''Dice'' (2001) is a Canada/UK co-produced

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

television mini-series. It was directed by Rachel Talalay and written by

A. L. Kennedy Alison Louise Kennedy (born 22 October 1965) is a Scottish writer, academic and stand-up comedian. She writes novels, short stories and non-fiction, and is known for her dark tone and her blending of realism and fantasy. She contributes columns ...

and

John Burnside John Burnside FRSL FRSE (born 19 March 1955) is a Scottish writer. He is one of only three poets (the others being Ted Hughes and Sean O'Brien) to have won both the T. S. Eliot Prize and the Forward Poetry Prize for the same book (''Black Cat ...

, inspired by cult 70s novel ''

The Dice Man The Dice Man is a 1971 novel by American novelist George Cockcroft, writing under the pen name, "Luke Rhinehart". The book tells the story of a psychiatrist who makes daily decisions based on the casting of a diсe. Cockcroft describes the or ...

'' by

Luke Rhinehart George Powers Cockcroft (November 15, 1932 – November 6, 2020), widely known by the pen name Luke Rhinehart, was an American novelist, screenwriter, and nonfiction writer. He is best known for his 1971 novel ''The Dice Man,'' the story of a psyc ...

Plot

''Dice'' tells the story of charismatic psychology teacher, Glenn Taylor, who manipulates people by teaching them how to live by the throw of a dice. When the small community is shattered by the death of student Sally Quine, Detective Patrick Styvesant finds himself drawn deeper into a bizarre world where decisions are ruled by the dice. As Taylor's influence over the community deepens, Patrick also has his own demons to contend with as he battles alcoholism and his repressed homosexuality, all of which make him a perfect target for Taylor.

Main cast

Martin Cummins Martin Cummins (born November 28, 1969) is a Canadian actor known for his role as Ames White in '' Dark Angel'' and as Nick Boyle in '' Poltergeist: The Legacy''. Life and career Cummins went to Seaquam Secondary School in the town of North Del ...

as Patrick Styvesant * Aidan Gillen as Glenn Taylor * Gina McKee as Angela Starck *

Fred Ward Freddie Joe Ward (December 30, 1942 – May 8, 2022) was an American actor and producer. Starting with a role in an Italian television movie in 1973, he appeared in such diverse films as '' Escape from Alcatraz'', ''Southern Comfort'', '' The R ...

as Gacy * Brendan Fletcher as Alasdair MacCrae * Callum Keith Rennie as Egon Schwimmer *

Tracy Wright Tracy Wright (December 7, 1959 – June 22, 2010) was a Canadian actress who was known for her stage and film performances, as well as her presence in Canada's avant-garde for over 20 years. Career In 1989, she was a founding member of the Toron ...

as Gil

Awards

''Dice'' was nominated twice for 2002

Gemini awards The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in the United States a ...

Best Dramatic Series The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television presents an annual award for ''Best Dramatic Series''. Formerly presented as part of the Gemini Awards program, since 2013 the award has been presented as part of the expanded Canadian Screen Awards. 19 ...

(producers Lorraine Richard, Greg Dummett, Gub Neal) and Best Actor in a Drama (Martin Cummins).Canada’s Awards Database: 2002 Geminis
, last accessed October 3, 2009

Production

''Dice'' was co-produced by Cité-Amérique and Showcase Television in Canada and Box TV in the UK. It debuted on The Movie Network in Eastern Canada and on

Movie Central Movie Central (occasionally abbreviated as "MC", mostly in program guides) was a Canadian English language Category A premium cable and satellite television channel that was owned by Corus Entertainment. Movie Central was designated to operate ...

in Western Canada in November 2001, and was originally aired as a six-episode season.Dice at tv.com
last accessed October 3, 2009 The series was filmed in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

over 45 days from May to July 5, 2001.November 2001 article
by Jim Bawden, ''Toronto Star'', last accessed October 3, 2009 It was shot on Super 16 by DOP Jean-Pierre Trudel. The leading cast included British actors (Aidan Gillen from ''

Queer as Folk ''Queer as Folk'' may refer to: * ''Queer as Folk'' (British TV series), 1999–2000 * ''Queer as Folk'' (American TV series), a 2000–2005 American and Canadian version of the UK series ** ''Queer as Folk'' soundtracks, soundtrack albums from ...

'' and Gina McKee) as well as Canadian actors (Martin Cummins, Callum Keith Rennie, Brendan Fletcher, Mark McKinney, actor/jazz singer

Dorothée Berryman Dorothée Berryman (born April 28, 1948) is a Canadian actress and singer from Quebec. Career Berryman appeared on stage while she was still a student at Laval University. Active since 1971, she pursued a career in musical theatre and television ...

, Gary Farmer), plus U.S. actor Fred Ward. The budget was $6 million.Playback: May 28, 2001, "Cameras roll on Cite-Amerique, Box TV copro Dice"
last accessed October 3, 2009 A second six-hour season was planned to be filmed in the fall of 2002 but was never shot further to production issues.Playback: 2002, "Cummins a High Roller on Dice"
, last accessed October 3, 2009

DVD

''Dice'' was released in DVD in 2007 by

Digital Classics DVD Digital Classics DVD Limited is a UK-based DVD label which releases titles in the UK and worldwide across a range of genres: music, arts, documentaries, dramas and classic British comedy. Digital Classics DVD is part of DCD Media, one of Europe’s ...

as a 2 x 102 mins two-parter instead of the original 6 x 34 mins episodes.

Episodes

References

External links

*
Dice at DigitalClassics
{Dead link, date=July 2019 , bot=InternetArchiveBot , fix-attempted=yes

2001 films 2000s Canadian television miniseries 2000s British television miniseries 2000s British drama television series 2000s Canadian drama television series 2000s British LGBT-related drama television series 2000s Canadian LGBT-related drama television series English-language Canadian films Crave original programming Films directed by Rachel Talalay