(1) "Due South" is indeed one of the most successful Canadian shows ever made. However, it wasn't as successful as you might think. True, when it was cancelled by CBS, the foreign popularity did manage to get the show continued, and British and German partners jumped in to provide financing. However, despite these partnerships and its popularity overseas, the show could only make 13 shows a season, and still had budget problems at times.

(2) Traditionally, the American market is very xenophobic towards foreign product of a "distinct" sense - this explains why there have been very few distinctly (fill in country names) shows bought by networks or many sydicated stations. Yes, "Forever Knight" did do reasonably well in the U.S., but that's the exception to the rule; most other "fun" Canadian shows with distinctively Canadian elements like "Bob & Margaret" and "Blackfly" haven't made much (or any) money in the U.S. "Due South" got canned twice in the United States due to poor ratings, and "Power Play" got cancelled after ONE disasterous airing by UPN. You will see some foreign (sometimes Canadian) programming on American cable channels, but the cable channels pay a pittance for the license fees, since their audiences aren't as huge.

So seeing how limited the U.S. market is (usually) to foreign (including Canadian) product - and knowing that U.S. license fees for a widely seen show there can pay for most or all of a show, that is why so many Canadian shows gear for the American market. If they make a big U.S. sale, they can relax, because they know they've made money. Even if the show gets cancelled after one season (like "Queen of Swords") they are still in the black.

Anyway, to another topic... you might be pleased to know (as I am) that Telefilm has made a radical shift in its decision-process as to what movies they will fund. If you go to the following link, you'll not only get a list of some promising-sounding Canadian movies that recently got funded and are now being made, but (if you click the link on the page entitled "The ABCs Of Audience Building"), you'll learn more about the new criteria Telefilm has:

http://www.telefilm.gc.ca/data/communiques/rel_273.asp?lang=en&

This explains why your typical set-in-Canada TV series can only manage to make 13 (or even just 6) episodes a season - they can't raise more money to make more episodes from meager foreign sales, and because the license fees from Canadian stations in no way come close to paying for the show, even with the government subsidies they get. As a result, it can take YEARS for a Canadian TV show to make its money back (if ever).

Compare this to "disguised" shows like "Relic Hunter" and "Earth: Final Conflict". Thanks to big foreign sales, they not only can make 22 episodes a season, but have the money to spend more for each episode so that these shows look more slick than made-in-Canada shows.

Needless to say, these factors also explain why many Canadian movies disguise their settings.

"Art of War"--Donald Sutherland is a Canadian, and he plays a Canadian secretary general in the United Nation.

"Chances Or Coincidences" it's a pretty cool movie. Half of the part is about Canada.....I think you can check it out!

"Good Will Hunting" the movie is shot in Toronto.

SHOOT TO KILL (1988). Starring Sidney Poitier, Tom Berenger, Kirstie Alley. This crime thriller starts in San Francisco and then police officer Poitier and outdoorsman Berenger track the killer through the mountains until they cross the border in to Canada. The climax, where they finally corner the killer, happens in Vancouver. This movie was evidently filmed entirely in British Columbia, but it's a U.S. production and they seem to have decided that, as long as they're actually in Canada, they might as well use the location to their advantage.

THE OPPOSITE OF SEX (1998). Starring Christina Ricci, Lisa Kudrow. This is set in the Northeastern U.S. (as I recall -- it's been a while since I've seen it), but, toward the end, they wind up in Canada, seemingly in cottage country in northern Ontario. I don't know where this was filmed, but I had the impression that it was all filmed in the States. The Canadian scenes just seem to me to have been done in California, but I don't really have anything to base that on.

I !!!LOVE!!! THIS SIGHT!!!

Thank you,

Ry Jay

I am desperately searching for some info on "The Prom" with Stacie Mistysyn and Jaimz Woolvett (I also have a webpage on him at www.jaimzwoolvett.homestead.com if anybody is interested). I would appreciate any help I can get on the subject. I would like to know the name of the male lead in the movie. I also would like to obtain the movie if at all possible. Your review of it is way off the mark though. It is a terrific movie.