Bordertown (1989 TV series)

Bordertown is a western drama television series that aired from 1989 to 1991. It depicts the town formerly known as Pemmican that was later renamed Bordertown when the western border between the United States and Canada was surveyed in 1880, dividing the town.

Bordertown
Complete series DVD cover
Starring
Country of origin
  • Canada
  • France
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes78
Production
Executive producerRobert Lantos
Producers
  • Stéphane Reichel
  • Lionel E. Siegel
  • Jana Veverka
Running time23 minutes
Production companiesI.T.I./TéléImages
Alliance Entertainment
La Cinq (1991)
Release
Original network
Original releaseJanuary 7, 1989 (1989-01-07) 
March 17, 1991 (1991-03-17)

The theme song is an adaptation of the first movement of Jean Sibelius's Third Symphony.

Premise

Pemmican is a town in the western plains of North America near the 49th parallel (the U.S.-Canada border at 49° north latitude). In 1880 the border was surveyed in the Pemmican area, revealing that the town straddled the border between Montana and Saskatchewan. The border also divides the local law enforcement office. In order to have proper and legal law enforcement, both North-West Mounted Police Corporal Clive Bennett (John H. Brennan) and U.S. Marshal Jack Craddock (Richard Comar) are stationed in the town. Clive was formerly stationed in Toronto. Jack is a former Texas Ranger, and a veteran of the Confederate States of America army. Each of these law officers is courting Marie Dumont (Sophie Barjac).

Marie and her physician husband were originally from Paris. Now widowed, Marie has taken over as town doctor and as proprietor of the local general store. Marie has adopted Lucy, a girl whose parents died.

Joanna Radway (Donna Carroll White) is a widow, owner of a local ranch and head of the local Women for Temperance Committee.

Zack Denny (Duncan Fraser), an American Southerner, is the proprietor of the local saloon and roadhouse. His wife, Diane, was once a Black slave.

Sally Duffield (Beverley Elliott) is proprietor of the local boarding house and an employee at Marie's general store.

Wendell MacWherter (Paul Batten) is the local banker (managing a branch of the bank headquartered in Helena) and owner of the livery stable. He is also courting Sally Duffield.

Otto Danzinger is the worker of the Livery and blacksmith. Bruno Danzinger is the brother of Otto Danzinger who helps in the livery.

Willie Haddon is a local kid in town that spends much time with Marshal Craddock and has a liking for Lucy.

Some episodes even featured real-life historical figures. The episode titled "Four Eyes", which originally aired on March 2, 1990, featured a young Theodore Roosevelt. "Killer With a Smile", which originally aired on March 30, 1990, featured a visit to Bordertown by President of the United States James Garfield.

Production information

The show was filmed on location at Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, Canada. The French title is Les Deux font la loi.

Bordertown was syndicated in the 1990s, airing on Western International Communications stations during the overnight hours in Canada.

Episodes

Series overview

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
126January 7, 1989 (1989-01-07)July 1, 1989 (1989-07-01)
226January 5, 1990 (1990-01-05)June 29, 1990 (1990-06-29)
326September 14, 1990 (1990-09-14)March 17, 1991 (1991-03-17)

Season 1 (1989)

No.
overall
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date Prod. code
11"Civilization"TBATBAJanuary 7, 1989 (1989-01-07)903
22"Runners"Stuart GillardLarry GaynorJanuary 14, 1989 (1989-01-14)901
33"Medicine Woman"TBATBAJanuary 21, 1989 (1989-01-21)902
44"Blindside"TBATBAJanuary 28, 1989 (1989-01-28)TBA
55"The Man They Couldn't Hang"TBATBAFebruary 4, 1989 (1989-02-04)905
66"A Model Citizen"TBATBAFebruary 11, 1989 (1989-02-11)906
77"Over the Line"Brad TurnerMichael MercerFebruary 18, 1989 (1989-02-18)909
88"Blood Fury"TBATBAFebruary 25, 1989 (1989-02-25)908
99"The Reaper"TBATBAMarch 4, 1989 (1989-03-04)907
1010"The Killing"TBATBAMarch 11, 1989 (1989-03-11)910
1111"The Gunfighter"Stuart GillardPeter MohanMarch 18, 1989 (1989-03-18)911
1212"Trapped"TBATBAMarch 25, 1989 (1989-03-25)912
1313"Slave"TBATBAApril 1, 1989 (1989-04-01)913
1414"One of the Boys"TBATBAApril 8, 1989 (1989-04-08)914
1515"When Dreams Die"TBATBAApril 15, 1989 (1989-04-15)915
1616"The Lady and the Corpse"TBATBAApril 22, 1989 (1989-04-22)916
1717"The Fur Trader"TBATBAApril 29, 1989 (1989-04-29)917
1818"Ties That Bind"TBATBAMay 6, 1989 (1989-05-06)918
1919"The Bounty Hunter"TBATBAMay 13, 1989 (1989-05-13)919
2020"Pretty Shadows (a.k.a. Legacy)"TBATBAMay 20, 1989 (1989-05-20)920
2121"Bad Memories"TBATBAMay 27, 1989 (1989-05-27)921
2222"Craddock vs. Bennett"TBATBAJune 3, 1989 (1989-06-03)922
2323"Nahanni"TBATBAJune 10, 1989 (1989-06-10)923
2424"Vigilante"TBATBAJune 17, 1989 (1989-06-17)924
2525"Gold and Lead"TBATBAJune 24, 1989 (1989-06-24)TBA
2626"Keenan's Raiders"TBATBAJuly 1, 1989 (1989-07-01)926

Season 2 (1990)

Episode First airdate No. Production No. Summary
Hunter's Moon 5 Jan 1990 27 227
The Pony Riders 12 Jan 1990 28 234
Hand to Hand 19 Jan 1990 29 239
The Last Shot 28 Jan 1990 30 235
The Convoy 2 Feb 1990 31 241
The Last Fenian Raid 9 Feb 1990 32 231
Letter of the Law 16 Feb 1990 33 237
White Feather 23 Feb 1990 34 233
Four Eyes 2 Mar 1990 35 240
Skirmishes 9 Mar 1990 36 230
Buffalo Girl 16 Mar 1990 37 236
Ancient Claims 23 Mar 1990 38 244
Killer with a Smile 30 Mar 1990 39 229
Straight from the Heart 6 Apr 1990 40 232
Compadres 13 Apr 1990 41 228
When Gold Turns Black 20 Apr 1990 42 248
Gun Down 27 Apr 1990 43 243
Two Moons 4 May 1990 44 242
The Last of the James Gang 11 May 1990 45 250
Snap Shot 18 May 1990 46 251
The Fourth Estate 25 May 1990 47 247
The Heart of Adventure 1 Jun 1990 48 245
A Brand of Justice 8 Jun 1990 49 249
Devil's Right Hand 15 Jun 1990 50 246
Fool's Gold 22 Jun 1990 51 238
All for One 29 Jun 1990 52 252

Season 3 (1990–91)

Episode First airdate No. Production No. Summary
Second Chance (1) 14 Sep 1990 53 353
Vengeance Is Mine (2) 21 Sep 1990 54 354
Nebraska Lightning 28 Sep 1990 55 356
Let There Be Light 5 Oct 1990 56 358
Sons of Thunder 12 Oct 1990 57 357
Wild Horses 19 Oct 1990 58 363
Blood 26 Oct 1990 59 355
Sweet Revenge 2 Nov 1990 60 362
Sight Unseen 9 Nov 1990 61 359
The Preacher 16 Nov 1990 62 360
Honour Thy Father 25 Nov 1990 63 361
In Cold Blood 2 Dec 1990 64 364
A Question of Negligence 9 Dec 1990 65 365
Conduct Becoming 16 Dec 1990 66 366
The Bostonian 23 Dec 1990 67 367
Field of Honour 30 Dec 1990 68 368
The New Recruit 6 Jan 1991 69 369
Marshal Law 13 Jan 1991 70 370
Roaring Days 20 Jan 1991 71 375
The Road Chosen 27 Jan 1991 72 371
Hired Hand 3 Feb 1991 73 373
Demon Rum 10 Feb 1991 74 372
Tall in the Saddle 22 Feb 1991 75 374
A Small Kindness 3 Mar 1991 76 376
Frontier Passage 10 Mar 1991 77 377
Under Western Skies 17 Mar 1991 78 378

DVD releases

Platinum Disc Corporation released 4-volume collections of Bordertown on DVD in Region 1 between 2003-2005. These releases have been discontinued and are now out of print.

On February 1, 2011, Echo Bridge Home Entertainment released 2 volume collections on DVD in Region 1 (US only). These releases contain the same 28 episodes as the previous Platinum Disc releases.

On July 26, 2011, Alliance Home Entertainment released The Best of Bordertown on DVD in Canada only.[1] The set is exactly the same as the 4-disc set released in the US in 2005 and February 2011, even right down to the Platinum Disc Corporation logo appearing as soon as the disc boots up.

On December 12, 2012, Echo Bridge Home Entertainment released Bordertown- The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1.[2]

Notes

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