Given the nature of television production these days, I’d venture that most of us have seen a show that was made in Canada. The X-Files, Beggars and Choosers, Battlestar Galactica, Highlander, Supernatural… it’s a really long list. Despite all of that US production, Canadian television doesn’t really get a lot of play south of the border. It’s certainly not regarded in the same way that TV from the UK is. That’s unfortunate, because there really are some terrific gems from the great white north. It’s with that in mind that when my turn came in the CliqueClack Flashback queue, I chose Slings & Arrows. It’s fully Canadian, and could be the best TV show ever (if NPR says it, it must be true!).
The show follows the exploits, both on stage and off, at the New Burbage Festival. Put most simply — it’s a comedy, about drama. Put a little more complicated — it’s a brilliant show that manages to take the tough subject of Shakespeare and weave it into an endlessly entertaining story that balances the comedic, and the dramatic, perfectly at every turn.
In looking back at the show I was trying to come up with the one thing that really makes it. The big highlight. And I just can’t. Truth be told, everything about the show is great. Starting with the leads, Paul Gross is perfect as Geoffrey Tennant. He manages to walk that thin line between insanity and passion, and we hang on his every word. Stephen Oiumette brings a lot of humor to his role as Oliver’s ghost, but his shared journey with Geoffrey is the real treat. And Martha Burns, as Ellen Fanshaw, despite all of her own particular craziness, is the glue that holds the ensemble together under such bizarre stewardship.
The incredible part is that, as good as they all are, they might not even be the best part of the show. The rest of the cast is rounded out with such great characters that they periodically demand the spotlight themselves. Chief among those are Mark McKinney and Susan Coyne, as Richard Smith-Jones and Anna Conroy. Perhaps the fact that McKinney and Coyne are two thirds of the writing team has something to do with them getting two of the best characters. Whatever the case, Richard’s journey through the series, going from heel, to savior, and back again is just fantastic. And everything we see in the first two seasons with Anna pays off beautifully in season three.
As if that wasn’t enough, we also have the appearance of one of my favorite Canadian actor/writer/directors, Don McKellar. If you’re a fan, you know McKellar can do over the top. And if ever there were an over the top character, it’s Darren Nichols. At times, you just want to slap some sense into him, or stab him… But no matter how bizarre his latest vision, you just have to keep watching to see what he’ll do next. It really doesn’t stop. You can add Graham Harley and Michael Polley, as Cyril and Frank, to that list, and so many more.
The other piece of Slings & Arrows that I think the creators got just right is the structure. With each season tackling one of Shakespeare’s plays, it really did set itself up perfectly to carry on, should that have been their choice. It also offered each season it’s own base, as the dramas away from the stage took on the spirit of whichever play the New Burbage was currently battling. That structure also set the stage perfectly for a rotating guest cast.
That gave us the great story with Kate (Rachel McAdams) and Jack (Luke Kirby) in season one. Season two brought all the difficulties of Henry Breedlove (Geraint Wyn Davies) to Macbeth, while Sarah (Joanne Kelly) was fighting against Darren’s insane vision of a Romeo and Juliet where the actors don’t touch or look at each other. And season three found King Lear‘s Sophie (Sarah Polley) squaring off against East Hasting’s Megan (Melanie Merkosky).
Really, I just love everything about the show. Ultimately, it’s a love letter to the theatre. Sure, fun is poked, and some of the characters are, on occasion, a bit out there. But at their core, all of these characters want to do the best theatre that they can, and share it with the world. My one, and only, selfish complaint is that there are only three short seasons for us to enjoy. It certainly could have gone on. But in that, I suppose it’s like the theatre. A short engagement, and then it’s gone. At least with this one, there are DVDs to watch again, and again.
Finally, some fun Slings & Arrows links:
Clacked by Brett Love 
on Feb 18, 2010 @ 12:00 EST5EDT
