grizzledgeezer If there were ever a vote on "Worst TV Series", "Sergeant Preston of the Yukon" would be an easy favorite. Its only distinction is that it was voted "Best TV Show of All Time" by the Flocking Institute of America.Other than the handsome color (which looks great on studio sets, but rather washed-out in outdoor scenes), everything about SPOTY (pronounced as if there were two Ts) can summed up in one word -- cheap.The indoor sets are crabbed, and unconvincingly dressed. Outdoors, the same generic cabin is used over and over and over and over. (It's not so much a cabin, as a longish wall with a door in it.)Outdoor scenes jump between location shots and studio sets. (This was normal, especially with Westerns, as outdoor shooting was not only more expensive, but there was no control over weather or the lighting.) Unfortunately, there's only one or two indoor "outdoor" sets, which hardly ever match up with the location shots.Not much can be said for Yukon King, the wonder dog who leads Sergeant Preston's team. He seems to have been cast for affability, rather than the edginess one would expect from a sled dog. He usually sits quietly, or sometimes wanders around the set, to no particular purpose, showing neither enthusiasm nor affection. (Another poster's suggestion, that YK is looking for Milk-Bone handout, seems reasonable.)But the worst thing about SPOTY, the thing that consigns it to the bottom of the barrel, is poor writing. It appears the radio programs were simply re-written for the series. Not only are they aimed at the intelligence of a four-year-old, but the dialog is mostly tedious and often clumsy exposition. And, of course, there's a narrator explaining things for the radio audience. (You could turn off the picture and not miss anything.)Given the low production values and poor scripts, it would be unkind to criticize the acting (though Richard Simmons, as the eponymous hero, brings to his role all the excitement of staring at wallpaper). At least everyone manages to hit their marks and speak clearly.Unlike "The Cisco Kid" or "Adventures of Superman" (two other early syndicated color series), SPOTY is devoid of character or style. There's nothing memorable about it, other than its cheesy lameness.For those not familiar with classical music, the theme is from the overture to Řezníček's "Diana Banana". As with "The Lone Ranger" and "The Green Hornet", George Trendle selected PD classical music so he wouldn't have to pay royalties.PS: I've often wondered why Union Carbide never did TV commercials with "Sergeant Prestone of the Yukon". It would have been a perfect match of product, character, and environment.

Matthew_Capitano No other actor could have done a better job of portraying Northwest Mountie Policeman Sergeant Preston than did the fine and stalwart actor Richard Simmons.With his faithful dog, Yukon King, Sergeant Preston traveled the countryside of the Northwest Territories bringing peace and justice to that freezing cold region. Always exciting stories and authentic atmosphere which captured the sub-zero temperatures of the north made each episode lots of fun.Highly recommended series for fans of outdoor adventures, as well as to see the excellent acting of ruggedly handsome actor Richard Simmons.

J B I also watched this as a 50s kid in Los Angeles - all the other shows (with pretty much the same plots) were about cowboys or, more interestingly, cops: Roy Rogers, Hopalong Cassidy, Gene Autry, more interestingly Dragnet, 77 Sunset Strip. Preston was the first I ever knew featuring a landscape of snow, with tall evergreens, whistling wind and log cabins, exists. And how much more impressive Preston looked than any cowboy, crouching in the snow with his massive black (b/w the only colors) fur coat and fur hat - only rarely the dress (red) coat and round Mounty hat. I also recall that you could buy and Mom did buy a certain cereal to get Sergeant Preston "snow goggles" to prevent snow blindness, which were cardboard spectacles with a narrow slit to look through - either they came in the box or you cut them out from the box itself (accurate reminder appreciated - eBay URL would be even better.)

Shadow-6 "On King! On you huskies!" I loved this show! The redoubtable Sgt Preston always used to end the show by saying to his dog, "Well, King, this case is closed!" The show was created by George W. Trendle & Fran Stryker who also created The Lone Ranger & The Green Hornet!