''Almost Home'' (aka ''On the Move'') was an

educational television Educational television or learning television is the use of television programs in the field of distance education. It may be in the form of individual television programs or dedicated specialty channels that is often associated with cable telev ...

show which was produced and broadcast by

TVOntario TVO Media Education Group (often abbreviated as TVO and stylized on-air as tvo) is a publicly funded English-language educational television network and media organization serving the Canadian province of Ontario. It is operated by the Ontario ...

(known at the time as the Ontario Educational Communications Authority) in 1972 or 1973. The premise of the show is about a young man from

Cornwall, Ontario Cornwall is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada, situated where the provinces of Central Canada, Ontario and Quebec and the state of New York (state), New York converge. It is the seat of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Unit ...

, Ken Matthews, who travels to

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

and returns into

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, hitchhiking his way home through Northern Ontario and southward. The stories of each episode detail the various people he meets in his travels. The show was also shown in junior high and high schools as a teaching tool.

Actors and actresses

Michael Duhig Charles Michael Duhig (21 April 1953 – 9 January 2010) was a Canadian actor and radio host. He is noted for his appearances in television commercials from age 10 and his regular role in the television series ''Swiss Family Robinson'' (197 ...

as Ken Matthews * Beth Amos * Jack Mather * James Barron * Mel Tuck * Syd Brown * Larry Reynolds * Les Rubie

Episodes

Nine episodes were broadcast. A tenth was scripted but not filmed. Here are the titles for all ten: *1- "Boots"- Ken meets a shopkeeper who accuses him of stealing a pair of boots. *2- "I'm Looking For Volunteers And You're It"- Ken is conscripted to help battle a forest fire. *3- "Words are Wild Birds"- Ken learns about business from the owners of a roadside service station. *4- "Playing the Angles"- Ken and another hitchhiker get a lift from two bank robbers. *5- "It's My Country and You Better Believe It"- On Manitoulin Island Ken learns about its rich native history. *6- "Just Talk to Us"- Ken witnesses the struggles between an immigrant construction owner and the union. *7- "An Old Man With A Suitcase Full Of Books"- Ken gets a job picking tobacco and meets a drifter who teaches him a valuable lesson. *8- "Remember All the Things We Were Going to Do?"- Ken heads to Niagara Falls to meet an old friend whose life hasn't turned out too well. *9- "Almost Home"- Ken heads back to home to Cornwall when he meets a professional car racer and an architect which make Ken question his own future. *10- "Never the Same Again"- The final program integrates Ken's adventures into a TV movie about his travels and his responsibility to others.

Filming locations

Kakabeka Falls, Ontario Oliver Paipoonge is a township (Canada), township in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario, located directly west of the city of Thunder Bay. The municipality was formed on January 1, 1998, with the amalgamation o ...

Manitoulin Island Manitoulin Island is an island in Lake Huron, located within the borders of the Canadian province of Ontario, in the bioregion known as Laurentia. With an area of , it is the largest lake island in the world, large enough that it has over 100 ...

Niagara Falls, Ontario Niagara Falls is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is on the western bank of the Niagara River in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario, with a population of 88,071 at the 2016 census. It is part of the St. Catharines - Niagara Census M ...

Uxbridge, Ontario Uxbridge is a township in the Regional Municipality of Durham in south-central Ontario, Canada. Communities The main centre in the township is the namesake community of Uxbridge. Other settlements within the township include Altona, Coppin' ...

Schomberg, Ontario Schomberg (2021 population 2,656) is an unincorporated village in northwestern King, Ontario, Canada. It is located north of the Oak Ridges Moraine and south of the Holland River. Schomberg is accessed via Highway 9, which links Orangeville a ...

King City, Ontario King City is an unincorporated Canadian community in the township of King, Ontario, located north of Toronto. It is the largest community in King township, with 2,730 dwellings and a population of 8,396 as of the 2021 Canadian census. History ...

External links

A webpage dedicated to the show as well as other classic TVOntario children's shows of the '70s and '80s

Internet Movie Database listing
TVO original programming {{Canada-kids-tv-prog-stub