31: [You once said] "You can only be betrayed by people you trust" ... What source were you quoting?

I was quoting myself (alright, out loud now, let's all spell "hubris") from the pilot of EZ Streets, Quinn Sr.'s advice to his son.

31a. ... "Victoria's Secret"...is a story about the loss of the illusions we carry about our existence.

Got that one right. But, of course all good love stories aren't about love.

31b. Have you seen Peter Weir's film Fearless?

No, but now I'll be sure to rent it.

31c. I have since decided that Fraser was indeed thinking of Ray as he ran for the train, but he wasn't betraying him. I was brought to this conclusion because of the fact that Fraser is motionless until he sees Ray. At that point, I see a recognition come to Fraser, but not one that says 'If I don't go now, I'll never get away.' What I hear is 'If I go now, I won't get away. Ray won't let me.' In Fearless, Max says the same thing.

The wonderful thing about that moment is that in can be interpreted in so many ways -- and most of them are absolutely correct. All those conflicting emotions were in Fraser and Victoria and even Ray at that moment. I think all Fraser truly knew was that he could not stay there -- he had to run, because if he didn't act, life would just leave him. While running, I'll bet at least a dozen scenarios and conflicting motivations passed through his mind. Which one won out? That's for you to decide.

31d. Perhaps you should get Tom McCamus to guest on Family Law.

Excellent idea, I love Tom.

Thanks for the comments!

32: [Regarding Due South, what were the features of the topic of cultural differences that made you feel it was a good basis for a comedy / drama?

I am a citizen of one country and have lived in the other for 20 years, so I think I always felt like an outsider in both. There was so much I loved about the Americans, but their arrogance and egocentricity didn't make my top ten list. However, I was continually amused by the fact that they find it almost impossible to see their own flaws, or consider the possibility that they might be wrong. Canadians on the other hand are handicapped by the fact that they are...well, they're Canadians. Enough said.

33. Were you using stereotypes of Canadians and Americans, or were the characters unusual and out-of-the-ordinary? Why did you decide to use this type of character?

I think I answered that about. Sorry for getting ahead of myself.

34. Do you feel that any section of society would be offended or upset by your portrayal of them?

Absolutely. I thought the Americans would be very upset at their portrayal. And I thought Canadians would enjoy feeling superior for once.

35. What have been the reactions to your portrayal of the two cultures? Have they reacted in similar ways, or very differently? Have any third party cultures expressed a significantly different opinion?

The Canadians were outraged. The Americans didn't even notice -- or if they did, laughed. Completely the opposite reactions I expected. And the RCMP threatened to toss me in jail unless I removed a long list of items they found offensive to their image. (There is still a law on the books in Canada from the 19th Century that says that you can't criticize the RCMP without their permission. I told them to come get me -- it would be worth a banner headline in Variety.)

Eventually, the Canadians developed a sense of humor, the RCMP saw recruiting quadruple, so they dropped their manhunt and signed with Disney to market their image, and the Americans still didn't notice.

These are all gross generalizations, of course -- but I obviously don't mind dealing in stereotypes.

36. A running theme throughout Due South is the influence of parents, alive and dead- from Fraser (and later Ray's) dead father(s) to Ray's mother. Even Fraser's grandmother has influence over Fraser senior. Why do you think the idea of a parent still having such a profound effect over a grown adult is such a popular idea in so many comedies?

I have no idea. If I was to guess, I would say that most writers are adults, and part of becoming an adult is realizing your own mortality -- and the first way you glimpse that is through the mortality of your parents.

37. Anything else really obvious that I should have asked and didn't? :-)

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, I know you're pretty busy right now! If you don't want to answer any of these questions then please don't, I really don't mind. Good luck and have fun with the film-writing.

You're welcome. Good luck with your paper!

38. (Co-executive producer (Kathy Slevin once indicated that Fraser had no specified religious belief. What were your reasons for having Fraser talk about Victoria in a Catholic priest's confessional? Was he seeking spiritual guidance, or was he just talking to a friend?

I can't speak for Kathy, but she may be right. However, I tend to believe that Fraser did have a specific religious belief -- he just decided to keep that private. So much so, that he never even told me. But to your question, I think Fraser desperately needed some sort of spiritual guidance at that point in his life...and to him, a priest would seem a good person from whom to seek such advice -- whether or not he was a Catholic.

39. Who decided that Ray Vecchio should drive a 1971 (or 1972, depending on which episode you watched!) Buick Riviera? It seemed to fit him so perfectly - sort of flashy, but classic with a romantic streak ... And why did it get changed from the Mercedes seen in the Pilot?

Here's how that came about. As you may recall, in the pilot he drove a classic (read very old and so cheaper) Mercedes Benz. When it came time to do the series, my producers informed me that, crashing up classic (or even old) Mercedes Benz could be very pricey -- not to mention the fact that you always need a back up car, in case something goes wrong, and since we were shooting two units at the same time -- one for the drama and a second unit for the stunts -- that means you'd need three or four of these cars. And if you crashed one...well, you get the point.

So, we went on a search for a classic American car that we thought would look cool, but also one that a cop would actually drive -- which would require it to have terrific pickup and handling. The transport guys showed be plenty of photographs, and then we save a Riv and I said "I love that -- get me one to try out." So, the transport and stunt coordinator went out and found one, brought it to me, I hopped in and took it around the lot, did a couple of sliding 180's and I fell in love. We went out and bought 2 of them right away, and we added to our collection over the first year.

But still, every time we considered damaging one -- as in the man who knew too little -- we checked around with classic car shows to make sure there was an identical one available -- and then we would blow up a "junker" version of the car, and keep the original or "hero" car. We also had a couple of them reinforced with roll bars and support panels for stunt work. It was a great car!

Thanks for asking!

40. Did you ever had difficulties with the network's Standards & Practices departments? In particular, I was curious to know if CBS (or any other "Power that Be") gave you a hard time about the scenes in which the 16 year old girl visited the S&M bar in "Chicago Holiday." I was very impressed with the way the program handled these scenes, and portrayed the patrons of the bar dignity and respect, while still maintaining the humor. ("Does anyone here happen to have a pair of handcuffs?") ... Would you be willing to tell us about any story elements, in this episode or others, which the network may have wanted you to change or cut?

They were always complaining about something -- and they were VERY worried about that particular episode. The president of the network called me himself to ask me if I was insane. But for some reason we just were able to thank them for their input and then go ahead and do what we wanted.

I think Standards and Practice departments have a valuable place in television -- and sometimes they fulfill it. For example, in a recent episode I did of Family Law, I worked with S&P very closely to make sure that I was presenting an Islamic couple realistically and fairly -- the least we owe people is respect. As with the scenes you mentioned, it's easy to get humor out of a subject while still granting people a little dignity.

And then you usually find those people -- meaning whatever group you're dealing with -- have a very realistic view of themselves and a terrific sense of humor. The National S&M Society of Canada named me their Man of the Year for their portrayal in that episode! (I made them come to the set to present the award, and I made Paul Gross get his photo taken with myself and Miss S&M Canada).

Thanks for asking.

41. How did you come to hire Jay Semko to do music on the show? In the Northern Pikes, he was the principal songwriter and usual lead vocalist, but, as I recall, his instrument in the band was usually the bass, and, in my opinion, most of the band's music is rather unlike the strummy guitar sound of "Due South". Why would you think of Jay as someone who could provide music for your show?

When I was shooting the pilot, I listened to tons of Canadian artists on CDs and I kept putting them in stacks...and The Pikes kept ending up in the stack of bands that I really enjoyed.

So, I called them up and Jeff King and I went to a gig they were doing in Toronto. I met the guys, asked them if they'd be interested in doing a show and they went off and knocked out the theme song in a few days. The band was just breaking up then (I think I saw their last show in Toronto), so Jay said he'd be interested in working on the series. I then put him together with two other composers that I liked -- each for different reasons -- John McCarthy and Jack Lens, none of whom had worked together before. And the four of us went about finding the sound that became the series.

I love Jay and miss him. Say hi to him for me if you see him.

42. A fan mentions that they understood (via the Canadian TV Guide and other sources) that "Victoria's Secret" was originally intended to be the final episode of season 1, yet then "Letting Go" was broadcast. Was "Letting Go" intended to be the season 2 opener, and then shown to give the fans 'closure' when CBS canceled the series?

What happened was -- I also thought "Victoria's Secret" would be the end of the series, and that's the way I wanted to go out. But then Alliance said we had to shoot another one -- and since I was going crazy directing "Victoria's Secret," I turned to Kathy and Jeff and said "Have at it", and they did it all on their own -- and a terrific job they did. I was too involved with "Victoria's Secret," and too drained from the experience, to be any good to them.

43. A perennial argument on DS lists is about Fraser talking about going undercover at the used car lot. When he says the stuff about taking off his hat and saying 'Have you seen any stolen cars' or something ... The 'innocents' claim that he is perfectly serious. He is unused to the complexities of American policing and believes he can simply go undercover in that way. .. The 'not so dumb' camp think that he is conning Ray into helping him by playing dumb. This means when Elaine says 'You're good.' she is admiring his technique. (The 'innocents' believe Elaine is just being encouraging to the dumb lummock since he is clearly not up to American city policing.)

So which is it?

Let's just say that innocence is wonderful tool, in the right hands. And don't Americans just love to ride in and handle situations that others just can't seem to get right themselves.

44. I have gathered you are not one to just choose things willy nilly. Everything or almost everything has some sort of significance ... With this is mind, what is the significance of using The Windhover as the poem that Victoria recited to Fraser in Fortitude Pass? Or was it just because you've always liked it???

It's a terrific poem -- and I'd love to take credit for using it -- but it was Paul Gross' idea -- and as soon as I heard it I knew it was a great one. There are hundreds of examples of the way we worked together like that.

45. I've seen so many different angles on the origins of the character names, but I'd be interested to hear how and why you, or anyone else thought them up, particularly that of Benton Fraser. Several in-jokes....(Margaret thatcher, etc) have been noted, but why choose Fraser as a last name?

My first working name for him (meaning just the first name I gave him while I was writing the pilot story) was Sgt. Prescott -- a take off on Sgt. Preston, the old serial. Then legal told me I couldn't use that name for that very reason, so I quickly went -- Preston Sturges is one of my favorite directors -- so his name will be Sgt. Sturges, and that way, to me, he'll still be Sgt. Preston. Well, after a few pages I didn't like the name, so I tossed it out. I then realized I wanted something heroic, but uniquely Canadian. So, I looked at the names of the big northern rivers and came up with Frobisher -- named after the great explorer. And Frobisher he stayed for a long long time -- until we were just about ready to shoot the pilot and CBS said -- no really, what's his name? After just repeating "Frobisher" a dozen or so times, they threatened to smack me if I didn't change it to something that Americans could say without laughing. So, I went back to the rivers... and came up with Fraser. I named him Ben Fraser... and Kathy said "Benton"... and I said "YES!"

46. How do you feel about fans tearing apart plotlines, finding "errors", and "nitpicking"? For instance, in "Victoria's Secret", how did Victoria get the key in the snow globe without breaking it and/or all the water draining out?

I never mind people picking it apart. It's fun! And Victoria got the key into the snow globe the same way that we did... by turning it upside down, unscrewing the base, dropping the key in, replacing the base, and then turning it back over. The key then sinks to the bottom... and is covered in snow.

47. Mr. Haggis, do you have any idea what you have wrought in the character of Benton Fraser? ;) The example of Fraser has inspired thousands of people to clean up their language, try to behave like A Mountie in their everyday lives, and do nice things for other people just because it's right, and not for any hope of reward. Can you think of any other examples in which the creator of a fictional character has influenced so many people?

Yes. Apparently the murder rate in Britain increased every time Edgar Allan Poe published a new work.

No, that's a lie -- but I couldn't resist.

48. We've had discussions on this newsgroup about the fact that Ray Vecchio/David Marciano consistently pronounced Fraser as Frasier (which is a U.S. *household name* due to the sitcom of the same name). Was this significant in any way, or are we just *spinning our wheels* as obsessed fan groups sometimes due?

Spinning you are. It was just David Marciano's accent -- and we liked it, so we never thought to correct him.

48a. I am curious about the fundamental differences between U.S. and Canadian filmmaking, e.g. Money v. Craft. You've worked in both environments, and if you're willing to share your views on this subject, I'd love to hear them. How much of the industry is nationalized, for instance? How does this affect which films get produced, how much $$ they have to work with, overall quality of productions, etc.?

Sorry, you're asking the wrong guy -- I've only every worked in the big commercial system -- which works on the same principle in Canada as it does down here in LA.

48b. Do U.S. TV production budgets ever include $$ for background research, fact checking, etc. Is the responsibility for accuracy solely on the shoulders of the writers?

Yes. Every episode went through two sets of fact checkers -- one in house, and one company called DeForest Research, a research company that most TV shows use.

Thank you!

49. Reading your post about how you came up with the show, I wondered if they were surprised when you took the concept in such a different direction? Did you then have a tough time selling them your vision of the show.

No, they liked the script when they finally saw it.

49a. You mentioned that Mr. Lantos had some pretty goofy ideas. I wonder if you can remember what they were?

I don't think I said goofy. If I did, I officially deny saying it. I'll just say...no, goofy is just fine. Luckily, I don't have the type of mind that retains those kind of notes. Actually, it's kind of a shame at that, because it would make for a good book.

49b. In "Victoria's Secret," did you deliberately have Fraser not tell Victoria directly that he loved her? He told his father twice that he was in love with her, but he never says it to her (but you had her say it to him).

Yep, that's true. Some things a guy sound trite when spoken. Fraser is a man whose deeds say everything.

50. I read you were interested in hearing comments on your new series Family Law. I looked forward to it with great anticipation because of you and I'm a Kathleen Quinlan fan. However, I was disappointed in the first few shows as I felt you had gone the way of David Kelly (whom I don't watch) and wrote scripts for shock value. However, the more recent scripts have gotten over that style and are much more to my liking -- more subtlety, finesse, tongue-in-cheek humor which I had enjoyed from you in Due South. I look forward to the rest of the season.

Thanks for giving it another shot!

51. I've noticed that you've run the gamut from sitcoms to incredibly series dramas during your career? I'm curious as to if you have a favorite genre that you like to write in, and are there any others (such as medical shows, sci-fi, etc.) that you might like to dabble in?

My favorite genre is the one I haven't written that week.

51a. I was told about an in-joke in the DS episode "The Blue Line," in which director George Bloomfield did a cameo as a video store customer who was going to rent a tape, but didn't. Mr. Bloomfield told me that the tape was your movie Red Hot. Can you tell me more about that movie and if you find writing for theatrical films radically different from episodic television?

Yes, the story is true. And is it different? Completely. I'm writing one now and am really enjoying it -- and I did a major rewrite on a movie being shot right now with Richard Gere, called Autumn in New York. Again, I enjoy doing what I didn't do last. Sort of a contrarians view of writing.

51b. Oh, and can't resist this, as I got enough of this question on job interviews: where do you see yourself in five years?

Right here, but hopefully with a better monitor.

Thank you.

52. There has been much discussion about Fraser's dark side and controlled inner rage. I'm talking about when he almost loses it in the Pilot when confronting Gerard. The same happens again in the Bird in the Hand episode. ... Was any of this improvised with Paul Gross or did you have this element of Fraser's personality in mind before you filmed it? It seems such a departure from the goody two-shoes side of Fraser. I thought it made him much more human.

No, none of that was improvised. Like yourself, I believed Fraser had a well-hidden dark streak. While I was there, I chose to have it only surface when it dealt with issues concerning his father -- and Gerard was the man who betrayed his father, and was most responsible for his death.

53. My questions are regarding your role as Executive Producer on the first season of Due South. Was it entirely your decision on who you hired as your writers and what stories were chosen to tell? How much influence did CBS or Alliance have on your decision making? Were all the writers people you knew and had worked with before? Did anyone manage to 'break in' so to speak by pitching you a story that you fell in love with and you decided to give them their first big break. Sorry, I guess there's enough questions there to keep you going. Iım interested in the writing process of television.

I was completely responsible for the stories we told. Alliance's input was strictly in the area of budget. CBS had notes on our stories, but their main concern was developing a love interest for Fraser -- something we toyed with, but something I resisted for the first season, if it meant a recurring love interest.

No one came in with a pitch and broke in, as you described it. The closest thing to that was David Shore, who, at the time had only ever sold one script. My father and Kathy [Slevin] recommended him, I hired him, and it was a great success. He's back working with me on Family Law!

54. I was wondering why the Diefenbaker from the Pilot was not in the series itself?

His trainer was based in L.A. That was ok for the pilot, but we were shooting in the series in Toronto. It would have been much too expensive to relocate him, even if his trainer would have agreed to move. (His trainer/owner had many working animals in LA, so it didn't make sense for him)

55. Did you contract Sarah MacLaughlin to write for "Victoria's Secret" or did you just choose the songs of hers and they fit? Her haunting voice and the ethereal piano set the mood so intensely - and the words are so descriptive of the relationship between Fraser and Victoria, it seems *quite* a coincidence if it is just coincidence! (Possession) "My body aches to breathe your breath, your words keep me alive" and (Fumbling Toward Ecstacy) "I won't fear love" .

I chose the songs and they fit. At the time, Sarah was well known in Canada, but only had a cult following in the States. I've been quite lucky with knowing what songs will lay over filmed sequences -- and you're right -- it was perfect. I didn't change the picture or re-edit the sequences at all.

56. I have some questions about the woman in the hotel room next door to Jolly in "Victoria's Secret." She was short, overweight, grey-haired, very, err... unattractive and wore a beauty pageant ribbon across her chest that read Miss Arkansas. She was also one of the elderly in the rest home in "Manhunt." Whose idea was it for the Miss Arkansas ribbon?

I'm afraid to say it was my idea. I don't know how I thought of it, I was just in one of those moods -- and I knew that when she opened the door I wanted to see a unique character -- and it just came out onto the page, and then we found the woman to play it. It wasn't actually until after shooting "Victoria's Secret" that I realized that I'd used her before, as an extra, in "Manhunt"! (sitting next to my mother, who couldn't stop laughing at Leslie Nielsen's off camera antics)

57. Are you ever planning on putting together any outtake reels?

I'm afraid I no longer have control of any of those clips -- they are all in the Alliance vaults -- so, although it would be a hoot to see them, you'll have to ask Alliance.

58. Was Bob Fraser's character originally written as a ghost, or as "a manifestation of Benton Fraser's conscience"?? If the latter, at what particular point was it decided to make the character a ghost, and why?

Good question! Robert, as I envisioned him, was certainly "haunting" Fraser, but I never really thought of him as a ghost. The fun thing was having Fraser constantly question his own sanity for talking to his dead father, and ask the very question that you are asking. I guess, if pressed, I would tell you that Robert really existed. But he probably just existed in Fraser's mind. I say probably, because, as Fraser discovered, he could actually steal his Stetson. So what does that tell you? The only person who really knew was Fraser, and Fraser couldn't figure it out himself -- he finally just accepted the fact that his father was with him. And stopped asking how.

59. You mentioned that at the time "Victoria's Secret" was made, you had expected that the series would end with that episode. Certainly the "Victoria's Secret" story arc was foreshadowed as early as "You Must Remember This". Did you have the "Victoria" story in mind from the very beginning of the series, and if so, was it always your plan to end the series on such a dark note?

Victoria crept in from my subconscious quite early -- but she didn't show herself until quite late. She just kept giving me hints that she was there.

And, I guess, I don't think it's that dark of an ending. But that tells you something about me. I've always believed Fraser to be a tragic hero -- who people took for a fool. There was a reason he was so quite and reserved and withdrawn. There was a reason he lived like he did. We just all assumed it was for lighter, comic, reasons. But they all had their roots in deeper stuff.

59a. In "Victoria's Secret," while our heroes search the city for some proof that Victoria is really alive, Fraser sees a sign in the window of the diner that it is closed because of "a death in the family." Did Victoria murder the counterman of the diner because he might be able to testify that he saw her? As she said herself, "No loose ends."

Oooo, you got that one. Kinda chilling, non?

Thanks for asking

60. Can you tell us more about your current projects, such as the remake of The Changeling, which I read about a little while ago.

I'm way behind on my Changeling script -- it's due to be finished by the end of the year. As of now there is no cast attached. I'll keep you posted. And there's some other exciting news I may be able to share soon.

I'm actually heading up to Canada now to see my dad for Christmas, so I'm going to have to sign off. It's been great fun sitting in with you guys for a while. I'll check in again.

60a. And you write a lot of TV... do you watch much yourself, or have any favorite shows?

I don't get much time to watch -- but I really enjoy NYPD Blue.

Thank YOU. And I'll check in next year.

My love and best wishes to all.

--Paul