Episode Guide - Witness to Yesterday (Series) (1974-75; 1998)
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"Akhenaton." A fictional interview with Allan Migicovsky playing Pharaoh Akhenaton.
"Al Capone." The back seat of a limousine is the setting for this interview with Al Capone. Henry Ramer as the arch criminal talks about crime then and now, the St. Valentine's Day Massacre.
"Bethune." A two-part episode featuring Donald Sutherland portraying Norman Bethune who reveals his ways of life and his thoughts on politics, general health and socialized medicine. Insight of Bethune as a man is also achieved through his numerous accounts of his life - major decisions in his career, trips to Spain and China, and failure in his marriage.
"Billy the Kid." A true segment of frontier life in the American West is revealed during an interview with Billy the Kid., played by Richard Dreyfuss.
"Catherine de Medici." Patrick Watson interviews Sydney Sturgess portraying Catherine de Medici.
"Catherine the Great." Patrick Watson interviews Zoe Caldwell portraying Catherine the Great.
"Cleopatra." Patrick Watson interviews Cleopatra, portrayed by Jayne Meadows.
"Christopher Columbus." Christopher Columbus, as portrayed by William Hutt, in a lighthearted conversation about his famous voyages to the New World. He discloses the real reason that he undertook his venturesome explorations—to find the garden of Eden
"Durham." Colin Fox portrays John George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, who outlined a government system for Canada in 1839. He compares the 1838 rebellion of colonists in Lower Canada to that of the Americans in 1776; and discusses his ideas regarding reform in labor and government.
"Gandhi." Mahatma Gandhi (portrayed by Louis Negin) discusses the non-violence protests he led against English rule in India in the first half of the century, his efforts toward unity among India's religious sects and castes.
"George Bernard Shaw." George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), witty and eccentric British playwright, critic and proponent of causes, is portrayed by Barry Morse in an interview.
"Gershwin." George Gershwin, portrayed by Steve Allen, talks about his life and work.
"Goldman." Modern day television interview featuring Marilyn Lightstone portraying Emma Goldman and Patrick Watson. Conversation deals mostly with Goldman's activities and views on anarchism, women's rights, birth control, etc.
"Hitler." A fictional interview with Robin Gammell portraying Adolf Hitler. Emphasis given to characterization of the man.
"Joan of Arc." Sandy Dennis as Joan of Arc is the target of host Patrick Watson's incisive questioning.
"Judas." Donald Davies portrays the man who betrayed Jesus—Judas Iscariot. He explains how he became a follower and disciple of Christ, and the reasons for his eventual disloyalty.
"LaSalle." Truth confronts history-book image as Laurier LaPierre portrays Sieur de La Salle, French explorer of North America. Answering charges of incompetence and failure, LaSalle explains the dreams of glory that led him on his explorations of Canada and the United States. He also discusses his original plan to find a new route to China.
"Leonardo da Vinci." Patrick Watson, protraying Leonardo da Vinci, goes it alone in a one-man show as interviewer and guest.
"Lucrezia Borgia." Lucrezia Borgia (1480-1519), member of a powerful Italian family legendary for its political machinations and violent propensities, is brought to life by Alexandra Bastedo. Lucrezia discusses her interest in the arts and shares her feelings for her self-aggrandizing father Pope Alexander VI.
"Mark Twain." A 2-part episode featuring a fictional interview with Alex Trebek portraying Mark Twain, improvised by Trebek and Patrick Watson.
"Mary Todd Lincoln." Mary Todd Lincoln's controversial deportment as First Lady is discussed in a dramatized interview with her, portrayed by Marian Waldman.
"Mata Hari." Mata Hari displays the deceptive charm that made her one of the most successful spies of World War I. Marushaka Stankova, portraying the double agent, explains how she managed to obtain top-secret information from French and German high commands.
"Nell Gwynne." Modern day interview of Dawn Greenhalgh in the role of Nell Gwynne reveals biographical details of the life of Nell Gwynne: her youth, her career as an actress, and her love affair with King Charles II.
"Queen Victoria." Queen Victoria, England's longest reigning monarch (64 years), grants an interview to host Patrick Watson. Kate Reid portrays the haughty queen who discusses her rigid beliefs under her husband Albert's influence.
"Pancho Villa." Patrick Watson interviews Eli Wallach potraying Pancho Villa.
"Patrick Whelan." Fictional interview of Patrick McFadden portraying Patrick Whelan. Interview relates mostly evidence and testimony of the witnesses that found him responsible for the death of Thomas D'Arcy McGee.
"Rasputin." Patrick Watson interviews August Schellenberg portraying Gregory Efimovich Rasputin.
"Rembrandt." Improvised modern day broadcast interview featuring Robert Markle portraying Rembrandt. It is about his portraits and his handling of light. Shots of some of his paintings.
"Sarah Bernhardt." Patrick Watson interviews Sarah Bernhardt played by Denise Pelletier.
"Sir John A. Macdonald." John A. Macdonald, Canada's Father of Confederation, discusses the Pacific Scandal that forced his resignation in 1873. Robert Christie, in a farewell performance as an actor, portrays Canada's first Prime Minister, who reflects on his personal life and his fondness for drink.
"Sir Walter Raleigh." The author, gallant courtier and insatiable adventurer—is portrayed by Christopher Wiggins.
"Sitting Bull." Interview of August Schellenberg in the role of Sitting Bull, an American Indian leader. Talks focus mainly on the Sioux warriors who exterminated an American Army detachment under General George A. Custer in The Little Big Horn River in southern Montana. Included are also various comments on the Sioux behaviour, their morale and their leadership.
"Socrates." Socrates (portrayed by Mavor Moore) defends his profound ideas on life, education and the duty of men to pursue wisdom and truth, which branded him a corrupter of youth and a religious heretic in ancient Athens.
"Thomas Paine." Robert Vaughn portrays Thomas Paine, the writer and political theorist whose works inspired those who fought in the American and French Revolutions.
"William Shakespeare." Literary genius or plagiarist? The Bard of Avon, as portrayed by Barry Morse, discusses the practice of stealing ideas and the fact that credit for some of his plays has gone to others.
"Akhenaton." A fictional interview with Allan Migicovsky playing Pharaoh Akhenaton.
"Al Capone." The back seat of a limousine is the setting for this interview with Al Capone. Henry Ramer as the arch criminal talks about crime then and now, the St. Valentine's Day Massacre.
"Bethune." A two-part episode featuring Donald Sutherland portraying Norman Bethune who reveals his ways of life and his thoughts on politics, general health and socialized medicine. Insight of Bethune as a man is also achieved through his numerous accounts of his life - major decisions in his career, trips to Spain and China, and failure in his marriage.
"Billy the Kid." A true segment of frontier life in the American West is revealed during an interview with Billy the Kid., played by Richard Dreyfuss.
"Catherine de Medici." Patrick Watson interviews Sydney Sturgess portraying Catherine de Medici.
"Catherine the Great." Patrick Watson interviews Zoe Caldwell portraying Catherine the Great.
"Cleopatra." Patrick Watson interviews Cleopatra, portrayed by Jayne Meadows.
"Christopher Columbus." Christopher Columbus, as portrayed by William Hutt, in a lighthearted conversation about his famous voyages to the New World. He discloses the real reason that he undertook his venturesome explorations—to find the garden of Eden
"Durham." Colin Fox portrays John George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, who outlined a government system for Canada in 1839. He compares the 1838 rebellion of colonists in Lower Canada to that of the Americans in 1776; and discusses his ideas regarding reform in labor and government.
"Gandhi." Mahatma Gandhi (portrayed by Louis Negin) discusses the non-violence protests he led against English rule in India in the first half of the century, his efforts toward unity among India's religious sects and castes.
"George Bernard Shaw." George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), witty and eccentric British playwright, critic and proponent of causes, is portrayed by Barry Morse in an interview.
"Gershwin." George Gershwin, portrayed by Steve Allen, talks about his life and work.
"Goldman." Modern day television interview featuring Marilyn Lightstone portraying Emma Goldman and Patrick Watson. Conversation deals mostly with Goldman's activities and views on anarchism, women's rights, birth control, etc.
"Hitler." A fictional interview with Robin Gammell portraying Adolf Hitler. Emphasis given to characterization of the man.
"Joan of Arc." Sandy Dennis as Joan of Arc is the target of host Patrick Watson's incisive questioning.
"Judas." Donald Davies portrays the man who betrayed Jesus—Judas Iscariot. He explains how he became a follower and disciple of Christ, and the reasons for his eventual disloyalty.
"LaSalle." Truth confronts history-book image as Laurier LaPierre portrays Sieur de La Salle, French explorer of North America. Answering charges of incompetence and failure, LaSalle explains the dreams of glory that led him on his explorations of Canada and the United States. He also discusses his original plan to find a new route to China.
"Leonardo da Vinci." Patrick Watson, protraying Leonardo da Vinci, goes it alone in a one-man show as interviewer and guest.
"Lucrezia Borgia." Lucrezia Borgia (1480-1519), member of a powerful Italian family legendary for its political machinations and violent propensities, is brought to life by Alexandra Bastedo. Lucrezia discusses her interest in the arts and shares her feelings for her self-aggrandizing father Pope Alexander VI.
"Mark Twain." A 2-part episode featuring a fictional interview with Alex Trebek portraying Mark Twain, improvised by Trebek and Patrick Watson.
"Mary Todd Lincoln." Mary Todd Lincoln's controversial deportment as First Lady is discussed in a dramatized interview with her, portrayed by Marian Waldman.
"Mata Hari." Mata Hari displays the deceptive charm that made her one of the most successful spies of World War I. Marushaka Stankova, portraying the double agent, explains how she managed to obtain top-secret information from French and German high commands.
"Nell Gwynne." Modern day interview of Dawn Greenhalgh in the role of Nell Gwynne reveals biographical details of the life of Nell Gwynne: her youth, her career as an actress, and her love affair with King Charles II.
"Queen Victoria." Queen Victoria, England's longest reigning monarch (64 years), grants an interview to host Patrick Watson. Kate Reid portrays the haughty queen who discusses her rigid beliefs under her husband Albert's influence.
"Pancho Villa." Patrick Watson interviews Eli Wallach potraying Pancho Villa.
"Patrick Whelan." Fictional interview of Patrick McFadden portraying Patrick Whelan. Interview relates mostly evidence and testimony of the witnesses that found him responsible for the death of Thomas D'Arcy McGee.
"Rasputin." Patrick Watson interviews August Schellenberg portraying Gregory Efimovich Rasputin.
"Rembrandt." Improvised modern day broadcast interview featuring Robert Markle portraying Rembrandt. It is about his portraits and his handling of light. Shots of some of his paintings.
"Sarah Bernhardt." Patrick Watson interviews Sarah Bernhardt played by Denise Pelletier.
"Sir John A. Macdonald." John A. Macdonald, Canada's Father of Confederation, discusses the Pacific Scandal that forced his resignation in 1873. Robert Christie, in a farewell performance as an actor, portrays Canada's first Prime Minister, who reflects on his personal life and his fondness for drink.
"Sir Walter Raleigh." The author, gallant courtier and insatiable adventurer—is portrayed by Christopher Wiggins.
"Sitting Bull." Interview of August Schellenberg in the role of Sitting Bull, an American Indian leader. Talks focus mainly on the Sioux warriors who exterminated an American Army detachment under General George A. Custer in The Little Big Horn River in southern Montana. Included are also various comments on the Sioux behaviour, their morale and their leadership.
"Socrates." Socrates (portrayed by Mavor Moore) defends his profound ideas on life, education and the duty of men to pursue wisdom and truth, which branded him a corrupter of youth and a religious heretic in ancient Athens.
"Thomas Paine." Robert Vaughn portrays Thomas Paine, the writer and political theorist whose works inspired those who fought in the American and French Revolutions.
"William Shakespeare." Literary genius or plagiarist? The Bard of Avon, as portrayed by Barry Morse, discusses the practice of stealing ideas and the fact that credit for some of his plays has gone to others.