''Chasing Rainbows'' is a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

television drama

miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...

, which aired on

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...

in 1988."Chasing Rainbows". ''

Cinema Canada ''Cinema Canada'' (1972–1989) is a defunct Canadian film magazine, which served as the trade journal of record for the Canadian film and television sector. The magazine had its origins in the Canadian Society of Cinematographers (CSC), which be ...

'', April 1988. It was the first television series in the world filmed with then-new

Sony HDVS Sony HDVS (High-Definition Video System) is a range of high-definition video equipment developed in the 1980s to support the Japanese Hi-Vision standard which was an early analog high-definition television system (used in multiple sub-Nyquist s ...

technology. Set in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

in the period after

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the series starred

Paul Gross Paul Michael Gross (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian actor, film and television director, screenwriter, playwright, and producer. He rose to fame for his lead role as RCMP Constable Benton Fraser on the popular Canadian television series '' ...

and

Michael Riley Michael Riley (born February 4, 1962) is a Canadian actor. From 1998 to 2000, he portrayed Brett Parker in ''Power Play (1998 TV series), Power Play''. He has acted in over 40 films and television series, including ''This Is Wonderland'', for wh ...

as Jake Kincaid and Christopher Blaine, two veterans readapting to peacetime civilian life at the dawn of the

Jazz Age The Jazz Age was a period from 1920 to the early 1930s in which jazz music and dance styles gained worldwide popularity. The Jazz Age's cultural repercussions were primarily felt in the United States, the birthplace of jazz. Originating in New O ...

. Kincaid initially takes a job as a manager of a

brothel A brothel, strumpet house, bordello, bawdy house, ranch, house of ill repute, house of ill fame, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in Human sexual activity, sexual activity with prostitutes. For legal or cultural reasons, establis ...

which he transforms into a thriving jazz

nightclub A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighti ...

, while Blaine struggles with a life of smalltime criminality and alcoholism. Their friendship is tested when Paula Ashley (

Julie Stewart Julie Anne Stewart (born 1967) is a Canadian stage, film, television and voice actress, and director. She is most commonly known for her role as Sgt. Ali McCormick from the CTV television series '' Cold Squad''. Life Stewart was born in Kingsto ...

), an aspiring playwright and Blaine's girlfriend, begins an affair with Kincaid. Supporting cast members included

Booth Savage Booth Savage (born May 21, 1948) is a Canadian film, stage, and television veteran actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Team Canada head coach Harry Sinden in the 2006 CBC miniseries, '' Canada Russia '72''. Career Savage graduated ...

Richard Yearwood Richard Yearwood is a British-Canadian actor, television host, director and producer, who is best known for providing the voice of Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong in ''Donkey Kong Country (TV series), Donkey Kong Country''. Career Yearwo ...

Patricia Hamilton Patricia Ruth Hamilton (27 April 1937 – 30 April 2023) was a Canadian actress who had an active career on stage, television, and film from the 1960s through the 2010s. She had a lengthy association as a stage actress with the Tarragon Theatre ...

Thomas Peacocke Charles Thomas Peacocke CM, (March 31, 1933 – November 2022) was a Canadian actor. He won the Genie Award for Best Actor at the 2nd Genie Awards in 1981, for his role in '' The Hounds of Notre Dame''. Jay Scott, "Les Bons débarras sweeps th ...

Jill Frappier Jill Frappier is a British-Canadian voice actress. Frappier was born in Lord Louis Mountbatten's stately home, Broadlands, in Romsey, England. She moved to Canada in 1967 to work as a British hostess at the British pavilion during the 1967 ...

Lesleh Donaldson Lesleh Donaldson (born April 7, 1964) is a Canadian actress who has worked in stage and film. After making her film debut in the drama ''Running'' (1979), she would appear in several horror films in the early 1980s, which earned her the title of ...

Eric Keenleyside Eric Keenleyside (born October 11, 1957) is a Canadian actor. Early life Eric Keenleyside was born in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, grew up in London, Ontario, and spent time in Brisbane, Australia. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts (acting) fro ...

Peter Boretski Peter Boretski was the stage name of Peter Perehinczuk (May 25, 1929 – September 5, 2001), a Canadian actor.Herbert Whittaker, "Spear-Carrier Takes Lead Role". ''The Globe and Mail'', October 30, 1962. He was best known for his recurring suppo ...

, Sophie Léger and Robert Bockstael. A dubbed

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

version also aired on Télévision de Radio-Canada in the following season, under the title ''Jeunes loups des années folles''. The series garnered four

Gemini Award The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's English-language television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in t ...

nominations, for Best Performance by a Supporting Actor (Peter Boretski), Best Performance by a Supporting Actress (Sophie Léger), Best Costume Design (Suzanne Mess) and Best Music Composition for a Series — Dramatic Underscore (Neil Chotem)."Some winning entries (and glaring omissions) in Gemini race". ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...

'', November 26, 1988.

References

External links

* 1988 Canadian television series debuts 1988 Canadian television series endings 1980s Canadian drama television series CBC Television original programming 1980s Canadian television miniseries Television shows set in Montreal {{Canada-drama-tv-prog-stub