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 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Western, drama |
| Created by | Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Production company | Janestown Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBC Television |
| Original release | 6 October 2014 – 2 February 2015 |
| 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
| Year | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Best Achievement in Casting | Jackie Lind | Nominated | [9] |
| Best Costume Design | Beverly Wowchuk | Nominated | ||
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role | Aaron Poole | Nominated | ||
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Series | Woody Jeffreys | Nominated | ||
| Best Photography in a Dramatic Program or Series | Bruce Worrall | Nominated |
Joey Awards
| Year | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Best Actress in a TV Drama Leading Role | Matreya Scarrwener | Won | [10] |
| Michelle Creber | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress in a TV Drama Guest Starring Role Age 14-18 Years | Laine MacNeil | Nominated |
Leo Awards
| Year | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Best Direction in a Dramatic Series | William Waring | Nominated | [11] |
| Best Cinematography in a Dramatic Series | Bruce Worrall | Won | ||
| Best Picture Editing in a Dramatic Series | Gordon Rempel | Nominated | ||
| Best Costume Design in a Dramatic Series | Beverley Wowchuk | Nominated | ||
| Best Casting in a Dramatic Series | Jackie Lind | Won | ||
| Best Guest Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series | Luke Camilleri | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series | Woody Jeffreys | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series | Anne Marie DeLuise | Won | ||
| Anja Savcic | Nominated | |||
| Michelle Creber | Nominated |
Young Artist Awards
| Year | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Best Performance in a TV Series - Guest Starring Young Actress 17-21 | Laine MacNeil | Nominated | [12] |
Home media release
eOne Films released season 1 on DVD on May 12, 2015.[13]
References
- "CBC TV heads in darker direction with Strange Empire". Toronto Star, April 4, 2014.
- Etan Vlessing (April 4, 2014). "CBC Picks Up 1860s Western 'Strange Empire' to Series". The Hollywood Reporter.
- Etan Vlessing (August 4, 2014). "DRG to Sell Dark Canadian Drama 'Strange Empire' at MIPCOM". The Hollywood Reporter.
- Chad Beharriell (October 8, 2014). "STRANGE EMPIRE ON CBC – FIRST EPISODE REVIEW". westernsreboot.
- "CBC cancels Strange Empire | Toronto Star". thestar.com. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- "STRANGE EMPIRE DEBUTS ON LIFETIME NETWORK – Rise of the Women". westernsreboot. 26 May 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- "Strange Empire: Inside the Character of Rebecca Blithely, CBC, 6 October 2014.
- John Doyle (2014). "John Doyle: Strange Empire – A remarkable, rugged western drama". Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06.
- "awards database". academy.ca. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- "Joey Awards". www.joeyawards.com. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- "2015 nominees" (PDF). leoawards.com. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- "36th Annual Young Artist Awards - Nominations / Special Awards". youngartistawards.org. Archived from the original on 19 November 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- Mikita, Andy. "Strange Empire". Amazon.ca. eOne Films. Retrieved 15 November 2016.