One of the most popular shows in Canadian television of the 1950s, Holiday Ranch was a simple variety show that seemed to be designed for fans of country music. It started its five year run on weeknights, but settled into a slot in the early evenings on Saturdays. The set was a ranch house, with a church visible through the window. In the first part of the show's history, the music was predominantly western, but later the musical direction took a more eclectic approach. Although the show's motif was western, the performers were distinctly Canadian, and owed more to contemporary popular musics, such as big band swing than to cowboy tunes for their training. Each show had a plot, of sorts, but the program's attraction could be found in the music and in the selection of beguiling characters who lived at or visited the ranch.