Due South is a
CanadianCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
television police
comedy-dramaComedy-drama, also called dramedy or seriocomedy, is a style of television, theatre and film in which there is an equal or nearly equal balance of humor and serious content.-Theatre:...
from the 1990s. It was created by
Paul HaggisPaul Edward Haggis is a Canadian-American screenwriter, producer and film director who spent his early career producing and directing various American and Canadian television network series.-Personal life:...
and produced by Alliance Communications. The show first aired in 1994, and ran until 1999. It followed the adventures of fictional
Royal Canadian Mounted PoliceThe Royal Canadian Mounted Police is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal, provincial and municipal policing body...
officer
ConstableA constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.- Etymology :...
Benton FraserConstable Benton Fraser is a fictional character in the television series Due South. He is a constable of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who works in the American city of Chicago, Illinois as Deputy Liaison Officer. He lives in a dangerous neighbourhood at the fictional address of apartment 3J...
and his wolf companion, Diefenbaker, who find themselves living and working in
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
. Fraser's methods, usually more sensitive and understanding than is typical for police work, gave the series a reputation for well rounded characters.
Being overly polite, Fraser's probably best known short quotes were: 'thank you kindly'; when he found himself in trouble – an understated 'oh dear'; and when faced with contradictory circumstances from other characters – an all knowing and eloquently stated 'understood'. Another humorous angle of the show was that his sidekick, a wolf named Diefenbaker, though deaf, could read lips.
History
Due South originally debuted as a made for
television movieA television movie is a feature film that is produced for and originally distributed by a...
aired on
CTVCTV is a Canadian English language television network. It is Canada's largest privately owned network, the main television asset of CTVglobemedia, one of the country's largest media conglomerates...
in Canada and
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American television network, one of television's original "big three", which also include NBC and ABC. Like NBC, CBS started out as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System...
in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. After higher than anticipated ratings,
Due South was turned into a continuing drama series with its first season launching late in 1994. It was the first Canadian-made series to earn a prime time slot on a major US network. Unfortunately, CBS moved its time slot continuously, and often preempted it with other programs, so maintaining an audience was a challenge.
After the 24-episode first season, CBS cancelled the series. But due to the show's success in Canada and the United Kingdom, the production company raised sufficient money for a second 18-episode season which ran from 1995 - 1996. The show was once again shown on CBS in late 1995 (CBS ordered an additional five episodes but aired only four of them), but again in 1996, CBS refused to renew the series.
After a one-year hiatus, CTV revived the series in 1997 with international investment (from the
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
, ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG in Germany, and the French company
TF1TF1 is a private French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's average market share of 25-35% makes it the most popular domestic network.TF1 is the largest European television channel by its audience...
), and it ran for two further seasons, until 1999. In the United States, seasons three and four were packaged together as a single third (26 episode) season for
syndicationIn broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows to multiple individual stations, without going through a broadcast network. It is common in countries where television is scheduled by networks with local affiliates, particularly in the United States...
. The post-1997 episodes have been labelled a
spin-offA spin-off is a new organization or entity formed by a split from a larger one, such as television series based on a pre-existing one, or a new company formed from a university research group or business incubator...
from the original series by some references, but were in fact titled
Season Three and
Season Four. Despite critical acclaim and a consistently warm reception by American audiences,
Due South never became a huge hit in the United States; however, it was one of the most highly rated regular series ever aired on a Canadian network and remains highly regarded and popular in the United Kingdom, where it was aired on BBC2 between 1996 and 2002 and on
ITV3ITV3 is an entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom, that is owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. The channel launched on 1 November 2004...
since 2006.
Story overview
The basic premise of the series centres on an
Royal Canadian Mounted PoliceThe Royal Canadian Mounted Police is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal, provincial and municipal policing body...
(RCMP)
constableA constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.- Etymology :...
named
Benton FraserConstable Benton Fraser is a fictional character in the television series Due South. He is a constable of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who works in the American city of Chicago, Illinois as Deputy Liaison Officer. He lives in a dangerous neighbourhood at the fictional address of apartment 3J...
(
Paul GrossPaul Michael Gross , is a Canadian actor, producer, director, singer and writer born in Calgary, Alberta. He is known for his lead role as Constable Benton Fraser in the television series Due South as well as his acting and directing role in the 2008 Canadian war film Passchendaele...
) who travels to Chicago to solve the murder of his father; this is how he first meets his soon-to-be partner,
Ray VecchioDetective First Grade Raymond "Ray" Vecchio is a fictional character in the television series Due South. He is a detective with the Chicago Police Department, serving with the 27th Precinct. The character is portrayed by actor David Marciano.-Character:...
(
David MarcianoDavid Marciano is an American actor who appeared as Detective Raymond Vecchio in the television series Due South...
), a tough, streetwise cop. Accompanied by his half-wolf Diefenbaker (who adopted Fraser after saving his life, and is deaf, but can read lips), the investigation leads Fraser to uncover a plot by a company building a dam that is slowly killing the environment. This leads to the dam being shut down and many people losing their jobs. He also implicates corrupt members of the RCMP in the affair. This along with the loss of so many peoples' jobs makes him
persona non grataPersona non grata , literally meaning "an unwelcome person," is a term used in diplomacy with a specialized and legally defined meaning...
in Canada, and he chooses to live in Chicago. This plot line is referred to repeatedly during the series, and from season three on he introduces himself to many by saying:
I first came to Chicago on the trail of the killers of my father and, for reasons which don't need exploring at this juncture, I have remained, attached as liaison to the Canadian consulate.
Benton Fraser is the archetypal Mountie, dogged, polite, and compulsively truthful; the themes of the series often featured his rigid moral code being tested by the cynical realities of Chicago life. A little more unusual is his encyclopedic knowledge of virtually everything, however obscure (this is attributed to his grandparents having been librarians), a range of uncanny abilities, most notably his ability to sniff and lick refuse from the streets to gain clues about crimes, the way he can fall into a dumpster or other waste heap and emerge completely spotless and unwrinkled, and the way every woman he encounters falls madly in love with him, including his boss Margaret (Meg) Thatcher and Ray's sister Francesca; his total obliviousness to this, and the fact that he rarely pursues any of the offers the ladies extend to him, is part of his charm.
The show falls somewhere between a cop show and a comedy show. Although superficially following the police drama format, the comedy derives from outrageous plots, the self-deprecating Canadian and the American
stereotypeA stereotype is a commonly held public belief about specific social groups, or types of individuals.The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings. Stereotypes are standardized and simplified conceptions of groups, based on some prior...
s, and the occasional fantasy elements such as the regular visits paid to the Mountie by his father's ghost, whose advice varies between helpful and absurdly useless. When the latter, Benton is moved to ask 'Are there any psychologists in the afterlife? People who can help you?' The scenes are played deadly seriously by the actors. The tone of the show and much of the comedy derived from Fraser's supernormal detective ability. For instance, in one episode, Fraser tracks down a suspect by smelling the breath of a rat to determine the brand of barbecued ribs it had been eating. Another recurring gag is Fraser standing guard motionlessly in front of the Canadian consulate, while a passerby plays attempts to make him move or speak.
Marciano, the original Ray, did not appear in the post-1997 episodes, save for the first and last episodes, but was replaced by
Callum Keith RennieCallum Keith Rennie is a Canadian television and film actor. He started his career in Canadian film and television projects, where his portrayal of Ray Kowalski in the TV series Due South was his first international success...
as
Stanley Raymond KowalskiDetective Stanley Raymond Kowalski is a fictional character in the television series Due South. He is a Polish-American detective with the Chicago Police Department, serving with the 27th Precinct...
, a detective who was under orders to
impersonate Vecchio while the real Vecchio was undercover. Marciano did return for the series finale, in which Vecchio ran off to Florida with Kowalski's ex-wife, Stella. In the last episode, Benton and his father's ghost finally solve his (Benton's) mother's murder. This results in his father's departure. The series ends with Benton and Kowalski in search of the graves of the Franklin expedition. (This missing expedition to the far north is immortalized in Canadian folk song by
Stan RogersStanley Allison "Stan" Rogers was a Canadian folk musician and songwriter.Rogers was noted for his rich, baritone voice and his finely-crafted, traditional-sounding songs which were frequently inspired by Canadian history and the daily lives of working people, especially those from the fishing...
: '
Northwest Passage"Northwest Passage" is one of the best-known songs by Canadian musician Stan Rogers. An a cappella song, it features Rogers alone singing the verses, with several guest vocalists harmonizing with him in the chorus...
', which Paul Gross sings in the episode.)
Main characters
{| class='wikitable'
|-
! Character
! Actor/Actress
! Seasons
|-
| Constable Benton Fraser
|
Paul GrossPaul Michael Gross , is a Canadian actor, producer, director, singer and writer born in Calgary, Alberta. He is known for his lead role as Constable Benton Fraser in the television series Due South as well as his acting and directing role in the 2008 Canadian war film Passchendaele...
| 1-4
|-
| Detective Raymond Vecchio
|
David MarcianoDavid Marciano is an American actor who appeared as Detective Raymond Vecchio in the television series Due South...
| 1-2,3 (1 episode) & 4 (2 episodes)
|-
| Diefenbaker
| Lincoln (Seasons 1-2)
Draco (Seasons 3-4)
| 1-4
|-
| Lieutenant Harding Welsh
|
Beau StarrBeau Starr is an American actor who has starred in movies and on television. He is known for his film role as Sheriff Ben Meeker in the 1988 hit horror movie Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers; he reprised his role in the 1989 sequel Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers.Starr was born...
| 1-4
|-
| Elaine Besbriss
| Catherine Bruhier
| 1-3
|-
| Detective Jack Huey
| Tony Craig
| 1-4
|-
| Detective Louis Gardino
|
Daniel KashDaniel Kash is an actor and director.He is the son of Canadian opera singer Maureen Forrester and violinist/conductor Eugene Kash. He is also the brother of actress Linda Kash. He studied at the Drama Center in London, England and has appeared in dozens of feature film and television series. His...
| 1-2
|-
| Francesca Vecchio
| Ramona Milano
| 1-4
|-
|
Inspector Meg ThatcherInspector Margaret Thatcher is a fictional character in the television series Due South. She is an inspector of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who works in the American city of Chicago, Illinois. The character is portrayed by Canadian actress Camilla Scott.-Character:Thatcher shares her name...
|
Camilla ScottCamilla Scott is a Canadian actress and television host. Since 1979 she has been married to fellow actor Paul Eves....
| 2-4
|-
|
Detective Stanley Raymond KowalskiDetective Stanley Raymond Kowalski is a fictional character in the television series Due South. He is a Polish-American detective with the Chicago Police Department, serving with the 27th Precinct...
|
Callum Keith RennieCallum Keith Rennie is a Canadian television and film actor. He started his career in Canadian film and television projects, where his portrayal of Ray Kowalski in the TV series Due South was his first international success...
| 3-4
|-
| Detective Thomas E. Dewey
| Tom Melissis
| 3-4
|-
| Constable Renfield Turnbull
|
Dean McDermottDean McDermott is a Canadian actor best known for playing Constable Turnbull on the TV series Due South and for his marriage to Tori Spelling.-Career:...
| 2-4
|-
| Sgt. Buck Frobisher
|
Leslie NielsenLeslie William Nielsen, OC is a Canadian comedian and actor. Although Nielsen's acting career crosses a variety of genres in both television and films, he has achieved his greatest film success in comedies, including Airplane! and The Naked Gun series of films...
| 1-2,4
|-
|
Sgt. Bob FraserSergeant Robert J. Fraser, often called Bob Fraser and referred to as Fraser Sr to distinguish from his son, is a fictional character in the television series Due South portrayed by Canadian actor Gordon Pinsent.-Character:...
|
Gordon PinsentGordon Edward Pinsent, CC, FRSC is a Canadian television, theatre and film actor.-Early life:Pinsent, the youngest of six children, was born in Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland and Labrador, the son of Flossie and Stephen Arthur Pinsent, a papermill worker and cobbler...
| 1-4
Major guest appearances
- Leslie Nielsen
Leslie William Nielsen, OC is a Canadian comedian and actor. Although Nielsen's acting career crosses a variety of genres in both television and films, he has achieved his greatest film success in comedies, including Airplane! and The Naked Gun series of films...
appeared as Fraser's father's partner in the RCMPThe Royal Canadian Mounted Police is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal, provincial and municipal policing body...
in an episode each of Season 1 and 2, as well as the series finale, "Call of the Wild".
- Martha Burns
Martha Burns is an award-winning Canadian actress known for her stage work and youth outreach in Ontario and her leading role in the TV drama Slings and Arrows....
(the real life wife of Paul GrossPaul Michael Gross , is a Canadian actor, producer, director, singer and writer born in Calgary, Alberta. He is known for his lead role as Constable Benton Fraser in the television series Due South as well as his acting and directing role in the 2008 Canadian war film Passchendaele...
), played a Russian spy in the Season 3 episode "Spy vs. Spy" before playing Benton Fraser's mother in the series finale.
Notable guest appearances (Canadian celebrities)
The show has featured a number of respected and well-known Canadian actors and celebrities, including:
- Aaron Ashmore
Aaron Robert Ashmore is a Canadian film and television actor, best known as Jimmy Olsen in Smallville. He is easily confused with his twin brother Shawn Ashmore.-Career:...
(who currently appears on SmallvilleSmallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB, premiering on October 16, 2001...
in the role of Jimmy OlsenJames Bartholomew "Jimmy" Olsen is a fictional character who appears mainly in DC Comics’ Superman stories. Olsen is a young photojournalist working for the Daily Planet. He is close friends with Lois Lane, Clark Kent/Superman and Perry White...
), in the Season 2 episode "Juliet Is Bleeding".
- Matthew Bennett
Matthew Ray Bennett is a Canadian actor, writer and director. At the age of 20 he moved from his hometown of Toronto, Ontario to Vancouver, British Columbia to pursue an acting career...
(known for his role as the CylonCylon may refer to:*Cylon of Athens*Cylon, Wisconsin, a town in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States*Cylon , a cybernetic civilization in the Battlestar Galactica universe...
Aaron DoralAaron Doral is a fictional character from the reimagined Battlestar Galactica series.Doral is a humanoid Cylon who first appeared as a civilian public relations specialist aboard Galactica just prior to the Cylon attack on the Colonies. Through conversation with the Cylon agent Number Six, Dr...
on the modern Battlestar GalacticaBattlestar Galactica is a military science fiction serial drama television series and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was created by David Eick and Ronald D. Moore as a re-imagining of the Battlestar Galactica television series from 1978 created by Glen A. Larson...
), who played different characters in the Season 2 episode "The Edge" and the Season 4 episode "Easy Money".
- Jackie Burroughs
Jacqueline Burroughs is a Canadian actress.-Career:Born in Lancashire, England, Jacqueline Burroughs has acted in live theatre at Ontario's Stratford Festival...
(of Road to AvonleaRoad to Avonlea is a Emmy Award Winning television series which was first broadcast in Canada and the United States between 1990 and 1996. It was created by Kevin Sullivan and produced by Sullivan Films in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the Disney Channel, with...
fame) in the Season 3 episode "Eclipse".
- Douglas Campbell (actor)
Douglas Campbell, CM was a Canadian-based stage actor. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland.-Acting career:...
in the Season 3 finale "The Mountie on the Bounty".
- Nicholas Campbell
Nicholas Campbell , sometimes credited as Nick Campbell, is a Canadian actor and filmmaker, who has won three Gemini Awards for acting. The movies Naked Lunch, Prozac Nation and the TV series Da Vinci's Inquest are some examples of his acting work.-Early life:Campbell was born in Toronto, Ontario,...
(of Da Vinci's InquestDa Vinci's Inquest is a Canadian dramatic television series that aired on CBC Television from 1998 to 2005. Seven seasons of thirteen episodes each were filmed for a total of ninety-one episodes....
and Da Vinci's City HallDa Vinci's City Hall is a Canadian dramatic television series, which premiered on CBC Television on 25 October 2005. The series was a spinoff of the long-running Canadian series Da Vinci's Inquest...
) in the Season 1 episode "An Invitation to Romance".
- character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays a particular type of role rather than leading ones. Character actor roles can range from bit parts to secondary leads...
Maury ChaykinMaury Chaykin is an American-Canadian actor. He is known for his work as a character actor in many films and television series.-Personal life:...
in the Season 3 episode " Mojo Rising" as Jasper Gutman, and the Season 4 episode "Spy vs. Spy" as Pike.
- jazz
Jazz is a musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
artist Holly ColeHolly Cole is a Canadian jazz singer, particularly popular in Canada and Japan for both her versatile and distinctive voice, along with her adventurous repertoire, which spans such divergent genres as show tunes, rock, and country music.-Holly Cole Trio:In 1983, Cole travelled to Toronto to seek a...
, as the singer in "Chicago Holiday No. 1" and "Chicago Holiday No. 2".
- Wendy Crewson
-Life and career:Crewson was born in Hamilton, Ontario, the daughter of June Doreen and Robert Binnie Crewson. She attended Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, where she won the prestigious Lorne Greene Award for outstanding work in the theater. She then studied at The Webber Douglas Academy...
(known for her recurring role as Dr. Anne Packard in the 3rd season of 2424 is an American serial action/drama television series. Broadcast by Fox in the United States and syndicated worldwide, the show first aired on November 6, 2001, with an initial 13 episodes...
), who appeared in the 3rd Season episode "The Bounty Hunter".
- Voiceover
VoiceOver is a screen reader built into Apple Inc.'s Mac OS X operating system since version 10.4. By using VoiceOver, the user can access his or her Macintosh by using speech and the keyboard. The feature is designed to increase accessibility blind and low-vision users and users with dyslexia...
/character actress Jennifer DaleJennifer Dale, neé Ciurluini , is a Canadian television, dancer, and actress. She is currently known as Jennifer Dale.- Early life :She is the sister of Canadian actress Cynthia Dale...
as Dr. Carter in the Season 1 finale "Letting Go".
- Colm Feore
Colm Joseph Feore is a Gemini Award-winning American and Canadian stage, film and television actor.-Personal life:Feore was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Irish parents who lived in Ireland for several years during Feore's early life, subsequently moving to Windsor, Ontario, where Feore grew up....
in the Season 2 episode "The Duel".
- Art Hindle
Arthur Hindle is a Canadian actor and director.Hindle was born in Halifax. His family moved to Toronto while he was a child. Although shy as a youngster, he grew to be a rebellious and independent teenager...
in the Season 4 episode "The Ladies' Man".
- Michael Hogan (who portrays Colonel Saul Tigh in the modern Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica is a military science fiction serial drama television series and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was created by David Eick and Ronald D. Moore as a re-imagining of the Battlestar Galactica television series from 1978 created by Glen A. Larson...
) appeared in the Season 3 episode "Mountie Sings the Blues" playing a business manager for country star Michelle WrightMichelle Wright is a Canadian country music artist. She is one of the country's most widely recognized and awarded female country singers of the 1990s, winning the Canadian Country Music Association's Fans' Choice Award twice in 1993 and 1995...
.
- Ron Lea
Ron Lea is a Canadian actor.Lea was born in Montreal and attended Concordia University before moving on to take acting training at the National Theatre School. His career took off after appearing in various local theatre productions. Lea can be seen in many movies on television, but may be most...
(from Wind at My BackWind at My Back is a television series which aired in Canada on CBC Television between 1996 and 2001. It was created and produced by Kevin Sullivan, best known for his adaptation of Anne of Green Gables and Road to Avonlea...
, and the Billy Ray CyrusBilly Ray Cyrus is a Grammy Award-nominated American country music singer, songwriter and actor, best known for his #1 single "Achy Breaky Heart." Cyrus, a multi-platinum selling recording artist, has scored a total of eight top-ten singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart...
series DocDoc was a medical drama/family drama with strong Christian undertones starring Billy Ray Cyrus as Dr. Clint "Doc" Cassidy, a Montana doctor who takes a job in a New York City medical clinic. It ran from 2001 to 2004...
) in the 1st season 2-parter "Chicago Holiday".
- Tom McCamus
Tom McCamus is an award-winning Canadian film and theatre actor who is most widely known for his work on the science-fiction television show Mutant X....
(from the syndicated Mutant XMutant X can refer to:* Mutant X - a Marvel Comics series.* Proteus - a Marvel Comics fictional character, originally known as 'Mutant X' but unrelated to the series of the same name and publisher....
series) in the Season 1 episode "Gift of the Wheelmen".
- Carrie-Anne Moss
Carrie-Anne Moss is a Canadian actress known for her roles in The Matrix trilogy, Memento, and Chocolat.-Early life:...
(Trinity in The MatrixThe Matrix is a science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski and starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
movie trilogy), who guest starred in the Season 2 episode "Juliet is Bleeding" as Irene Zuko, the sister of a Chicago crime boss.
- Michael Riley
Michael Riley is a Canadian actor and graduate of the National Theatre School in Montreal, Canada in 1984. Riley's first appearance was in the film No Man's Land...
(of This Is WonderlandThis is Wonderland was a Canadian television series which aired on CBC Television. The show was about Alice De Raey, played by Cara Pifko, a young criminal lawyer fresh out of Osgoode Hall Law School, and thrown into a chaotic justice system. She encounters characters ranging from the truly...
and Being Erica) in the Season 1 episode "A Hawk and a Handsaw".
- Rino Romano
Rino Romano is a Canadian voice actor probably best known for his voice roles as Batman in the animated series The Batman, Spider-Man in the short-lived series Spider-Man Unlimited, and as the first voice of Darien Shields in the dub of the popular anime Sailor Moon.-Career:He also voiced the...
(best known for providing the voice of BatmanThe Batman, originally referred to as the Bat-Man, is a fictional character, a comic book superhero co-created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger , appearing in publications by DC Comics...
/Bruce Wayne on The Batman The Batman is an Emmy Award-winning American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. It ran from 2004 to 2008, on the Saturday morning television block Kids WB...
animated series) as pathological liar Ian MacDonald who appeared in both the first season episode "The Man Who Knew Too Little", and the second season episode "Starman".
- Comedian Steve Smith
Steve Smith, CM is a Canadian actor, writer and comedian.Smith was born in Toronto, Ontario. Before turning to comedy, he studied engineering at the University of Waterloo and then worked a variety of jobs. In 1979, he began to produce, write, and star in Smith & Smith, a sketch comedy series with...
, who appeared in the first episode of Season 2 though listed as "Red Green" in the guest star credits.
- Amanda Tapping
Amanda Tapping is an English-born Canadian actress and producer. She is best known for portraying Samantha Carter in Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis. Currently she stars as Dr...
(from Stargate SG1) in the Season 2 episode "Starman" as an agent working of a secret government organization looking for extra terrestrial life.
- Al Waxman
Albert Samuel Waxman, CM, O.Ont was a Canadian actor and director of over 1000 productions on radio, television, film, and stage. He is best known for his starring roles in the television series King of Kensington and Cagney & Lacey .-Early life:Waxman was born in Toronto to Jewish immigrants...
(best known for his roles on King of KensingtonKing of Kensington was a Canadian television sitcom which aired on CBC Television from 1975 to 1980.The show starred Al Waxman as Larry King, a convenience store owner in Toronto's Kensington Market who was known for helping friends and neighbours solve problems. His multicultural group of friends...
and Cagney & LaceyCagney & Lacey is an American television series that first aired on the CBS television network for seven seasons from March 25, 1982 to May 16, 1988. It is considered to be American television's first serious drama series with two female leads...
) as the villain in the Season 1 episode "They Eat Horses, Don't They?".
- Kenneth Welsh
Kenneth Welsh, CM is a Canadian film and television actor . He is known to Twin Peaks fans as the multi-faced villain Windom Earle, and has more recently played the father of Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator.In 1984 he was nominated for a Geni Award as Best Actor for his...
, as Randal K. Bolt in season 2 episodes "Red, White, or Blue" and "All the Queen's Horses" also as Cyrus Bolt in the second part of the series finale "Call of the Wild".
Notable guest appearances (Hollywood actors)
In addition, the show has featured a number of guest appearances by well-known Hollywood stars, as well as actors who have since become more famous in later roles, including:
- Maria Bello
Maria Elena Bello is an American actress best known for her appearances in the movies Coyote Ugly, The Jane Austen Book Club and A History of Violence.-Early life:...
in the Season 2 episode "One Good Man" as reporter Mackenzie King (a role originally played by Madolyn Smith OsborneMadolyn Smith Osborne is an American actress.Smith Osborne was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is best known for her roles in the TV miniseries If Tomorrow Comes and the feature film Funny Farm, which co-starred Chevy Chase. In 1984, she co-starred in 2010, with Roy Scheider...
in Season 1).
- Milton Berle
Milton Berle was an Emmy-winning American comedian and actor. As the manic host of NBC's Texaco Star Theater , he was the first major star of US television and as such became known as Uncle Miltie and Mr...
, who played the owner of a Chicago ribs joint in the Season 2 episode "Body Language".
- Laurie Holden
Laurie Heather Holden is a Canadian-American actress. She is noted for the recurring role of Marita Covarrubias on The X-Files, co-starring with Jim Carrey in the film The Majestic, playing the police officer Cybil Bennett in the Silent Hill movie, and Amanda Dunfrey in The Mist.-Personal...
(known for her recurring roles as Agent Olivia Murray in the 7th Season of The ShieldThe Shield is an American television drama series which aired on FX Networks in the United States and other networks internationally. Known for its controversial portrayal of corrupt police officers, it was originally advertised as "Rampart" in reference to the true life Rampart Division police...
and Marita Covarrubias in The X-FilesThe X-Files is an American cult science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. It first aired in September 1993 and ended in May 2002...
, as well as her roles in the films The MajesticThe Majestic is a 2001 American drama film, directed by Frank Darabont and starring Jim Carrey and Martin Landau . Written by Michael Sloane, the film features a supporting cast of Laurie Holden, James Whitmore , Bob Balaban, Jeffrey DeMunn and Hal Holbrook. It was released by Warner Bros...
, Fantastic FourFantastic Four is a 2005 superhero film based on the Marvel Comics comic Fantastic Four. It was directed by Tim Story, and released by 20th Century Fox. This is the second live-action Fantastic Four movie to be filmed...
, Silent HillSilent Hill is a 2006 horror film directed by Christophe Gans and written by Roger Avary. The story is an adaptation of the Silent Hill series of survival horror games created by Konami. The film, particularly its emotional and aesthetic content as well as its creature design, includes elements...
and The Mist"The Mist" is a horror novella by the American author Stephen King, in which the small town of Bridgton, Maine is suddenly enveloped in an unnatural mist that conceals otherworldly monsters. It was first published as the last and longest story of the 1980 horror anthology Dark Forces. A lightly...
), who played a physiotherapist named Jill Kennedy in the Season 1 finale "Letting Go". For this part, Holden received a 1996 Gemini Awards nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series.
- Melina Kanakaredes
Melina Elena Kanakaredes is a Daytime Emmy Award-nominated American actress. She is widely known for two starring roles on U.S. prime-time television drama series: playing Detective Stella Bonasera in CSI: NY and portraying Dr...
(best known for her roles in ProvidenceProvidence is an American drama series that aired on NBC starring Melina Kanakaredes. The show ran from January 8, 1999, until December 20, 2002, for five seasons.-Synopsis:The show revolved around Dr...
and CSI: NYCSI: NY is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 22, 2004 on CBS...
), who played Fraser's love interest Victoria Metcalf in three 1st season episodes: "Victoria's Secret" Parts 1 and 2 and the season finale "Letting Go" (1995).
- Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski is an American actress and singer. She is known in television for her roles as Elaine Vassal on Ally McBeal and Jenna Maroney on 30 Rock, and in the theatre for her role in Nine.-Early life:...
(known for playing Elaine Vassal on Ally McBealAlly McBeal is an American television series which ran on the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. The series was created by David E. Kelley, who also served as the executive producer, along with Bill D'Elia...
and currently portraying Jenna MaroneyJenna Maroney is a fictional character on the American television series 30 Rock, played by Jane Krakowski. Despite being credited as a regular, the character does not appear in every episode, having been absent from five of the twenty-one episodes of the first season and three of the episodes of...
on NBC's comedy show 30 Rock30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that currently airs on NBC on Thursday nights. The series takes place behind the scenes of a fictional live sketch comedy series depicted as airing on NBC; the name "30 Rock" refers to the address of the GE Building where NBC...
), who appeared in the Season 1 episode "An Invitation to Romance".
- Richard Moll
Charles Richard Moll is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for playing Bull Shannon, the tall shaven-headed bailiff on the NBC sitcom Night Court from 1984 to 1992.-Personal life:...
(best known as a cast member in the long-running 1980s sitcom Night CourtNight Court is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from January 1984 until May 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan court, presided over by the young, unorthodox Judge Harold T. "Harry" Stone...
and as the voice of Two-FaceTwo-Face is a fictional comic book supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #66 , and was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger....
in Batman: The Animated SeriesBatman: The Animated Series is an American animated series adaptation of the comic book series starring the DC Comics superhero, Batman. The series is noted for being the first to take place in the DC Animated Universe. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation.The visual style of the series is...
) in in the Season 1 episode "They Eat Horses, Don't They?".
- Ryan Phillippe
Matthew Ryan Phillippe , better known as Ryan Phillippe, is an American actor. After appearing on the soap opera One Life to Live, he came to fame in the late 1990s, starring in a string of teen-oriented films, including I Know What You Did Last Summer, Cruel Intentions, and 54...
, who played Del Porter, the son of the getaway driver in Season 1 episode "Gift of the Wheelman".
- Teri Polo
Teri Polo is an American actress known for her role of Pamela Martha Byrnes in the movie Meet the Parents and its sequel Meet the Fockers...
(from the Ben StillerBenjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
comedy films Meet the ParentsMeet the Parents is a American comedy film written by Greg Glienna and directed by Jay Roach of Austin Powers fame. Starring Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller, the film chronicles a series of unfortunate events that befall a good hearted but hapless male nurse while visiting his girlfriend's parents...
and Meet the FockersMeet the Fockers is a comedy film and a sequel to Meet the Parents starring Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, and Teri Polo. Both are directed by Jay Roach, previously known as the director of Austin Powers films...
, as well as starring in "Aspen Extreme" with Gross), who appeared in the Season 1 episode "They Eat Horses, Don't They?".
- Mark Ruffalo
Mark Alan Ruffalo is an American actor, director, producer and screenwriter. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Fanning opposite Tom Cruise in the 2004 film Collateral, Stan in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Inspector David Toschi in the 2007 film Zodiac.Ruffalo has also...
, who portrayed Vinnie Webber, a mixed-up father, in the Season 1 episode "A Cop, a Mountie, and a Baby."
Diefenbaker
Diefenbaker (Dief for short) is one of the major
charactersA character is the representation of a person in a narrative or dramatic work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr through its Latin transcription character, the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its...
. He is
part dog, part wolfA wolf-dog hybrid is a canid hybrid resulting from the mating of a wolf and a dog . The term "wolfdog" is preferred by most wolfdog proponents and breeders since the domestic dog was recently taxonomically recategorized as a subspecies of wolf...
, originally from northern
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, who now lives in
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
with his owner,
FraserConstable Benton Fraser is a fictional character in the television series Due South. He is a constable of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who works in the American city of Chicago, Illinois as Deputy Liaison Officer. He lives in a dangerous neighbourhood at the fictional address of apartment 3J...
. He is named after former
Prime Minister of CanadaThe Prime Minister of Canada is the primary Minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government of Canada. The office is not outlined in any of the documents that constitute the written portion of the constitution of Canada; executive authority is formally vested in the...
John George Diefenbaker. He has several puppies, two of whom are named Sunshine and Buster, by a husky named Maggie.
Diefenbaker first met Fraser when the Mountie found him in an abandoned mine. Diefenbaker later pulled Fraser out of Prince Rupert Sound, saving the Mountie's life, but also bursting the wolf's eardrums - which resulted in, according to Fraser, Diefenbaker's deafness. Whether Diefenbaker is actually deaf, and not just suffering from selective hearing, is up to the viewer. Diefenbaker is apparently able to read lips, in both
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
and
InuktitutInuktitut is the name of some of the Inuit languages spoken in Canada. It is spoken in all areas north of the tree line, including parts of the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, to some extent in northeastern Manitoba as well as the territories of Nunavut, the Northwest Territories,...
. Diefenbaker has stayed with Fraser ever since and has gone wherever the Mountie is posted.
Diefenbaker is extremely loyal to Fraser, if sometimes disobedient, and will attack someone if required to defend Fraser. He is usually quite laid back - for a wolf. Since moving to Chicago (for which Fraser's friend Detective Ray Vecchio forged him a special "wolf permit"), Diefenbaker has developed a taste for junk food, much to Fraser's despair.
The role of Diefenbaker was played in the pilot movie by a mixed breed named Newman, then in the rest of seasons 1 and 2 by a purebred
Siberian HuskyThe Siberian Husky is a medium-size, dense-coat working dog breed that originated in eastern Siberia. The breed belongs to the Spitz genetic family...
named Lincoln. When the show was brought back for seasons 3 and 4, Lincoln was replaced by another purebred
Siberian HuskyThe Siberian Husky is a medium-size, dense-coat working dog breed that originated in eastern Siberia. The breed belongs to the Spitz genetic family...
named Draco, whose sister, Cinder, did most of his stunts. A variety of stunt dogs were used throughout the series, and fake dogs have also been used in some scenes.
Diefenbaker received the first fan mail for the series. Draco appeared on the officially licensed merchandise t-shirt of Diefenbaker.
Naming this character after a famous Canadian particularly appeals to the Canadian audience of the series. Aniko Brodroghkozy asserts in an article in
Hop on Pop:
The only reason why the use of these… names would be funny to Canadians… was because such references would be unknown to Americans who Canadian viewers knew would be watching the show in the United States.
Production
Filming was mostly done in Toronto, Ontario, which was used as a stand-in for Chicago. In many episodes a
Toronto Transit CommissionThe Toronto Transit Commission is a public transport authority that operates buses, streetcars, subways, and rapid transit lines in Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
bus can be seen to pass by in the background. In others, prominent city landmarks such as the
CN TowerThe CN Tower, located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a communications and observation tower standing tall. It surpassed the height of the Ostankino Tower while still under construction in 1975, becoming the tallest free-standing structure on land in the world...
and the
Union StationUnion Station is the major inter-city rail station and a major commuter rail hub in Toronto.The station is located on Front Street West and occupies the south side of the block bounded by Bay Street and York Street in the central business district...
can be glimpsed.
Soundtrack
The producers of
Due South sought to showcase various Canadian artists within the show's episodes, with many of the featured tracks eventually being released on to CD soundtrack. The original theme bears a resemblance to the cascading chorus interlude from
Deep Blue SomethingDeep Blue Something is an American rock band best known for its hit single "Breakfast at Tiffany's." The group was founded in 1993 in Denton, Texas by students Todd and Toby Pipes, Clay Bergus and John Kirtland. Bergus left the band before "Tiffany's" became a hit and was replaced by guitarist Kirk...
's
Breakfast at Tiffany's"Breakfast at Tiffany's" is a song by American rock band Deep Blue Something, released in 1996 on their album Home. The song is a reference to the Audrey Hepburn film of the same name, and is sung from the point of view of a man who is on the verge of breaking up with his girlfriend...
. However it was written and composed by
Jay SemkoJay Semko is a singer/songwriter and bassist with Canadian band, The Northern Pikes. He is also a music composer for numerous film and television productions, most notably the successful Canadian television series Due South...
working with
Jack LenzJack Lenz is a Canadian Bahá'í composer. He has written, performed, and produced music for film, television, and theatre, along with working on non-soundtrack album ventures. He is also the founder of Live Unity Enterprises, an organization devoted to the production of music for the Bahá'í...
and John McCarthy. Semko went on to score the first two seasons of
Due South. In November 1996, the first album was released containing 17 tracks, one of which was an in-character
soliloquyA soliloquy is a literary device often used in drama characterized by a character's divulgence of his or her thoughts or emotions to the audience...
by
Paul GrossPaul Michael Gross , is a Canadian actor, producer, director, singer and writer born in Calgary, Alberta. He is known for his lead role as Constable Benton Fraser in the television series Due South as well as his acting and directing role in the 2008 Canadian war film Passchendaele...
on the subject of bravery, taken directly from the episode
An Eye For an Eye.
When the show returned for its third and fourth seasons Semko returned once again to complete the second soundtrack. The second soundtrack album was released in June 1998 containing 16 tracks from the final two seasons. Both albums are filled largely with the vocals used in the series; most of the incidental music has not yet been released on CD.
- Due South: The Original Television Soundtrack
Due South: The Original Television Soundtrack was a soundtrack album for the Canadian television series Due South, released in 1996.-Track listing:# Jay Semko, "Due South Theme"# Spirit of the West, "Bone of Contention"...
(1996)
- Due South, Volume II: The Original Television Soundtrack
Due South, Volume II: The Original Television Soundtrack was the second soundtrack album for the Canadian television series Due South, released in 1998.-Track listing:# Junkhouse, "Oh, What A Feeling"# Captain Tractor, "Drunken Sailor"...
(1998)
The final scene of the series was set to
Stan RogersStanley Allison "Stan" Rogers was a Canadian folk musician and songwriter.Rogers was noted for his rich, baritone voice and his finely-crafted, traditional-sounding songs which were frequently inspired by Canadian history and the daily lives of working people, especially those from the fishing...
' '
Northwest Passage"Northwest Passage" is one of the best-known songs by Canadian musician Stan Rogers. An a cappella song, it features Rogers alone singing the verses, with several guest vocalists harmonizing with him in the chorus...
', a classic Canadian
folkThe term folk music originated in the 19th century as a term for musical folklore. It has been defined in several ways; as music transmitted by word of mouth, music of the lower classes, music with no known composer...
song which has been referred to as an unofficial Canadian anthem.
Awards
Over the four-season run of the series,
Due South and its cast and crew earned a number of awards. Most significantly, the show earned 53 Canadian
GeminiThe Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada...
nominations, winning 15 in total, including
Best Dramatic TV series three years running (1995-1997). Paul Gross won
Best Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role two years running (1995-1996) and creator Paul Haggis won
Best Writing in a Dramatic Series the same two years running.
The following table summarizes awards won by the
Due South cast and crew:
{| class='wikitable'
|+
! Winner
! Award
|-
| rowspan='2' |Paul Gross
| Gemini, Best Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role (1995)
|-
| Gemini, Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role (1996)
|-
| rowspan='2' |Gordon Pinsent
| Gemini, Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series (1996)
|-
| Gemini, Earle Grey Award (1997)
|-
| Brent Carver
| Gemini, Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role Dramatic Series (1998)
|-
| Wendy Crewson
| Gemini, Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role Dramatic Series (1998)
|-
| rowspan='10' |
Production Awards
| Gemini, Best Dramatic TV Series - (Paul Haggis, Kathy Slevin, Jeff King) (1995)
|-
| Gemini, Best TV Movie - (Paul Haggis, Jean Desormeaux, Jeff King) (1995)
|-
| Gemini, Best Writing in a Dramatic Series (Kathy Slevin and Paul Haggis for The Pilot) (1995)
|-
| Gemini, Best Dramatic Series - (Paul Haggis, Jeff King, Kathy Slevin, George Bloomfield) (1996)
|-
| Gemini, Best Writing in a Dramatic Series - (Paul Haggis and David Shore for
Hawk and a Handsaw) (1996)
|-
| Gemini, Best Direction in a Dramatic or Series - (Jerry Ciccoritti for Gift of the Wheelman) (1996)
|-
| Gemini, Best Sound - (Brian Avery, Allen Ormerod, Keith Elliot, Michael Werth, Jann Delpuech for
Victoria's Secret) (1996)
|-
| Gemini, Best Dramatic Series - (Jeff King and Bob Wertheimer) (1997)
|-
| Gemini, Best Writing in a Dramatic Series - (Paul Gross, Robert B. Carney, John Krizanc for
Mountie on the Bounty - Part 2) (1998)
|-
| Gemini, Best Visual Effects - (Jon Campfens, Barb Benoit, John Cox, Mark Savela for
Call of the Wild, Part 2) (1999)
|}
Cultural references
The series was known for its extensive use of
in-jokeAn in-joke is a joke whose humor is clear only to those people who are "inside" a social group, occupation or other community of common understanding; an esoteric joke. It is only humorous to those who know the situation behind it...
s for character names. The characters who appeared over the course of the series included Dawn Charest (an allusion to both Don Cherry, iconic ice hockey commentator, and
Jean CharestJohn James Charest, PC, MNA , a Canadian lawyer and politician, is the 29th and current Premier of Quebec...
, who for most of the show's run was the leader of the
Progressive Conservative Party of CanadaThe Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and a centrist stance on social issues....
), an RCMP inspector named
Meg ThatcherInspector Margaret Thatcher is a fictional character in the television series Due South. She is an inspector of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who works in the American city of Chicago, Illinois. The character is portrayed by Canadian actress Camilla Scott.-Character:Thatcher shares her name...
(alluding to
Margaret ThatcherMargaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher LG, OM, PC, FRS served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She is the only woman to have held either post....
), Doctor Esther Pearson (an allusion to
Lester B. PearsonLester Bowles "Mike" Pearson, PC, OM, CC, OBE was a Canadian statesman, diplomat and politician who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for organizing the United Nations Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis...
), newspaper reporter Mackenzie King, and a trio of police agents named
Huey, Dewey and LouisHuey, Dewey, and Louie Duck are a trio of fictional ducks who appear in animated cartoons and comic books published by the Walt Disney Company. Identical triplets, the three are Donald Duck's nephews. Huey, Dewey, and Louie were created by Ted Osborne and Al Taliaferro, and first appeared in a...
(the "Dewey" was named Thomas E. Dewey, alluding to the 1940s
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
governor and unsuccessful
U.S. PresidentialThe President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition...
candidate). As well, Stanley Kowalski's wife was, unsurprisingly, named
StellaStella Kowalski is one of the main characters in Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire. She is the younger sister of central character Blanche DuBois.-In the play:...
. When Fraser was asked by an official for his mother's maiden name, he answered,
'Pinsent.'Gordon Edward Pinsent, CC, FRSC is a Canadian television, theatre and film actor.-Early life:Pinsent, the youngest of six children, was born in Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland and Labrador, the son of Flossie and Stephen Arthur Pinsent, a papermill worker and cobbler...
In the episode 'North',
Steve SmithSteve Smith, CM is a Canadian actor, writer and comedian.Smith was born in Toronto, Ontario. Before turning to comedy, he studied engineering at the University of Waterloo and then worked a variety of jobs. In 1979, he began to produce, write, and star in Smith & Smith, a sketch comedy series with...
appears as a ticket agent in a small Canadian airport playing a character reminiscent of Red Green, and is actually credited by that name, rather than Smith. Vecchio angrily calls him 'Mr. Funny-hat.' Finally, Fraser's pet Diefenbaker is named for former Canadian Prime Minister
John DiefenbakerJohn George Diefenbaker, PC, CH, QC, FRSC, FRSA was the 13th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 21, 1957 to April 22, 1963...
.
In the episode "Dead Men Don't Throw Rice," the names of real-life professional hockey players
Tie DomiTahir "Tie" Domi is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player of Albanian heritage. During a sixteen-year NHL career when he was known for his role as an enforcer, he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets.-Minor hockey:Domi grew up in the town of Belle...
,
Teemu SelänneTeemu Ilmari Selänne nicknamed "The Finnish Flash" is a Finnish professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League...
,
Pavel BurePavel Vladimirovich Bure is a retired Russian professional ice hockey right winger. Nicknamed the Russian Rocket for his speed, he played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers...
, and
Esa TikkanenEsa Tikkanen is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey forward. He played for the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, St...
are mentioned as menu items in a restaurant. Ironically, only Domi is a native of Canada.
The radio and television series
Sergeant Preston of the Yukon was an influence on writer
Paul HaggisPaul Edward Haggis is a Canadian-American screenwriter, producer and film director who spent his early career producing and directing various American and Canadian television network series.-Personal life:...
; Diefenbaker's being named after a Prime Minister may be an allusion to Sergeant Preston's dog, who was named '
KingYukon King was a fictional dog on the radio and television versions of Challenge of the Yukon .Although nominally the sidekick to Sergeant Preston, in both versions, the real hero was often King, his "wonder dog". Yukon King, an Alaskan husky, was the lead dog for Preston's sled team, as well as...
.' There are also significant resemblances to
Corporal CarrotCarrot Ironfoundersson is a fictional character in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels. He starts his career in the Ankh-Morpork City Watch as a Lance Constable and later becomes a Captain. The Discworld Companion gives this description of the character:Carrot Ironfoundersson is Captain of the...
and the
werewolfA werewolf or werwolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely, by being bitten or scratched by another werewolf, or after being placed under a curse...
Angua of the
Ankh-MorporkAnkh-Morpork is a fictional city-state which prominently features in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series of fantasy novels. As cities go, it is on the far side of corrupt and polluted, and is subject to outbreaks of comedic violence and brou-ha-ha on a fairly regular basis...
City WatchThe Ankh-Morpork City Watch is a fictional police force within the Discworld series of books by Terry Pratchett. The watch is based in the city-state of Ankh-Morpork on the Discworld...
from
Terry PratchettSir Terence David John Pratchett, OBE , more commonly known as Terry Pratchett, is an English novelist, known for his frequently comical work in the fantasy genre. He is best known for his popular and long-running Discworld series of comic fantasy novels...
's
DiscworldDiscworld is a comedic fantasy book series by the British author Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat world balanced on the backs of four elephants which, in turn, stand on the back of a giant turtle, Great A'Tuin. The books frequently parody, or at least take inspiration from, J. R. R....
series.
The names 'Fraser' and 'Frobisher' are references to Canadian explorers, both connected to the search for commercial passages to the Pacific.
Simon FraserSimon Fraser may refer to:Lords Lovat:* Simon Fraser, 6th Lord Lovat , see Lord Lovat* Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat * Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat...
journeyed from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean in 1808. However, the Fraser River (named after him) turned out to be unusable as a trade route. Sir
Martin FrobisherSir Martin Frobisher was an English seaman who made three voyages to the New World to look for the Northwest Passage. All landed in northeastern Canada, around today's Resolution Island and Frobisher Bay...
was a 16th Century explorer who attempted three voyages in search of a
Northwest PassageThe Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
, but did not make it further than Northeastern
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Books
Due South: The Official Companion by Geoff Tibballs was published in May 1998 containing basic information on the series and cast and brief episodes synopses up to the end of the third season. Another illustrated companion,
Due South: The Official Guide by John A. Macdonald, was published in December 1998. It contains some interviews with the characters and bios of the cast.
A number of paper-back novelizations of a selection of episodes by Tom McGregor were later published including,
Death In The Wilderness based on the pilot movie,
An Invitation to Romance based on the episodes
An Invitation to Romance and
Gift of the Wheelman,
All The Queen's Horses based on
All the Queen's Horses and
Red, White or Blue, and
Vaulting North based on
North and
Vault.
Videos
The pilot two-hour movie was originally released on
VHSVideo Home System, better known by its abbreviation VHS, was a video tape recording standard developed during the 1970s. It was released to the public during the latter half of the decade. During the late part of the 1970s and the early 1980s it formed one-half of the VHS vs Betamax war, which it...
in 1996, but individual episodes had been released prior to this throughout 1995 on VHS with two episodes per tape. Finally, in 1998, the season three and the season four two-part finales were released. In November 2002, the
Due South Giftset was released containing the pilot movie and episodes
Mountie on the Bounty and
Call of the Wild.
DVDs
In 2002, Alliance Atlantis began releasing the series on DVD, starting with the first season in Canada, followed by releases in the US. The final season was released in Canada in 2005, and part of the season three and four combination in the US. In the UK, the first season was released in January 2006, and the other seasons followed later that year, including some special features such as a new documentary
Ride Forever. Note that the UK release entitled
Due South: The Complete Third Series does in fact contain all 26 episodes from the third and fourth seasons. Note that the US DVDs are allegedly of poorer quality than the Canadian releases; the pilot episode is included on the first season Australian, UK and US release but on the third season Canadian release.
{| class='wikitable'
!DVD Title
!Region 1 (US)
!Region 1 (Canada)
!Region 2
!Region 2 (France)
!Region 4 (Australia/New Zealand)
|-
|Due South: Season 1
|May 20, 2003
|November 26, 2002
|January 30, 2006
|February 7, 2008
|August 16, 2006
|-
|Due South: Season 2
|January 27, 2004
|August 5, 2003
|May 29, 2006
|February 7, 2008
|September 29, 2007
|-
|Due South: Season 3
|October 19, 2004
|September 21, 2004
|rowspan=2|September 4, 2006
|N/A
|N/A
|-
|Due South: Season 4
|September 27, 2005
|September 27, 2005
|N/A
|N/A
|-
|Due South: The Complete Series
|May 6, 2008
|May 6, 2008
|October 23, 2006
|N/A
|N/A
|}
International
- In Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
, the show was seen on the Seven NetworkThe Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by the Seven Media Group. It dates back to 2 December 1970, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Sydney and Melbourne. It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
.
- In Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
, the show was seen on ORFORF may refer to:* Österreichischer Rundfunk, Austria's national public-service broadcaster* Open reading frame, a portion of the genome* The IATA airport code for Norfolk International Airport in Norfolk, Virginia...
under the title Ein Mountie in Chicago.
- In Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
, the show was shown on AXNAXN is a Pay television, cable and satellite television channel owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, which was first launched on May 22, 1997. The network is now spread across several regions in the world, including Japan, Europe, other parts of Asia and Latin America...
as 'Rumo ao Sul'.
- In the Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a country in Central Europe that is sometimes considered to be Eastern European. The country borders Poland to the northeast, Germany to the west and northwest, Austria to the south and Slovakia to the east. The capital and largest city is Prague...
, the show was shown on TV NovaTV Nova is a Czech commercial TV station. It began broadcasting in 1994 as the first privately held nation-wide Czech TV station. Its first CEO was Vladimír Železný. It quickly achieved the largest market share and to this date still remains number one...
as Směr Jih.
- In Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
, the show was shown on TV 2TV 2 is a publicly owned television station in Denmark based in Odense. The station began broadcasting on 1 October 1988, thereby ending the television monopoly previously exercised by the Danish Broadcasting Corporation ....
as 'Chicago Kalder'
- In Dubai
Dubai is one of the seven emirates and the most populous state of the United Arab Emirates . It is located along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula. The Dubai Municipality is sometimes called Dubai state to distinguish it from the emirate...
, the show was shown on Dubai 33Dubai Channel 33 was a television channel transmitting terrestrially out of Dubai in English, targeting the expat community in the U.A.E.. It was founded in 1977. It originally was a 12-hour channel, switching broadcasts adjacently from one of Emirates Dubai Television's frequencies starting at...
- In Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland
, is a Nordic country and democracy situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland...
, the show was shown on YLE TV1 as Chicagon ratsupoliisi from 1996 to 2000.
- In France
France , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
, the show aired on TF1TF1 is a private French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's average market share of 25-35% makes it the most popular domestic network.TF1 is the largest European television channel by its audience...
, TF6TF6 is a French television channel broadcasting entertainment intended for young adults.-History:TF6 was founded in December 2000 by Métropole 6 and TF1 when they decided to bring closer their two competitor family projects chain on the cable and satellite service TPS, of which they are the two...
and as of May, 2006, on NT1NT1 is a French television network. It is available through digital terrestrial television in France. It is a subsidiary of AB Group....
under the title Un tandem de choc.
- In Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
, the first season was initially shown as Ausgerechnet Chicago on RTL IIRTL II is a privately owned, commercial, general-interest German television channel.It was founded as a second-generation commercial broadcaster in 1993. It quickly became infamous for its perceived "trash programming", comprising lots of soft porn as well as shows such as Peep and many...
. With the second season the show moved to ProSieben and changed the title to Ein Mountie in Chicago.
- In Hungary
Hungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
, the show was shown on Viasat 3Viasat 3 is a Hungarian TV channel. It was originally named Alfa TV, but when in 2000 the station was bought by Swedish MTG its name was changed. It began broadcasting as Viasat 3 in October 2000....
as Fraser és a farkas.
- In India
India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
, the show was shown on Star PlusSTAR Plus is a Hindi language channel based general entertainment television channel. The channel is part of the STAR TV network's bouquet of channels....
and later on Star WorldSTAR World is an Asian English language cable and satellite television owned by STAR TV. The channel is the successor of STAR Plus, which is now an Indian Hindi language entertainment channel...
.
- In Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran is a country in Western Asia. The name Iran has been in use natively since the Sassanid period and came into international use from 1935, before which the country was known internationally as Persia...
, the show was shown on Channel 3Channel 3 , is one of five nationally broadcast television channels in Iran.It is the third television channel created by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, and started broadcasting on December 5, 1993. The channel is often referred to as the youth channel, due to its large amounts of...
as به سوی جنوب.
- In Israel
Israel officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
, the show was shown on Channel 3Hot 3 is an Israeli television channel. First introduced as The Family Channel in the early 1990's and later simply as Channel 3, it was one of the very first exclusive channels of regulated cable television in Israel....
As בכיוון דרום.
- In Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
, the show is shown on various networks as Due poliziotti a Chicago or Due dritti a Chicago.
- In Japan
is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the show was shown on NHKNHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization...
as 騎馬警官.
- In Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a country situated in Eurasia that is ranked as the ninth largest country in the world. It is also the world's largest landlocked country. Its territory of 2,727,300 km² is greater than Western Europe...
, The show was shown on KTK channel, tvcTVC may mean:*TVC , a home computer made by the Hungarian company Videoton around 1986*Cherry Capital Airport - IATA code for airport in Michigan, USA*Tatsunoko vs...
as "Строго на Юг"
- In Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab emirate bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south and Iraq to the north and west. The greatest distance from north to south is 200 km and from east to west 170 km . The name is a diminutive of an Arabic word meaning "fortress built near water." It has a...
, the show was shown on KTV2Kuwait television channel 2 is Kuwait's governmental television channel dedicated for the English-speaking public. The channel broadcasts English-speaking shows, local programmes, news, English-subtitiled local serials, English-speaking international serials, and English-speaking or...
.
- In México
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the show was shown on AXNAXN is a Pay television, cable and satellite television channel owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, which was first launched on May 22, 1997. The network is now spread across several regions in the world, including Japan, Europe, other parts of Asia and Latin America...
as 'Directo Al Sur'.
- In Montenegro
Montenegro , is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast, Kosovo to the east and Albania to the south...
, the show was shown on NTV MontenaNezavisna Televizija Montena is a regional broadcaster in Montenegro. It is based in Podgorica and can be found in most of Montenegro. It consists of TV Montena and Montena Radio.-NTV MONTENA:Chanels and frequency:*...
, as "Pravo na jug"
- In Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, the show was shown on PolsatPolsat is Poland's second biggest television channel, founded in 1992 and owned by Zygmunt Solorz-Żak.Polsat belongs to the Polsat Group, which also owns other channels:*Polsat 2 International*Polsat News*Polsat Sport*Polsat Sport HD*Polsat Sport Extra...
and TV4TV 4 is a private Polish TV station.TV 4 was created through the amalgamation of the stations Nasza TV and Polsat 2 and started broadcasting on 1 April 2000. The station belongs to the Polsat Group and has a market share of about 2%....
as Na południe.
- In Russia
Russia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, the show was shown on 1 channelChannel One is the Russian TV channel with the widest reception area. According to a recent government publication, the Russian government controls 51% of its shares. Its headquarters are in the Technical Center "Ostankino" near the Ostankino Tower, Moscow.-Production:Channel One remains the most...
, TVCTV Center is a state-run Russia TV station with the fourth largest coverage area in Russia, after Channel One, Rossiya and NTV...
as "Строго на Юг"
- In Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe with a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia borders the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The largest city is its capital, Bratislava...
, the show was shown on JOJ and also on MarkízaMarkíza is the leading private television station in Slovakia. Shortly after its launch on 31 August 1996, it became the most watched TV channel in Slovakia and retains this position until today. Formerly, it was owned by the politician Pavol Rusko...
as Smer juh.
- In South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa, with a coastline on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To the north lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland, while Lesotho is an independent country surrounded by South Africa.Modern...
, the show was shown on SABC
- In Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
, the show was shown on Antena 3Antena 3 de Television, S.A., is a Spanish television network and media company, present in the television, radio and cinema industries. It was the first private station in Spain, commencing broadcasts in 1990. Significant shareholders include Planeta-De Agostini and RTL Group...
as Rumbo al Sur
- In Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
, the show was first shown on Kanal 5Kanal 5 is the name of a number of television stations whose names translate into English as "Channel 5".* Kanal 5, a Croatian station* Kanal 5, a Danish station* Kanal 5, a Macedonian station* Kanal 5, a Swedish station...
in 1996 as Uppdrag Chicago, and there have been subsequent re-runs, mostly in late night/early morning time slots.
- In UK
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
, the show was originally on BBC Two
, also Sky OneSky1 is a British Sky Broadcasting entertainment channel in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the UK, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
, and later repeated on ITV3ITV3 is an entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom, that is owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. The channel launched on 1 November 2004...
.
- In China
China is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
, the show was shown on CCTV-8CCTV-8 is the television drama channel of the CCTV Network in the People's Republic of China.-External links:*...
as 正南方.
Fan conventions
A number of fan conventions were organized by Due South fans during the 1990s, the biggest and best known of which was RCW 139, so named after the recurring license plate number.
RCW 139 was held annually in Toronto between 1996 and 1999, attracting approximately 300 fans from more than 10 countries in both 1998 and 1999. The convention featured games, discussion panels, a formal dinner, and guest panels. Numerous cast and crew members have attended, including
David MarcianoDavid Marciano is an American actor who appeared as Detective Raymond Vecchio in the television series Due South...
(1998),
Paul GrossPaul Michael Gross , is a Canadian actor, producer, director, singer and writer born in Calgary, Alberta. He is known for his lead role as Constable Benton Fraser in the television series Due South as well as his acting and directing role in the 2008 Canadian war film Passchendaele...
(1999),
Gordon PinsentGordon Edward Pinsent, CC, FRSC is a Canadian television, theatre and film actor.-Early life:Pinsent, the youngest of six children, was born in Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland and Labrador, the son of Flossie and Stephen Arthur Pinsent, a papermill worker and cobbler...
(1998), Tom Melissis (1997, 1998, 1999),
Tony CraigTony Craig is an English footballer who currently plays for Millwall.Craig initially came through the youth ranks at Millwall, and made his Lions debut away at Nottingham Forest late in the 2002-03 season....
(1997), Catherine Bruhier (1998, 1999) and
Jay SemkoJay Semko is a singer/songwriter and bassist with Canadian band, The Northern Pikes. He is also a music composer for numerous film and television productions, most notably the successful Canadian television series Due South...
(1998, 1999). Furthermore, Draco (Diefenbaker) and his trainer, Gail Parker, were guests in both 1998 and 1999
After a nine year hiatus, the convention was revived in 2008, and was highlighted by guest panels from
David MarcianoDavid Marciano is an American actor who appeared as Detective Raymond Vecchio in the television series Due South...
,
Jay SemkoJay Semko is a singer/songwriter and bassist with Canadian band, The Northern Pikes. He is also a music composer for numerous film and television productions, most notably the successful Canadian television series Due South...
, Tom Melissis, Catherine Bruhier, and Gail Parker with Cinder, Draco's sister and stunt-double. Plans are currently underway for another RCW 139 convention, to be held in August 2010.
The following is a list of RCW 139 conventions:
- RCW 139 (1996)
- RCW 139: Due It Again! (1997)
- RCW 139: A Cop, A Mountie, and A Convention (1998)
- RCW 139: Ride Forever (1999)
- RCW 139: Toronto Holiday (2008)
- RCW 139: Duesers' Day Off (August 13-15 2010)
External links