The first major dramatic series produced on film in Canada, Radisson revolved around French explorer and fur trader Pierre Radisson (Jacques Godin) and his partner, Medard (René Caron), who were adventurers roaming the American Northwest during the 1700s.
The territory was not yet fully explored, and dangers lurked everywhere, mostly from Native peoples who opposed settlers building homes on their land.
Stories related Radisson’s adventures as he and Medard risked their lives to help pioneers seeking to begin new lives.
The budget was originally set at $7,000 per episode, but it soon had to be raised to $15,000.
The production was plagued with problems: swarms of mosquitoes, traffic on the St. Lawrence River that upset the already unsteady birchbark canoes, aeroplanes from Dorval airport and trains that regularly disrupted the authenticity of the 17th-century period piece, and especially weather, which stalled production for twenty-three days out of the first month and a half.
As time wore on and winter approached, the costs escalated to an estimated $25,000 per episode.
The show was sold to Australian and English television, and to stations in the USA, where it was retitled Tomahawk.
Toy manufacturers issued a Radisson doll, a Radisson rifle, a Radisson belt, a Radisson music box, a Radisson buckskin suit, a Radisson t-shirt, a Radisson board game, and Radisson fur hats (which were actually leftover Davy Crockett coonskin caps, with the tail pulled off and a white feather added).
Radisson, Radisson, Canada’s courageous pioneer! Radisson, Radisson, Lord of the Wilderness, The man who knew no fear
Pierre Esprit Radisson
Jacques Godin Medard
René Caron Pere Ragueneau
Pierre Boucher Dutchman
Boudha Bradon D’Avignon
Jean Brousseau Maj. Dupuis
Bertrand Gagnon Ferrand
Roland Lepage Algonquin
Andre Loiseau Dubois
Gérard Poirier Onenga
Raymond Royer Pere Radisson
Lionel Villeneuve
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The budget was originally set at $7,000 per episode, but it soon had to be raised to $15,000.
