Due South

Due South was a breakthrough in many ways. It proved that a U.S./Canadian weekly co-production which satisfied to both cultures was indeed possible and that it could be done with a lot of class and taste.

Every upcoming episode possessed some form of anticipation. It was never known what tone the next episode may possess, for some were comedic, some were dramatic, some were a decent mix of both. Most of all, its viewers were left feeling good in the end despite the fact that not every issue had been resolved. Most of all, any farfetched twists were minimal, leading one to believe that people like Fraser do indeed exist. Throughout the first two seasons, Fraser and Ray involved themselves in the lives of characters in trouble who needed to turn their lives around. The retooled version of the show which appeared in 1997 loses that quality, choosing to set its leads in precarious situations and mainly helping themselves rather than the people living in the city of Chicago.

Paul Haggis should be proud of his creation. It was a terrific show while he remained a part of the production. Unfortunately, it never again regained its peak once he and Kathy Slevin departed.

The fans are hoping we may perhaps see a sequel to "Victoria's Secret" within the next while? Only once Providence is cancelled (if ever), may it be a reality! Melina Kanakaredes' newfound popularity may entice potential new viewers to respond as well.

I loved the show first-run and was thrilled last December (2002) when a local tv station in southern Sweden began to replay every episode as a daily filler. It's extremely clever, with wonderful, witty dialogue. The exchanges that Fraser has with the deaf Dief and his father's ghost are priceless as is the subtle (and not so subtle) sarcasm.

Just a few complaints:

*My favorite storyline was "Victoria's Secret" -- but what happened to Victoria? There should have been an ending there.

*By the time I got used to the "other" Ray (Stanley) being in the cast, they made him cartoonish and dumb.

*I think at the end, there was too much junk about women mooning over Frasure. All the googly-eyed stuff from his superior just plain embarassed me.

*Fraser should have ended up with a woman -- a good woman who would make him more human and save him from his own perfection.

It was a clever, clever bit to use actor Paul Gross' (Fraser) real-life wife as the ghost of his mother in the last episode. I have read that Gross "is sick of" this show and resents being remembered for it. If it's true, that's a shame. "Due South" will forever be one of my favorite television programs.

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.

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.

This ranks up there as one of the best TV dramas of all time. Honestly, I can't recalls details about plots and so forth but I distinctly remember the way in which this show hooked me. Great music, great acting and one of the best on-screen relationships between two men I have ever seen, Due South has always been greatly missed in my life since it ended -- especially with the crap that is on TV these days. It's a shame that no network has picked up reruns of this great show but a person can always hope.