I am currently about halfway through Season 9 of Heartland, a Canadian series that has run for 13 seasons thus far, and is still going. @Cody Fousnaugh, if you can stomach a show without bad language or graphic sex and violence, I think you’d like this one. If it’s not the best series I’ve ever seen, it’s very close to it. I am not so much into the equine/rodeo, or horse whisperer thing, and I haven’t much liked most of the horse ranch movies that I have seen, all with the same cookie-cutter theme (a young girl - sometimes a boy - from the city is moved to a ranch, hates it at first, but comes to love it) but, while this does indeed include this theme, there is so much more to it. What I like, and admire, in particular, is the way in which the producers handle the characters in the show. Rather than simply replacing a character with another character when an actor leaves the show or grows too old to fulfill the need for children in the show, characters are generally introduced long before they become regulars in the show, and they rarely leave abruptly. Consequently, someone who is seemingly brought in to advance a plot in one episode often appears off and on in the series, sometimes becoming a regular in the series. Thus far, there is only one case that I have noticed where a character was seemingly just written out of the series without an adequate introduction to her departure when they suddenly had someone move away to attend college. I could see from her IMDB profile that she had been featured in another series and a few different movies that year. But even then, they brought her back periodically, for an episode or so. Usually, what happens in a long-running series is that the show loses its audience when a core cast member leaves to advance his or her career in another role or, on a family show, the kids grow up, such as in the Waltons. The producers bring in some other kid to replace the one who grew up, or another character to play a similar role, replacing an adult actor who has left, but it doesn’t go over well. Usually, it’s done too suddenly, and it appears forced. In thirteen seasons, Heartland has had to face actors leaving, and children growing up, but they have done so more effectively, and the result seems natural, and they don’t simply write someone out of the series entirely. Just as someone in the real world will return to their hometown once in a while, actors who leave the series are brought back from time to time. Although the series and pretty much all - if not all - of the actors are Canadian, it is set in Alberta, in Western Canada, so we Americans aren’t faced with a bunch of people ending every sentence with “eh” or saying “aboot” instead of “about.” In fact, the Mounties rarely even make an appearance. Although I don’t mind the stereotypical Canadian shows, some people are put off by that, just as the rest of the world might be put off by a Boston accent or a stereotypical Maine accent. Plus, everyone doesn’t go around being sickeningly polite all the time. I don’t know if that was intended to sustain an American audience or if that’s just the way it is in Western Canada since I have never been west of Ontario. At any rate, I highly recommend this show. Although I have seen it recommended for Christian audiences, nobody in the show attends church, and the only time you ever see a preacher is at a wedding or a funeral, and they’re not held in a church. Nevertheless, the lack of offensive language and graphic sex or violence would make it watchable by Christian families.
I love watching the show. It's family oriented and very easy on the mind. The series follows the Fleming-Bartlett clan through love and loss, friendship and betrayal, marriage and children.
It's a great series. I'm nearly through with Season 11 now, and my biggest complaint is the Mongolia plots. That feels more like something a producer might do when he ran out of sensible ideas, That bit is a bit of a distraction, particularly given that Ty was talked into going there originally to save Mongolian bears by a guy who just got out of jail for poaching Canadian bears. The Mongolian episodes are a distraction from an otherwise good series.
Yes I do think the Mongolian trip was a distraction in Heartland. Or could be Tye had to be elsewhere for that period of time during the shoot.
@Ken Anderson I am not sure at what episode you are at with Heartland. I just finished watching episode 13. It's just not the same. Atleast for now!
Episode 1 of Season 14 is out, so I am starting it now. I have liked it all the way through, thus far. It's sad, sometimes, when people leave, die, or grow up, but that's true in real life too. Things change.
From what I'm reading, he (the actor) was planning on remaining with the show but when they took the 2020 season off for COVID-19, he decided to look for something else.
We have watched all of Heartland many times and enjoyed also. Others that are good and clean Murdoch Mysteries , When the Hear Calls, Death in Paradise.. many more- there is great cleaner entertainment from British, Canadian, and Australian tv vs American tv. We watch of these than anything on tv.
Probably due to an exaggerated response to the Dr. Fauci Virus, Heartland seems to be running on a skeleton crew in Season 14 but it's still good.
I am hooked on watching it. It is no more than a soap opera with mediocre acting and the fight scenes resemble the old west John Wayne movies. Be that as it may, I love the scenery and the basic theme of the show although I am more of a cattle girl than a horse girl. I was never into the horse jumping, but sort of beginning to like it. It peeves me that none of the young ladies listen to me when I warn them that their guys are not right for them. That is except for Amy and yes, Tye is the right one. It occurred to me what is missing in the story. Grandpa Jack needs assistance with his daughters, besides his girlfriend, so I wrote in my addition. A knock on the door is answered by Lou the oldest daughter. She sees a lady about her grandpa's age and notices a striking resemblance in the eyes and nose. The mystery lady asked if Jack Barton lives there. She says yes, who are you. The reply is I am Faye and need to speak face to face with Mr. Barton. Upon coming in, Faye approaches the dinner table where all are seated. Faye explains that only recently she discovered that she wasn't an only child. She shows birth records that she was born at the same hospital at the very same time as Jack. The records show Jack had a twin sister that died at birth and the other baby born that night was a girl to another couple. After DNA test Faye found she was not related to the parents that took her home. Unknown to them, their baby had died and the nurse being the dead baby's grandmother had taken Jack's twin sister and made the switch. At 101 the old grandmother confessed on her death bed to Faye what she had done. It wasn't that Faye didn't have wonderful parents, it was that she was an only child and since her baby, husband, and fake parents had died, she had no family. She always wondered what it would be like to have a sibling and nieces and nephews. Jack refused to hear any of it and took a stubborn stance refusing a DNA test. Staying at the ranch as a guest the girls noticed that "Auntie" Faye was just a female image of their stubborn grandpa. Many times Jack and Faye answered with the same words as twins have been known to do. Jack finally had a DNA test which confirmed Faye's claim. to possibly be continued -------