Strange Empire

Strange Empire is a Canadian television drama series that aired on CBC Television in the 2014–15 television season.[1] Created by Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik,[2] the series is a serialized Western drama set in Janestown, near the Alberta-Montana border in the 1860s, in which three women band together for survival after their husbands are murdered.[3]

Strange Empire
GenreWestern, drama
Created byLaurie Finstad-Knizhnik
Starring
Country of originCanada
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producers
  • Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik
  • Tim Johnson
  • Jeff Sagansky
Production companyJanestown Productions
Release
Original networkCBC Television
Original release6 October 2014 (2014-10-06) 
2 February 2015 (2015-02-02)
External links
Website

The cast includes Cara Gee, Melissa Farman and Tattiawna Jones.[3] The first season began airing on 6 October 2014 and consists of 13 episodes.[4]

CBC cancelled the series in March 2015 after one season.[5] Strange Empire was broadcast on LMN in the US and was renamed Strange Empire: Rise of the Women, it premiered on May 29, 2015.[6]

Cast and characters

  • Cara Gee as Kat Loving, a Métis woman who loses her child and her husband and struggles to protect her surrogate family.
  • Melissa Farman as Rebecca Blithely, an autistic woman[7] who was previously institutionalized and who now works as a doctor.
  • Tattiawna Jones as Isabelle Slotter, a madam who is grieving after the loss of her child.
  • Aaron Poole as John Slotter, a violent mine owner, who is married to Isabelle.
  • Michelle Creber as Kelly and Matreya Scarrwener as Robin, are sisters who are rescued and adopted by Kat Loving after their gambling father sells them to Slotter for use in his bordello.
  • Terry Chen as Ling, a Chinese man looking to take over Slotter's coal mine.
  • Anne Marie DeLuise as Mrs. Briggs, a widow who runs a cantine.

Reception

The series premiere was watched by 319,000 Canadian viewers.

John Doyle of The Globe and Mail called it "a remarkable, rugged western drama" and praised the cast. Doyle concluded "Strange Empire wobbles a bit in episodes two and three, but never falls down. Watch and you are carried through on the freshness and zest of it, this dose of hard, rugged TV storytelling."[8]

Awards and nominations

Canadian Screen Awards

YearCategoryNomineeResultRef.
2016Best Achievement in CastingJackie LindNominated[9]
Best Costume DesignBeverly WowchukNominated
Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic RoleAaron PooleNominated
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or SeriesWoody JeffreysNominated
Best Photography in a Dramatic Program or SeriesBruce WorrallNominated

Joey Awards

YearCategoryNomineeResultRef.
2015Best Actress in a TV Drama Leading RoleMatreya ScarrwenerWon[10]
Michelle CreberNominated
Best Actress in a TV Drama Guest Starring Role Age 14-18 YearsLaine MacNeilNominated

Leo Awards

YearCategoryNomineeResultRef.
2015Best Direction in a Dramatic SeriesWilliam WaringNominated[11]
Best Cinematography in a Dramatic SeriesBruce WorrallWon
Best Picture Editing in a Dramatic SeriesGordon RempelNominated
Best Costume Design in a Dramatic SeriesBeverley WowchukNominated
Best Casting in a Dramatic SeriesJackie LindWon
Best Guest Performance by a Male in a Dramatic SeriesLuke CamilleriNominated
Best Supporting Performance by a Male in a Dramatic SeriesWoody JeffreysNominated
Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Dramatic SeriesAnne Marie DeLuiseWon
Anja SavcicNominated
Michelle CreberNominated

Young Artist Awards

YearCategoryNomineeResultRef.
2015Best Performance in a TV Series - Guest Starring Young Actress 17-21Laine MacNeilNominated[12]

Home media release

eOne Films released season 1 on DVD on May 12, 2015.[13]

References

  1. "CBC TV heads in darker direction with Strange Empire". Toronto Star, April 4, 2014.
  2. Etan Vlessing (April 4, 2014). "CBC Picks Up 1860s Western 'Strange Empire' to Series". The Hollywood Reporter.
  3. Etan Vlessing (August 4, 2014). "DRG to Sell Dark Canadian Drama 'Strange Empire' at MIPCOM". The Hollywood Reporter.
  4. Chad Beharriell (October 8, 2014). "STRANGE EMPIRE ON CBC – FIRST EPISODE REVIEW". westernsreboot.
  5. "CBC cancels Strange Empire | Toronto Star". thestar.com. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  6. "STRANGE EMPIRE DEBUTS ON LIFETIME NETWORK – Rise of the Women". westernsreboot. 26 May 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  7. "Strange Empire: Inside the Character of Rebecca Blithely, CBC, 6 October 2014.
  8. John Doyle (2014). "John Doyle: Strange Empire – A remarkable, rugged western drama". Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06.
  9. "awards database". academy.ca. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  10. "Joey Awards". www.joeyawards.com. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  11. "2015 nominees" (PDF). leoawards.com. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  12. "36th Annual Young Artist Awards - Nominations / Special Awards". youngartistawards.org. Archived from the original on 19 November 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  13. Mikita, Andy. "Strange Empire". Amazon.ca. eOne Films. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
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