Sergeant Preston of the Yukon Season One

He was dedicated, loyal and fearless; never hesitating to leap into the fray in the name of justice and fair play. He traveled throughout Canada’s western-most reaches, the Yukon Territory of the late 1800’s, over brush, through timber, around mountains and across streams, and he somehow never looked less than his impeccably-coiffed best.

And, as any dedicated follower of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police knows, he always got his man.

Of course we’re talking about Yukon King, the wonder dog.  His pal Sgt. Preston was pretty natty too; he likewise managed to survive each harrowing adventure with his fine uniform spot-free and spit-polished.

Preston came from the same stable of action figures as the Lone Ranger and the Green Hornet. Like those crime fighters, he began his long career on the radio.

The exteriors for the TV series were shot in Colorado; you watched it in perfect Disney-frontier color, if your parents could afford a color set. In 1955, when the 33 episodes in this collection premiered, precious few had color TVs.

It’s remarkable how good these shows look; either the original negatives were carefully maintained and preserved for the last 50-plus years or the current state of digital whammy is such that material of this sort can be restored to perfection. In either case, any aging boomer with a love for this series is in for a treat.