Durham County

I'm a guy who loves his creepy dramas and this is by far my favorite so far. It has so many elements working on so many different levels, but it's all presented so simply. It reminds me a lot of the show Dexter but more story driven and a little simpler intellectually. After watching thousands of episodes of CSI, I would have thought I was more than desensitized to anything T.V. could throw at me, but the entire first episode gave me chills. It's a bit grotesque and bloody but it's not unnecessarily so like most horror movies and crime dramas. It's a great back and forth chess match of a show, and you'll feel guilty for having such a good time with it.

And it's not just the violence itself. The characters set up the scenes easily and they develop themselves beautifully, the scenery and environments are great and they set up the atmosphere of impending doom, the effects cut the monotony and still makes you feel crazy. So great! Hurray! We can finally be shocked by murder again!

Now like most Canadians out there were terrified to start watching a Canadian television series since they don't always last very long and we are grateful when they do. Though usually were stuck with lame comedies like Little Mosque On The Prairie (don't get me started on that cheese) and Corner Gas (sorry, but not funny). I love The Movie Network because so far they've come out with shows i've really enjoyed. Slings and Arrows was probably the best example of that. One of my favorite shows ever. The movie network is kinda like our HBO.

Last week I watched the series premier of Durham County. First of all the setting creates such a spectacular backdrop for the show. If you were expecting some happy suburb where the sun is always shinning then I suggest you turn the channel to Desperate Housewives. In Durham County the sky is gray and the view from the backyard is of a electrical plant (I don't quite know the right terminology. The show opens with a the strange sight of two school girls getting murdered in a forest of some sort. Then it cuts to our very first glimpse of Mike Sweeney, a homicide detective who moved with his wife and daughter to Durham after the murder of his partner in a drive-by shooting. His wife we soon guess is a recovering breast cancer patient. This is revealed when she is getting ready for a welcome-to-the-neighbourhood party and uses wigs and fake breasts. Their teenage daughter Sadie is typically rebellious but I like her in the way that that's not all their is to her character so far.

We are introduced the neighbours, Ray and Traci Prager and their teenage son Ray Jr. We sense immediately that there is something wrong with Ray Sr. He is a very intense man who can be loving to his wife one second and violent and demanding the other.

The set-up I think is great. I can't write a proper review right now, but i'm really exited to see what happens. I'll definitely be watching tomorrow's episode or taping it. The premise is great, the characters so far intriguing and a strange mysterious atmosphere that I love. SO WATCH IT!

Detective Mike Sweeney (Hugh Dillon) is on the hunt for murderers. His wife Audrey (Hélène Joy) is suffering from the diagnose of cancer. He suspects his childhood rival Ray Prager eventually involving the children of the two struggling families.

It's got some of the best visual motif in a strictly Canadian TV production. It takes the everyday suburban landscapes like electrical towers and turn them into something creepy. That's the first impression from the show. This show lasted 3 seasons with 6 episodes each. Sometimes the pace does lag a little. Sometimes the story gets complicated especially trying to keep track of the relationships of the minor characters. The acting is acceptable with some standouts like Hugh Dillon, Helene Joy, Laurence Leboeuf, and Louis Ferreira in the first season. It's cool crime drama.

This was one of the best pieces of television that I have watched in many years. The script is tight and the first few episodes have you at the edge of your seat wanting to know what will happen next. The characters are most believable and I hope that more of this type of programming will be aired in the future. This is definitely a quality production aimed at sophisticated audiences. Although the subject matter is difficult, it is not displayed with senseless violence. There is a combination of experience and youth on the acting roster and this provides further strength to the production. The locations have been well selected and the frequent return to the oppressive and impressive hydro towers adds a foreboding quality that assists the plot and the movement of the characters. The music is also extremely well done.

This show combines the best of British and American drama but with a distinctive Canadian flavor which clinches the deal. The actors are not pin ups but play their parts with genuine emotion.

Cinematography is spot on and the scripts and re-enactments done with chilling realism.Music selection is appropriate and the sound quality is superior to most network shows.

The only negative point if you can call it that will be the relatively short season for Series one which will rely on the overall market appeal in North America as to its continuation next season.

Not to be missed!