R.B. Carney Movies
The Canadian TV movie The Wandering Soul Murder was based on the novel by Gail Bowen. Though the book took place in Saskatchewan, the film's action occurs in Toronto, where a shadowy serial killer is systematically murdering prostitutes. University professor, single mother, ex-cop, and erstwhile private detective Joanne Kilbourn (Wendy Crewson) is drawn into the case when one of the hookers is killed just outside the shop owned by Joanne's daughter. Things become even more personal when the fiancée of Joanne's son kills herself, apparently ashamed of her own past. For TV purposes, the seamier elements of the novel were cleaned up, though the film was still fairly explicit. Originally presented January 2, 2001 as part of the off-and-on CTV network series Criminal Instincts (aka The Joanne Kilbourn Mysteries), The Wandering Soul Murder was seen in the United States courtesy of the Lifetime cable channel on January 7, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wendy Crewson
A woman coming to terms with her husband's death discovers his killer has run afoul of a violent crime in this detective drama. Joanne Kilbourn (Wendy Crewson) is a former police detective who left the force to teach criminology after the unsolved murder of her husband, Ian (Edward Jaunz). The investigation into Ian's death gets taken off the back burner when a suspect is arrested, Kevin Tarpley (Christopher Bolton); while Kevin claims to be innocent, he knows enough about the case to have raised the suspicions of police. Just when Joanne thinks her husband's killer may finally be brought to justice, Kevin is killed by a gunman as he's brought to the police station. After a strange visit by Kevin's wife Maureen (Kari Matchett), Joanne begins looking into Kevin's life and death, and discovers not all of her late husband's friends are willing to help her with her private investigation. Criminal Instincts: A Colder Kind of Death also stars Victor Garber, Teri Garr, and Robin Dunne. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wendy Crewson, Robin Dunne, (more)
- 2000
The made-for-TV Deadly Appearances was originally telecast over Canada's CTV on April 23, 2000, as part of the off-and-on cop series Criminal Instincts. Based on the first of Gail Bowen's Joanne Kilbourn mystery novels, the film stars Wendy Crewson as Kilbourn, a former police detective who dabbles in crimesolving whenever one of her friends or family members is involved. On this occasion, Joanne tries to determine if her longtime chum, philandering political candidate Andy Boychuk (Robert Hays) was the murderer of a young woman. Although the original novel included a subplot about a homosexual love triangle, the film dispensed with this complication. Deadly Appearances made its first TV appearance in the United States on June 5, 2001, courtesy of the Lifetime cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
Love and Murder is based on Murder at the Mendel, the first of the "Joanne Kilbourn" mysteries written by Gail Bowen. Traumatized by the murder of her husband, former police detective Joanne Kilbourn (Wendy Crewson) resigns from the force to look after her children--and when money gets tight, she launches a whole new career as a college lecturer. Inevitably, Joanne is drawn back into detective work when her childhood friend Sally Love (Caroline Goodall) is accused of murdering her ex-husband, in a manner reminiscent of the mysterious death of Sally's father twenty years earlier. Also figuring into the case is a sinister obstetrician. Counting upon the assistance of her former partner Inspector Philip Millard (Victor Garber), Joanne sets about assembling clues and interviewing suspects in hopes of saving Sally--and purging a few privates demons of her own. Originally telecast April 16, 2000, on Canadian TV as part of the off-and-on "Criminal Instinct" series, Love and Murder has since been added to the regular TV-movie rotation of America's Lifetime cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wendy Crewson
- 1998
The fourth and final season of the lighthearted cop show Due South finds the naïve but sharp-witted RCMP Constable Benton Fraser (Paul Gross) still attached to the Canadian consulate in Chicago, enabling him to assist his friend, Chicago police detective Stanley Kowalski (Callum Keith Rennie), in various investigations on an unofficial basis. It should be noted, however, that to the world at large, Kowalski is known as Det. Ray Vecchio, the name of Fraser's former partner, who has gone undercover as a mob "mole" named Armando Logustini. Ray's sister Francesca (Ramona Milano), who has always had a thing for Benton, is now working with the 27th Precinct as a civilian aide, answerable to Kowalski's superior Lt. Welsh (Beau Starr). In the series' final two episodes, the real Ray Vecchio (David Marciano) makes a return appearance, just in time to nab the illegal arms dealer who, years before, had murdered Benton Fraser's mother (Ray and Benton received outside help in this matter from the ubiquitous ghost of Fraser's father). An epilogue then fills in the viewer as to what happened to all the main characters once the series was over. Without giving too much away, it should be no surprise to reveal that Benton's longtime rival detectives, Huey (Tony Craig) and Dewey (Tom Melissis), eventually quit the force to become a comedy team -- "The Duck Boys." The 13 episodes of Due South's fourth season were filmed at the same time as the 13 installments of the series' third season. Though telecast over a two-year period in Canada, these two seasons were combined into one for American syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Gross, Callum Keith Rennie, (more)
Although the tongue-in-cheek cop show Due South was canceled by CBS at the end of its second season, the series remained a fixture of Canada's CTV network for two additional years. It was also kept alive in certain American markets through the magic of off-network syndication. As season three begins, Canadian mountie Benton Fraser (Paul Gross) returns from an above-the-border vacation to his new stamping grounds in Chicago, only to discover that his apartment has been torched and his best friend (and sometimes) partner, Chicago police detective Ray Vecchio, has disappeared (series co-star David Marciano had left the show to bargain for a starring series of his own). It soon develops that he has gone deep undercover on behalf of the A.T.F., posing as mob functionary Armando Logustini. To cover up Ray's absence, Detective Stanley Kowlaski (Callum Keith Rennie) has been assigned to impersonate Vecchio and to work as Benton's new partner whenever the mountie is inclined to assist in a local investigation. And just like his predecessor, whose life was occasionally complicated by an ex-wife, Stanley Kowalski is saddled with a former spouse of his own, an assistant states attorney named -- you guessed it -- Stella Kowalksi (played by Melissa DeMarco). As for Ray's loudmouthed sister Francesca (Ramona Milano), she has chosen to remain close to her "beloved" Benton Fraser by hiring on as the 27th precinct's new civilian aide, replacing Elaine Besbriss (Catherine Bruhier), who has joined the police force as a full-fledged officer (but not for long: having opted to move from Toronto to L.A., actress Bruhlier would leave the series three episodes into its third season).
Back on the job are Benton's two superiors, Chicago police lieutenant Welsh (Beau Starr) (newly promoted from Captain), and Inspector Margaret Thatcher (Camilla Scott), the constable's boss at the Canadian Consulate. As for Frasier's rival detective Jack Huey (Tony Craig), who in partnership with Det. Louie Gardino had been known as one of the "Duck Boys," he has now latched onto a new partner, Det. Thomas Dewey (Tom Melissis), keeping his Disneyesque nickname intact. (In case you haven't caught on, Huey has gone from Louie to Dewey!) Also added to the cast this season is the 27th precinct's new medical examiner and resident opera buff, (Mort Gustafson). The 13 episodes of Due South's third season were filmed at the same time as the 13 installments of the series' fourth season. Though telecast over a two-year period in Canada, these two seasons were combined into one for American syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Back on the job are Benton's two superiors, Chicago police lieutenant Welsh (Beau Starr) (newly promoted from Captain), and Inspector Margaret Thatcher (Camilla Scott), the constable's boss at the Canadian Consulate. As for Frasier's rival detective Jack Huey (Tony Craig), who in partnership with Det. Louie Gardino had been known as one of the "Duck Boys," he has now latched onto a new partner, Det. Thomas Dewey (Tom Melissis), keeping his Disneyesque nickname intact. (In case you haven't caught on, Huey has gone from Louie to Dewey!) Also added to the cast this season is the 27th precinct's new medical examiner and resident opera buff, (Mort Gustafson). The 13 episodes of Due South's third season were filmed at the same time as the 13 installments of the series' fourth season. Though telecast over a two-year period in Canada, these two seasons were combined into one for American syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Gross, Callum Keith Rennie, (more)
