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From The Scoop: Renfrew of the Mounted Police

From the July 7 issue of Gemstone Publishing's The Scoop:
Did you know that one of the most popular American children's radio shows during the 1930s was set in Canada?

Renfrew of the Mounted Police began as a fifteen-minute CBS serial about one Inspector Douglas Renfrew (House Jameson) and his close friend, Carol Girard (Joan Baker). In its first season (1936-1937), the program, which tracked Renfrew's exploits through the northern provinces of Canada, aired only on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 6:45 pm. But as listeners began to warm to the exciting tales of deadly criminals at large and defenseless children lost in the forests and mountainous regions, the show was picked up in its 1937-'38 season as a daily program. The time slot remained the same, even if the network changed. NBC Blue was the new provider.

Between 1938 and 1940, the show's popularity increased and it became a half-hour program. Even so, the show was canceled after only four seasons. Renfrew of the Mounted Police spawned a total of eight films: Renfrew of the Royal Mounted (1937), Renfrew on the Great White Trail (1938), Fighting Mad (1939), Crashing Thru (1939), Danger Ahead (1940), Murder on the Yukon (1940) and Sky Bandits (1940).

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