Television series

Due South

Name: Due South
Genre: Drama, Action, Crime
Released: 1994
Cast: Paul Gross, Beau Starr, Callum Keith Rennie, Daniel Kash, Tony Craig

Police procedural

Due South is a '90s crime drama built on the chemistry between a scrupulously decent Canadian Mountie and a streetwise Chicago detective. It's funny and clever about national stereotypes, but never lets the wit overshadow genuine character work and real stakes. For anyone who likes their procedurals with heart and a sharp sense of humour.

TVMaze rating

4.0

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love a buddy partnership where the comedy comes from two decent men who see the world differently and slowly come to respect each other, with a warm, wry tone that never mocks its characters.

Skip it if you want fast, relentless plotting or dark, gritty crime, since the cases here are mostly a frame for character play and the mood stays light even when things turn serious.

What it asks of you: Sixty-minute episodes across four seasons, so it rewards patience and a willingness to settle in; the rhythm is easygoing and conversational rather than tense.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

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Northern Exposure1990

A fish-out-of-water comedy-drama where eccentric small-town characters and big-city sensibilities clash in ways that are both hilarious and touching. Same gentle intelligence, same celebration of oddness.

But The whimsy can feel precious, and the show sometimes mistakes quirkiness for character development. A few episodes are pure quirk with no substance underneath.

Homicide: Life on the Street1993

A crime drama with actual emotional weight. The detectives are flawed, funny, and shaped by their work. It proves the procedural can be serious art without losing its humanity.

But Relentlessly grim. There's no equivalent lightness or fancy—this is the opposite tonal register, which some viewers find exhausting.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Due South

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Moonlighting1985

Both are procedurals that use comedy and partnership chemistry as a Trojan horse for genuine character development and emotional stakes. Moonlighting pioneered the template Due South would perfect.

A private detective and his business partner bicker their way through cases with flirtation and wordplay. The show practically invented the formula of pairing opposite personalities for chemistry and comedy, then letting real emotion through the cracks.

But The later seasons collapse under the weight of will-they-won't-they romance and ego conflicts between the leads. Peaks brilliantly and then nosedives.

The Rockford Files1974

A scrappy detective with an old-school moral code operating in a corrupt city. James Garner's charm and the show's blend of humour with real danger set the template Due South would follow.

But The episodes vary wildly in quality. Early '70s TV pacing is slow by modern standards, and some cases resolve in disappointingly neat ways.

Cagney & Lacey1982

Two detectives with completely different personalities and approaches, forced into partnership. Sharp writing and real female characters doing actual police work in a crime drama from the '80s.

But The first season is rough and the show takes a while to find its footing. Some episodes prioritise the case over the characters.

21 Jump Street1987

Young undercover cops, high concept cases, and surprising emotional depth beneath the action. Johnny Depp and the ensemble have strong chemistry and the show doesn't take itself too seriously.

But Deeply '80s in ways that haven't aged well. Some episodes are preachy, and the action sequences can overshadow the character moments.

The Mentalist2008

A charming con artist with a code works with law enforcement. Fast dialogue, a clever protagonist, and the pleasure of watching someone use brains instead of brute force to solve problems.

But The central mystery stretches thin across seven seasons. By mid-run it's coasting on charm alone, and the formula becomes predictable.

Wiseguy1987

An undercover cop plays long cons. Rich moral ambiguity, strong ensemble dynamics, and a willingness to let characters suffer real consequences for their choices. Genuinely gripping.

But Relentlessly serious and dark. If you want wit and warmth alongside the crime, this isn't it. Some story arcs outstay their welcome.

Friday Night Lights2006

A show about people in a small community where everyone knows everything about everyone. Strong writing about loyalty, ambition, and the gap between who you are and who others think you are.

But Not a crime drama at all. The football focus will alienate anyone uninterested in the sport, no matter how good the character work is.

Halt and Catch Fire2014

Like Due South, it's a show about people with fundamentally different values forced into partnership. But it trades comedy for pathos—same emotional intelligence, opposite register. It's proof that the chemistry-between-opposites framework works in tragedy as well as comedy.

Four characters with clashing ambitions build something together across a decade. Gorgeous cinematography, sharp dialogue, and a deep interest in how people change and hurt each other while trying to create something meaningful.

But The first season is uneven and some will bail before it finds its voice. It's slow-burn character drama; if you need immediate plot momentum, you'll struggle.