House of Pride

1 9 7 4 – 1 9 7 6 (Canada)
26 x 30 minute episodes

This weekly half-hour melodrama from CBC was intended to become the Canadian version of The Forsyte Saga and to offer something to relate to viewers in all parts of Canada. Regrettably, it aimed a little too high for most television viewers.

Twenty-four characters (not counting pets and babes-in-arms) made up the cast of the Pride family and its married offspring. While the Forsytes all lived in London, the Prides were scattered from coast to coast in Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver.

Consequently, viewers struggled to follow the family tree and its cultural storylines.

The story surrounded the death of the patriarch, irascible old grandfather Pride (George Waite) and the disposition of his estate.

The family members, each with their own self-interest, came together to resolve the situation. Alas, it didn’t go very smoothly, and the family separated into its respective camps. There was a greedy one, a selfless one, a tricky one with his eye on the main chance, a bitter one who wasn’t about to welcome no goshdurn Froggies into the family, and so on down the hefty cast list.

The old man had left the Pride house to grumpy Dan (Murray Westgate), the oldest Pride boy, to live in as long as he wanted. But meanwhile, Ross Pride (Budd Knapp) – a sharp politician and wheeler-dealer – had a firm offer of a million bucks for the house.

When House of Pride returned for a second season, it now concentrated on the Toronto, Halifax and Winnipeg branches of the family, having dropped the more diffuse Montreal and Vancouver elements.

Weekly audiences for the Thursday night show rarely climbed above the 300,000 mark in the second series, and CBC axed the series in April 1976.

Ross Pride
Budd Knapp
Daniel Pride
Murray Westgate
Andrew Pride
Cec Linder
Hester Pride
Angela Clare
Irwin Fisher
George R Roberston
Mary Kirby
Charmion King
Jim Dowhan
Neil Dainard
Lili Fortin
Amulette Garneau
Claude Fortin
Pierre Dufresne
Bernice Pride
Florence Patterson
Arthur Boychuk
Steve Pernie
Jenny Boychuk
Julie Amato