Everything about Forgive Me, eh?

Forgive Me

Award-winning Canadian drama, Forgive Me, from writer and director Thom Fitzgerald, returns to Super Channel for a third season

From a media release:

Super Channel is pleased to announce that the award-winning original Canadian drama series, Forgive Me, from writer and director Thom Fitzgerald, will return for a third season. The Super Channel original series, which was filmed earlier this year in Halifax, will premiere on Monday, October 29 at 9 p.m. ET (SC Fuse).

Each half-hour episode of the eight-part third season will also be available to viewers on Super Channel On Demand the day following its linear broadcast. Viewers can also catch up with seasons one and two, currently available on Demand.

Forgive Me is an emotionally powerful dramatic series that breaks the seal of the Catholic confessional. Previous seasons of the series have received an impressive nine ACTRA Award nominations, including two wins for Vancouver-based rising star, Mike McLeod, as Outstanding Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Drama Series. McLeod reprises his starring role as the Priest in season three. Forgive Me has also been nominated for six Canadian Screen Awards, including one win for Edward Asner – Best Performance in a Guest Role – Dramatic Series, for his portrayal of the Bishop.

Seven-time Emmy® Award winner Asner returns this season as a series regular following the death of beloved Halifax native John Dunsworth (Trailer Park Boys) late last year. The Gemini and ACTRA Award-winning Dunsworth starred as the Prelate in all episodes of seasons one and two of Forgive Me. ACTRA Award nominee and Gemini winner Hugh Thompson (Blessed Stranger: After Flight 111) also returns in season three as Smith, with Oscar® and Golden Globe® nominated actor Bruce Davison (X-Men, Longtime Companion), also joining the cast as the Archbishop.

Other returning cast includes Jeremy Akerman (Hobo with a Shotgun) as Father Gene, Ryan Doucette (Cloudburst) as Sebastien and Lauren Liem (Sex & Violence) as Noelle.

In season three, the Priest must deal with the aftermath of assisting Smith with filing a lawsuit against the Church, while also continuing to carry the burden of keeping his illegitimate daughter a secret from the Bishop. In the confessional this season, the Priest hears confessions from a mother (Karen Robinson) whose faith is torn by the legalization of cannabis, a trophy wife (Rebecca Jenkins) who confesses to prostitution and a hotel maid (Jennifer Podemski) who confesses to snooping through guest’s personal items.

Forgive Me is produced by Doug Pettigrew and Thom Fitzgerald of Halifax based Emotion Pictures, in association with Super Channel, with the participation of the Canada Media Fund.

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Dramas and Comedies, Featured, Forgive Me

Super Channel’s quiet, effective Forgive Me returns

Amid Super Channel’s pirates of Black Sails, aliens of Falling Skies and spies of Homeland there is Forgive Me. Written and directed by Thom Fitzgerald (The Hanging Garden), Forgive Me is quiet and spare. There’s no swashbuckling and no armed troops, but plenty to like.

Back for Season 2 on Sunday, Forgive Me stars Mike McLeod as The Priest, a young man who listens to the daily confessions of his Halifax congregation. The brain tumour that had been operated on hasn’t gone away (and may be causing angelic visions), but The Priest insists he go back to work, telling his doctor (Fitzgerald) perhaps it’s God’s way. After convincing fellow priests in the Prelate (John Dunsworth) and Father Gene (Jeremy Ackerman) he’s fine, The Priest heads back to confessional; and that’s where Forgive Me truly shines.

Rolling out like a two-person play, the camera is in the tight confines of the confessional as—lit by the muted light coming through plain stained glass—The Priest hears the confession of pedophile Johnny Smith-O’Leary (Hugh Thompson), who is considering suing the church because he was molested by a choir master there when he was young. There are funny moments amid the conversation. Johnny asks The Priest what circle of hell his group of sinners is confined to and learns Dante’s Inferno is a play, and not scripture.

“How the hell is that not in the Bible?” he wonders. “Do you have any idea how many hours of my life that I wasted finding out exactly what circle of hell I’m going to?!”

“Johnny,” The Priest counters. “I watched all seven seasons of Dawson’s Creek.”

“You win,” Johnny allows.

McLeod turns in a fine performance; he’s instantly likeable in the role, more coach and therapist than priest, as is Dunsworth, far removed from drunken Jim Lahey on Trailer Park Boys. Fitzgerald has attracted high-profile talent to appear, with Olympia Dukakis reprising her role as Novalea, The Priest’s grandmother and Season 2 guest stars in Wendy Crewson and Ed Asner.

If you’re looking for something a little different from your Canadian TV, give Forgive Me a look and let me know what you think of it.

Forgive Me airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on Super Channel.

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Forgive Me, Industry News

Season 2 of Forgive Me scheduled for Super Channel

From a media release:

Super Channel, Canada’s only national English pay television network, is pleased to announce that the Super Channel original series,Forgive Me, from writer and director Thom Fitzgerald, will return for a second season on Sunday, October 11 at 8 p.m. ET (SC1) and will also be available on Super Channel On Demand the following day.

Forgive Me is an emotionally powerful dramatic series that breaks the seal of the Catholic confessional. It follows a young priest straining under the ever-growing weight of his congregants’ confessions while trying to protect a secret of his own that could put his calling in peril.

Season one was nominated for five Canadian Screen Awards including Best Writing in a Dramatic Series by Thom Fitzgerald; Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series by Mike McLeod, Best Supporting Actor by Hugh Thompson; Best Supporting Actress by Jane Alexander; and Best Performance in a Guest Role by Brenda Fricker. The series also received an impressive six ACTRA Award nominations, with Mike McLeod winning for Outstanding Male Actor in a Leading Role in a drama series, and Jane Alexander and John Dunsworth receiving wins for Outstanding Performance – Female and Outstanding Performance – Male, respectively.

Halifax based rising star, Mike McLeod, reprises his award winning role as the Priest in the 12 episode second season of Forgive Me. Returning cast from the first season also includes acting legend and Oscar® winner Olympia Dukakis (Moonstruck, Steel Magnolias) as the Priest’s grandmother; ACTRA Award nominee and Gemini winner, Hugh Thompson (Blessed Stranger: After Flight 111) as Smith-O’Leary; Gemini and ACTRA Award winner, John Dunsworth (Trailer Park Boys) as the Prelate, Jeremy Akerman (Hobo With A Shotgun) as Father Gene, Rob Joseph Leonard (Sex and Violence) as Father Phil, and Lauren Liem (Sex & Violence) as Noelle.

Season two also sees seven-time Emmy® winner Ed Asner (Up), multiple Gemini Award winner Wendy Crewson (Slasher, Saving Grace) and Daniel Fanaberia (Sex & Violence) join the cast in supporting roles. Also making a returning guest appearance is Oscar®winner Brenda Fricker (My Left Foot) in her role as Mrs. Smith.

In season two, the Priest hears confessions from a fallen politician (Wendy Crewson), a reluctant soldier (Daniel Fanaberia), and a parishioner recovering from abuse (Hugh Thompson). The Priest’s personal life with his secret love child is threatening his position in the church, making him vulnerable to punishment from the Bishop (Ed Asner). The first episode finds the young Priest (McLeod) facing his toughest challenge yet. Beset with visions and dreams of martyrs and spectres, the Priest has to choose between medical treatments to try to save his life, or embrace his ghostly visions as visitations from the saints.

Forgive Me is produced by Doug Pettigrew and Thom Fitzgerald of Halifax-based Emotion Pictures, in association with Super Channel, with the participation of the Canadian Media Fund.

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