''Cardinal'' is a Canadian crime drama television series, which was first broadcast on January 25, 2017, on CTV (in English) and Super Écran (in French)."CTV and Super Écran Partner on New Serialized Drama"
. ''Broadcaster'', February 11, 2016. The series adapts the novels of crime writer

Giles Blunt Giles Blunt (born 1952) is a Canadian novelist, poet, and screenwriter. His first novel, ''Cold Eye'', was a psychological thriller set in the New York art world, which was made into the French movie ''Les Couleurs du diable'' (Allain Jessua, 199 ...

, focusing on police detective John Cardinal ( Billy Campbell) and his partner Lise Delorme (

Karine Vanasse Karine Vanasse (born 24 November 1983) is a French-Canadian actress, who had roles in the films '' Polytechnique'', '' Séraphin: Heart of Stone (Séraphin: un homme et son péché)'', ''Switch'' and '' Set Me Free (Emporte-moi)''. International ...

), who investigate crimes in the fictional city of Algonquin Bay. Across six episodes, the first season adapts the first John Cardinal novel '' Forty Words for Sorrow'' (2000),"eOne, Sienna Gets Greenlight For 'Cardinal' Murder Mystery Drama at Canada's CTV (Exclusive)"
''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'', November 13, 2015. which focuses on the investigation of the murder of a young girl. On February 28, 2017, CTV renewed ''Cardinal'' for a second and third season, each containing six episodes."CTV's Cardinal gets two more seasons". ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...

'', March 1, 2017. The second season adapts Blunt's third Cardinal novel, ''Blackfly Season'', while the third adapted the novels ''By the Time You Read This'' and ''Crime Machine'', the fourth and fifth novels in the series. The fourth and final season adapts the sixth novel, ''Until the Night''.

Premise

Season 1: ''Forty Words for Sorrow''

John Cardinal ( Billy Campbell) is a troubled and brooding police officer in Algonquin Bay, who was removed from the homicide squad as a result of chief Noelle Dyson's (

Kristen Thomson Kristen Thomson (born 1966) is a Canadian actress and playwright. Thomson was born in Toronto, Ontario. She is known for her one-woman play ''I, Claudia'', which was adapted to film in 2004. In that play and film, Thomson plays all of the roles ...

) belief that he had become obsessed with his investigation of a missing

Native Canadian In Canada, Indigenous groups comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Although ''Indian'' is a term still commonly used in legal documents, the descriptors ''Indian'' and '' Eskimo'' have fallen into disuse in Canada, and most consider the ...

girl. When the girl's body finally turns up, he is reassigned to the case with a new partner, Lise Delorme (

). What he does not know is that Delorme has been assigned to investigate him as part of a corruption probe that has identified Cardinal as possibly collaborating with a local drug dealer. The investigation widens when another missing person case with similar patterns leads Cardinal to believe that a

serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

may be active in the area.

Season 2: ''Blackfly Season''

A young woman suffering from amnesia after having been shot in the head appears in Algonquin Bay. Soon mutilated bodies, in accordance with some occult religious rituals, are discovered. The bodies are members of a local group of bikers known for trafficking drugs. John Cardinal and the team suspect that someone is trying to replace the gang in the drug trade. The mental health of his wife still worries him. Musgrave thinks he has finally found the evidence he is looking for.

Season 3: ''By the Time You Read This''

The suspicious death of Cardinal's wife Catherine coincides with a double murder, and Delorme is ordered to take the lead in the murder investigation. Reluctant to believe that Catherine committed suicide, Cardinal begins investigating other possibilities, whilst dealing with a succession of anonymous letters blaming him for the event. Noelle Dyson, recovering from the death of her sister, tries to reason with another prospective suicide and is devastated when she fails to prevent him killing himself.

Season 4: ''Until the Night''

After a prominent politician's husband is abducted and then left to die from exposure, Cardinal and Delorme suspect that a hired killer is targeting those close to four people, out of revenge for a cover-up in their past. Cardinal and Delorme grow closer but this case will be their last together as Delorme takes a new job in Toronto.

Cast and characters

Main

* Billy Campbell as Det. John Cardinal *

as Det. Lise Delorme *

as Det. Sgt. Noelle Dyson * Deborah Hay as Catherine Cardinal (Seasons 1–3) * Alanna Bale as Kelly Cardinal *

Glen Gould Glen Gould (born June 6, 1971) is an Indigenous Canadian actor, director and producer of Miꞌkmaq and Italian descent. Between 2016 and 2020, he played the role of detective Jerry Commanda on the television series '' Cardinal''. Career Goul ...

as Det. Jerry Commanda * James Downing as Det. Ian McLeod * Zach Smadu as Det. Ash Kular (Season 2 – present) * Eric Hicks as Const. Derek K. Fox *

David Richmond-Peck David Richmond-Peck (born April 5, 1974) is a Canadian actor who has appeared in over 70 film and television roles in Canada and the United States since 2000. Career Richmond-Peck won two Leo Awards: in 2006 for ''Behind the Camera: The Unauthori ...

as Sgt. Malcolm Musgrave (Seasons 1–2) * James Thomas as Det. Hannam (Season 1)

Recurring

Introduced in season one

Brendan Fletcher Brendan Fletcher (born December 15, 1981) is a Canadian actor. He first gained recognition as a child actor, winning a Leo Award and being nominated for a Gemini Award his acting debut in the made-for-television film ''Little Criminals''. He ...

as Eric Fraser *

Allie MacDonald Alexandra "Allie" MacDonald (born September 17, 1988) is a Canadian actress. Early life MacDonald was born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada, to parents Peter and Chrissy MacDonald. She studied musical theatre at the Canadian College of Performi ...

as Edie Soames * Robert Naylor as Keith London *

Gail Maurice Gail Maurice is a Canadian actress, writer, and producer."Canadian aboriginal filmmaker en route to Sundance with Smudge". ''Times & Transcript'', January 20, 2006. She is most noted for her performances as the title character in the film ''Johnny ...

as Dorothy Pine *

Conrad Coates Conrad Coates (born July 12, 1970) is a British-born Canadian actor and teacher. He is best known for his roles as Morgan in '' The Dresden Files'' and in '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' as Jimmy Brooks' father. Biography Early life Coate ...

as Coroner Barnhouse * Fiona Highet as Tammy Lidstrom *

Trenna Keating Trenna Keating (born January 23, 1987) is a Canadians, Canadian actress known for her recurring role as Doc Yewll in ''Defiance (TV series), Defiance'' between 2013 and 2015. Early life Trenna Keating was born and grew up in Weyburn, Saskatchew ...

as Kristin Baldwin * Lawrence Bayne as Francis *

Gord Rand Gord Rand is a Canadian actor and playwright. He is most noted for his recurring role as Det. Marty Duko in the television series ''Orphan Black'', for which he was a Canadian Screen Award nominee for Best Performance in a Guest Role in a Dramatic ...

as Woody * Alden Adair as Josh * Kelly Van der Burg as Margo * Dylan Colton as Todd Curry

Introduced in season two

Bruce Ramsay Bruce Ramsay (born December 31, 1966) is a Canadian film, television and stage actor. Career Ramsay's screen debut was opposite fellow Montrealer Elias Koteas in the film '' Malarek'' (1988). Ramsay and Koteas went on to appear in two other fi ...

as Ray Northwind * Alex Paxton-Beesley as Red *

Jonathan Keltz Jonathan Lippert Keltz (born January 17, 1988) is an American actor known for his role as Jake Steinberg in the HBO series ''Entourage'', and his work in the films ''Prom'' (2011) and '' 21 & Over'' (2013). He starred as Leith Bayard in The CW ...

as Kevin Tait *

Dan Petronijevic Daniel Petronijevic (born March 28, 1981 in Scarborough, Ontario), known professionally as Dan Petronijevic, is a Canadian actor who has appeared in various feature films, including the '' American Pie'' franchise, and in TV shows such as '' 19- ...

as Leon *

Kris Holden-Ried Kris Holden-Ried (born August 1, 1973) is a Canadian actor. Early life and pentathlon Holden-Ried was born in Pickering, Ontario. He studied at Montreal's Concordia University School of Business. He was a champion competitor in riding and fen ...

as Lasalle *

Kevin Hanchard Kevin Hanchard (born July 4, 1974) is a Canadian actor, best known for his roles as Det. Arthur Bell in ''Orphan Black'' and Inspector Sematimba in ''The Expanse''. Hanchard currently appears as Superintendent Joseph Donovan in ''Hudson and Rex. ...

as Det. Sgt. Alan Clegg * Brock Morgan as Toof *

Kathryn Alexandre Kathryn Alexandre is a Canadian actress. She was the acting double for Tatiana Maslany in the BBC America/Space show ''Orphan Black'' and acts as all eleven of the roles of clones opposite Maslany. She does not appear in the clone roles in the ai ...

as Abby Harris * Nicolette Pearse as Rachel Wells * Greg Hovanessian as Zack *

Asivak Koostachin Asivak Koostachin (born 1994) is a Cree-Inuk actor from Canada, most noted for his performances in the films ''Red Snow'' and '' Run Woman Run''. The son of filmmaker Jules Arita Koostachin, he had his first major acting role in the APTN drama se ...

as Jordan Akiwenzie *

Stephen Ouimette Stephen Ouimette is a Canadian actor and director. Although mostly known for his stage work, particularly at the Stratford Festival of Canada and recently on Broadway in '' La Bete'', he achieved TV fame (and a Gemini Award) as the ghostly Olive ...

as Dr. Bell

Introduced in season three

Aaron Ashmore Aaron Richard Ashmore (born October 7, 1979) is a Canadian actor. He is known for his roles on American television series such as Jimmy Olsen on ''Smallville'', Steve Jinks on ''Warehouse 13'' and Johnny Jaqobis on the Canadian television series ...

as Randall Wishart * Susan Coyne as Helen Bell * Sophia Lauchlin Hirt as Nikki * Tom Jackson as Lloyd Kreeger *

Rya Kihlstedt Rya Kihlstedt is an American actress. She starred in the 1997 comedy film ''Home Alone 3'' as Alice Ribbons. The following years she appeared in films '' Deep Impact'' (1998), ''Women in Trouble'' (2009) and ''The Atticus Institute'' (2015). On te ...

as Sharlene Winston *

Jennifer Podemski Jennifer Podemski (born January 1, 1974) is a First Nations (Canadian) film and television actress and producer. Her acting credits include starring roles in the television series '' Tin Star'', ''The Rez'', '' Riverdale'', ''Moccasin Flats'', ...

as Wendy Duchene *

Alex Ozerov Alex Ozerov (born 1992) is a Canadian actor. He is most noted for his performance in the short film '' Pyotr495'', for which he won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Lead Performance in a Digital Program or Series at the 7th Canadian Screen Awar ...

as Jack *

Nick Serino Nicholas Jonathan Roger Serino (born October 11, 1997), known professionally as Nick Serino, is a Canadian actor. Early life Serino was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario and attended Superior Collegiate and Vocational Institute. Career Serino won ...

as Lemur *

Devery Jacobs Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs (born August 8, 1993), known professionally as Devery Jacobs, is an Indigenous Canadian ( Kanien'keha:ka (Mohawk)) actress and writer. For her performance in ''Rhymes for Young Ghouls'' (2013), she garnered a Canadian S ...

as Sam Duchene

Introduced in season four

Carmen Moore Carmen Moore (born 24 December 1972) is a Canadian actress known for her work in television. She is known for her role as Loreen Cassway on ''Arctic Air'' (for which she was nominated for a Leo Award in 2012) and the lead role of Leona Stoney, o ...

as Sheila Gagne *

Shawn Doyle Shawn Doyle (born September 19, 1968) is a Canadian actor known for his roles in ''The Expanse'', '' The Eleventh Hour'', ''Big Love'', '' 24'', ''Desperate Housewives'', and '' Star Trek: Discovery''. Early life and education Doyle was born an ...

as Scott Riley *

Linda Goranson Linda Goranson (born 1947 in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian actress.Hugh Thomson, "Nude scene equals 750 phone calls". ''The Globe and Mail'', August 29, 1970. Career Linda Goranson is most noted for her performance in "The Spike in the Wall", ...

as Adele *

Currie Graham Currie Graham (born February 26, 1967) is a Canadian stage, film and television actor. While primarily recognized as a TV actor, he has numerous film credits, including the action thrillers ''Rancid'' (2004) and ''Assault on Precinct 13'' (200 ...

as Neil Cuthbert

Episodes

Season 1: ''Forty Words for Sorrow'' (2017)

Season 2: ''Blackfly Season'' (2018)

Season 3: ''By the Time You Read This'' (2019)

Season 4: ''Until the Night'' (2020)

Production

The first season was directed by

Daniel Grou Daniel Grou (born August 19, 1967), frequently credited as Podz, is a Canadian film and television director. His credits include the films '' 10½'', ''L'Affaire Dumont'', ''7 Days (Les 7 jours du Talion)'', '' Miraculum'', '' King Dave'' and '' ...

, and produced by Sienna Films and

eOne Entertainment Entertainment One Ltd., trading as eOne, is an American-owned Canadian multinational entertainment company. Based in Toronto, Ontario, the company is primarily involved in the acquisition, distribution, and production of films and television se ...

. It commenced production in Sudbury,

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

in February 2016, with some additional location filming taking place in North Bay, Nipissing First Nation and Atikameksheng Anishnawbek. The first season was given a production budget of $1,800,000 per episode. Locations included the former studios of CBC Northern Ontario and the North Bay Public Library, which served as the Algonquin Bay police station. The second season was directed by Jeff Renfroe, and was produced primarily in North Bay. The show's theme music is adapted from the song "Familiar" by Danish singer-songwriter

Agnes Obel Agnes Caroline Thaarup Obel (born 28 October 1980) is a Danish singer, songwriter, and musician based in Berlin. Her debut album, '' Philharmonics'' (2010), was released by PIAS Recordings, and was certified gold in June 2011 by the Belgian E ...

. Background music featured in the series is composed by Toronto-based

Todor Kobakov Todor Kobakov (born September 19, 1978) is a Bulgarian-Canadian composer, producer, arranger and pianist based in Toronto, Ontario. He is best known for his solo piano album Pop Music, his commercial and film scores and for his collaborations wit ...

. Vanasse, who is Québécoise and had previously appeared in the American television series ''

Pan Am Pan American World Airways, originally founded as Pan American Airways and commonly known as Pan Am, was an American airline that was the principal and largest international air carrier and unofficial overseas flag carrier of the United States ...

'' and '' Revenge'', commented that ''Cardinal'' is the first time in which she is playing a Québécoise rather than a European character in an English-language television programme.

International transmission

Episodes from the second season premiered a day in advance of their television broadcast on on-demand service Crave TV. Filming on the third season completed in July 2018, and the season began airing on January 24, 2019. The fourth and final season was broadcast in 2020 with its finale airing on May 11, 2020. In the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

the series was broadcast on BBC Four for the first three seasons and

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...

for the last season. It was broadcast on

C More C More Entertainment AB is a pay television company that previously operated as Canal+. It targets Nordic countries and has a separate channel in Sweden (C More Film). The main competitors of C More Entertainment are Viasat Film and Viasat Sp ...

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

, Calle 13 in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, Hulu in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, SBS in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, Magenta TV in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, Canvas in

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

and Channel 11 in

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

. In

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, the TV series premiered on Universal+, streaming belonged to Universal TV, NBCUniversal's channel.

Reception

John Doyle of ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'' praised the series, calling it "a gripping, superbly made crime drama" which ultimately lands as "landmark Canadian TV". The series received 12

Canadian Screen Award The Canadian Screen Awards (french: link=no, Les prix Écrans canadiens) are awards given for artistic and technical merit in the film industry recognizing excellence in Canadian film, English-language television, and digital media ( web series ...

nominations at the 6th Canadian Screen Awards in 2018. It won six awards, including Best Actor in a Limited Program or Television Film (Campbell), Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Program (Macdonald),"CTV's Cardinal cleans up on Night 2 of Canadian Screen Awards"
''

'', March 8, 2018. Photography in a Drama Series ( Steve Cosens), Editing in a Drama Series (Teresa De Luca), Music in a Fiction Program or Series (

) and Best Casting (

Jon Comerford Jon Comerford is a Canadian casting director.Kelly Townsend"Jon Comerford launches new casting agency" '' Playback'', February 5, 2020. He is a three-time Canadian Screen Award winner for Best Casting in a Television Series, winning at the 2nd Can ...

and

Lisa Parasyn Lisa Parasyn is a Canadian casting director and film producer. She is a three-time Canadian Screen Award winner for Best Casting in a Television Series, winning at the 2nd Canadian Screen Awards in 2014 for ''Bomb Girls'', at the 6th Canadian Scr ...

). At the

7th Canadian Screen Awards The 7th annual Canadian Screen Awards were held on March 31, 2019, to honour achievements in Canadian film, television, and digital media production in 2018.

in 2019, the series won the awards for Best Limited Series, Best Lead Actor in a Drama Program or Limited Series (Campbell), Best Lead Actress in a Drama Program or Limited Series (Vanasse), Best Editing in a Dramatic Program or Series (Matthew Anas), Best Direction in a Dramatic Program or Mini-series (Renfroe), Best Music in a Fiction Production (Kobakov) and Best Writing in a Dramatic Program or Mini-series ( Sarah Dodd for the episode "Red").

References

External links

* * {{CTV Television Network Shows (current and upcoming) CTV Television Network original programming Television shows filmed in Greater Sudbury 2017 Canadian television series debuts 2020 Canadian television series endings 2010s Canadian crime drama television series Television shows set in Ontario Northern Ontario in fiction Television shows based on Canadian novels Gemini and Canadian Screen Award for Best Television Film or Miniseries winners 2020s Canadian crime drama television series Gemini and Canadian Screen Award for Best Drama Series winners Television shows filmed in North Bay, Ontario