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Strange Empire is a Canadian Western television series that aired on CBC Television in the 2014–15 television season.[1] Created by Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik,[2] the series is a serialized 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 |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBC Television |
| Release | 6 October 2014 – 2 February 2015 |
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]
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- 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, 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.
- Tahmoh Penikett as Marshal Caleb Mecredi, a Métis lawman who is attracted to Kat and determined to bring John Slotter to justice.
- Joanna Boland as Morgan Finn, a miner in the town who begins a relationship with Rebecca, while trying to hide that he's assigned female at birth.
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| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Hunting Party" | Andy Mikita | Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik | October 6, 2014 |
| 2 | "Buckskin Princess" | Mairzee Almas | Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik | October 13, 2014 |
| 3 | "Other Powers" | Amanda Tapping | Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik | October 20, 2014 |
| 4 | "The Whiskey Trader" | Andy Mikita | Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik & Leila Basen (screenplay) Maureen McKeon (story) | October 27, 2014 |
| 5 | "Lonely Hearts" | Mike Rohl | Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik, Jacquie Gould(story editor) | November 3, 2014 |
| 6 | "Electricity" | Mairzee Almas | Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik, Leila Basen, Jacquie Gould(story editor) | November 17, 2014 |
| 7 | "The Oath" | Anne Wheeler | Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik, Jackie May, Jacquie Gould(story editor) | November 24, 2014 |
| 8 | "How Far is Heaven" | Will Waring | Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik, Leila Basen, Jacquie Gould(story editor) | December 1, 2014 |
| 9 | "The Resistance" | Will Waring | Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik, Penny Gummerson, Jacquie Gould(story editor) | December 8, 2014 |
| 10 | "The Cage" | Anne Wheeler | Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik, Jackie May, Jacquie Gould(story editor) | January 12, 2015 |
| 11 | "Confession" | Anne Wheeler | Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik, Jackie May, Jacquie Gould(story editor) | January 19, 2015 |
| 12 | "End Days" | Gary Harvey | Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik, Jackie May, Jacquie Gould(story editor) | January 26, 2015 |
| 13 | "The Dark Riders" | Gary Harvey | Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik, Jackie May, Jacquie Gould(story editor) | February 2, 2015 |
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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]
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] |
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eOne Films released season 1 on DVD on May 12, 2015.[13]
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