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CBC Television Network

R.C.M.P.

Network: CBC Television Network

Broadcast Run: 1959 to 1965

Broadcast Medium: Television

Aired at various times from October 1959 to March 1965.

This half hour drama about the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was notable for both its artistic and financial success. The series of 39 episodes was produced by Crawley Films in Ottawa, in cooperation with the CBC and the BBC.

The show featured the contemporary adventures of the national police force, usually in day-to-day situations rather than the crime-a-week plot line of an American cop show. RCMP was more interested in the relationships between the force and native people, communities and crime. It was gritty and edgy in presentation, often challenging good manners and good taste in the scripts. It was shot on location in the Ottawa region and in Aylmer, Quebec and Outlook, Saskatchewan.

The show was also noteworthy for its financial success. CBC aired each episode for a cost of $8,000. The show was later syndicated to the UK, Australia, Cuba, Denmark, Germany, Japan, Mexico, France and the USA for a return of over a million dollars.

Principal Cast:

Gilles Pelletier as Corporal Jacques Gagnier

John Perkins as Constable Frank Scott

Don Francks as Constable Bill Mitchell

Barney McManus as Mayor Cartwright

William Lee as Wilson Tong

Helene Winston as Mrs. Bell

Apache Golden Chief as Chief the Dog

Writers: George Salverson, Munroe Scott, Raymond Bowers and Vincent Tilsey.

Music by Bill McCauley

Episode directors: Bernard Girard, Harry Horner and George Gorman

Executive Producer: F.R. Budge Crawley

Written by John Corcelli – May, 2005