Tale of Three Episodes
The Boat Show, The Train Show, Call of the Wild.
All are double-length episodes on DS, all written by one man. So here are 5 6 things that we can learn from these episodes and the writer:
1) All the main characters cross into Canada from the US during the episodes. Reveals that Paul can't even bear for his fictional characters to be away from the homeland, never mind himself.
2) Boat, trains, submarines. Are these central plot devices to a Canadian drama-comedy, or toys that a 5 year old boy plays with? The plots have a delightfully cartoon-like/child-like quality about them, and even the baddies are rejects from Scooby-Doo. I was half-expecting Ken Welsh to pull off a mask and say "I would have gotten away with it to, if it weren't for those meddling mounties".
3) The world is saved by men in Uniform. It could be something to do with the Army background, but it could also indicate a fascination with large groups of men in leather boots.
4) Damn the dog. Rather like many fic writers, Paul never knew where to stick Diefenbaker in the action, so tended to leave him outside of the whole thing until the last 5 minutes where he invariably saved the day. This is despite Paul often mentioning his own dog in the same breath as his wife and children.
5) Likes making out in inappropriate places. This theme continues to this day, but Paul always wrote in a scene of close contact between Fraser and Inspector Thatcher...even going to the desperate lengths of writing a ghost's fantasy dream sequence (!) to shoe-horn in the inevitable. I think this was less to do with Camilla Scott than a fascination with strong women who are challenging to him , See: MWB, Trojan Horse, H20, Pass. etc. [As with everything with him, it does tend to be about Martha in the end.]
6) He's completely barmy. No evidence needed here, just watch the episodes.
All are double-length episodes on DS, all written by one man. So here are 5 6 things that we can learn from these episodes and the writer:
1) All the main characters cross into Canada from the US during the episodes. Reveals that Paul can't even bear for his fictional characters to be away from the homeland, never mind himself.
2) Boat, trains, submarines. Are these central plot devices to a Canadian drama-comedy, or toys that a 5 year old boy plays with? The plots have a delightfully cartoon-like/child-like quality about them, and even the baddies are rejects from Scooby-Doo. I was half-expecting Ken Welsh to pull off a mask and say "I would have gotten away with it to, if it weren't for those meddling mounties".
3) The world is saved by men in Uniform. It could be something to do with the Army background, but it could also indicate a fascination with large groups of men in leather boots.
4) Damn the dog. Rather like many fic writers, Paul never knew where to stick Diefenbaker in the action, so tended to leave him outside of the whole thing until the last 5 minutes where he invariably saved the day. This is despite Paul often mentioning his own dog in the same breath as his wife and children.
5) Likes making out in inappropriate places. This theme continues to this day, but Paul always wrote in a scene of close contact between Fraser and Inspector Thatcher...even going to the desperate lengths of writing a ghost's fantasy dream sequence (!) to shoe-horn in the inevitable. I think this was less to do with Camilla Scott than a fascination with strong women who are challenging to him , See: MWB, Trojan Horse, H20, Pass. etc. [As with everything with him, it does tend to be about Martha in the end.]
6) He's completely barmy. No evidence needed here, just watch the episodes.