"Slings and Arrows" (2003) TV series 2003-2006

Creators:

Susan Coyne
Bob Martin
Mark McKinney

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

3 November 2003 (Canada)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

The real show is backstage.

Plot:

In the fictional town of New Burbage, legendary theatrical madman Geoffrey Tennant returns to the New Burbage Theatre Festival...

Plot Keywords:

Theatre | Mentor | Theatre Audience | Play Within Film | Theatre Production

Awards:

21 wins & 27 nominations

Cast

Martha Burns	...	Ellen Fanshaw (18 episodes, 2003-2006)
Paul Gross	...	Geoffrey Tennant (18 episodes, 2003-2006)
Don McKellar	...	Darren Nichols (18 episodes, 2003-2006)
Mark McKinney	...	Richard Smith-Jones (18 episodes, 2003-2006)
Oliver Dennis	...	Jerry (18 episodes, 2003-2006)
Stephen Ouimette	...	Oliver Welles (17 episodes, 2003-2006)
Susan Coyne	...	Anna Conroy (17 episodes, 2003-2006)
Graham Harley	...	Cyril (16 episodes, 2003-2006)
Michael Polley	...	Frank (16 episodes, 2003-2006)
Catherine Fitch	...	Maria (16 episodes, 2003-2006)
Leon Pownall	...	Brian (12 episodes, 2003-2005)
Rothaford Gray	...	Nahum (9 episodes, 2003-2005)
Sean Cullen	...	Basil (9 episodes, 2003-2005)
Matt Fitzgerald	...	Sloan (8 episodes, 2003-2005)

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | Australia:M | Canada:A

Company:

Rhombus Media

Trivia:

Paul Gross plays Geoffrey Tennant, a stage actor best known (before his mental breakdown) for his performance as Hamlet. In an episode of "Due South" (1994) titled "A Hawk and a Handsaw", Gross' character Benton pretends to be insane, not unlike the character of Hamlet. The name of the episode comes from a line in Hamlet where he tells Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that he can "tell a hawk from a handsaw" - that he is sane.

Quotes:

Anna Conroy: [holding Oliver's skull] It's not that heavy at all!
Geoffrey Tennant: It's much lighter without the ego.

A lovely surprise!

I found this terrific series by accident on The Sundance Channel. I watched the first few minutes, was completely sucked in and then ecstatic when I discovered it was an actual series and there were more episodes than the one I had just watched! For those of you out there who loved Paul Gross in the Tales of the City mini-series you must watch this show!! He is wonderfully lost and adorably manic as Geoffrey Tennant returning to a world he thought he had come to hate, but in essence loves so much he can't live without it. But he is not the only gem on this show. All the characters, although they seem like clichés at first, are in truth, impeccably written and wonderfully acted. Shakespeare lovers, or just theater lovers in general will drown in happiness when watching this look behind the curtain.