OK, so "Heartland" is "just" a soap opera, but it is not like the others, especially the mind-rotting "Eastenders" in Britain.
-
One can sometimes get fed up and even angry with people, but not with horses.
-
The setting is just so beautiful. Many Europeans who started watching this hardly knew anything about rural Canada, but they do now!
-
The focus on family traditions and values is so touching: the way they look out for each other.
-
The main characters are beautiful people; not robots, not "perfect" people, but real, honest and mostly very hard-working and decent people.
-
The series is a welcome relief from much modern TV. I am a great fan of Nordic Noir, "Homeland", "24", "Chicago PD" etc, but my goodness is "Heartland" a welcome change.
-
There is some crime and nastiness, but not brutality, especially the gratuitous stuff one gets in so many series. And even the nasty people either get their comeuppance or gradually become less nasty after contact with the family. Yes, it can be sentimental, but "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."
-
One of the best things about it is that it goes on for years, which means you can see the development of the characters: Ty, Georgie, Jade, Tim - and the study of young people growing up is beautifully done.
-
HATS OFF to the writers and production staff: we love the stars, but none of it would happen without the others.
-
AND of course to the writer of the original stories, Lauren Brook: a sublime creation and huge achievement.
|
|