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Cannonball

1958
Cannonball

Seasons & Episodes

  • 1

EP1 The Runaway Truck Oct 06, 1958

This pilot episode sets the premise: ""Cannonball"" is the adventures of 2 truck drivers who haul freight across the highways of the United States and Canada. The main character is Mike Malone; providing the family atmosphere are his wife Mary, and his son Butch, and his daughter Ginny. Mike's truck-drivin' buddy is Jerry Austin. This episode, Mike has to stop a runaway truck.

EP2 Pills Oct 13, 1958

Truck drivers doing long hauls often use caffeine pills to stay alert. The highway patrol puts out a warning that some truckstops are selling stay-awake pills that can be real killers. When Mike and Jerry turn a bottle of this stuff over to the authorities, it leads to the breakup of this dangerous pill racket.

EP3 Willy Oct 20, 1958

Mike and Jerry pick up a hitchhiker named Willy who has gotten into trouble.

EP4 Sights on Safety Oct 27, 1958

When Mike and Jerry are under pressure to deliver a load in a big hurry, a near-accident makes them learn that they must keep their Sights on Safety.

EP5 The Iron Lung Nov 03, 1958

Mike and Jerry deliver a cargo consisting of an iron lung to help a polio patient.

EP6 The Big Ambulance Nov 10, 1958

Mike Malone loves truckstop food, and has meals and snacks on a long haul. When Mike gets some stomach pains, Jerry thinks it's just indigestion. But it turns out to be more serious, and Mike winds up taking a trip in an ambulance.

EP7 Hostage Nov 17, 1958

Mike and Jerry intercede when a hostage is taken at a truckstop, and diffuse what could turn out to be a dangerous situation.

EP8 Small Cargo Dec 01, 1958

Mike and Jerry are taking some freight on a long haul, but when they look in the back of their truck they find out they've also got some small cargo-- 2 frightened youngsters as stowaways. It seems they're running away from their uncle, who is on the wrong side of the law. Mike makes sure their evil uncle never hurts the kids again.

EP9 The Green-Eyed Monster Dec 08, 1958

Jerry is just like one of the family at Mike Malone's house. But since Jerry is more like a buddy to Mike's kids Butch and Ginny, while sometimes Mike has to be a strict father, Mike begins to feel his kids like Jerry better than him. However, everything's fine by the end of the show, and they're all one big, happy family again.

EP10 Moose Hunt Dec 15, 1958

There are some funny complications when Mike and Jerry are trucking during moose hunting season.

EP11 Shock Dec 29, 1958

There's a new parts manager for C & A Transport: Ben Handley. Mike and Jerry wind up taking Ben along on a run; Ben doesn't seem to know much about trucks or mechanics, and he seems to have an alcohol problem. But when they come across a bad traffic accident on the road, Ben Handley gives first aid to the injured motorist-- long ago, Handley had been a doctor. Later, Mike gets Handley a job as a C & A company doctor. [goof: it would help make the show more authentic if the doc knew how to pronounce the word ""defibrillator"" correctly.]

EP12 Nitro Haul Jan 05, 1959

Mike and Jerry have a dangerous load this time, nitro glycerin to be used by a fuel company drilling for oil.

EP13 The Girl at Joe's Place Jan 12, 1959

While out on the road doing a long haul, Mike and Jerry stop at Joe's place for coffee. Mike is a happily married man, but Jerry is single and looking. Jerry falls for the pretty waitress, May, and they become romantically involved. But Jerry doesn't know that May has a past that she is not telling him about.

EP14 The Attack Jan 19, 1959

When Mike and Jerry haul some valuable cargo, they find themselves under attack by some would-be hijackers.

EP15 Sauce for the Goose Jan 26, 1959

Mike and Jerry wind up hauling some high-powered fuel for an airplane called the Flying Goose. [Airplanes named ""Goose"": Eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes once had his Hughes Aircraft Company make the ""Spruce Goose""-- the largest wood-constructed and the largest wingspan airplane ever built. Originally designed in 1942, it was powered by 8 Pratt & Whitney 3,000 horsepower engines. Howard Hughes piloted the Spruce Goose on its only flight: Nov. 2, 1947, in Long Beach Harbor, Los Angeles.]

EP16 Mark Time Feb 02, 1959

A fellow truck driver at C & A, Frank Peters, is going through a rough time-- first his son died, and then his wife left him. This causes him to miss work, and not do a good job when he does work. When Frank gets fired, and C & A assigns his freight to Mike Malone, Frank blames Mike for his problems. But Mike's son Butch tells Frank how Mike helped him all he could, and covered for him at work; it was Frank's poor job performance that got him canned. Frank decides to accept responsibility for his own actions, and turns his life around.

EP17 The Dog Feb 09, 1959

Mike and Jerry find a stray dog on the road and try to find its rightful owner.

EP18 Butch Feb 16, 1959

Mike's son Butch has been getting some poor grades in school. Mike has to be strict with him. Later, they patch things up and Butch says he wants to be a trucker when he grows up.

EP19 Fallout Feb 23, 1959

Mike has a really hot load to haul this week: radioactive Iridium-192, which is used principally in industry, to detect small cracks in large metal pipes pumping liquids. The stuff is potentially deadly if it fell out of the protective lead box it's in. Mike delivers the load in good condition, and on time. [scientific note: Iridium-192 is a radioisotope with a half-life of 72 days. So after 72 days, only 1/2 is still radioactive; after another 72 days, only 1/4; then 1/8th, and so on.]

EP20 The Necklace Mar 02, 1959

When a valuable necklace turns up missing, Mike and Jerry retrace their route to find out who could have taken it.

EP21 Undercover Mar 09, 1959

Mike can't believe it when Jerry is accused of stealing on the job, and gets fired. Even stranger is the fact that Mike can't get any explanations from the managers at C & A, or Jerry himself. Mike does some investigating, and finds out Jerry is really working undercover to catch the ones who have been stealing freight from C & A.

EP22 Nanette Mar 16, 1959

An old girlfriend of Jerry's, named Nanette, shows up and wants to get together with Jerry again.

EP23 Big Buck Mar 23, 1959

Big Buck Harris is an independent trucker, and they are sometimes at odds with the truckers from C & A. Big Buck is also an incorrigible practical joker. After Big Buck puts one over on Mike and Jerry, they decide to get even-- and it's Mike and Jerry who get the last laugh.

EP24 The Little Old Man Mar 30, 1959

When Mike and Jerry come across a little old man on the road, it turns out he has a past that surprises both of them.

EP25 Marooned Apr 06, 1959

When Mike and Jerry's truck breaks down in a desolate region of Canada, they find themselves marooned.

EP26 Lil's Place Apr 13, 1959

There are many welcome truckstops along the highways, but when Mike and Jerry pull into Lil's place, a surprise awaits them.

EP27 Vendetta Apr 20, 1959

Mike Malone served in the military during WWII. Mike had to discipline one of his men who kept shooting at enemy soldiers after they had already surrendered. Now a sailor who fits the description of that guy is looking for Mike, and it seems he might be out to settle an old score.

EP28 The Girl Reporter Apr 27, 1959

When a new girl reporter for the newspaper wants to do a story on truckers, Mike and Jerry wind up getting unwanted publicity.

EP29 The Has-Been May 04, 1959

Mike and Jerry pick up a hitchhiker on the road; the guy is big, like a wrestler. When they have a meal at a truckstop, they run into a boxer, and find out the hitchhiker is a former boxer himself. The boxer calls the hitchhiker a has-been, and challenges him to a fight.

EP30 Flying Dutchman May 11, 1959

Mike and Jerry have a valuable load to haul this time: fur pelts. To make matters worse, there's a gang of thieves on the road. No sooner do they start their long haul, than there's a bullet in one of the 18 wheels on their rig. Mike and Jerry fight a treacherous gang and road hazards, but as always deliver the haul in good condition and on time.

EP31 Roadeo May 18, 1959

In order to show off their skills, just like cowboys have a Rodeo, truck drivers have a Roadeo. Mike has already won the annual competition twice, and this year he wants Jerry to enter. Mike believes it's not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game. However, not everyone believes in sportsmanship; one of the contestants is only interested in winning the prize money, and will stoop to sabotaging the other trucks in order to win.

EP32 Trip to Buffalo May 25, 1959

Mike and Jerry make a scenic haul through Niagara Falls and wind up in Buffalo, New York.

EP33 Wild Party Jun 01, 1959

In a change-of-pace episode, Mike and Jerry haul some equipment for a band, and after the gig a wild party ensues.

EP34 Ginny Jun 08, 1959

Mike Malone puts the pedal to the metal to get home in time for Ginny's 10th birthday.

EP35 Racket Jun 15, 1959

Mike and Jerry always have a steady paycheck by working for C & A trucking. One day they find out how rough some independent truckers have it, they learn of a crooked racket trying to exert protection money from them. Mike and Jerry work with the independent truckers to put the racketeers out of commission.

EP36 Driving School Jun 22, 1959

After Jerry gets a couple of traffic tickets, and has a near-miss on the road, he is faced with having to take driving school.

EP37 Eye Witness Jun 29, 1959

Mike and Jerry become eyewitnesses to a killing. They are determined to testify in court as to what they saw-- but in the meantime, Mike and Jerry wind up on the hit list of the gangsters. Mike and Jerry finally testify, and put the entire gang behind bars.

EP38 Snake Eyes Jul 06, 1959

Some unscrupulous businessmen want Mike and Jerry to haul gambling equipment for them, but their scheme turns up snake eyes: a loser.
8.4| 0h30m| en| More Info
Released: 06 October 1958 Ended
Producted By:
Country: Canada
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

Followed the adventures of Mike Malone and Jerry Austin as they drove trucks across the US and Canada for the fictitious C&A Transport Company Ltd. "Cannonball" was a half-hour family drama featuring truckers Mike Malone and Jerry Austin hauling freight across Canada and the U.S.A. Paul Birch and William Campbell portrayed the main characters, with Canadian actors Beth Lockerbie, Beth Morris, Steve Barringer, Howard Milsom, and others in supporting roles.

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Reviews

Karen Rhodes I am another who watched this show as a youngster and I was entranced with it. Another reviewer compared it to "Route 66," and I agree. Being a half-hour show, it did not, of course, have the time to develop stories with much depth, but they were very human stories, and that is the kind of television I have always enjoyed.The protagonists being truckers gave the series the latitude to visit a variety of places in the stories, and meet a variety of people. That broad range of encounters via the open road -- its clear resemblance to "Route 66" -- enabled the show to tell stories of all sorts and conditions of people. That was its strength, that and the two main actors, Paul Birch and William Campbell. It was wonderful entertainment for all ages, but particularly appropriate for young people. I also would love for this series to be released on DVD.Years later, I was on a "Star Trek" cruise on which William Campbell was a guest. I encountered him just outside a shop in Cozumel, and told him that I had enjoyed watching "Cannonball" when I was young. I said the show looked like it must have been fun for him to work on, and he beamed broadly and exclaimed, "Yes, it was! Bless 'Cannonball!'" Bless "Cannonball," indeed!
Paul Amato Oh How I remember this TV series as a Child( I think I was 5 or 6 years old) I use to try & sing the theme song every time it came on.I enjoyed the Adventures of the Two Truckers in this series & the Incredible Cab-over GMC,Tractor-Trailer Rig they Drove.GREAT SERIES.Was there any Merchandise available on this show??? Does anyone have Videos of any of the Episodes???? Will there ever be a DVD set available? I was told that there was a British Comic Weekly (TV Tornado) that had Cannonball Comic Strips in it??? Can anyone from ENGLAND or ???? Let me know? Thanks & You All Take Care,HAPPY HOLIDAYS Paul-SUPERCAR-Amato...Dec.12,06
chris-1631 It was over 40 years ago but the theme was one that stuck in my mind. I can remember most of the words to the theme which went thus - Cannon b a a a l, Cannon b a a a l, In any kind of weather, On any kind of day, When the rig is ready, He'll be on his way, He'll carry any cargo, He'll go any where, Just name the destination and brother he'll be there, Cannon b a a a l, cannon b a a a l.The show always went out late in the U.K. "about 10pm". It was usually the last programme before the little white dot appeared in the centre of the screen. I can remember my mum liked Jerry the co driver. I wish it was back on. If anyone gets hold of the theme I would love to hear it again. Thanks.
John (opsbooks) Thanks for your memories, Andrew. This is one show I really would like to see again. All I have are the two versions of the theme on reel to reel tape, circa 1961. Did the boys operate between Canada and the US? I just can't remember, alas.