Did you know that one of the most popular American children’s radio shows
during the 1930s was set in Canada?

Renfrew of the Mounted Police began as a fifteen-minute CBS serial
about one Inspector Douglas Renfrew (House Jameson) and his close friend, Carol
Girard (Joan Baker). In its first season (1936-1937), the program, which tracked
Renfrew’s exploits through the northern provinces of Canada, aired only on
Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 6:45 pm. But as listeners began to warm to
the exciting tales of deadly criminals at large and defenseless children lost in
the forests and mountainous regions, the show was picked up in its 1937-’38
season as a daily program. The time slot remained the same, even if the network
changed. NBC Blue was the new provider.

Between 1938 and 1940, the show’s popularity increased and it became a
half-hour program. Even so, the show was canceled after only four seasons.
Renfrew of the Mounted Police spawned a total of eight films: Renfrew of the
Royal Mounted (1937), Renfrew on the Great White Trail (1938),
Fighting Mad (1939), Crashing Thru (1939), Danger Ahead
(1940), Murder on the Yukon (1940) and Sky Bandits
(1940).