This is the Law
Encyclopedia
This is the Law was a Canadian
panel game show
which aired on CBC Television
from 1971 to 1976.
It presented short, humorous vignettes which ran with musical accompaniment rather than a soundtrack, and challenged panellists to guess which (obscure) law was being broken by the "Lawbreaker" character (portrayed by Paul Soles
), who always got arrested at the end of the vignette (Robert Warner starred as the police officer). The vignettes were quite subtle, and more often than not, despite many guesses, the panellists were unable to come up with the law that was actually being broken.
The vignettes alternated with depictions of actual court cases, presented in a series of still cartoons, in storyboard format, with narration. The narrator would end by asking a question about how the judge eventually ruled. The four panellists would each guess what the judge decided, and why, and each panellist would conclude by lighting up a large "Yes" or "No" in front of his or her seat. After all four panellists had guessed, the answer would be revealed.
Paul Soles
himself was the first show host for the initial 1971 summer episodes. Austin Willis
became host from the regular 1971 fall season until the end of the series.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
panel game show
Panel game
A panel game or panel show is a radio or television game show in which a panel of celebrities participates. Panelists may compete with each other, such as on The News Quiz; facilitate play by guest contestants, such as on Match Game/Blankety Blank; or do both, such as on Wait Wait.....
which aired on CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
from 1971 to 1976.
It presented short, humorous vignettes which ran with musical accompaniment rather than a soundtrack, and challenged panellists to guess which (obscure) law was being broken by the "Lawbreaker" character (portrayed by Paul Soles
Paul Soles
Paul Robert Soles is a Canadian actor and television personality.-Acting roles:He is best known as the voice of Hermie the misfit elf in Rankin/Bass' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in 1964....
), who always got arrested at the end of the vignette (Robert Warner starred as the police officer). The vignettes were quite subtle, and more often than not, despite many guesses, the panellists were unable to come up with the law that was actually being broken.
The vignettes alternated with depictions of actual court cases, presented in a series of still cartoons, in storyboard format, with narration. The narrator would end by asking a question about how the judge eventually ruled. The four panellists would each guess what the judge decided, and why, and each panellist would conclude by lighting up a large "Yes" or "No" in front of his or her seat. After all four panellists had guessed, the answer would be revealed.
Paul Soles
Paul Soles
Paul Robert Soles is a Canadian actor and television personality.-Acting roles:He is best known as the voice of Hermie the misfit elf in Rankin/Bass' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in 1964....
himself was the first show host for the initial 1971 summer episodes. Austin Willis
Austin Willis
Austin Willis, CM was a Canadian actor and television host.He was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In 2002, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada. He is best known internationally for his appearance as Simmons, the man whom Auric Goldfinger beats at cards in the opening scenes of the James Bond...
became host from the regular 1971 fall season until the end of the series.
Panellists
- Julie Amato (1976)
- Bill Charlton (businessman by profession)
- Susan Gay (1971-1972)
- Susan Keller (1972-1975)
- Madeline Kronby (June-August 1971)
- Dini PettyDini PettyDini Petty is a Canadian television and radio host.At 22, wearing a trademark pink jumpsuit and working for Toronto radio station CKEY, she became the first female traffic reporter to pilot her own helicopter...
(1971) - Hart PomerantzHart PomerantzHart Pomerantz is a Canadian lawyer and television personality, best known for his collaboration with Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels in The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour....
(lawyer and comedian by profession) - Larry SolwayLarry SolwayLarry Solway is a Canadian actor and broadcaster.During the 1960s, he hosted radio programmes at CHUM in Toronto such as the early Canadian talk show Speak Your Mind....
(1971-1975)
Supporting vignette actors
- Paul BradleyPaul Bradley (Canadian actor)Paul Bradley was a Canadian actor, best known for his role as Joey in the classic Canadian film Goin' Down the Road....
- Valri BromfieldValri BromfieldValri Bromfield is a Canadian comedian, actor, writer, and television producer who started her career as one half of a comedy team with Dan Aykroyd. Together, they joined the first Toronto company of The Second City where she was one of the original players.-Television appearances:Bromfield was a...
- Eric Clavering
- Trudy Desmond
- Robert McHeady
- Monica Parker
External links
- Queen's University Directory of CBC Television Series: This is the Law, accessed 14 August 2006