Cannonball

Fun, free-wheeling, undemanding early adventure series, Cannonball was a series of half-hour family dramas chronicling the adventures of two truckers who hauled freight on the highways of Canada and the U.S.A. U.S. actors Paul Birch (Mike Malone) and William Campbell (Jerry Austin) in what was essentially a format to the later and classic, Route 66. Filmed around Toronto, Canada, the series was a joint Canadian/UK production, yet another example of Lew Grade's incredibly prolific ITC company co-production output. It aired in Canada on Mondays at 9.30pm on the CBC network. 

Apart from its two American leads, the series relied heavily on Canadian talent in supporting roles. Beth Lockerbie was Mary Malone, Mike's wife, and Beth Morris and Steve Barringer were Ginny and Butch Malone. Howard Milsom portrayed dispatcher Harry Butler. Other Canadian character actors who appeared in the show included Ruth Springford, Alfie Scopp, Sylvia Lennick, Eric House, and Cy Mack. Interestingly, the concept was revived fifteen years later in 1974, for the short-lived series starring Claude Akins and Frank Converse; Movin' On.

Published on December 2nd, 2018. Written by Laurence Marcus for Television Heaven.