Nostalgia time

[cordelia_gray]

In non-SPN fannish news, I've been on a Due South kick lately. I never watched much of it when it was airing, despite having an abiding affection for both Paul Gross and Callum Keith Rennie, darlings of the Canadian stage and screen that they are. But I got into reading some Due South fic recently, and then decided maybe I should actually watch the

Comments

[hells_half_acre]

That's awesome! Due South was my first real "fandom" - and it's what sucked me into the world of fanfiction back in the day. I actually did watch it in the 90s when it aired. So I had no idea that the kid in Wheelman was Ryan Philippe! Neat!

I remember being so hesitant when they announced they were replacing Ray V., but Ray K. kind of IS the superior Ray, and I'm a big fan of Callum Keith Rennie, so it didn't take me long to love him at all.

I actually joke that I seem to have a thing for "two guys driving around in a classic car" - since Due South and SPN are the two shows I became more than a little obsessed with.

I actually recorded all of Due South off the TV back in the day. I still have the VHS tapes in a box somewhere. One of these days I should look into buying the series on DVD and bringing my collection into the 21st century.

[cordelia_gray]

Oh, cool! I think Due South and Supernatural do have a certain amount in common :) I can see why one would lead to another quite easily. I can't imagine how weird it must have been at the time when they switched Rays, but I kind of love how they handled it. Very clever!

They kept a very difficult tone with that show - it's odd, but it's very internally consistent, and a bit meta (another thing it has in common with SPN!) and I'm enjoying it a lot. Gift of the Wheelman really was surprisingly good - not just bb!Ryan Phillipe, but also the first appearance of Fraser's dad's ghost, yes?

[hells_half_acre]

Yeah, Due South is a hard show to explain to people.

It was VERY odd when they switched Rays, mostly just in the fandom, as you say, the show itself handled the transition cleverly and smoothly... I'm kind of thankful, in retrospect, that social media wasn't a thing back then, because it was a bit harder for wank to spread. But yeah, other fandoms had shipping wars, Due South had "Ray" wars (which, I guess were partially shipping wars too, but also not.)

And yes, Gift of the Wheelman was the first appearance of Fraser's Dad's ghost. You know, it didn't even occur to me that "ghosts" was another thing it had in common with Supernatural. :P

[amberdreams]

I watched from the start so the first Ray was my fave, and the other one grew on me, eventually. I did love how it wove in the ghosts and weirdness so effortlessly.

[cordelia_gray]

I like both Rays! (is that allowed, or do we have to pick teams?)

The magic-realism aspect of it is really delightful. And I love how Canada is both the land of the true, decent, unfailingly polite Mountie, and also is evidently swarming with criminals who keep escaping into the US and having to be extradited.

[amberdreams]

It's a bit like watching Morse - they show Oxford and its dreaming spires, all golden stone and seat of learning - where multiple murders happen on such a regular basis in real life people would be moving out in droves!

And I did end up liking both Rays...mmm I'm starting to crave a rewatch...

[de_nugis]

I haven't watched Due South since it was airing (it seems to be one of those things that are only available on DVD here), but I have just begun watching Slings and Arrows, which I'd never seen before, and it is so wonderful and I am on a Paul Gross-stanning kick.

It also gave me surprise!Julian Richings -- the poor guy seems a bit typecast, no?

Now that I know about fandom, I would one day like to go back and watch all of Due South with a view to the Ray wars. Perhaps I would find myself violently and entertainingly partisan.

[cordelia_gray]

Squeee! I am so excited that you are watching Slings & Arrows! It is one of my favourite things ever. how far through are you? I have to admit that as Paul Gross characters go, Geoffrey Tennant is much more my type than Benton Fraser. In fact, I think most of the men I have dated share certain Geoffrey-like qualities, though none have been either as handsome or as deranged, which I suppose overall is a win :)

And surprise!Julian Richings is always good. He just plays those parts so well!

Due South was actually very hard to find here as well. I have found a somewhat dubious means of watching it streaming online, but the quality isn't great.

I shall report back on my findings once I get to the Ray!switch. Who knows? Perhaps I will have changed my mind by then.

[de_nugis]

I've just watched the first two eps of s2. It's very sad that there's so little of it. (Though doubtless there is something to be said for not going for, say, at least ten 20+ episode seasons . . . )

Come to think of it, the one item in my minimal romantic history features some Geoffrey-like qualities as well.

I just want to see if they could cast Julian Richings in a heartwarming family drama with a baby or something and pull it off. Though that is making me imagine an AU in which Death somehow ends up raising an accidental Sam offspring.

[cordelia_gray]

The Scottish play! ♥ And Froghammer! Colm Feore is great.

I do wish there were more Slings & Arrows, but at the same time the few episodes we have are more precious due to scarcity. And the quality is very high, in a way that would be very hard to maintain on the punishing production schedule & budget of the CW :) I do hold out some hope of another series at some point - there are plenty of plays left, after all! I could see them wanting to tackle The Tempest, it seems like it would be a rich vein of material. Or even one of the comedies.

And I now I feel I should research Julian Richings' filmography and see if he's ever done such a thing. Death raising Sam's accidental baby is a truly terrifying and hilarious mental image.