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''Due South'' is a Canadian
crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...
comedy-drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
television series created by
Paul Haggis Paul Edward Haggis (born March 10, 1953) is a Canadian screenwriter, film producer, and director of film and television. He is best known as screenwriter and producer for consecutive Best Picture Oscar winners '' Million Dollar Baby'' (2004) and ...
, and produced by
Alliance Communications Alliance Films (formerly Alliance Entertainment, Alliance Communications, Alliance Atlantis Releasing Ltd, Motion Picture Distribution LP and also known as Alliance Vivafilm in Quebec and also known simply as Alliance) was a Canadian motion pictur ...
from its premiere on April 26, 1994, to its conclusion after four seasons on March 14, 1999. The series starred
Paul Gross Paul Michael Gross OC (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian actor, director, writer, producer, and musician born in Calgary, Alberta. Gross is known for his lead role as Constable Benton Fraser in the popular Canadian television series ''Due So ...
,
David Marciano David Marciano (born January 7, 1960, in Newark, New Jersey) is an American actor best known for his roles as Jeffery in ''Civil Wars'' (1991-1993), Detective Raymond Vecchio in the television series '' Due South'', Detective Steve Billings in th ...
,
Gordon Pinsent Gordon Edward Pinsent (born July 12, 1930) is a Canadian actor, writer, director, and singer. He is known for his roles in numerous productions, including ''Away from Her'', ''The Rowdyman'', ''John and the Missus'', ''A Gift to Last'', '' Due So ...
,
Beau Starr Beau Starr (born September 1, 1944) is an American actor who has starred in movies and on television. He is known for his film role as Sheriff Ben Meeker in the 1988 hit horror movie '' Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers''; he reprised his ...
, Catherine Bruhier, Camilla Scott,
Ramona Milano Ramona Milano is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her role as Francesca Vecchio in ''Due South'' and more recently as Teresa in ''Cra$h & Burn'' and as Audra Torres in '' Degrassi: The Next Generation''. She has also appeared in numero ...
, and
Callum Keith Rennie Callum Keith Rennie (born 14 September 1960) is a British-born Canadian actor who started his career in Canadian film and television projects, where his portrayal of Stanley Raymond Kowalski on the television series '' Due South'' was his firs ...
. The show follows the adventures of
Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal police, federal and national police service of ...
(RCMP) Constable
Benton Fraser Benton Fraser (born 1962) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the television series '' Due South''. He is a constable of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who works in the American city of Chicago, Illinois as Deputy Liaison Officer ...
, who first came to Chicago on the trail of the killers of his father, and has remained, attached as liaison with the Canadian Consulate. He works alongside a detective of the
Chicago Police Department The Chicago Police Department (CPD) is the municipal law enforcement agency of the U.S. city of Chicago, Illinois, under the jurisdiction of the City Council. It is the second-largest municipal police department in the United States, behind t ...
to solve crimes. Both are aided at times by Fraser's deaf white
wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly u ...
, Diefenbaker. The show's format mixed between elements of a police drama and comedy, derived from the stereotypical differences between Canadian and American culture at the time. It also included elements of fantasy derived from Gross' character being visited by the memory of his father who often provides mixed advice on situations. The series itself was mostly filmed in Toronto, and was assisted with financing on later seasons by the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
, which aired episodes on British television.


History

''Due South'' originally debuted as a
television movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
on CTV in Canada and
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
in the United States. After higher-than-anticipated ratings, ''Due South'' was turned into a continuing drama series in 1994. It was the first Canadian-made series to have a prime time slot on a major US network. After the 24-episode first season, CBS cancelled the series, but the show's success in Canada and the United Kingdom enabled the production company to raise enough money to mount a second thirteen-episode season, which ran from 1995 to 1996. The show was once again shown on CBS in late 1995 after many fall shows had failed (CBS ordered an additional five episodes, raising the number to eighteen, but broadcast only four of them), but CBS did not renew the series. After a one-year hiatus, CTV revived the series in 1997 with international investment (from the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
, ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, and TF1), and it ran for two further seasons, until 1999. In the United States, seasons three and four were packaged together as a single 26-episode season for
syndication Syndication may refer to: * Broadcast syndication, where individual stations buy programs outside the network system * Print syndication, where individual newspapers or magazines license news articles, columns, or comic strips * Web syndication, ...
. Despite critical acclaim and a consistently warm reception by American audiences, ''Due South'' never became a huge hit in the United States; however, it was one of the most highly rated regular series ever broadcast by a Canadian network. The show remains popular in the United Kingdom, and became one of the few non-British shows to have a prime-time weeknight slot on
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...
.


UK

In the UK, ''Due South'' was first broadcast on Tuesday May 9, 1995, earning critical acclaim with comparisons to ''
Northern Exposure ''Northern Exposure'' is an American Northern comedy-drama television series about the eccentric residents of a fictional small town in Alaska that ran on CBS from July 12, 1990, to July 26, 1995, with a total of 110 episodes. It received 57 ...
'' and ratings of over eight million. The series continued on either a Tuesday or Friday every week except August until November 28, 1995. Season two was broadcast on Saturday nights from July 27, 1996 and fared similarly well, but was pulled from the schedules in mid October, with
Noel's House Party ''Noel's House Party'' is a BBC light entertainment series that was hosted by Noel Edmonds. Set in a large house in the fictional village of Crinkley Bottom, leading to much innuendo, it ran from 23 November 1991 to 26 March 2000 on BBC One, a ...
taking its slot. The remaining 6 episodes were shown in January 1997, with the last episode going out on Easter Monday. The series was given a full repeat during the 1997 summer holidays each weekday morning. The BBC helped co-finance the third series, however the BBC struggled to find a suitable slot on Saturday nights, with only six episodes being broadcast from May - July, with three further episodes before Christmas 1998, and a further two in early January 1999. From May 1999, the remaining episodes from series 3 and all of series 4 were broadcast until November 1999, on
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 ...
and consistently performed well, with ratings of over two million viewers, regularly appearing in the top-ten weekly shows for the channel. Upon the end of the series in 1999, BBC Two immediately began to screen repeats, and the series
ITV3 ITV3 is a British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc. The channel was first launched on Monday 1 November 2004 at 9pm, replacing Plus (Granada). ITV3 is the sixth-largest UK television channel by ...
rescreened the series in 2006, while BBC Two from October 18, 2010, give the series another repeat run. A rerun on digital channel
True Entertainment True Entertainment was a former British free-to-air television channel that was launched on 3 August 2009, replacing Showcase TV. The change was originally scheduled to happen on 1 July 2009, but a late change put the change "on hold until f ...
began on October 10, 2014 with the pilot, with regular-series episodes following on weekdays from October 13. When True Entertainment closed mid 2019 it was replaced with
Sony Channel Sony Channel is a brand of general entertainment television channels, owned by Sony Pictures Television. It was previously known as Sony Entertainment Television (SET), but many of the channels, except the Indian television channel, were rebrand ...
where the series was broadcast in full commencing late 2020.


Premise

The premise of the series centres on the exploits of Constable Benton Fraser, an officer in the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal police, federal and national police service of ...
(RCMP) who travels south to
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
to initially solve the murder of his father, Sergeant Robert Fraser. However, during his investigation he inadvertently stumbles upon a scheme by several corrupt members of the RCMP that results in the shutdown of a new dam and the loss of many jobs, resulting in him being permanently stationed as a liaison officer in the Canadian consulate, which is depicted as a stand-alone building rather than as the 24th floor of
Two Prudential Plaza The Two Prudential Plaza is a 64-story skyscraper located in the Loop area of Chicago, Illinois. At tall, it is currently the sixth-tallest building in Chicago and the 28th-tallest in the U.S., being only five feet from 1,000 feet, making it ...
. During his time in Chicago, Fraser works alongside Due South characters#Detective Raymond Vecchio - a tough, streetwise cop - in solving a series of cases around the city and occasionally across the border in Canada. After the second season, Fraser is forced to work alongside a second partner, Stanley Raymond Kowalski, who poses as Vecchio after he leaves to assist in an undercover operation. Fraser often differs in his manners, including his politeness and honesty, and his methods of solving crimes, but is determined and dogged in pursuing and bringing down suspects, including his ability to predict where they might attempt to escape. Alongside his partner in the Chicago Police Department, Fraser is accompanied at times by a deaf lip-reading half-wolf named Diefenbaker, whom he adopted after the canine saved his life. After the first episode, Fraser finds himself visited by the ghost of his father Robert, whom only he can see, often providing mixed advice on his cases - with Robert appearing at random, infrequent moments up until the third series. The ghost then appears more frequently, only within the wardrobe of his son's office at the consulate; anyone else who tries to follow merely finds Fraser.


Cast

The following lists the primary actors who appear in the series, and the respective role they held: *
Paul Gross Paul Michael Gross OC (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian actor, director, writer, producer, and musician born in Calgary, Alberta. Gross is known for his lead role as Constable Benton Fraser in the popular Canadian television series ''Due So ...
as Constable
Benton Fraser Benton Fraser (born 1962) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the television series '' Due South''. He is a constable of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who works in the American city of Chicago, Illinois as Deputy Liaison Officer ...
*
David Marciano David Marciano (born January 7, 1960, in Newark, New Jersey) is an American actor best known for his roles as Jeffery in ''Civil Wars'' (1991-1993), Detective Raymond Vecchio in the television series '' Due South'', Detective Steve Billings in th ...
as Detective Raymond "Ray" Vecchio (Seasons 1–2, Guest Star 3–4) *
Beau Starr Beau Starr (born September 1, 1944) is an American actor who has starred in movies and on television. He is known for his film role as Sheriff Ben Meeker in the 1988 hit horror movie '' Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers''; he reprised his ...
as Lieutenant Harding Welsh * Catherine Bruhier as Elaine Besbriss (Seasons 1–3) *
Daniel Kash Daniel Joshua Kash (born April 25, 1959) is a Canadian actor and film director. Life and career Kash was born in Montreal, Quebec, the son of Canadian opera singer Maureen Forrester and Toronto-born violinist and conductor Eugene Kash (May 1, 1 ...
as Detective Louis Gardino (Seasons 1–2) * Tony Craig as Detective Jack Huey *
Gordon Pinsent Gordon Edward Pinsent (born July 12, 1930) is a Canadian actor, writer, director, and singer. He is known for his roles in numerous productions, including ''Away from Her'', ''The Rowdyman'', ''John and the Missus'', ''A Gift to Last'', '' Due So ...
as Sgt. Robert "Bob" Fraser *
Ramona Milano Ramona Milano is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her role as Francesca Vecchio in ''Due South'' and more recently as Teresa in ''Cra$h & Burn'' and as Audra Torres in '' Degrassi: The Next Generation''. She has also appeared in numero ...
as Francesca Vecchio * Camilla Scott as Inspector Meg Thatcher (Seasons 2–4) *
Callum Keith Rennie Callum Keith Rennie (born 14 September 1960) is a British-born Canadian actor who started his career in Canadian film and television projects, where his portrayal of Stanley Raymond Kowalski on the television series '' Due South'' was his firs ...
as Detective Stanley Raymond "Ray" Kowalski (Seasons 3–4) * Tom Melissis as Detective Thomas E. Dewey (Seasons 3–4) The following list prominent recurring cast members and their respective roles: *
Leslie Nielsen Leslie William Nielsen (11 February 192628 November 2010) was a Canadian actor and comedian. With a career spanning 60 years, he appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs, portraying more than 220 characters. Nielsen was bo ...
as Sgt. Buck Frobisher (Seasons 1–4) * Alex Carter as F.B.I. Agent Ford (Seasons 1–3) * Mark Melymick as F.B.I. Agent Deeter (Seasons 1–3) *
Deborah Rennard Deborah Rennard is an American actress, writer and producer, best known for her role as Sly Lovegren in ''Dallas'' (1981–1991). Life and career Rennard was born in Los Angeles, California. In 1981 she was cast in a recurring role on ''Dalla ...
as Dr. Esther Pearson (Season 1) *
Shay Duffin Shay Duffin (26 February 1931 – 23 April 2010) was an Irish character actor of the stage and screen. He was in the 1993 film ''Leprechaun'' with Jennifer Aniston. He also had a role in the 1997 film ''Titanic''. He was best known for writing ...
as Father Behan (Season 1) *
Lee Purcell Lee Purcell (born Lee Jeune Williams; June 15, 1947) is an American actress who worked primarily in the 1970s and 1980s. Early life Purcell was born Lee Jeune Williams at the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point (North Carolina), the elder daug ...
as D.A. Louise St. Laurent (Seasons 1–2) *
Dean McDermott Dean McDermott (born November 16, 1966) is a Canadian actor best known as a reality television personality with his wife, actress Tori Spelling, and as the host of the cooking competition ''Chopped Canada''. He played the role of Constable Renfi ...
as Constable Renfield Turnbull (Seasons 2–4) *
Anne Marie Loder Anne Marie DeLuise () is a Canadian actress. Career DeLuise has had a number of supporting roles in film and television. Her most notable roles are Dr. Greene in ''Fifty Shades of Grey (film), Fifty Shades of Grey'' and Mrs. Briggs on ''Strange ...
as Assistant State Attorney Stella Kowalski (Seasons 3–4) *
Jan Rubeš Jan Ladislav Rubeš CM (6 June 1920 – 29 June 2009) was a Czech-Canadian bass opera singer and actor. Life and career Rubeš was born in Volyně, Czechoslovakia, to Ružena (née Kellnerová) and Jan Rubeš. Not long after World War II, ...
as Dr. Mort Gustafson (Seasons 3–4) *
Ryan Phillippe Matthew Ryan Phillippe (; born September 10, 1974) is an American actor. After appearing as Billy Douglas on the soap opera ''One Life to Live'', he came to fame in the late 1990s with starring roles in films including ''I Know What You Did Las ...
as Del Porter (Season 1) *
Carrie-Anne Moss Carrie-Anne Moss (born August 21, 1967) is a Canadian actress. After early roles on television, she rose to international prominence for her role of Trinity in ''The Matrix'' series (1999–present). She has starred in '' Memento'' (2000) for w ...
as Irene Zuko "Juliet is Bleeding" (Season 2)


Production

Filming was mostly done in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
,
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 ...
, which was used as a stand-in for Chicago. In many episodes a
Toronto Transit Commission The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is the public transport agency that operates bus, subway, streetcar, and paratransit services in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, some of which run into the Peel Region and York Region. It is the oldest and largest ...
bus can be seen in the background. In others, prominent city landmarks such as the
CN Tower The CN Tower (french: Tour CN) is a concrete communications and observation tower in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Built on the former Railway Lands, it was completed in 1976. Its name "CN" referred to Canadian National, the railway c ...
and the
Union Station A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...
can be glimpsed. Part of the series was shot in
Banff National Park Banff National Park is Canada's oldest National Parks of Canada, national park, established in 1885 as Rocky Mountains Park. Located in Alberta's Rockies, Alberta's Rocky Mountains, west of Calgary, Banff encompasses of mountainous terrain, wi ...
,
Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
.


Media


Books

''Due South: The Official Companion'' by Geoff Tibballs was published in May 1998 containing basic information on the series and cast and brief episodes synopses up to the end of the third season. Another illustrated companion, ''Due South: The Official Guide'' by John A. Macdonald was published in December 1998. It contains some interviews with the characters and bios of the cast. Four paperback novelizations by Tom McGregor were published in the UK; these were: * ''Death in the Wilderness'' (1996), based on the pilot movie * ''An Invitation to Romance'' (1996), based on the episodes "An Invitation to Romance" and "Gift of the Wheelman" * ''Vaulting North'' (1997), based on "North" and "Vault" * ''All the Queen's Horses'' (1997), based on "All the Queen's Horses" and "Red, White or Blue"


Videos

The pilot two-hour movie was originally released on VHS in 1996, but individual episodes had been released prior to this throughout 1995 on VHS with two episodes per tape. In 1998, the season three and the season four two-part finales were released. In November 2002, the ''Due South Giftset'' was released containing the pilot movie and episodes ''Mountie on the Bounty'' and ''Call of the Wild''.


DVD releases

Alliance Atlantis Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. (commonly known as Alliance Atlantis and commonly shortened to simply Alliance or Atlantis and formerly traded as TSX:AAC) was a Canadian media company that operated primarily as a specialty service operato ...
released all 4 seasons on DVD in Canada only. The pilot episode is included on the third season release as a bonus feature. In the US,
Echo Bridge Home Entertainment Echo Bridge Entertainment is an American independent distribution company. It acquires and distributes feature films, scripted and non-scripted series, documentaries, and children’s programming for home video, digital and television in the United ...
released the series on DVD in 2005. Seasons 3 and 4 were released together as Due South: Season 3. They also released a series set on May 6, 2008. In 2011, Echo Bridge released the final two episodes, "Call Of The Wild" parts one & two, on a single DVD. In 2014, they released an eight-disk set of all four seasons, allegedly with inferior video quality to the original releases. In Region 2, Network released the series on DVD in the UK. Seasons 3 and 4 were released together as Due South: The Complete Third Series. In Region 4,
Madman Entertainment Madman Entertainment Pty. Ltd., also known as Madman Films, is an Australian distribution and rights management company headquartered in East Melbourne, Victoria, specialising in feature films, documentaries and television series across theatr ...
released the series on DVD in Australia. Seasons 3 and 4 were released as Due South: Season 3.


Streaming

As of 2017, the show has begun streaming online for free on
Canada Media Fund The Canada Media Fund (CMF, french: Fonds des médias du Canada - FMC) is a public-private partnership founded on April 1, 2010 by the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Canadian cable industry. It is used to fund the creation of original ...
's Encore+YouTube Channel. (Season 1 & 2). Due South is also available on Gem, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's streaming app. It is also available on Netflix in Canada.


Soundtrack

The producers of ''Due South'' sought to showcase various Canadian artists within the show's episodes, with many of the featured tracks released the CD soundtrack ''Due South: The Original Television Soundtrack'' (1996).
Sarah McLachlan Sarah Ann McLachlan Order of Canada, OC Order of British Columbia, OBC (born January 28, 1968) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. As of 2015, she had sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is ''Surfacing ( ...
's music was most prominently featured with no fewer than seven songs over the full run of the series; other recurring artists included The Headstones,
Loreena McKennitt Loreena Isobel Irene McKennitt, (born February 17, 1957) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer who writes, records, and performs world music with Celtic and Middle Eastern influences. McKennitt is known for her r ...
and
Colin James Colin James (born Colin James Munn, August 17, 1964) is a Canadian rock and blues singer and songwriter. Biography Early years James was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. His grandpa was Serbian. He got his break opening for Stevie Ray V ...
. "The Blue Line" (episode #1.16) featured "
The Hockey Theme "The Hockey Theme" is a Canadian piece of instrumental theme music composed in 1968 by Dolores Claman and orchestrated by Jerry Toth. It was widely recognized as Canada's unofficial second national anthem. The theme was associated with CBC Te ...
", the longtime theme song of
CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French-l ...
's sports series ''
Hockey Night in Canada CBC Television has aired National Hockey League (NHL) broadcasts under the ''Hockey Night in Canada'' (often abbreviated ''Hockey Night'' or ''HNiC'') brand that is primarily associated with its Saturday night NHL broadcasts throughout its hi ...
''. The show's theme was written and composed by
Jay Semko John Peter "Jay" Semko is a singer/songwriter and bassist with Canadian band, The Northern Pikes. He is also a music composer for numerous film and television productions, most notably the successful Canadian television series ''Due South''. Semk ...
of
The Northern Pikes The Northern Pikes are a Canadian rock band formed in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in 1984. The original members are Jay Semko, Bryan Potvin, Merl Bryck and Glen Hollingshead, who left the band in 1985 and was replaced by Don Schmid in June 1986. ...
(who recorded a version of the song with lyrics, played during the show's closing credits) working with
Jack Lenz John Frederick "Jack" Lenz is a Canadian composer. He has written, performed, and produced music for film, television, and theatre, along with working on non-soundtrack album ventures. He is also the founder of Live Unity Enterprises, an organiza ...
and John McCarthy. Semko also scored the first two seasons of ''Due South''. In November 1996, the first album was released, including an in-character
soliloquy A soliloquy (, from Latin ''solo'' "to oneself" + ''loquor'' "I talk", plural ''soliloquies'') is a monologue addressed to oneself, thoughts spoken out loud without addressing another. Soliloquies are used as a device in drama to let a character ...
by
Paul Gross Paul Michael Gross OC (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian actor, director, writer, producer, and musician born in Calgary, Alberta. Gross is known for his lead role as Constable Benton Fraser in the popular Canadian television series ''Due So ...
on the subject of bravery, taken directly from the episode "An Eye for an Eye". When the show returned for its third season, Semko returned to complete the second soundtrack. The second soundtrack album, ''Due South, Volume II: The Original Television Soundtrack'', was released in June 1998. Both albums are filled largely with the vocals used in the series.


''Due South: The Original Television Soundtrack'' (1996)

The final scene of the series was set to Stan Rogers' "
Northwest Passage The Northwest Passage (NWP) is the sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The eastern route along the Arct ...
", a classic Canadian
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...
song that has been referred to as an unofficial Canadian anthem. ''Due South: The Original Television Soundtrack'' was a
soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' ...
for the
Canadian television series The lists are divided by Canadian language: *List of English-language Canadian television series *List of French-language Canadian television series See also *List of Canadian animated television series The following is a list of animated tele ...
''Due South'', released by
Nettwerk Records Nettwerk Music Group is the umbrella company for Nettwerk Records, Nettwerk Management, and Nettwerk One Publishing. Established in 1984, the Vancouver-based company was created by Nettwerk principals Terry McBride and Mark Jowett as a record ...
on October 1, 1996. Track listing #
Jay Semko John Peter "Jay" Semko is a singer/songwriter and bassist with Canadian band, The Northern Pikes. He is also a music composer for numerous film and television productions, most notably the successful Canadian television series ''Due South''. Semk ...
, "Due South Theme" #
Spirit of the West Spirit of the West were a Canadian folk rock band from North Vancouver, active from 1983 to 2016. They were popular on the Canadian folk music scene in the 1980s before evolving a blend of hard rock, Britpop, and Celtic folk influences which ma ...
, " Bone of Contention" # Jay Semko,
Jack Lenz John Frederick "Jack" Lenz is a Canadian composer. He has written, performed, and produced music for film, television, and theatre, along with working on non-soundtrack album ventures. He is also the founder of Live Unity Enterprises, an organiza ...
and John McCarthy, "Cabin Music (Original Score)" #
Sarah McLachlan Sarah Ann McLachlan Order of Canada, OC Order of British Columbia, OBC (born January 28, 1968) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. As of 2015, she had sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is ''Surfacing ( ...
, " Possession (Piano Version Edit)" # Jay Semko, Jack Lenz and John K. McCarthy, "Horses (Original Score)" #
Kashtin Kashtin were a Canadian folk rock duo in the 1980s and 1990s, one of the most commercially successful and famous musical groups in First Nations history. Career The band was formed in 1984 by Claude McKenzie and Florent Vollant, two Innu music ...
, "
Akua Tuta ''Akua Tuta'' is the third album by Canadian folk rock duo Kashtin, released in 1994. ''Akua Tuta'' was the final album released by the band under the name Kashtin, although band members Claude McKenzie and Florent Vollant have each continued to r ...
" #
The Guess Who The Guess Who are a Canadian rock band formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1965. The band originated in 1962 and achieved an international hit single with a cover of "Shakin' All Over" in 1965 under the name Chad Allan and the Expressions. After c ...
, "
American Woman "American Woman" is a song by Canadian rock band the Guess Who, released January 1970, from the album of the same name. It was later released in March 1970 as a single backed with "No Sugar Tonight", and it reached number one for three weeks ...
" #
Figgy Duff Figgy Duff was a Canadian folk-rock band from Newfoundland, Canada. They played a major role in the Newfoundland cultural renaissance of the 1970s and 1980s. Formed in 1976 by Noel Dinn, who named the band after a traditional pudding, Figgy D ...
, " Henry Martin" #
Paul Gross Paul Michael Gross OC (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian actor, director, writer, producer, and musician born in Calgary, Alberta. Gross is known for his lead role as Constable Benton Fraser in the popular Canadian television series ''Due So ...
, "Ride Forever" #
Blue Rodeo Blue Rodeo is a Canadian country rock band formed in 1984 in Toronto, Ontario. They have released 16 full-length studio albums, four live recordings, one greatest hits album, and two video/DVDs, along with multiple solo albums, side projects, a ...
, " Flying" # Jay Semko, "Due South Theme (Instrumental)" # Holly Cole Trio, "Neon Blue" # Jay Semko, Jack Lenz and John McCarthy, "Victoria's Secret (Original Score)" # Klaatu, " Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" #
Toronto Mendelssohn Choir The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir is a Canadian large vocal ensemble based in Toronto, Ontario. It was co-founded in 1894 by Augustus S. Vogt and W. H. Hewlett to celebrate the opening of the Massey Hall. The ensemble was originally an extension of ...
,
Elmer Iseler Elmer Walter Iseler, (October 14, 1927 – April 3, 1998) was a Canadian choir conductor and choral editor. He was the conductor of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and founder of the Festival Singers of Canada and the Elmer Iseler Singers. Edu ...
, Roy Thomson Hall Orchestra,
Toronto Symphony Orchestra The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1906, the TSO gave regular concerts at Massey Hall until 1982, and since then has performed at Roy Thomson Hall. The TSO also manages the Toronto ...
and Andrew Davis, "Eia, Mater (from '' Stabat Mater'')" # Paul Gross, "Fraser/Inuit Soliloquy" # Jay Semko, Jack Lenz and John K. McCarthy, "Dief's in Love (Original Score)"


''Due South, Volume II: The Original Television Soundtrack'' (1998)

''Due South, Volume II: The Original Television Soundtrack'' was the second
soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' ...
for the
Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
television series ''Due South'', released by Nettwerk Records on June 2, 1998. #
Junkhouse Junkhouse was a Canadian rock band, formed during 1989 in Hamilton, Ontario. They released three albums during the 1990s, which spawned numerous charting singles in Canada. They initially disbanded in 1998, and reformed for various one-off shows a ...
, "Oh, What A Feeling" #
Captain Tractor Captain Tractor is a Canadian folk rock band, based in Edmonton, Alberta. They play a punk-influenced variant of Celtic folk music, similar to such bands as Great Big Sea, The Pogues or Spirit of the West. Their songs are often rich in local, ...
, "Drunken Sailor" #
Paul Gross Paul Michael Gross OC (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian actor, director, writer, producer, and musician born in Calgary, Alberta. Gross is known for his lead role as Constable Benton Fraser in the popular Canadian television series ''Due So ...
, "Robert MacKenzie" # Vibrolux, "Mind" #
Jay Semko John Peter "Jay" Semko is a singer/songwriter and bassist with Canadian band, The Northern Pikes. He is also a music composer for numerous film and television productions, most notably the successful Canadian television series ''Due South''. Semk ...
, "Mountie on the Bounty" (Original Score) #
Sarah McLachlan Sarah Ann McLachlan Order of Canada, OC Order of British Columbia, OBC (born January 28, 1968) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. As of 2015, she had sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is ''Surfacing ( ...
, "Song for a Winter's Night" #
Dutch Robinson Dutch "Teddy" Robinson is a singer songwriter, and music producer. From South Bronx, New York, he was one of the original lead singers with the Ohio Players. After leaving the Players, Dutch went on to produce such hits as "I Ain't Got Nothin" ( ...
, "Slave to Your Love" # Single Gun Theory, "From a Million Miles" #
Trevor Hurst Econoline Crush is a Canadian rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia, formed in 1992. They have released five studio albums and are known for their charting singles such as "You Don't Know What It's Like", "Home", "Surefire (Never Enough)", ...
, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" #
Mythos Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrati ...
, "November" # The Headstones, "Cubically Contained" #
Michelle Wright Michelle Wright (born July 1, 1961) is a Canadian country music artist. She is one of the country's most widely recognized and awarded female country singers of the 1990s, winning the Canadian Country Music Association's Fans' Choice Award twice ...
, " Nobody's Girl" #
Ashley MacIsaac Ashley Dwayne MacIsaac (born February 24, 1975) is a Canadian fiddler, singer and songwriter from Cape Breton Island. He has received three Juno Awards, winning for Best New Solo Artist and Best Roots & Traditional Album – Solo at the Juno A ...
, "Sophia's Pipes" #
Jay Semko John Peter "Jay" Semko is a singer/songwriter and bassist with Canadian band, The Northern Pikes. He is also a music composer for numerous film and television productions, most notably the successful Canadian television series ''Due South''. Semk ...
, "Western End of the Trail" (Original Score) #
Tara MacLean Tara Margaret Charity MacLean (born October 25, 1973) is a Canadian musician, singer and composer. Her hit songs as a solo artist include "Evidence", " If I Fall", and a cover of the Christmas song " Light of the Stable". She was a member of At ...
, "Holy Tears" #
Jay Semko John Peter "Jay" Semko is a singer/songwriter and bassist with Canadian band, The Northern Pikes. He is also a music composer for numerous film and television productions, most notably the successful Canadian television series ''Due South''. Semk ...
, "Due South Theme '97"


Awards

Over the three-season run of the series, ''Due South'' and its cast and crew earned a number of awards. Most significantly, the show earned 53 Canadian
Gemini Gemini may refer to: Space * Gemini (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac ** Gemini in Chinese astronomy * Project Gemini, the second U.S. crewed spaceflight program * Gemini Observatory, consisting of telescopes in the Northern ...
nominations, winning 15, including ''Best Dramatic TV series'' three years running (1995–1997), Paul Gross winning ''Best Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role'' two years running (1995–1996) and creator Paul Haggis winning ''Best Writing in a Dramatic Series'' the same two years.


Critical reception

Fraser's methods, usually more sensitive and understanding than is typical for police work, gave the series a reputation for well-rounded characters. ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' critic Adam Sandler praised the acting of Gross and Marciano and attributed the "show’s charm" to the writers' development of the two lead characters' relationship. It was named as one of TV's most underrated shows by ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
,'' and ''
Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
'' critic William Thomas reviewed season 1 and concluded that "At its worst, ''Due South'' is a witty and well-written genre hit; at its best, it’s one of the most original and quietly influential shows of the mid-’90s." A reviewer from the ''Los Angeles Times'' was less positive, finding the show's portrayal of RCMP officers unrealistic and unfunny.


Fan conventions

A number of fan conventions were organized by ''Due South'' fans during the 1990s, the biggest and best-known of which was "RCW 139", so named after the license plate number that recurred throughout the series. RCW 139 was held annually in Toronto between 1996 and 1999, attracting approximately 300 fans from more than 10 countries in both 1998 and 1999. The convention featured games, discussion panels, a formal dinner, and guest panels. Numerous cast and crew members have attended, including
David Marciano David Marciano (born January 7, 1960, in Newark, New Jersey) is an American actor best known for his roles as Jeffery in ''Civil Wars'' (1991-1993), Detective Raymond Vecchio in the television series '' Due South'', Detective Steve Billings in th ...
(1998),
Paul Gross Paul Michael Gross OC (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian actor, director, writer, producer, and musician born in Calgary, Alberta. Gross is known for his lead role as Constable Benton Fraser in the popular Canadian television series ''Due So ...
(1999),
Gordon Pinsent Gordon Edward Pinsent (born July 12, 1930) is a Canadian actor, writer, director, and singer. He is known for his roles in numerous productions, including ''Away from Her'', ''The Rowdyman'', ''John and the Missus'', ''A Gift to Last'', '' Due So ...
(1998), Tom Melissis (1997, 1998, 1999), Tony Craig (1997), Catherine Bruhier (1998, 1999) and
Jay Semko John Peter "Jay" Semko is a singer/songwriter and bassist with Canadian band, The Northern Pikes. He is also a music composer for numerous film and television productions, most notably the successful Canadian television series ''Due South''. Semk ...
(1998, 1999). Draco (Diefenbaker) and his trainer, Gail Parker, were guests in both 1998 and 1999. After a nine-year hiatus, the convention was revived in 2008, with guest panels from
David Marciano David Marciano (born January 7, 1960, in Newark, New Jersey) is an American actor best known for his roles as Jeffery in ''Civil Wars'' (1991-1993), Detective Raymond Vecchio in the television series '' Due South'', Detective Steve Billings in th ...
,
Jay Semko John Peter "Jay" Semko is a singer/songwriter and bassist with Canadian band, The Northern Pikes. He is also a music composer for numerous film and television productions, most notably the successful Canadian television series ''Due South''. Semk ...
, Tom Melissis, Catherine Bruhier, and Gail Parker with Cinder, Draco's sister and stunt-double. Another convention was held in August 2010, with
Paul Gross Paul Michael Gross OC (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian actor, director, writer, producer, and musician born in Calgary, Alberta. Gross is known for his lead role as Constable Benton Fraser in the popular Canadian television series ''Due So ...
,
Jay Semko John Peter "Jay" Semko is a singer/songwriter and bassist with Canadian band, The Northern Pikes. He is also a music composer for numerous film and television productions, most notably the successful Canadian television series ''Due South''. Semk ...
, Tom Melissis, Camilla Scott, Tony Craig, Catherine Bruhier, and Ramona Milano. RCW 139: From a Million Miles was held from August 17–19, 2012 in Toronto. This event included tours and dining in the Distillery District of Toronto and the Patrician Grill, both of which were frequently used for location filming. RCW 139: Thank You Kindly was held from August 15–17, 2014 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of ''Due South.'' Catherine Bruhier, Ramona Milano, Tom Melissis, and Tony Craig, along with guest star Lisa Jakub ("Chicago Holiday" 1.07/1.08, appeared on the cast panel; assistant directors Michael Bowman and Woody Sidarous, costume supervisor Alex Kavanagh, and prop master Craig Williams formed the crew panel. Paul Haggis made an appearance via
Skype Skype () is a proprietary telecommunications application operated by Skype Technologies, a division of Microsoft, best known for VoIP-based videotelephony, videoconferencing and voice calls. It also has instant messaging, file transfer, deb ...
chat. Included in the activities were a tour of the Distillery District, a bus tour of filming locations, a game of "Due South Jeopardy", and a charity auction of props, scripts, costume pieces, and other series memorabilia. This was the first ''Due South'' convention to be webcast for the benefit of fans unable to attend.


In popular culture

* In the
MMORPG A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a video game that combines aspects of a role-playing video game and a massively multiplayer online game. As in role-playing games (RPGs), the player assumes the role of a Player charac ...
''
City of Heroes ''City of Heroes'' (''CoH'') was a massively multiplayer online role-playing game which was developed by Cryptic Studios and published by NCSOFT. The game was launched in North America on April 28, 2004, and in Europe by NCsoft Europe on Febru ...
'', budding superheroes could take missions from a Detective Frasenbaker, an apparently superhuman Mountie who moved to the fictional Paragon City while on the trail of his father's killers. * In the ''
Vinyl Cafe The Vinyl Cafe is an hour-long radio variety show hosted by Stuart McLean that was broadcast on CBC Radio and was syndicated to approximately 80 U.S. public radio stations through Public Radio International. It aired on Sunday at noon EST and T ...
'' Dave and Morley story, Cousin Dorothy comes to Toronto from England to attend a "Friends of ''Due South''" convention. * The 2010 movie '' Barney's Version'' includes a fake TV show called ''O'Malley of the South'' starring Paul Gross in a parody of his own character in ''Due South''. * At the conclusion of one episode of '' The Pretender'', a series also shot in and around Toronto at the same time as ''Due South'', Miss Parker is asked where she thinks Jarod has gone. She replies that "He has gone South, Due South." The next scene shows Jarod participating in the RCMP
Musical Ride The Musical Ride of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is an event showcasing the equestrian skills performed by 32 cavalry who are regular members of the force. The event is held in Canada and worldwide to promote the RCMP. The first official rid ...
.


See also

* List of Due South episodes *
Television in Canada Television in Canada officially began with the sign-on of the nation's first television stations in Montreal and Toronto in 1952. As with most media in Canada, the television industry, and the television programming available in that country, a ...


References


External links

* * *
A ''Due South'' retrospective at PaulGross.org

BBC website
which lists ''Due South'' as a
cult television A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
show
RCW 139
Due South fan convention {{ACCT Best Dramatic Series 1994 Canadian television series debuts 1999 Canadian television series endings 1990s Canadian comedy-drama television series 1990s Canadian crime drama television series Canada–United States relations in popular culture Canadian television series revived after cancellation Television series created by Paul Haggis CBS original programming CTV Television Network original programming Royal Canadian Mounted Police in fiction Television shows set in Chicago Television series by Alliance Atlantis Television shows filmed in Toronto Fictional portrayals of the Chicago Police Department English-language television shows Gemini and Canadian Screen Award for Best Drama Series winners Television series by Universal Television