REUNION #2- A 50 year reunion will be held, June 15, 2013. Cast, crew and fans will attend. To get on the attendee list go to this website: HERE- where you will also see before and after photos of the studio lot.
As well, please join other fans HERE at this "Forest Rangers" Facebook group. *This site will be moving on Oct. 26/09 to a new address so copy and bookmark this new URL asap http://forestrangers.bravehost.com
Does this ring a bell? What Canadian kid growing up in the 1960's or 1970's could forget the immensely popular television series The Forest Rangers or the opening melodic theme. This ever-whistleable musical piece met the colourful backdrop of wilderness scenes set in Ontario's Great Outdoors. Here, a group of kids- Junior Forest Rangers- live, work and play in a large Hudson's Bay fort, while their older and wiser friends from the mythical town of Indian River look on. (Indian River lies just north of Algonquin Park and has a population of 317). The junior rangers were the envy of many kids the world over for they came complete with a fort, ham radios, walkie-talkies, horses, ranger t-shirts, a Smokey the Bear flag and most of all-- "ADVENTURE!!"
The rangers usually manage to become heroes by putting out forest fires, rescuing people and thwarting villains with the aid of an RCMP officer named Sergeant Brian Scott (legendary Canadian actor Gordon Pinsent), the Chief Forest Ranger George Keeley (Graydon Gould), and the local Metis-Ojibway guide Joe Two Rivers (Michael Zenon).
The Junior Forest Rangers live in a "Never-never land, unmarred by schools or parents, in which the only rules are the rules of conservation." Though the kids always manage to get involved in trouble, there is little violence involved; mainly just threats from wayward adults who put themselves in danger because they didn't heed the advice of the Chief Ranger. In the end, the wrong-doers are usually brought back to the the Chief Ranger's (Department of Lands and Forests) office and scolded, but are rarely handed over to the law. However, I can recall a few of my favourite episodes where lawbreakers are brought to Sgt. Scott's office for punishment (check my Episode Synopsis section for the episode "Hole in the Ice").
Here are the names of the junior rangers and the actors who played them:
Chub Stanley- Ralph Endersby (My Side of the Mountain, Rip-off, Homer)
Pete Keeley- Rex Hagon (Polka Dot Door, The Reincarnate)
Kathy- Susan Conway (Adventures in Rainbow Country, Return To Oz, Rip-off, Heartaches)
Mike Forbes- Peter Tully
Gaby LaRoche- Syme Jago (The Incredible Journey)
Zeke- Ronald Cohoon (The Incredible Journey)
Danny Bailey- Mathew Ferguson
Ted Keeley- George Allan (My Side of the Mountain)
Johnny O'Reilly- Michael Tully
Herbert- Kenneth Ponzo
Timmy Forbes- Simon Tully
There were also some other major colourful characters on the show :
Uncle Raoul LaRoche (Rolland Bedard, La Famille Plouffe)- a lovable French Canadian personality.
Mr. John Angus Mcleod (Joe Austin, The Beachcombers)- the one hundred year old, ornary, yet likeable gold prospector.
Deputy Ranger Brody (Tom Harvey, Bizarre)- the dimwitted and by-the-book backup to Ranger Keeley.
Matt Craig (Eric Cryderman, Face-off)- the towerman over at Pike Fire Tower Lookout.
Shing Wauk (Eric Clavering, The Incredible Journey)- the old Ojibway Indian medicine man.
Ms. Aggie Apple (Barbara Hamilton, Road to Avonlea)- the owner of the marina and restaurant.
Radio Operator Dobbie (Steven Barringer)- the ham radio operator at the Chief Ranger's Office.
Charlie Appleby (Gerard Parkes, Fraggle Rock)- the low-flying RCAF pilot and WW1 ace.
Fred Cooper (Doug Master, Maggie Muggins)- the Indian River General Store owner.
The Forest Rangers was seen on The CBC every Saturday afternoon at 5 pm EST and was in production from 1963 to 1965. It has remained in syndication ever since, popping up on different channels the world over. As the CBC Times wrote in a 1966 column, "The Norwegians called it Skogwokterkklubben. We know it as "The Forest Rangers." But in any language it's "Great," according to young viewers in the 40 countries where this popular Canadian-made outdoor adventure series is seen." Countries as far away as Australia, Hungary, Portugal, Peru, Argentina, Jamaica, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kenya, Uganda, The Phillipines and Hong Kong had the show running on their tv sets.
The show became the most profitable and successful tv show in Canadian history up to that point in the mid 1960's. It was also one of the first programs filmed in high production colour in the world. Looking back it's hard to believe that 104 complete episodes could have been made in the span of only 2.5 years.
The "Adventures in Rainbow Country" Reunion held Aug 11-13, 2006 in the LaCloche Mountains at Whitefish Falls, ON was another great success. We had Buckley Petawabano and others there for the weekend-long festivities. Check the link for all the details and photos.
The Red Green Show: 1997 Season [DVD]
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The Littlest Hobo TV Series Collection 1 [DVD]
One of the most popular family shows on '60s Canadian TV was revived in this 1979-85 incarnation. Join four-footed hero Hobo on his trek across the Great White North, as the German shepherd aids those he meets before heading back on the road.
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All 13 episodes from the first season--including "The Journey Begins," "Old Lady Lloyd," "Proof of the Pudding," "Conversions," and "Nothing Endures But Change"--are featured in a four-disc set.
Anne Of Green Gables Trilogy Box Set [DVD]
Three-disc boxed set includes "Anne of Green Gables" (1985), "Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel (Anne of Avonlea)," and "Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story."
Leave It To Beaver: The Complete First Season (Limited Edition Lunchbox) [DVD]
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Little House On The Prairie: Season 1 [DVD]
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Star Trek: The Complete Original Series [DVD]
Special collection includes the boxed sets of seasons one through three of the original "Star Trek."
The Andy Griffith Show: The Complete Series Pack [DVD]
Every episode from your friends in Mayberry.
Gilligan's Island: The Complete First Season [DVD]
All 36 episodes from season one--including "Two on a Raft," "Good Night, Sweet Skipper," "Wrongway Feldman," "Gilligan Meets Jungle Boy," and "Voodoo Something to Me," as well as the original unaired pilot--are featured in a three-disc set.
M*A*S*H: Season One [DVD]
All 24 episodes from the debut season--including the pilot, "Chief Surgeon Who?," "Yankee Doodle Doctor," "Dear Dad," and "Sometimes You Hear the Bullet"--are featured in a three-disc set.
The Dukes Of Hazzard: The Complete Seasons 1-7 [DVD]
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The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus 16-Ton Megaset [DVD]
All 45 episodes of the series--including the sketches "Flying Sheep," "The Dead Parrot sketch," "The Ministry of Silly Walks," "Poofy Judges," "The Golden Age of Ballooning," and more, plus "Monty Python Live!"--are collected in a 16-disc set. Monty karaoke.
Keeping Up Appearances: The Full Bouquet [DVD]
All 40 episodes and four specials are featured in this eight-disc boxed set that includes the volumes "My Way or the Hyacinth Way," "Hints from Hyacinth," "Home Is Where the Hyacinth Is," "Deck the Halls with Hyacinth," "Everything's Coming Up Hyacinth," "Some Like It Hyacinth," "Living the Hyacinth Life," and "Hats Off to Hyacinth."
This Is Coronation Street [DVD]
Since December of 1960, British TV viewers have tuned in to the indefatigable serial drama, faithfully following the day-to-day travails of the working-class residents of Coronation Street in the fictitious Northwest English town of Weatherfield. This primer for stateside fans includes the 2000 special "40 Years on Coronation Street," filled with archival clips and interviews with past and present cast members, plus the series' first five episodes.
The Wizard Of Oz (Three-Disc Collector's Edition) [DVD]
Follow Dorothy over the rainbow and down the Yellow Brick Road, along with the Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman, Cowardly Lion and Toto, too, for fun and adventure in the Emerald City. Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Margaret Hamilton and Frank Morgan star in one of the most beloved films of all time. 103 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish; audio commentary; "making of" documentary; featurettes; deleted scenes; biographies; photo gallery; bonus feature "The Wizard of Oz" (1925); bonus shorts "The Wizard of Oz" (1910), "The Magic Cloak of Oz" (1914), "His Majesty, The Scarecrow of Oz" (1914), "The Wizard of Oz" (1933).
Star Wars Trilogy (Special Edition--Widescreen) (Four-Disc Set) [DVD]
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The Beatles Anthology [DVD]
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Lord Stanley's Cup: Hockey's Ultimate Prize [DVD]
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World Cup Soccer Highlights 1978-2002 [DVD]
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Walt Disney Treasures: The Adventures Of Spin & Marty [DVD]
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The Lord Of The Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (Widescreen Version) [DVD]
Special six-disc boxed set includes widescreen versions of "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."
The Adventures Of Ma And Pa Kettle, Vol. 1 [DVD]
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Adult Movie Collections [DVD]
Check out our "After Hours" section for adult videos.