''Klondike'' is an American drama series about life in an Alaskan town in the 1890s during the Klondike Gold Rush. It stars

Ralph Taeger Ralph Taeger (July 30, 1936 – March 11, 2015) was an American actor who starred in three short-lived television series during the 1960s: '' Klondike'' (1960–61), '' Acapulco'' (1961) and ''Hondo'' (1967–68). Biography Ralph Taeger was bor ...

and

James Coburn James Harrison Coburn III (August 31, 1928 – November 18, 2002) was an American film and television actor who was featured in more than 70 films, largely action roles, and made 100 television appearances during a 45-year career.AllmoviBi ...

and aired on NBC during the 1960–1961 television season.

Synopsis

Mike Halliday is a rugged outdoorsman who has come to Skagway in the Territory of Alaska in search of gold and adventure during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896–1899.McNeil, Alex, ''Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming From 1948 to the Present, Fourth Edition'', New York: Penguin Books, 1996, , p. 453.Brooks, Tim, and Earle Marsh, ''The Complete Directory to Prime-Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present (Sixth Edition)'', New York: Ballantine Books, 1995, , p. 556. Halliday often comes into conflict with Jeff Durain, a fast-talking adventurer prone to making money by illegal means. Durain owns and operates a hotel in Skagway which offers the

miner A miner is a person who extracts ore, coal, chalk, clay, or other minerals from the earth through mining. There are two senses in which the term is used. In its narrowest sense, a miner is someone who works at the rock face; cutting, blasting, ...

s and

prospectors Prospecting is the first stage of the geological analysis (followed by Mining engineering#Pre-mining, exploration) of a territory. It is the search for minerals, fossils, precious metals, or mineral specimens. It is also known as fossicking. ...

who have come to town for the gold rush the opportunity to gamble, but the games usually are rigged for Durain's benefit. Kathy O'Hara is the honest owner of another hotel in Skagway, and Halliday often works with her to block Durain from succeeding in his illegal schemes. Mike and Kathy have an affectionate relationship, but in his romantic life, Halliday plays the field, and is involved with a number of women, including Durain's girlfriend, the beautiful but greedy Goldie, who often is an accomplice in Durain's crimes.

Cast

...Mike Halliday *

...Jefferson "Jeff" Durain *

Mari Blanchard Mari Blanchard (born Mary E. Blanchard, April 13, 1923 – May 10, 1970) was an American film and television actress, known foremost for her roles as a B movie femme fatale in American productions of the 1950s and early 1960s. Early life and c ...

...Kathy O'Hara *

Joi Lansing Joi Lansing (born Joy Rae Brown, April 6, 1929 – August 7, 1972) was an American model, film and television actress, and nightclub singer. She was noted for her pin-up photos and roles in B-movies, as well as a prominent role in the famous o ...

...Goldie

Production

Ziv- United Artists Television produced ''Klondike'' on a low budget.The Classic TV Archive Klondike (1960-61) Accessed 1 November 2020
/ref>

William Conrad William Conrad (born John William Cann Jr., September 27, 1920 – February 11, 1994) was an American actor, producer, and director whose entertainment career spanned five decades in radio, film, and television, peaking in popularity when he s ...

served as producer for the series.

Vic Mizzy Victor Mizzy (January 9, 1916 – October 17, 2009) was an American composer for television and movies and musician whose best-known works are the themes to the 1960s television sitcoms ''Green Acres'' and ''The Addams Family''. Mizzy also wrote t ...

and Mann Curtis composed the show's theme music. The series was based on the book ''The Klondike Fever'' by Pierre Berton.''Klondike'' "The Hostages," (13 Feb. 1961)
/ref> After ''Klondike'' was cancelled in mid-season, Ralph Taeger and James Coburn immediately moved together to a new series, ''

Acapulco Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , also , nah, Acapolco), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has bee ...

'', in which they were cast as a pair of twentieth-century

beachcombers ''The Beachcombers'' is a Canadian comedy-drama television series that ran on CBC Television from October 1, 1972, to December 12, 1990. With over 350 episodes, it is one of the longest-running dramatic series ever made for English-language Canad ...

, Mexico. ''Acapulco'' aired in ''Klondike''′s time slot, beginning two weeks after the broadcast of ''Klondike''′s last new episode.

Broadcast history

Eighteen episodes of ''Klondike'' were produced. They aired on NBC on Mondays at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time from October 10, 1960, to February 13, 1961.

Episodes

SOURCE ''San Bernardino Sun'', November 14, 1960, Page 16.
/ref>

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, id=0053516
''Klondike'' opening credits on YouTube

''Klondike'' episode "The Hostages" on YouTube
1960s American drama television series 1960 American television series debuts 1961 American television series endings Black-and-white American television shows NBC original programming Television shows set in Alaska English-language television shows