Sergeant Preston
| Publisher(s) | Milton Bradley |
|---|---|
| Players | 2—4 |
| Age range | 6—14 |
| Setup time | 3 minutes |
| Playing time | 30 minutes/random |
| Skill(s) required | Reading/Counting |
The Sergeant Preston Game is a Milton Bradley Company board game copyright dated 1956, and based on the television program, Sergeant Preston of the Yukon (1955–1958) starring Richard "Dick" Simmons.
Object of the game
The object of the game is to score the most points by locating and capturing the fur thieves. This is done by first locating a "Wanted" card and then finding a matching "Contact" card so a capture can be made.
Equipment
- Folding, center-seamed game board illustrated with snowy scenes of the Yukon
- Four counters (one each of red, yellow, blue, and green)
- 6 "Wanted" cards
- 6 "Contact" cards
- 12 "No Clue" cards
- Dial numbered 1 through 6 affixed to the platform
Set up
The game board is opened and placed on a flat surface. The 24 cards are shuffled and dealt 4 each to the 6 "Outpost Circles" on the game board. Each player selects a counter. Player spinning the highest number on the dial begins the game.
Play
The player starts from the "Headquarters" and moves about the board on the various trails based on his spins on the dial. When he enters an "Outpost Circle", he draws a card, retaining it if it is a "Wanted" card. He then attempts to match that card with a "Contact" card by entering other "Outpost Circles" and examining the cards in that circle or by examining the cards of other players. The game ends when all of the thieves have been captured by the players and the "Wanted" cards have been matched with their corresponding "Contact" cards.
Winning the game
The player with the highest score based on the point values of his cards is the winner.
Sergeant Preston of the Yukon, the television program
In 1955, Sergeant Preston of the Yukon premiered as a television series. Richard "Dick" Simmons starred as Sgt. Preston, and was supported by Yukon King, his dog, and Rex, his horse. Though no plotlines seem to have been re-used from the show's radio serial precursor, Challenge of the Yukon, they were generally built upon the same themes. The visual component of the snowy Yukon, however, did give the television version a different feel but like all such films when filmed on a stage set, the frosty breath of people in Arctic conditions could not be simulated. Genuine outdoor scenes were added to give the show some reality but they were monotonously filmed in the same area and reused again and again. Mainly filmed at Ashcroft, Colorado, the series was telecast on CBS from September 29, 1955 to February 27, 1958. Sergeant Preston of the Yukon was one of many TV programs from the 1950s that generated toys, games, comic books, and other juvenile merchandise.