Johnny Chase: The Lost Episodes (Part 2)
Exclusive: Three more rediscovered episodes from CBC's cult space opera!
Time-Traveling with Johnny Chase
Following our previous post about this forgotten Canadian space opera gem, we're thrilled to share three more complete episodes from the series. These recordings showcase the show's unique blend of high-stakes adventure and witty humor that made it a cult favorite.
Episode Highlights
- Billy the Kid as a time-traveling space punk
- Dante's existential crisis about time paradoxes
- Johnny's disastrous attempt to ride a bionic horse
Behind the Voices
- Len Doncie as Johnny Chase
- Chris Wiggins as Dante (the ship's AI)
- John Stocker as Pat Garrett
The show's blend of genuine space opera excitement and self-aware humor shines through in these episodes, particularly in the time-travel adventure "Billy the Kid, Spacepunk."
Newly Rediscovered Episodes
3. "Billy the Kid, Spacepunk"
Johnny faces off against a time-traveling Billy the Kid who's seeking revenge across centuries. Features one of Dante's best moments as he struggles with the logic of time paradoxes ("If Billy is stopped in the 35th century, how could we have met him in the past?").
Guest stars: John Stocker as Pat Garrett, Judith Anderson as Tira
4. "The Magpies of Thanasa"
A race of avian humanoids threatens Earth Empire's outposts, stealing technology and leaving cryptic riddles. Johnny must solve their puzzles before the Thorks exploit the situation.
Features Mary Perry's hilarious performance as a confused Mrs. Mulligan Jones
5. "The Astra File Plot"
When Earth Empire's secret files are stolen, Johnny must navigate a labyrinth of double agents. Features one of the series' best exchanges between Johnny and his flamboyant boss Percy.
Notable for Louis Negan's scene-stealing performance as Percy
🎙️ Time Paradox Alert:
"The 'Billy the Kid' episode gave me headaches trying to keep the time travel logic straight. Dante's complaints about paradoxes were basically me venting through the character. We eventually decided 'just go with it' was the best approach for space opera time travel."
- Henry Sobodka, co-creator
Why These Episodes Shine
Complex Plots
Time travel, alien puzzles, and spy intrigue
Character Depth
Dante's existential crisis is surprisingly poignant
Production Value
Remarkable sound design for radio drama
More Forgotten Sci-Fi Coming Soon
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- 🚀 More Johnny Chase Episodes
"The 'Magpies of Thanasa' episode was my favorite as a kid - hearing it again after 40 years is magical!"
- Subscriber Sarah L., Toronto
"John Stocker: He's voiced hundreds of commercials, and many cartoon characters (including Beastly, on the original 1980s "Care Bears" series).
And he voiced the "falling man" at the start of every episode of "Nightfall", and was on several episodes, including one in which he played formerly conjoined twins (one good, one evil)!"
- Subscriber Patte Rosebank.
TimeTraveler42
Amazing finds!
The "Billy the Kid" episode is particularly fascinating for how it plays with Western tropes in a sci-fi setting. Johnny's disastrous attempt to ride a horse ("I can't ride a horse!" "Tough tomatoes.") is comedy gold.
Behind-the-scenes: The horse sound effects were reportedly created by shaking a coconut shell in gravel (a Monty Python trick) combined with an actual horse's whinny slowed down by 15%.
What's remarkable is how the show balanced these comic moments with genuine tension - the scene where Billy nearly changes history by killing Pat Garrett is genuinely suspenseful.
Can't wait to hear what other episodes you uncover!