The Tenth Decade

The Tenth Decade - Prologue to Power Show #1 Original Airdate : 1971-10-27

An 8-part series on the Diefenbaker-Pearson years.

This program covers the childhoods of both protagonists, John Diefenbaker and Lester Pearson and then the career of John Diefenbaker up to his election as leader of the Progressive Conservatives in December 1956.

The great Pipeline Debate had broken the health of George Drew, the previous P.C. leader, at the same time as it had broken the mandate of the Liberal Government.

The program ends, as it begins, in the stunning victory of the Conservatives under Diefenbaker on June 10th, 1957.  The series combines interviews with extensive stock footage.

In further detail, footage of the three main personalities on this program contains stills of Diefenbaker as a child and young man, and of his parents.  As well as footage at the 1948 P.C. convention, the 1956 Suez Crisis, recruits being drilled for WWI, the incarceration of Japanese-Canadians in 1942, and campaigning on various occasions in 1957.

Narrated by Jon Granik.

Posted on Sep 17, 2011 8:00:00 AM