Cori aka ChrisSCrush
03-11-2026, 07:32 PM
The 1958-1959 TV series Steve Canyon is available to watch on Amazon. The episodes appear restored and are in beautiful condition.
The episode titled "The Gift," which aired on December 20, 1958, has Lieutenant Colonel Steve Canyon, played by Dean Fredericks, and his co-pilot Lieutenant Kirby, played by William Bryant, flying with Bert Quillan, a reporter played by Sean McClory, for what they insist to the curious reporter is a surprise.
They fly over a bombed-out area of Germany and land at a Displaced Persons Camp. At first I thought this must be set immediately after the Second World War, but it seems the last such camp in Germany closed in 1957, although most closed between 1950 and 1951. Therefore the story is either taking place awhile before the episode was made or in an alternate reality.
They are there to fly a number of children who have been orphaned or separated from their families to spend Christmas with welcoming families. One little girl, Lisa, played by Barbara Beaird, holds back from all festivities. It is up to Steve to give her a meaning to Christmas which she can cherish.
This story is a reworking of Ray Bradbury's story "The Gift," which takes place in outer space. It is one of only about half a dozen Christmas stories out of the hundreds Bradbury wrote, and that's counting a biographical magazine piece. I found the episode to be well acted and enjoyable to watch.
The episode titled "The Gift," which aired on December 20, 1958, has Lieutenant Colonel Steve Canyon, played by Dean Fredericks, and his co-pilot Lieutenant Kirby, played by William Bryant, flying with Bert Quillan, a reporter played by Sean McClory, for what they insist to the curious reporter is a surprise.
They fly over a bombed-out area of Germany and land at a Displaced Persons Camp. At first I thought this must be set immediately after the Second World War, but it seems the last such camp in Germany closed in 1957, although most closed between 1950 and 1951. Therefore the story is either taking place awhile before the episode was made or in an alternate reality.
They are there to fly a number of children who have been orphaned or separated from their families to spend Christmas with welcoming families. One little girl, Lisa, played by Barbara Beaird, holds back from all festivities. It is up to Steve to give her a meaning to Christmas which she can cherish.
This story is a reworking of Ray Bradbury's story "The Gift," which takes place in outer space. It is one of only about half a dozen Christmas stories out of the hundreds Bradbury wrote, and that's counting a biographical magazine piece. I found the episode to be well acted and enjoyable to watch.