The Forest Rangers (TV series)

The Forest Rangers is a Canadian television series that ran from 1963 to 1965.[1] It was a co-production between CBC Television and ITC Entertainment and was Canada's first television show produced in colour. Executive producer Maxine Samuels founded the show.

The Forest Rangers
GenreChildren's adventure
Written byLindsay Galloway (most episodes)
StarringGraydon Gould
Rex Hagon
Michael Zenon
Gordon Pinsent
Country of originCanada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes104
Production
Executive producerMaxine Samuels
Running time30 minutes
Production companiesA.S.P. Productions Ltd.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Incorporated Television Company
Original release
NetworkCBC Television
ReleaseDecember 1963 (1963-12) –
1965 (1965)

The series ran for three seasons, a total of 104 30-minute colour episodes (although Canadian and UK audiences would not get to see them in colour until long after the series ended). Early episodes of the series were broadcast in serialized form as part of a CBC children's series entitled Razzle Dazzle, hosted by Alan Hamel and Michelle Finney.[2]

This was the first appearance in a major series by Gordon Pinsent. He left the series in 1965 to star in Quentin Durgens, M.P.. In 1966 the series was adapted into a comic strip by British comics artist John Gillatt, which appeared in the British comic magazine Tiger.[3][4]

The show was also run in syndication in the United States from 1965 to 1966.[5]

In June 2004, there was a reunion for ex-cast and fans just south of Kleinburg, where the show was originally filmed. Six of the ex-junior rangers appeared and Peter Tully flew in from his home in Ireland.[6] Another reunion occurred 15 June 2013 at the actual studios where the show was filmed. This time nine junior rangers and Gordon Pinsent were in attendance.[7]

The show's first season was released on DVD by Imavision in early 2007.

Main cast

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Season 1 Boxset released on DVD.

Episode list

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There are two episode order lists. This episode list is in sequence by filming date order. The other list is in sequence by episode title order. Some episodes were given different titles on film to those given in the TV guides of different countries.[1]

Season 1 Season 2 Season 3
  1. "Foster Boy"
  2. "The Prospector"
  3. "Spike"
  4. "Beaver"
  5. "The Horse Doctor"
  6. "The Bear Trap"
  7. "The Bird Watchers"
  8. "Indian Joe's Story"
  9. "The Chase"
  10. "High Graders"
  11. "The Rattlesnake"
  12. "The Dog"
  13. "Dog Catcher"
  14. "Brannigan's Daughter"
  15. "Timmy"
  16. "The Liar"
  17. "The Rescue"
  18. "Uncle Raoul and the Bear"
  19. "The Bear Story"
  20. "The Horse"
  21. "The Proof"[8]
  22. "The Secret Drawer"
  23. "The Souvenir"
  24. "The Rolling Stones"[9]
  25. "The Balloon"
  26. "The Poacher"
  27. "The Loner"
  28. "The Pitfall"
  29. "Keeley's Cousin"
  30. "Kidnapped"
  31. "Chub's Story"
  32. "The Hero"
  33. "The Wolverine"
  34. "Survival"
  35. "The Colonel"
  36. "The Deputy"
  37. "Dentist's Dilemma"
  38. "A Christmas Story"
  39. "Odd Numbers"
  40. "The Game Reserve"
  1. "The Deal"
  2. "Hidden Gold"
  3. "The Strike"
  4. "Ghost at Hoot Owl Lake"
  5. "Let There be Rain"
  6. "Aggie"
  7. "The Wendigo"
  8. "Kitten in the Bush"
  9. "A Stranger To Himself"
  10. "Wild Boy"
  11. "Surprise Party"
  12. "Lennie"
  13. "Kathy and the Leprechaun"
  14. "The Haunted Island"
  15. "Lost"
  16. "Bronco Smith"
  17. "The Bush Pilot"
  18. "Interchangeable Parts"
  19. "Uncle Raoul's Moose"
  20. "His Majesty"
  21. "The Reluctant Prize Fighter"
  22. "Little Big Shot"
  23. "Wild Man of the Woods"
  24. "The River"
  25. "The Adventurer"
  26. "The Bear Rug"
  27. "The Shooting Match"
  28. "The Haunted House"
  29. "Ride with a Stranger"
  30. "Buck Fever"
  31. "Gold Nuggets"
  1. "Santa MacLeod"
  2. "The Choice"
  3. "The Wolf"
  4. "The Wolf Spirit"
  5. "Hole in the Ice"
  6. "The Gunshot"
  7. "The Escape"
  8. "Deadly Friend"
  9. "Not in the Book"
  10. "The Dream"
  11. "The Avenger"
  12. "The White Hunter"
  13. "The Great Hypnotist"
  14. "The Man from Nowhere"
  15. "Deadline"
  16. "Shipment X"
  17. "Jimmy Twenty"
  18. "Indian River A-Go-Go"
  19. "Poison Lake"
  20. "Willie and Starlight"
  21. "Unjust World"
  22. "The Mystery Dog"
  23. "The Bulldozer"
  24. "The Albino Beaver"
  25. "Uncle Raoul and the Three Bears"
  26. "Macleod and the Talking Bear"
  27. "Death Dance"
  28. "The Invaders"
  29. "The World's Strongest Man"
  30. "Joe's Revenge"
  31. "Raoul and the Thunderbolt"
  32. "The Lost Tribe"
  33. "The Ojibway Beat"

Filming locations

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References

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  1. ^ a b CTA information
  2. ^ The Forest Rangers Fan Site
  3. ^ "John Gillatt". lambiek.net. Lambiek Comiclopedia. 29 December 2016.
  4. ^ Freeman, John (10 December 2016). "In Memoriam: 'Billy's Boots' and 'Jet-Ace Logan' Comic Artist John Gillatt". downthetubes.net.
  5. ^ Woolery, George W. (1985). Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981, Part II: Live, Film, and Tape Series. The Scarecrow Press. p. 177. ISBN 0-8108-1651-2.
  6. ^ Forest Rangers Reunion
  7. ^ 50th Anniversary of The Forest Rangers
  8. ^ Susan Conway's first appearance as Kathy. She wouldn't appear again until Season 2.
  9. ^ The only episode to have the episode title shown as well as the only to use different theme music.
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