Quentin Durgens, M.P.
| Quentin Durgens, M.P. | |
|---|---|
| Starring | Gordon Pinsent |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 41 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBC |
| Release | October 7, 1965 – February 4, 1969 |
Quentin Durgens, M.P. was a Canadian dramatic television series, which aired on CBC Television from 1965 to 1969.[1] It was one of the first hour-long drama series produced by the CBC, and helped to establish Pinsent as a major star in Canada.[1] Created by George Robertson,[2] the series first aired in 1965 under the title Mr. Member of Parliament, as a short-run series within the CBC's drama anthology The Serial.[3] It was spun off into a standalone series and retitled Quentin Durgens, M.P. in its second season.[4]
Set in Ottawa and the fictional community of Moose Falls, the series starred Gordon Pinsent as Quentin Durgens, an idealistic rookie Member of Parliament learning to deal with the complex realities of politics. Durgens was a backbench member of the governing party in the House of Commons,[4] but had a maverick streak and aspired to do the right thing even if it wasn't politically expedient.[4] Some of the storylines within the series were fictionalized depictions of real-life events in Canadian politics,[1] and the series incorporated some documentary filmmaking techniques inspired by the National Film Board.[1]
The series was frequently compared in the Canadian press to Slattery's People, an American series about a state legislator which aired on CBS in the 1964-65 season.[3]
The cast also included Suzanne Lévesque, Budd Knapp, Cec Linder, Ovila Légaré and Chris Wiggins.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e Quentin Durgens, M.P. at the Museum of Broadcast Communications.
- ^ "Writer created TV series Quentin Durgens M.P.". The Globe and Mail, November 11, 2000.
- ^ a b "Durgens, TV MP". The Globe and Mail, October 6, 1965.
- ^ a b c "QUENTIN DURGENS MP". The Globe and Mail, December 3, 1966.
External links
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