Da Vinci is a rugged handsome dude!
Intelligent German Shepherd usually saves the day!
Years ago when Canada became concerned about saturation of the airwaves by American-made TV dramas & sitcoms, statutes were instituted by the CRTC to guarantee Canadian content on the networks North of the border.
Thereafter, most product for "Canadian" TV, appealed to the locals - but occasionally - producers feverishly tried to copycat the splashy American productions down south.
A couple of mainstays on CBC Television included - "The Beachcomber" and "The Littlest Hobo".
Well-known Canadian Actor, Bruno Gerussi (who?) played "Nick Adonidas" on Canada's longest running series - the "Beachcomber" - which was regarded by Canucks as the quintessential Canadian program.
The entertaining cast of characters, locations, and events strongly appealed to audiences abroad, too.
There was a lot of physical action each week, calclulated to rev up audiences - high-speed boat chases and rough-and-tumble break-neck chases through the wilds - for instance - but little actual violence.
The family-oriented show often featured picturesque scenes of fishing, logging, and beachcombing on the West Coast - sparked with a bit of homespun humor - of course.
The weekly serial also drew upon Canada's wide multi-cultural diversity for a wider appeal.
"The Littlest Hobo" - another show produced North of the border - followed the adventures of an intelligent German shepherd who sauntered into a different locale each episode and assisted hapless folks with their woes.
Probably one of the most exciting dramas to hit the CBC airwaves in recent years was a riveting mini-series about an alleged "fictional" gang of notorious bikers known as the "Triple Sixers".
Actually, a couple of the edgy motorcycle-gang toughs depicted in the sprawling criminal saga, were based on real-life characters - one of which - I crossed paths with in downtown Toronto years ago when I was just seventeen (a biker known as Zip).
The gritty drama, for the most part, focused on a cast of nasty ne' er do wells, drug lords, and mobsters - and the dedicated cops - out to nab 'em.
"The Last Chapter" was show-cased in six powerful hours of television programming.
Essentially set in the shadowy world of biker gangs, the well-written drama also focused in-depth on characters the outlaws' lives intertwined with - their wives, lovers, and children - for instance.
The Canadian offering was along the dramatic lines of the HBO hit series - "The Sopranos" - and ranked right up there in quality with any action-adventure drama on American or British Television.
Unlike many cutesy superficial pieces of fluff produced by the Canucks, "The Last Chapter" was chock full of realistic drama, great dialogue, and well-fleshed-out intriguing characters to root for or against.
Canada also tried to compete with the U.S. Networks when a soap opera along the lines of - "The Young and the Restless" and "Guiding light"- went into production at CFTO Television in Toronto a few years back.
Actor Gordon Thompson (who went on to land a prime role in Aaron Spellings' late-night soaper "Dynasty") played one of the leads.
Apparently, the "empty" sudsy serial went by way of the dinosaur, fast.
When I was last in Vancouver, I quickly became addicted to the stirring weekly drama titled, "Da Vinci's Inquest".
Essentially, the plot focuses on a coroner and his team of experts, who sort out crime in the lower mainland of Vancouver.
Part of the appeal of "Da Vinci" - starring Nicholas Campbell - derives from its basic earthiness.
Because the drama deals alot with police procedure, Da Vinci has been aptly labeled a hybrid of popular U.S. dramas in the same relative vein.
Many critics compare the popular show to "Law & Order" and "CSI" which are produced south of the border.
Because there are storylines that carry over several episodes, Da Vinci requires a bit of effort on the part of viewers to stay on top of the undercurrents and salient moments as they unexpectedly arc on the award-winning TV drama each season.
Some of the tales are gritty - about serial killers, for example - who prey on prostitutes.
In spite of the fact a handful of the material has been ripped from the headlines and manipulated to their maximum melodramatic effect on Da Vinci, solid realism prevails.
His supporting team is perfectly cast, too.
When friends of mine opened their house to me on a recent trip home to Canada, and casually informed me that the producer resided in the house across the street, I was tempted to hot-foot it over there in the dark-of-night and tuck my picture and resume in his mailbox.
Needless to say, since I have been back in California, I have missed watching the vastly entertaining drama each week.
However, TV Guide announced recently that the 2nd season of Da Vinci's Inquest will be available on DVD.
Great, I've got a lot of catching up to do!
Check it out.
The intelligent well-crafted material may win you over, too.
