Due South

Due South Information

Due South is a Canadian crime drama series with elements of comedy. The series was created by Paul Haggis, produced by Alliance Communications, and stars Paul Gross, David Marciano, and latterly Callum Keith Rennie. It ran for 68 episodes over four seasons, from 1994 to 1999.

Set in Chicago, the show follows the adventures of Constable Benton Fraser (Paul Gross), an officer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), who is attached to the Canadian consulate but works with Detective Raymond Vecchio of the Chicago Police Department to solve crimes, assisted by Fraser's companion Diefenbaker, a deaf white wolfdog. From season three, Fraser works with a Detective Stanley Kowalski (Callum Keith Rennie), who is placed in the department to impersonate Detective Vecchio, who goes on an undercover assignment.

The premise of such a working relationship is established in the pilot episode when Fraser is temporarily posted to Chicago to assist Vecchio in the investigation of the murder of Fraser's father, who was also of the RCMP. In the process of finding them, he also exposes an environmental corruption scandal involving some members of the RCMP, causing much embarrassment and loss of jobs in his native Northwest Territories, which leaves him persona non grata in Canada and within the RCMP and posted permanently to Chicago.

A police dramedy, it plays on the stereotypical differences between Canadian and American culture, and in particular, Fraser's extremely polite persona and exceptional tracking and detection abilities, contrasted with Detective Vecchio's more robust personality and methods.

History

Due South originally debuted as a television movie on CTV in Canada and CBS in the United States. After higher-than-anticipated ratings, Due South was turned into a continuing drama series in 1994. It was the first Canadian-made series to have a prime time slot on a major US network. However, CBS moved its time slot continuously after its first season and often preempted it with other programs, so maintaining an audience was a challenge.

After the 24-episode first season, CBS cancelled the series, but the show's success in Canada and the United Kingdom enabled the production company to raise enough money to mount a second 18-episode season, which ran from 1995 to 1996. The show was once again shown on CBS in late 1995 after many fall shows had failed (CBS ordered an additional five episodes but broadcast only four of them), but CBS did not renew the series.

After a one-year hiatus, CTV revived the series in 1997 with international investment (from the BBC, ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, and TF1), and it ran for two further seasons, until 1999. In the United States, seasons three and four were packaged together as a single 26-episode season for syndication. The post-1997 episodes have been labelled a spin-off from the original series. Despite critical acclaim and a consistently warm reception by American audiences, Due South never became a huge hit in the United States; however, it was one of the most highly rated regular series ever broadcast by a Canadian network. The show remains popular in the United Kingdom, and became one of the few non-British shows to have a prime-time weeknight slot on BBC One. In the UK, Due South was broadcast on Tuesdays from 9 May 1995, earning critical acclaim with comparisons to Northern Exposure and ratings of over eight million, until a switch in June to Fridays, being pulled from the schedule in July, and returned to Tuesdays in September. Season two was broadcast on Saturday nights from 27 July 1996 and fared similarly well, but was pulled from the schedules in October with five episodes of the season remaining. These were shown in January 1997. The BBC co-financed the third season but struggled to find a suitable slot on Saturday nights for it, and only five episodes of the series were shown in May and June 1998 with the remainder in daytime slots over Christmas 1998. The final season, broadcast from May to November 1999, was moved to BBC Two and consistently performed well, with ratings of over two million viewers, regularly appearing in the top-ten weekly shows for the channel. Upon the end of the series in 1999, BBC Two immediately began to screen repeats, and the series was also rescreened on ITV3 in 2006, and again on BBC Two from 18 October 2010.

Story overview

The premise of the series centres on a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) constable named Benton Fraser (Paul Gross) who travels to Chicago to solve the murder of his father; this is how he meets his soon-to-be partner, Ray Vecchio (David Marciano), a tough, streetwise cop. Accompanied by his half-wolf Diefenbaker (who adopted Fraser after saving his life, and is deaf, but can read lips), the investigation leads Fraser to uncover a plot by a company building a dam that is slowly killing the environment. This leads to the dam being shut down and many people losing their jobs. He also implicates corrupt members of the RCMP in the affair. This along with the loss of so many peoples' jobs makes him persona non grata in Canada, and he finds himself stationed in Chicago. This plot line is referred to repeatedly during the series, and from season three on he introduces himself to many by saying:

I first came to Chicago on the trail of the killers of my father and, for reasons which don't need exploring at this juncture, I have remained, attached as liaison to the Canadian consulate.

Marciano, the original Ray, did not appear in the post-1997 episodes, save for the first and last episodes, but was replaced by Callum Keith Rennie as Stanley Raymond Kowalski, a detective who was under orders to impersonate Vecchio while the real Vecchio was undercover. Marciano did return for the series finale, in which Vecchio returned to Chicago to break up a weapons-smuggling ring, and eventually ran off to Florida with Kowalski's ex-wife, Stella. In the last episode, Benton and his father's ghost finally solve Benton's mother's murder. This results in the ghost's departure. The series ends with Benton and Kowalski in search of the graves of the Franklin expedition. This missing expedition is immortalized in the Canadian folk song "Northwest Passage", which Paul Gross sings in the episode.

Recurring themes

Benton Fraser is the archetypal Mountie: dogged, polite, and compulsively truthful; the themes of the series often featured his rigid moral code being tested by the cynical realities of Chicago life. Being overly polite, Fraser's probably best known short quotes were: "thank you kindly"; when he found himself in trouble, an understated "oh dear"; and, when faced with contradictory circumstances from other characters, an all-knowing and eloquently stated "understood". A little more unusual is his encyclopedic knowledge of trivia (this is attributed to his grandparents having been librarians); a range of uncanny abilities, most notably his ability to sniff and lick refuse from the streets to gain clues about crimes; the way he can fall into a dumpster or other waste heap and emerge completely spotless and unwrinkled; and the way many women he encounters fall madly in love with him, including his boss Margaret (Meg) Thatcher and Ray's sister Francesca; the fact that he rarely pursues any of the offers the ladies extend to him is part of his charm.

The show falls somewhere between a cop show and a comedy show. Although superficially following the police drama format, the comedy derives from outrageous plots, the self-deprecating Canadian and the American stereotypes, and the occasional fantasy elements such as the regular visits paid to the Mountie by his father's ghost, whose advice varies between helpful and absurdly useless. When the latter, Benton is moved to ask "Are there any psychologists in the afterlife? People who can help you?" The scenes are played deadly seriously by the actors. The tone of the show and much of the comedy derived from Fraser's supernormal detective ability. For instance, in one episode, Fraser tracks down a suspect by smelling the breath of a rat to determine the brand of barbecued ribs it had been eating. Another recurring gag is Fraser standing guard motionlessly in front of the Canadian consulate, while a passerby attempts to make him move or speak.

Amongst the other memes are Vecchio's (and Kowalski's) growing annoyance with Fraser's unorthodox style, and Vecchio's interminable fondness of the 1971 Buick Riviera, of which he has owned three (the first two having been blown up during the earlier seasons). During season 1, prior to the first appearance of his father's ghost, Fraser was often seen reading from one of the senior Fraser's journals, usually a passage with some relevance to the plot of the episode. Several guest characters are also revealed to have names ringing identical with former Canadian and British Prime Ministers, such as Margaret Thatcher, MacKenzie King, and Dr. Esther Pearson (a parody of Lester Pearson).

Cast

Main characters

Character	Actor/Actress	Episodes
Constable Benton Fraser	Paul Gross	1.00-4.13
Detective Raymond Vecchio	David Marciano	1.00-2.18 main cast, 3.01, 4.12, 4.13 recurring
Diefenbaker	Newman (pilot) Lincoln (Seasons 1-2) Draco (Season 3)	1.00-4.13
Lieutenant Harding Welsh	Beau Starr	1.00-4.13
Elaine Besbriss	Catherine Bruhier	1.00-3.03
Detective Jack Huey	Tony Craig	1.00-4.13
Detective Louis Gardino	Daniel Kash	1.00-2.07 main cast, 2.18 recurring
Sgt. Bob Fraser	Gordon Pinsent	1.00, 1.03, 1.10, 1.16, 1.17, 1.20-1.22, 2.01, 2.03, 2.04, 2.09, 2.14, 2.18 recurring, 3.01-4.13 main cast
Francesca Vecchio	Ramona Milano	1.00, 1.04, 1.05, 1.17, 1.19, 1.20, 2.02, 2.10, 2.16, 2.18, 3.01, 3.03 recurring, 3.04-4.13 main cast
Inspector Meg Thatcher	Camilla Scott	2.02, 2.03, 2.05, 2.06, 2.09, 2.10, 2.12-2.15, 2.17, 2.18 recurring, 3.01-4.13 main cast
Detective Stanley Raymond Kowalski	Callum Keith Rennie	3.01-4.13
Detective Thomas E. Dewey	Tom Melissis	3.01-4.13

Recurring characters

Character	Actor/Actress	Episodes
SSgt. Gerard	Ken Pogue	1.00, 2.04
Inspector Moffat	Joseph Ziegler	1.00, 1.18
SSgt. Mears	Victor Ertmanis	1.00, 1.20, 1.21
Mrs. Vecchio	Kaye Ballard	1.00, 1.04, 2.01
Dennis Argyle	Domenic Cuzzocrea	1.01, 1.04, 2.08
Caroline Morgan	Christina Cox	1.01, 2.02
Mackenzie King	Madolyn Smith Osborne (season 1) / Maria Bello (season 2)	1.02, 2.08
Sgt. Buck Frobisher	Leslie Nielsen	1.03, 2.14, 3.25, 3.26
F.B.I. Agent Ford	Alex Carter	1.06, 1.19, 2.14, 2.17, 3.09
F.B.I. Agent Deeter	Mark Melymick	1.06, 1.19, 2.14, 2.17, 3.09
Dr. Esther Pearson	Deborah Rennard	1.07, 1.08, 1.12, 1.21
Mr. Vecchio	David Calderisi	1.10, 1.21, 2.01
Father Behan	Shay Duffin	1.12, 1.17, 1.20, 1.21
Ian McDonald	Rino Romano	1.14, 2.11
Frankie Zuko	Jim Bracchitta	1.17, 2.07
Charlie	Louis DiBianco	1.17, 2.07
D.A. Louise St. Laurent	Lee Purcell	1.20, 1.21, 2.03, 2.04, 2.06, 2.07
Cmdr. Sherry O'Neill	Sherry Miller	2.03, 2.05, 2.07
Constable Renfield Turnbull	Dean McDermott	2.04, 2.14, 3.01, 3.06, 3.10-3.15, 3.20-3.26
Angie Vecchio	Katayoun Amini	2.08, 2.16
Randall K. Bolt	Kenneth Welsh	2.14, 2.17, 3.26/4.13
Assistant State Attorney Stella Kowalski	Anne Marie Loder	3.04, 3.07, 3.09, 3.21, 3.26
Dr. Mort Gustafson	Jan Rubes	3.05, 3.08, 3.09, 3.12, 3.13, 3.25
Damian Kowalski	Dan MacDonald	3.15, 3.19

Notable guest appearances

A number of high-profile actors have made a guest appearance in episodes:

Season 1

Leslie Nielsen as Sgt. Buck Frobisher in episode 1.03 "Manhunt"
Richard Moll, Teri Polo and Al Waxman in episode 1.04 "They Eat Horses, Don't They?"
Patrick McKenna (aka Harold Green) as Gary Redfield in episode 1.05 "Pizzas and Promises"
Joel de la Fuente as Chinese mafia boss Charlie Wong, episode 1.06 "Chinatown"
Holly Cole as herself, Lisa Jakub as Christina Nichols, and Ron Lea as her father the Canadian Ambassador, in episodes 1.07 and 1.08 "Chicago Holiday parts 1 and 2"
Natalie Radford and Mark Ruffalo as Louise and Vinnie Webber, in episode 1.09 "A Cop, a Mountie, and a Baby"
Tom McCamus as bank robber Jimmy Donnelly, Ryan Phillippe as Del Porter, and James Purcell as his father, getaway driver William Porter, in episode 1.10 "Gift of the Wheelman"
Susan Gibney as undercover ATF agent Suzanne Chapin, episode 1.11 "You Must Remember This"
Michael Riley as Walter Sparks, in episode 1.12 "A Hawk and a Handsaw"
Rick Rossovich as Fraser's childhood friend, hockey star Mark Smithbauer, episode 1.16 "The Blue Line"
Nicholas Campbell as Nigel Ellis, and Jane Krakowski as Katherine Burns, in episode 1.18 "An Invitation to Romance"
Melina Kanakaredes as Fraser's love interest Victoria Metcalf, in episodes 1.20 and 1.21 "Victoria's Secret parts 1 and 2" and episode 1.22 "Letting Go"
Jennifer Dale as Dr. Carter and Laurie Holden as physiotherapist Jill Kennedy in episode 1.22 "Letting Go" (Holden received a 1996 Gemini Awards nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series)
Frances Hyland as Fraser's grandmother in episode 1.22 "Letting Go"

Season 2

Steve Smith (aka Red Green on the Red Green Show) as Hamish Carter, in episode 2.01 "North"
Dick Anthony Williams as corrupt ATF agent McFadden, episode 2.04 "Bird in the Hand"
Denise Virieux as French emissary Michelle Duchamps, episode 2.06 "Mask"
Carrie-Anne Moss as Irene Zuko and Aaron Ashmore in a cameo, in episode 2.07 "Juliet is Bleeding"
Maria Bello as Mackenzie King, and Karl Pruner as John Taylor, in episode 2.08 "One Good Man, aka Thank You Kindly, Mr. Capra"
Ken Foree as thief Macon Lacroix, and Maria Rangel as Mexican detective Anita Cortez, in episode 2.09 "The Edge"
Amanda Tapping as agent Audrey McKenna, in episode 2.10 "Starman"
Louis del Grande as Lyndon Buxley, episode 2.11 "We Are the Eggmen"
Michele Scarabelli as Sister Anne MacRae, Marisol Nichols as Melissa, and Heather McComb as Celine, episode 2.12 "Some Like It Red"
Leonard Roberts and basketball star Isiah Thomas (cameo appearance) in episode 2.13, "White Men Can't Jump to Conclusions"
Milton Berle as ribs joint owner Shelley Litvak, and Lisa Engelman as dancer Ida Banks, in episode 2.15 "Body Language"
Colm Feore as arsonist Charles Carver, in episode 2.16 "The Duel"

Season 3

Jackie Burroughs as Gladys Caunce, in episode 3.02 "Eclipse"
Ron Canada as boxing trainer Franco Devlin, in episode 3.05 "Mountie and Soul"
Wendy Crewson as bounty hunter Janet Morse, in episode 3.06 "Bounty Hunter"
Anthony J. Mifsud as hit man Johhny Maigot, in episode 3.07 "Seeing is Believing"
Martha Burns (Paul Gross's wife) as Russian spy Nadia, Maury Chaykin as Pike, and Eric Christmas as chess player Albert Hanrahan, in episode 3.08 "Spy vs. Spy"
Wayne Robson as "Damon Cahill" in episode 3.11 "Asylum"
Douglas Campbell in episodes 3.12 and 3.13 "Mountie on the Bounty parts 1 and 2"
Max Gail as the sheriff and Bruce Weitz as the ball-team manager "Huck Bogart" in episode 3.14 "Doctor Longball" (And Ramona Milano, Camilla Scott, Dean McDermott, Tony Craig, and Tom Melissis in other roles in the town.)
Stephanie Romanov as "Lady Shoes" in episode 3.17 "Odds"
Art Hindle in episode 3.18 "The Ladies' Man"
Maury Chaykin as Jasper Gutman, in episode 3.19 "Mojo Rising"
Michael Hogan and Michelle Wright as a country singer and her business manager in episode 3.20 "Mountie Sings the Blues"
Jessica Steen in episode 3.24 "Hunting Season" as Constable Maggie MacKenzie
Bo Svenson as "Holloway Muldoon" in episode 3.25 "Call of the Wild" parts 1 & 2
Kenneth Welsh as Cyrus Bolt, in episode 3.26 "Call of the Wild part 2"
Martha Burns as Fraser's mother, in episode 3.26 "Call of the Wild part 2"

Diefenbaker

Diefenbaker (Dief for short) is one of the major characters. He is part dog, part wolf, originally from northern Canada, who now lives in Chicago with his owner, Fraser. He is named after former Prime Minister of Canada, John George Diefenbaker. He has several puppies or cubs, two of whom are named Sunshine and Buster, by a Husky named Maggie.

Diefenbaker met Fraser when the Mountie found him in an abandoned mine. Diefenbaker later pulled Fraser out of Prince Rupert Sound, saving the Mountie's life, but also bursting the wolf's eardrums - which resulted in, according to Fraser, Diefenbaker's deafness. Whether Diefenbaker is actually deaf, and not just suffering from selective hearing, is up to the viewer. Diefenbaker is apparently able to read lips, in both English and Inuktitut. Diefenbaker has stayed with Fraser ever since and has gone wherever the Mountie is posted. In the final minutes of Pizzas and Promises, Fraser mentions that Diefenbaker has his own savings account, and that he (Fraser) doesn't like to touch Diefenbaker's money.

Diefenbaker is extremely loyal to Fraser, if sometimes disobedient, and will attack someone if required to defend Fraser. He is usually quite laid back - for a wolf. Since moving to Chicago, (for which Fraser's friend Detective Ray Vecchio forged him a special "wolf permit"), Diefenbaker has developed a taste for junk food, much to Fraser's despair.

The role of Diefenbaker was played in the pilot movie by a mixed breed named Newman, then in the rest of seasons 1 and 2 by a purebred Siberian Husky named Lincoln. When the show was brought back for season 3, Lincoln was replaced by another purebred Siberian Husky named Draco, whose sister, Cinder, did most of his stunts. A variety of stunt dogs were used throughout the series, and fake dogs have also been used in some scenes.

Diefenbaker received the first fan mail for the series. Draco appeared on the officially licensed merchandise t-shirt of Diefenbaker.

Naming this character after a famous Canadian particularly appeals to the Canadian audience of the series. Aniko Brodroghkozy asserts in an article in Hop on Pop:

The only reason why the use of these? names would be funny to Canadians? was because such references would be unknown to Americans who Canadian viewers knew would be watching the show in the United States.

Production

Filming was mostly done in Toronto, Ontario, which was used as a stand-in for Chicago. In many episodes a Toronto Transit Commission bus can be seen in the background. In others, prominent city landmarks such as the CN Tower and the Union Station can be glimpsed. The U.S. Consulate in Toronto was used for exterior shots of the supposed Canadian Consulate in Chicago. In a move typical of the production, Chicago was used in one episode to represent Toronto. Part of the series was shot in Banff National Park, Alberta.

Media

Books

Due South: The Official Companion by Geoff Tibballs was published in May 1998 containing basic information on the series and cast and brief episodes synopses up to the end of the third season. Another illustrated companion, Due South: The Official Guide by John A. Macdonald, was published in December 1998. It contains some interviews with the characters and bios of the cast.

A number of paperback novelizations by Tom McGregor were published, including Death in the Wilderness based on the pilot movie, An Invitation to Romance based on the episodes "An Invitation to Romance" and "Gift of the Wheelman", All the Queen's Horses based on "All the Queen's Horses" and "Red, White or Blue", and Vaulting North based on "North" and "Vault".

Videos

The pilot two-hour movie was originally released on VHS in 1996, but individual episodes had been released prior to this throughout 1995 on VHS with two episodes per tape. In 1998, the season three and the season four two-part finales were released. In November 2002, the Due South Giftset was released containing the pilot movie and episodes Mountie on the Bounty and Call of the Wild.

DVD releases

Alliance Atlantis released all 4 seasons on DVD in Canada only. The pilot episode is included on the third season release as a bonus feature.

In the US, Echo Bridge Home Entertainment released the series on DVD in 2005. Seasons 3 and 4 were released together as Due South: Season 3. They also released a series set on 6 May 2008.

In Region 2, Network DVD released the series on DVD in the UK. Seasons 3 and 4 were released together as Due South: The Complete Third Series.

In Region 4, Madman Entertainment released the series on DVD in Australia. Seasons 3 and 4 were released as Due South: Season 3.

DVD Name	Ep#	Release dates
DVD Name	Ep#	Region 1 (Canada)	Region 1 (US)	Region 2	Region 4
Due South: Season 1	22	26 November 2002	23 November 2005	30 January 2006	16 August 2006
Due South: Season 2	18	5 August 2003	30 August 2005	29 May 2006	29 September 2007
Due South: Season 3	26	21 September 2004	11 November 2005	4 September 2006	30 June 2009
Due South: The Complete Series	68	N/A	6 May 2008	23 October 2006	N/A

Soundtrack

The producers of Due South sought to showcase various Canadian artists within the show's episodes, with many of the featured tracks released on CD soundtrack. Sarah McLachlan's music was most prominently featured with no fewer than seven songs over the full run of the series; other recurring artists included The Headstones, Loreena McKennitt and Colin James. "The Blue Line" (episode #1.16) featured "Hockey Night in Canada", the longtime theme song of CBC's sports programming.

The show's theme was written and composed by Jay Semko of The Northern Pikes (who recorded a version of the song with lyrics, played during the shows closing credits) working with Jack Lenz and John McCarthy. Semko also scored the first two seasons of Due South. In November 1996, the first album was released, including an in-character soliloquy by Paul Gross on the subject of bravery, taken directly from the episode "An Eye for an Eye".

When the show returned for its third season, Semko returned to complete the second soundtrack. The second soundtrack album was released in June 1998. Both albums are filled largely with the vocals used in the series; most of the incidental music has not yet been released on CD.

Due South: The Original Television Soundtrack (1996)
Due South, Volume II: The Original Television Soundtrack (1998)

The final scene of the series was set to Stan Rogers' "Northwest Passage", a classic Canadian folk song that has been referred to as an unofficial Canadian anthem.

Awards

Over the three-season run of the series, Due South and its cast and crew earned a number of awards. Most significantly, the show earned 53 Canadian Gemini nominations, winning 15, including Best Dramatic TV series three years running (1995"1997). Paul Gross won Best Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role two years running (1995"1996) and creator Paul Haggis won Best Writing in a Dramatic Series the same two years.


Winner	Award
Paul Gross	Gemini, Best Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role (1995)
Paul Gross	Gemini, Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role (1996)
Gordon Pinsent	Gemini, Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series (1996)
Gordon Pinsent	Gemini, Earle Grey Award (1997)
Brent Carver	Gemini, Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role Dramatic Series (1998)
Wendy Crewson	Gemini, Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role Dramatic Series (1998)
Production Awards	Gemini, Best Dramatic TV Series - (Paul Haggis, Kathy Slevin, Jeff King) (1995)
	Gemini, Best TV Movie - (Paul Haggis, Jean Desormeaux, Jeff King) (1995)
	Gemini, Best Writing in a Dramatic Series (Kathy Slevin and Paul Haggis for The Pilot) (1995)
	Gemini, Best Dramatic Series - (Paul Haggis, Jeff King, Kathy Slevin, George Bloomfield) (1996)
	Gemini, Best Writing in a Dramatic Series - (Paul Haggis and David Shore for Hawk and a Handsaw) (1996)
	Gemini, Best Direction in a Dramatic or Series - (Jerry Ciccoritti for Gift of the Wheelman) (1996)
	Gemini, Best Sound - (Brian Avery, Allen Ormerod, Keith Elliot, Michael Werth, Jann Delpuech for Victoria's Secret) (1996)
	Gemini, Best Dramatic Series - (Jeff King and Bob Wertheimer) (1997)
	Gemini, Best Writing in a Dramatic Series - (Paul Gross, Robert B. Carney, John Krizanc for Mountie on the Bounty - Part 2) (1998)
	Gemini, Best Visual Effects - (Jon Campfens, Barb Benoit, John Cox, Mark Savela for Call of the Wild, Part 2) (1999)

Critical reception

Fraser's methods, usually more sensitive and understanding than is typical for police work, gave the series a reputation for well-rounded characters.

Fan conventions

A number of fan conventions were organized by Due South fans during the 1990s, the biggest and best-known of which was RCW 139, so named after the recurring license plate number. RCW 139 was held annually in Toronto between 1996 and 1999, attracting approximately 300 fans from more than 10 countries in both 1998 and 1999. The convention featured games, discussion panels, a formal dinner, and guest panels. Numerous cast and crew members have attended, including David Marciano (1998), Paul Gross (1999), Gordon Pinsent (1998), Tom Melissis (1997, 1998, 1999), Tony Craig (1997), Catherine Bruhier (1998, 1999) and Jay Semko (1998, 1999). Draco (Diefenbaker) and his trainer, Gail Parker, were guests in both 1998 and 1999

After a nine-year hiatus, the convention was revived in 2008, with guest panels from David Marciano, Jay Semko, Tom Melissis, Catherine Bruhier, and Gail Parker with Cinder, Draco's sister and stunt-double. Another convention was held in August 2010, with Paul Gross, Jay Semko, Tom Melissis, Camilla Scott, Tony Craig, Catherine Bruhier, and Ramona Milano.

RCW 139: From a Million Miles was held from 17"19 August 2012 in Toronto. This event included tours and dining in the Distillery District of Toronto and the Patrician Grill, both of which were frequently used for location filming.

References in other media

In the MMORPG City of Heroes, budding superheroes can take missions from a Detective Frasenbaker, an apparently superhuman Mountie who moved to the fictional Paragon City while on the trail of his father's killers.
In the Vinyl Cafe Dave and Morley story, Cousin Dorothy comes to Toronto from England to attend a "Friends of Due South" convention.
The 2010 movie Barney's Version includes a fake TV show called O'Malley of the South starring Paul Gross in a parody of his own character in Due South.