Review of Bordertown

Bordertown (1989–1991)
Humble, but Well-done Show That I Miss Terribly
6 April 2002
I remember, appreciate, and miss this show, too. I'm sure my Aunt Kathy feels exactly the same way, as she was the one who introduced me to it. So, maybe there are three people in the world who miss it. I started watching it before it was on The Family Channel, and was ecstatic when they picked it up to show just before The Young Riders, another similarly programmed Western/Action-adventure series. I've been unable to find any sites for it, either. It's really a shame. The acting was excellent, as were the storylines. Now that I think about it, even the cinematography was good.

The show worked around the fact that a Canadian Mounty and a U.S. Marshall had to share an office on the Western U.S./Canadian border in the late 1800's, and that both men fancied a female, French Canadian doctor who practiced in town. There were other issues, such as an early version of the modern-day, anything-for-a-dollar lawyer that gives other legitimate lawyers a bad name. There was also the ongoing clash between the clean-cut, Oxford-educated Clive (the Mounty), and the stubble-ridden, tobacco-chewing, under-educated Jack (the Marshall). It was very well done so that it kept you laughing with campiness and occasional much-needed comic relief during the more serious episodes. When it came down to the nitty-gritty, though, you could always tell that the two men cared deeply for each other but were too stubborn to show it unless the situation was dire.

The series Due South has a very similar premise to this and was accepted more readily by a larger audience, perhaps because it was set in modern times instead of the Old West.

Also of Note: This is the series that introduced (as far as I know) the most recent actor (as of April 2002) to play Michael Horton (Roark Critchlow) on Days of our Lives, the nice-looking blond with the beautiful blue eyes. He played the part of a young member of a gang of trail robbers posing as a Mounty apprentice to assist in the overtaking of Clive's guarding of a shipment of money.

Personal Note: If anyone has this series on tape, I'm willing to pay money (up to $10/6-hr VHS tape with 12 shows at 30-min ea., or more, if you've erased the commercials). Please e-mail me privately for arrangements. Thank you.
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