STEVE CANYON

Dean Fredericks as Col Stevenson B. Canyon

STEVE CANYON (1958 ABC television series). 

Steve Canyon was based on the popular comic strip written and drawn by the famous Milton Caniff (Terry and the Pirates). Canyon is an Air Force colonel who in the first few episodes is assigned to various bases as the mission dictates. Eventually he becomes the commanding officer at a base in the town of Big Thunder, California, where the townies initially resent and even hate the military men. Canyon worked at Big Thunder for the remaining episodes, although his assignments still took him to foreign locales. Some of the earlier episodes were a bit on the dull side, but others were quite suspenseful and exciting. Although unconventionally handsome, unlike the character in the comic strips, Dean Fredericks (of Jungle Jim) is perfect as Steve Canyon, displaying strength and compassion in equal measure. 

Dean Fredericks and Julie Adams

One main difference between the strip and the TV series is the female element. At Big Thunder a very sexy and curvaceous secretary (Ingrid Goude) struts through the offices from time and time and gets stared at but hasn't much to do otherwise. A girlfriend for Canyon is introduced and there's some smooching but she isn't around for long. In the comic strip Canyon was consistently involved with a variety of women, including femme fatales, but these don't really show up in the TV series, unfortunately. Julie Adams plays a slightly nefarious character in one episode but there's no hint of romance or sexual tension between her and Canyon. 

James Drury with Fredericks.

Steve Canyon lasted for one season and 32 half-hour episodes. The best episodes include "Operation Nosewheel" in which the front wheel of Steven's plane comes off in flight and there are problems with ejecting the paralyzed-with-fright passenger (played very well by actor and later director Lamont Johnson). "Operation Intercept" shows what happens when a stray bullet fired at a plane by young boys causes a crack in the window that ultimately leads to tragedy. Steve isn't sure that everyone in the crew is dead but as the plane heads into Soviet air force he wrestles with the possibility of having to shoot it down. "The Muller Story" stars a superb George Macready as a Nazi war criminal who claims that an Air Force lieutenant (James Drury) is his son. 

Dean Fredericks

In "The Bomb" some little boys manage to carry off a bomb by wagon and hide it in a shed, unaware that it could go off at any moment and blow the whole neighborhood to smithereens. "Sabotage" presents six Oriental trainees, one of whom is suspected of being a spy responsible for treacherous and deadly actions. In "Room 313" a lady reporter (Amanda Blake of Betrayal) comes afoul of an assassin planning a hit on a visiting Eastern potentate (Ross Martin). Many of the episodes feature some striking aerial photography and examine the latest 1950's style technology. Ted de Corsia appeared in a few episodes as the Big Thunder police chief and Jerry Paris (of Man on the Prowl) had a recurring role as Major Williston. The DVD set for this show is rather expensive considering it only lasted one season, but the episodes have been beautifully digitally remastered and the show looks and sounds great. There are also extras on the DVDs.

Verdict: Not quite a classic show, but some of the episodes are winners. **3/4.