Wojeck

Wojeck is a Canadian dramatic television series, which aired on CBC Television from 1966 to 1968. It was arguably the first successful drama series on English Canadian television. The series starred John Vernon as Steve Wojeck, a crusading big city coroner who regularly fought moral injustices raised by the deaths he investigated. He often tackled tough and controversial issues. The first episode of the series examined the role of racism in the suicide of a young Ojibwe man. The show was inspired by the career of Dr. Morton Shulman. The cast also included Ted Follows, Patricia Collins, and Carl Banas. Jennifer Dale played his daughter in the 1992 TV movie. Although it was one of the highest-rated shows on Canadian television in its time, only 20 episodes of the series were made, because Vernon was lured to Hollywood by the promise of more money than the CBC could offer. He only returned to the role once, for a TV movie Wojeck: Out of the Fire. The first season was filmed in black and white, while season two was shot in colour. The following episodes were produced: "The Last Man in the World" "Tell Them the Streets Are Dancing": This episode starred Bruno Gerussi as a construction worker whose crew were forced to work in underground tunnels where some of them contracted Caisson's Disease. This episode was picked up by "Bob Hope's Chrysler Theater" and shown in the US.