Where to shelter from sex and gore on TV
Canadian family dramas an antidote to sex and blood lust
Could When Calls the Heart be the cure for disgruntled Game of Thrones fans?
After U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill tweeted her opposition to the rape scene in the May 17 episode of Game of Thrones, others agreed the HBO fantasy drama had finally gone too far in its depiction of violence — particularly against women.
Among them, feminist geek-culture blog The Mary Sue issued a lengthy explanation of why it would no longer be covering Game of Thrones on its pixelated pages.
Meanwhile, in Canadian television, a handful of series have been priding themselves on their family-friendly focus, exchanging sex scenes for sweetness, and violence for valour. Coincidentally or not, they all feature strong female lead characters.
When Calls the Heart — filmed in British Columbia and set on the Canadian frontier in 1910 — follows well-to-do teacher Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow), who’s assigned to a small coal-mining town.
It’s a classic fish-out-ofwater setup based on Alberta author Janette Oke’s bestselling book series, which in 2013 became a TV movie of the same name.
The Canada-U.S. co-production aired its first two seasons on Super Channel, and Season 1 now airs Sundays on CBC. Michael Landon Jr., the son of the man who headlined Little House on the Prairie and Highway to Heaven, is a co-executive producer.
Krakow says When Calls the Heart reminds her of the shows she used to watch with her own family growing up. And, based on the ratings for When Calls the Heart — two million U.S. viewers on average, a feat for its U.S. broadcaster Hallmark — it’s also striking a chord with the show’s fans, who call themselves Hearties.
“Little House on the Prairie and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and those kinds of shows are similar to our show because they’re so family-friendly. I really enjoyed watching shows with my family growing up — it was an opportunity for us to gather together,” Krakow says.
“What I love hearing is that our show is providing that for families all over the place, and there’s really something for everyone. You can feel comfortable and confident watching the show with your children or grandparents, whoever.”
Another of CBC’s series, the long-running Heartland, also happily caters to everyone in the home. Set to giddy-up on its ninth season on Oct. 4, that show stars Amber Marshall as an Alberta woman who’s somewhat of a horse-whisperer on her family ranch.
Speaking with Postmedia News last fall, Marshall was also quick to point out the appeal of family-friendly shows.
“In today’s society there are a lot of really fast-paced, very heavily dramatic and a little bit risque content when it comes to television shows, even shows that say they’re family-friendly,” she said.
“With Heartland, that’s one of the reasons for its success and longevity — the fact that families can sit down together and not be concerned by the content and not have to explain anything to their kids or be embarrassed.”
Another production — the upcoming TV movie Anne of Green Gables — revisits Canada’s favourite feisty redhead. Based on Lucy Maud Montgomery’s bestselling novel set in P.E.I., it’s now in production and will debut on YTV in early 2016.
Thirteen-year-old Ella Ballentine, who plays Anne Shirley, was excited to join the film precisely because it could serve as a positive influence for her peers.
“One of the reasons I love Anne is because she’s very strong,” she says.
“It’s always something that I wanted to do — be a role model for younger girls or younger boys. I think Anne is a good example of someone to look up to, because she’s very excited about everything and she’s very positive and not afraid to ask questions.”
When you match When Calls the Heart, Heartland and Anne of Green Gables with upcoming U.S. TV reboots like ABC’s The Muppets and Netflix’s Full House update Fuller House, it’s clear family TV is on its way to having a full-on moment.
That’s not to say the market for Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead and the like has dried up — far from it. Despite the controversy over scenes involving rape, incest and violence, the Thrones Season 5 finale drew the show’s largest audience ever, 8.1 million U.S. viewers on the day it aired.
The zombie-fighting AMC series The Walking Dead, meanwhile, took in 15.8 million U.S. viewers for its Season 5 finale. But it does seem family fare is finding its way in the TV pack.
“I certainly am a fan of a lot of those (more adult) shows and I think there’s a place for them, absolutely,” Krakow says.
“But there’s been a void and family-friendly television has just been lacking. It’s so easy to get desensitized watching some of those other shows, and you don’t really realize (it). But now that we have it again, I think we’ve realized what we’ve been missing.”