television series
A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...
, 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 ...
from 1966 to 1968. It was arguably the first successful drama series on English Canadian television, and was the first TV series anywhere to regularly feature and focus on forensic pathology in the investigation of crime. Consequently, ''Wojeck'' has been hailed as an early forerunner of several successful shows that later explored the same genre, including '' The Expert'' (1968–76), '' Quincy, M.E.'' (1976–83), '' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' (2000–15), and ''
Bones
A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, an ...
'' (2005–2017), among many others.
The de facto pilot for the show, produced in Canada by the CBC and featuring the entire cast of the series, aired as an episode of '' Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre'' titled "Tell Them the Streets Are Dancing" (broadcast March 17, 1966).
Characters and plot
Similar to '' Route 66'' or '' Naked City'', ''Wojeck'' followed the "semi-anthology" format of often building the stories around the guest actors, rather than the regular cast. Still, the main four characters are at the centre of the show overall, and Wojeck's investigations generally drive the stories forward.
* Dr. Stefan "Steve" Wojeck is a crusading Toronto
coroner
A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into the manner or cause of death. The official may also investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...
who regularly fights moral injustices raised by the deaths he investigates. He often tackles tough and controversial issues. The character is Catholic, with Polish heritage.
* Steve's wife Marty Wojeck is frequently his sounding board at home. A former nurse, Marty looks after their two school-age children (who are often discussed, but very seldom seen on-camera).
* Crown Attorney Arnie Bateman is often, though not always, a force for trying to find a compromise between Wojeck's sometimes nearly-obsessive desire for justice and the practical realities of the justice system. This frequently puts Wojeck and Bateman at odds professionally, with Bateman finding Wojeck's "
tilting at windmills
, the full title being ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'', is a Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts in 1605 and 1615, the novel is considered a founding work of Western literature and is of ...
" approach unhelpful and unsustainable, and a frustrated Wojeck finding Bateman cowardly or hypocritical. Nevertheless, they are (usually) able to put their differences aside in their personal lives and are shown to be good friends outside of work.
* Police Sergeant Byron James is also a work colleague and friend of Wojeck's, who is assigned specifically to the Coroner's Office as an investigator. Their relationship is noticeably less fraught than that of Wojeck and Bateman, with the quietly determined police sergeantlike Wojeckintent on seeing criminal activity punished appropriately.
''Wojeck'' was noted for its issue-driven stories, exploring topics that had rarely been directly confronted in television drama to that time, whether in Canada or elsewhere. Episodes of ''Wojeck'' deal frankly with abortion, homosexuality, drug addiction, systemic corporate and government corruption, negligence of the elderly, and other issues that were otherwise almost completely absent from TV programming of the era.
The show was inspired by the career of Dr. Morton Shulman. Unusually for the time, episodes were shot almost entirely on location using hand-held cameras, giving the show a semi-documentary feel. The first season (1966) was filmed in black and white, while season two (1968) was shot in colour.
''Wojeck'' also notably took a "rep company" approach to guest casting, with some guest stars appearing multiple times in different roles over the brief 20-episode run.
Cec Linder
Cecil Yekuthial Linder (March 10, 1921 – April 10, 1992) was a Polish-born Canadian film and television actor. He was Jewish and managed to escape Poland before the Holocaust. In the 1950s and 1960s, he worked extensively in the United Kingdom, ...
starred in four episodes as four different characters, Robert Goodier played three characters over four episodes, and many, many actors appeared in three episodes playing three different characters.
Margot Kidder
Margaret Ruth Kidder (October 17, 1948 – May 13, 2018) was a Canadian and American actress and activist. She amassed List of Margot Kidder performances, several film and television credits in her career spanning five decades, including her bes ...
(then billed as Margaret Kidder) appeared in only one episode (season 2's "After All, Who's Art Morrison?"), but it was her on-screen acting debut.
Although it was one of the highest-rated shows on Canadian television in its time, only 20 episodes of ''Wojeck'' were made, because series star Vernon was lured to
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood ...
by the promise of more money and more consistent work than the CBC could offer. (Even after ''Wojecks success, the CBC could not promise Vernon the show would return in 1969, as they had to wait for a year-end budget allocation.) Vernon only returned to the role once, for a
TV movie
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a terrest ...
''Wojeck: Out of the Fire'' (1992).
Episodes
''Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theatre'' (1966)
* Seen in advance of the series. Though not conceived as such, it was a ''de facto'' "pilot" for the subsequent TV series.
Series 1 (1966)
*All series 1 episodes are in black & white.
Series 2 (1968)
*All series 2 episodes are in colour.
Special (1992)
*This production was created as a stand-alone, feature-length special. Originally shot in 1990 (and directed by original series director Daryl Duke), the production initially fell apart before completion due to a number of factors including weather-related shooting problems, and network dissatisfaction with the completed scenes. The script was extensively rewritten and reshot two years later by a different writer and director, though some footage from 1990 was retained. John Vernon, Patricia Collins and Ted Follows returned from the original series; Carl Banas did not. Duration: approximately 89 minutes.
Forensic pathology theme
''Wojeck'' was the first TV series to feature
forensic pathology
Forensic pathology is pathology that focuses on determining the cause of death by examining a corpse. A post mortem examination is performed by a medical examiner or forensic pathologist, usually during the investigation of criminal law cases ...
in the investigation of crime. This became the central theme of several other TV mystery-suspense dramas, beginning with the BBC's '' The Expert'' in 1968. Other programs include:
* '' Quincy, M.E.'', USA, 1976
* ''
Silent Witness
''Silent Witness'' is a British crime drama television series produced by the BBC that focuses on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. The series was created by Nigel McCrery, a former murder squa ...
'', UK (BBC), 1996
* ''
Da Vinci's Inquest
''Da Vinci's Inquest'' is a Canadian crime drama television series which originally aired on CBC Television from 1998 to 2005. While never a ratings blockbuster, the critically acclaimed show did attract a loyal following, and ultimately seven se ...
Crossing Jordan
''Crossing Jordan'' is an American crime drama television series created by Tim Kring, that aired on NBC from September 24, 2001, to May 16, 2007. It stars Jill Hennessy as Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh, a crime-solving forensic pathologist employed ...
'', U.S. (NBC), 2001
* ''
Bones
A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, an ...
Rizzoli & Isles
''Rizzoli & Isles'' ( ; stylized in all lowercase) is an American crime drama television series starring Angie Harmon as Jane Rizzoli and Sasha Alexander as Maura Isles. Based on the series of ''Rizzoli & Isles'' novels by Tess Gerritsen, the ...
'', U.S. (TNT), 2010
* ''
Body of Proof
''Body of Proof'' is an American medical drama, medical/crime drama, crime comedy-drama television series that ran on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from March 29, 2011, to May 28, 2013, and starred Dana Delany as medical examiner List of B ...
'', U.S. (ABC), 2011
* ''
The Coroner
''The Coroner'' is a BBC Birmingham drama series starring Claire Goose as Jane Kennedy, a coroner based in a fictional South Devon coastal town. Matt Bardock stars as Detective Sergeant Davey Higgins.
On 2 March 2017, the BBC announced that ...
'' UK, (BBC), 2015
* ''
Coroner
A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into the manner or cause of death. The official may also investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...
'', Canada, (CBC), 2019
Awards
* At the 19th Canadian Film Awards in 1967, Episode 1, "The Last Man in the World", tied for Best Film for TV. Cinematographer
Grahame Woods
Grahame Woods (January 31, 1934 – November 25, 2022) was a Canadian cinematographer and writer.Blaik Kirby, "Grahame Woods: too many talents to just stay put behind the camera". ''The Globe and Mail'', October 7, 1972. He is most noted as a cinem ...
won the award for Best Black-and-White Cinematography and Ron Kelly won for Best Director.
* In 2002, ''Wojeck'' became a MasterWorks honouree by the