The Adventures of Champion is an American children's Western television series that aired from September 23, 1955, to March 3, 1956, for 26 episodes on CBS. In the United Kingdom, the series was re-broadcast under the title Champion the Wonder Horse.[1] The series was repeated on and off by the BBC in the UK throughout the 70s, 80s and early 90s, with its final BBC broadcast being the episode "The Stone Heart" on 23 January 1993.[2]
| The Adventures of Champion | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also known as | Champion the Wonder Horse |
| Genre | Western/Children's |
| Directed by |
|
| Starring | Barry Curtis Jim Bannon |
| Theme music composer | Norman Luboff (music) Marilyn Bergman (lyrics) |
| Opening theme | "Champion, the Wonder Horse" |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Armand Schaefer |
| Producers |
|
| Production locations | Newhall, California Lone Pine, California |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company | Flying A Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | September 23, 1955 – March 3, 1956 |
Synopsis
editSet in the 1880s in the American Southwest,[3] the show features 12-year-old Ricky North, who lives on a ranch with his uncle Sandy. Ricky has an uncanny ability to find himself in some kind of trouble, but is always rescued by his faithful friend Champion, the Wonder Horse, a wild stallion who has befriended Ricky. His adventures (and rescues) always involve Ricky's other constant companion, a German Shepherd named Rebel.[4]
Cast
edit- Champion as Champion, the Wonder Horse
- Barry Curtis as Ricky North
- Jim Bannon as Sandy North
- Blaze as Rebel, the dog
Background and production
editCasting (animals)
editThe horse starring in The Adventures of Champion was known as Television Champion, or TV Champ, for short. In real life, the Wonder Horse, Champion, was owned by Gene Autry who, over many years, owned a succession of celebrity horses bearing the same name. TV Champ was distinguished by his chestnut coat, blond mane and tail, four white stockings and broad white facial blaze. He made frequent appearances with Autry in films and television during the 1950s. Unlike his fictional namesake, TV Champ was a gelding.
Ken Beck and Jim Clark, in their book, The Encyclopedia of TV Pets: A Complete History of Television's Greatest Animal Stars, quote animal trainer Bob Blair as identifying the dog as J.R., the canine that had the title role in The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin TV program. "He was the best-trained dog in the business," Blair said.[5]
Filming
editFilmed by Flying A Productions,[6] the series was shot on location within California. Vasquez Rocks. 34°28′48″N 118°19′00″W / 34.479887°N 118.31657°W was used for the introduction and episodes. The Andy Jauregui Ranch at Placerita Canyon, Newhall 34°22′37″N 118°28′30″W / 34.377°N 118.475°W was also used for several exteriors.
Episodes
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Saddle Tramp" | George Archainbaud | Robert Schaefer & Eric Freiwald | September 23, 1955 | |
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A prospector helps Ricky capture a gang of rustlers. | |||||
| 2 | "Crossroad Trail" | George Archainbaud | Robert Schaefer & Eric Freiwald | September 30, 1955 | |
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A young ranch hand falls in with bad companions, but when Ricky is blinded from a fall the ranch hand comes to his aid. | |||||
| 3 | "Salted Ground" | Ford Beebe | Orville Hampton | October 8, 1955 | |
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Ricky and Sandy try to prevent a store owner from buying a salted gold mine from con men. | |||||
| 4 | "The Medicine Man Mystery" | George Archainbaud | Peter Dixon | October 15, 1955 | |
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Ricky believes the ventriloquist dummy being stuffed into a box is a real boy, but when Sandy investigates he discovers thieves have hidden jewelry inside the dummy. | |||||
| 5 | "Lost River" | Ford Beebe | Paul Gangelin | October 22, 1955 | |
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A drought has struck the valley where the Norths have their ranch. Champion searches for a waterhole to help a herd of wild horses, and an elderly woman is being forced to sell her ranch for less than its worth. | |||||
| 6 | "Renegade Stallion" | George Archainbaud | Maurice Geraghty | October 29, 1955 | |
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A prospector who just found gold is killed by outlaws, who then stampede a herd of wild horses to hide evidence of their crime. The sheriff believes Champion is responsible for the prospector's death, and tries to have him shot. | |||||
| 7 | "Canyon of Wanted Men" | Ford Beebe | Paul Franklin | November 5, 1955 | |
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A crooked horse trader tries to get the ranchers to allow him to round up all wild horses in the valley. When they resist, the man breaks down fences so it appears as though the wild herds are destroying property. | |||||
| 8 | "Challenge of the West" | George Archainbaud | J. Benton Cheney | November 8, 1955 | |
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Ricky tries to prove an outlaw's son didn't rob Sandy's ranch. | |||||
| 9 | "The Outlaw's Secret" | George Archainbaud | Maurice Geraghty | November 15, 1955 | |
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A man confesses to robbing a stage coach, but claims a banker was his partner in his crime. | |||||
| 10 | "Hangman's Noose" | Ford Beebe | J. Benton Cheney | November 22, 1955 | |
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A man discovers oil on a neighboring ranch and plans to kill the ranch owner and frame another rancher for the crime. When Ricky finds evidence, his life is in danger. | |||||
| 11 | "King of the Rodeo" | Ford Beebe | Oliver Drake | November 29, 1955 | |
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A carnival owner steals Champion and offers a prize to anyone who can ride the horse. | |||||
| 12 | "A Bugle for Ricky" | George Archainbaud | Ty Cobb | December 6, 1955 | |
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Ricky obtains a bugle and must use it to signal for help when he is trapped by outlaws. | |||||
| 13 | "The Stone Heart" | John English | Orville H. Hampton | December 13, 1955 | |
|
Ricky tries to help a wounded prisoner who had been forced to take part in a jail break, and is now in danger from the escaped outlaws. | |||||
| 14 | "The Deer Hunters" | George Archainbaud | Oliver Drake | December 20, 1955 | |
|
Ricky rescues a fawn caught in a snare by trappers providing meat for railroad construction workers. Ricky and Sandy try to convince the construction boss to find a new source of meat for his work crew. | |||||
| 15 | "The Golden Hoax" | Ford Beebe | Sloan Nibley | December 27, 1955 | |
|
Champion discovers stagecoach robbers are hiding money in an abandoned mineshaft. Ricky and Sandy try to capture the criminals. | |||||
| 16 | "Johnny Hands Up" | George Archainbaud | Robert Schaefer & Eric Freiwald | January 3, 1956 | |
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Ricky and Sandy help a young lawman who is being held responsible for the mistakes of the former law officer. | |||||
| 17 | "Black Kachina" | George Archainbaud | Samuel Newman & Richard Morgan | January 10, 1956 | |
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An evil medicine man holds a tribe's chief captive while attempting to incite violence between natives and ranchers. | |||||
| 18 | "Mystery Mountain" | John English | Eric Freiwald & Robert Schaefer | January 17, 1956 | |
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When an Easterner is tricked into performing gold assays for a swindler Ricky and Sandy come to the man's rescue. | |||||
| 19 | "Rails West" | George Archainbaud | Polly James | January 24, 1956 | |
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Ricky and Sandy are able to persuade the railroad to bypass the range used by Champion and a herd of wild horses, but when prospectors believe they've found gold in the area they refuse to give up their claim. | |||||
| 20 | "The Real Unfriendly Ghost" | John English | Elizbeth Beecher | January 31, 1956 | |
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Ricky and Sandy search for a missing man in a ghost town. They discover an eccentric living resident, and suspect there may be an actual ghost there. | |||||
| 21 | "Andrew and the Deadly Double" | John English | Joe Richardson | February 7, 1956 | |
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Mary Jane, Ricky's young neighbor, learns her newly appointed guardian, Uncle Andrew, plans to sell her ranch and force her to move East with him. When Mary Jane suspects her guardian is an imposter she is taken captive by the man. | |||||
| 22 | "Bad Men of the Valley" | George Archainbaud | Victor Arthur | February 14, 1956 | |
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An ex-convict and his wife buy a ranch near the North's ranch and try to begin a new life. Former gang members threaten to hurt the man's wife if he doesn't help with a bank robbery. | |||||
| 23 | "The Return of Red Cloud" | George Archainbaud | Oliver Drake | February 21, 1956 | |
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Red Cloud returns to his tribe, but he is framed for murder. Ricky and Sandy work to prove him innocent. | |||||
| 24 | "Brand of the Lawless" | John English | J. Benton Cheney | February 28, 1956 | |
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An escaped outlaw and his gang plot to rob a bank. When a posse pursues them the gang leader tries to blackmail the escaped man's sister in order to get grubstake money from her. | |||||
| 25 | "The Die-Hards" | George Archainbaud | Robert Schaefer & Eric Freiwald | March 3, 1956 | |
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A newly arrived Southern doctor treats Ricky's dog, Rebel. But lingering hard feelings over the Civil War may force the doctor and his wife to leave the area. | |||||
| 26 | "Calhoun Rides Again" | John English | Ty Cobb, Eric Freiwald, & Robert Schaefer | March 3, 1956 | |
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An old cowboy returns to the area and helps Ricky and Sandy capture a gang of outlaws. | |||||
Related shows
editThe television program used characters similar to those in the 1949–50 radio serial, The Adventures of Champion. The radio serial told of young Ricky West (rather than Ricky North), who was raised on a ranch by his adoptive Uncle Smoky (rather than Sandy). Ricky was often accompanied by his German Shepherd, Rebel.
Beginning in 1950, The Gene Autry Show, a western/cowboy television series, aired for 91 episodes on CBS.[citation needed] The Adventures of Champion was a prime time spinoff for the 1955–1956 season.
References
edit- ^ Hughes, Howard (2007). Stagecoach to Tombstone: The Filmgoers' Guide to the Great Westerns. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 9780857730466. Archived from the original on 13 October 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
- ^ "Search – BBC Programme Index". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2021-10-13. Retrieved 2021-10-13.
- ^ Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 12. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
- ^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present (9 ed.). New York: Ballantine Books. p. 16. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ Beck, Ken; Clark, Jim (2002). The Encyclopedia of TV Pets: A Complete History of Television's Greatest Animal Stars. Thomas Nelson Inc. ISBN 9781418557379. Archived from the original on 13 October 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
- ^ "Television Film" (PDF). Broadcasting. July 11, 1955. p. 27. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-10-13. Retrieved 27 June 2019.