial quantities of gold. ... The 1890s were sometimes referred to as the Mauve Decade, because William Henry Perkins aniline dye allowed the widespread use of that colour in fashion, and also as the Gay Nineties, under the then-current usage of the word gay which referred simply to merriment and frivolity, with no... The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP or Mounties; French, Gendarmerie royale du Canada, GRC) is both the federal police force and the national police of Canada. ... French Canadian or Canadiens historically refers to inhabitants of Canada who can trace their ancestry to the original French settlers of what is now the Province of Quebec. ...

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!." The Alaskan Husky is not so much a breed of dog as it is a type or a category. ... Binomial name Gulo gulo (Linnaeus, 1758) The wolverine (Gulo gulo) is the largest terrestrial species of the Mustelidae or weasel family, and is also called the glutton or carcajou. ...

There is some confusion regarding King's actual breed. The producers seemed to use malamute and husky interchangeably. At lease 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, This case is closed. Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek (born 1860 in Vienna, died 1945) was a late Romantic composer. ...

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. Robert William Service (January 16, 1874 – September 11, 1958) was a poet born into a Scottish family while they were living in Preston, England. ... Fran Striker (1903 – September 4, 1962) was an American writer for radio and comics, best known for his contributions to The Lone Ranger. ...

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. Zane Grey (January 31, 1872 - October 23, 1939), born Pearl Zane Gray (he later dropped Pearl and changed the a to an e in Grey) was an American author of popular adventure novels and pulp fiction that presented an idealized image of the rugged Old West. ...

Challenge of the Yukon began as a fifteen 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. Serial is a term, originating in literature, for a format by which a story is told in contiguous installments in sequential issues of a single periodical publication. ... 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... May 28 is the 148th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (149th in leap years). ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... Quaker Oats Company makes many types and flavors of oatmeal. ... 2002 identity of the ABC Circle logo, designed by Paul Rand in 1962. ... June 12 is the 163rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (164th in leap years), with 202 days remaining. ... December 30 is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 1 day remaining. ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... The Mutual Broadcasting System (MBS) was an American radio network, in operation from 1934 to 1999. ... January 2 is the second day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... June 9 is the 160th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (161st in leap years), with 205 days remaining. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ...

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.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP or Mounties; French, Gendarmerie royale du Canada, GRC) is both the federal police force and the national police of Canada. ... // Events and trends World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atomic bomb. ... Paul Sutton (May 14, 1910, Albuquerque, New Mexico - January 31, 1970, Ferndale, Michigan) was an actor in mostly uncredited, low budget movies in the 1930s and 1940s. ... Brace Beemer (December 9, 1903 - March 1, 1965) was an American radio actor and announcer at radio station WXYZ, Detroit, Michigan. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic or other content of movies, video games, music, or other media. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... It has been suggested that Third person limited omniscient be merged into this article or section. ... Fred Foy was an American actor and voice specialist. ... John Todd (born Fred McCarthy, 1877 – July 14, 1957) was an American radio actor. ...

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 additional visual component of the snowy Yukon, however, did give the television version a different feel. A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ... Richard Simmons (August 19, 1913 – January 11, 2003), also known as Dick Simmons, was an American actor. ... The Alaskan Malamute is a large northern dog breed originally developed for use as a sleddog. ...

Mainly filmed at Ashcroft, Colorado, the Wrather Corporation series was telecast on CBS from September 29, 1955 to September 25, 1958. CBS (formerly an acronym for Columbia Broadcasting System, the former legal name of the network) is one of the largest television networks, and formerly one of the largest radio networks, in the United States. ... September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years). ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 25 is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years). ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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. Bob and Ray Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding were an American comedy duo that began in radio in 1946 with a daily 15-minute show titled Matinee With Bob and Ray. ... An animated series or cartoon series is a television series produced by means of animation. ... Dudley Do-Right was the eponymous hero of a segment on The Bullwinkle Show which parodied early 20th century melodrama and silent film. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Cerebus issues 112 and 113, from 1988. ...

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. The producers of the program, The King-Trendle Brodcasting corporation, objected to Stevens' use of their characters without permission and threatened him with a lawsuit. Unaware that he had committed copyright infringement, Stevens agreed to pull the record, and King dropped the suit. Ray Stevens was born Harold Ray Ragsdale on January 24, 1939 in Clarkdale, Georgia, now part of Decatur. ... Copyright infringement (also known as piracy) is the unauthorized use of copyrighted material in a manner that violates one of the copyright owners exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works that build upon it. ...

Sources

• Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195076788
• 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.

External links

• The Internet OTR Digest (Email Old-Time Radio Discussion list)