Wojeck

I rarely watched this series as a kid because to me the name "Wojeck" had a particularly sinister ring to it. Also, Steve Wojeck's pockmarked face and anti-heroic ways trashed all my preconceptions of a good guy. Of course, I should have realized by the show's occasional set of bare breasts that Wojeck was not a program created for kids, but for adults.

When "Showcase" (a Canadian cable network) repeated the series in black and white in 2002, it finally caught my attention. This series ran with any scenes exhibiting bare breasts cropped out, presumably so it could be syndicated for mass consumption in the United States. John Vernon fit the role perfectly and it launched him to a prolific and versatile career as a character actor in Hollywood. Perhaps a bit trite to say, but I truly think this was the most important Canadian-made television series and without a doubt, their best.

The later American series Quincy seemed to be a complete ripoff of Wojeck, but didn't come close to approaching it as a work of cinematic art. As a kid, I always thought Americans must have tried to bank on the greatness of this Canadian series with drama series by the names "Banacek", "Kolchak" and "Kojak". Suddenly, TV heroes had sinister-sounding names and weren't following the traditional path of a good guy. It occurs to me these many years later the similarities were coincidental, but what the heck - fun to ponder.

Okay, so I was a bit wacko as a kid, but my family let me grow up anyway.

This hour lengh drama focusing on the work of medical coroner Wojeck is one of the true great moments in Canadian Televisiion history. Wojeck's premiere in 1966 was both symbolic and a precurser to the strong federalist state and protector of it's people that Canadian's felt mirrored their self image and reflected the values of Canada. The tv show was a precurser to the election of Canada's own great civil right's crusader, Pierre Elliot Trudeau. A true tribute to the show's identification and symbolism of the Canadian values of the era to seek a truly Just Society for all. The values that we fought in war we're now being fought on the streets by a truly epic hero.

Wojeck's seemed to spend every episode not only fighting the injustices of the right wing police force in Toronto, but also the entrenched value systems of the justice system. Both a metaphor for the changes that all Canadian's sought in the 1960's as the country made her way from the imperial dominance of British Colonization to the independence of today. Seeped in this shroud of government metaphor lay the waste of those that society would forget if only not for Wojeck.

Every episode is layerd with the drama of not only those Wojeck is out to avenge but also the metaphor of the moments of family and husband that Wojeck gives up to avenge those less fortunate.

For those of us that look back fondly on this show there is also an underlying feeling of the lament of loss. This show marked one of the truly great period's of Canadian television drama not to be repeated again for over a decade and the loss of John Vernon who would go from Canadian Hero to American villian with his move to the united states. There's also the bittersweet memory that for all of this program's inventivness, it's truly documentary feeling in the French new wave style of the hand held camera and natural lighting fused with a street realism rarely portrayed on canadian television. There is also the sadness that for all this inventiveness the plot of the program was essentially the same as the later Quincy. But Quincy was no Wojeck, thats for sure.

Modelled somewhat after the flamboyant Chief Coroner of Toronto in the 60's Dr. Morton Shulman, Wojeck delivers a no nonsense look at the job, the politics, the effect of the job on relationships and the mood of the times. John Vernon was never better and his performance in this series belies his comedic take in Animal House, this guy can act. Great support from a host of Canadian and American actors and good writing. Might seem a little dated for the genre by todays standards however worth a look if you can catch it. Followed on the CBC by Quentin Jergens M.P. starring Gordon Pinsent (father of Leah) also worth a look.

This show was a true landmark of television, and not only for Canada. Intelligent, edgy, thought-provoking, and carrying a powerful emotional punch to the heart, Wojeck was the first realistic, truly adult dramatic television show I can remember....and nothing close to it appeared anywhere for decades.

Vernon's move to the US was a tragedy, for Canada and for Vernon's art (although, at the time, I can understand how someone would make the move). I loved Animal House, but seeing Vernon play the buffoon still saddens me. The only US role that came anywhere near showing Vernon's talent and dignity as an actor was The Outlaw Josey Wales.

Very sad; Such an enormous talent largely wasted.