Due South - Due poliziotti a Chicago

Why is it all the good shows get canceled early?

Due South was no exception.

I didn't even watch the show's first season. I had never paid any attention to it being on. Only after catching an episode of the second season on tape at a friend's house was I drawn into this quirky show.

Who would have thought that a TV show starring a Dudley Do Right cloned member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (a mountie) who lives by the rules and a sharp tounged Chicago Detective who lives to bend the rules could be such a fantastic show? This is a prime example of a fantastic show that was canceled way too early.

But we had it for 4 years and that is better than nothing.

The appeal of this show is very difficult to put into a few paragraphs. Its an extended modernizing of Shakespeare's Hamlet, only the Prince in this case is a Canadian Mountie, sent to Chicago to pursue his fathers killers, haunted by his father's ghost. It's more light hearted than it sounds, Benton Fraser(the Mountie) begins to get more acquainted with his father in death than he ever had been in life, courtesy of journals and interacting with Fraser Senior's ghost. The characters are both exaggerated but ultimately very believeable and Benton Fraser is by far one of the most intriguing fictional characters I have seen on television. The first season especially really does ask probing questions and deal with issues, notably the last 3 episodes featuring Fraser's warped love affair with a woman he had to imprison!

Many episodes are modernized derivatives from notable literature, one case is an episode entitled "Gift of the Wheelman", a reference to "Gift of the Magi" featuring the wheelman in a bankrobbery throwing his life away in exchange for the loot to give his son (played by Ryan Phillipe in his first major appearance) whom only wants his father's company and compassion. If you have the means you should really check into this show, if you are an avid reader it's incredible. Next to the Simpsons this is my favorite television series to date.

In my opinion this is probably the best TV show ever made, which explains why it didn't last that long. Originality is the key even though it sits within the much copied police genre. A mountie, on the trail of his fathers killer, winds up in Chicago where he befriends a streetwise detective and together they solve the crimes, both big and small, of the Windy City. It's the fact that humour and characterisation take first place over gritty realism (Overrated to be honest) that separates it from, well, every other cop show ever made. Benton Fraser is undeniably one of the greatest characters ever to grace the small screen and his relationship with Ray Vecchio is both touching and humourous. I admit that the dramatic episodes, such as 'Victoria's Secret' and the magnificent 'Juliet is Bleeding' overwhelm the other, lighter, episodes but that is simply because they are so brilliantly written. When Ray and Fraser are sat in the hospital at the end of 'Juliet' and Ray speaks out about his childhood romance with the deceased Irene (Incidentally played by 'The Matrix's' Carrie Anne Moss) you can honestly feel his pain and the expression on Frasers face says more than any amount of comforting words could. It's little scenes like that which show up the show as truly great and worthy of more than three seasons. My favourite scene however, is at the end of 'The Deal' when, after Fraser is badly beaten by the local Mafia boss, Ray takes revenge on his age old nemesis by humiliating him in front of his subordinates, even though he knows that that action might cost him his life. The bonds of friendship between the two have always been shown to be tighter than steel, that's why the show was so great.The acting too was always top notch and if life is even remotely fair both Gross and Marciano should have no problem finding other work. I love this show and it always made me feel good inside. Even though it's gone I'll always have a special place in my heart for it's warmth and humour. It will be sorely missed.

I was very disappointed to hear in 1995 that "Due South" was being canceled, because it was one of the few interesting Canadian/American endeavors to hit the tube in years. Paul Gross and David Marciano were well-matched as partners, and were what made the series fun. It's surprising that "Due South" rated so poorly in both Canada and America, because it had a wit and humor that is often lacking in some of the more popular American dramas. Benton Fraser (Gross) and Ray Vecchio (Marciano) launch pithy one-liners off of each other, never batting an eyelash when the other does something that seems outlandish to them. Fraser can be a tad over-exaggerated as a result of the American desire to create the stereotypical Canadian, but this seems to decrease somewhat in the second season, after the US stepped away from the show. Marciano continues through both seasons to be well-written and funny, both with his personal fashion sense and his large, over-bearing family. A nice get-away from the usual violent cop show.

"Less is more" is the concept that makes this series so compelling and fun to watch. The cast displays rare talent, with Paul Gross portraying a unique leading man, a refreshing change from other carbon-copy cop shows. Gordon Pinsent, as his ghost-of-a-father, is delightful and completely at ease as he appears to Gross to guide, advise and torment. He is, indeed, one of the most underused and underrated actors of our time. This series is a perfect example of what good quality television the United States is missing.