From the creative team that brought us the hit Canadian summer series "Rookie Blue" comes "Saving Hope", a new hospital drama with a supernatural twist. Boasting the same high quality ensemble cast and plenty of star power, it features the trio of Erica Durance (Smallville), Michael Shanks (Stargate SG-1) & Daniel Gillies (The Vampire Diaries). The hook to this series is not that it's a medical drama, or even the premise of one of the leads living in a parallel universe of sorts while in a coma. What makes "Saving Hope" a winner are the characters who roam the halls of Hope Zion. A diverse group of charismatic heroes, each with their own virtues, flaws and most importantly, heart.
Much like its predecessor "Rookie Blue", "Saving Hope" features a large cast of supporting characters that recur throughout the season, giving a real sense of authenticity to the hospital. We get to know not just our leads but their friends, co-workers and rivals. And in that spirit, each story of the week ties into the overarching love story between Dr. Alex Reid (Durance) & Dr. Charlie Harris (Shanks), and their fight to get back to one another. As a result, you get completely invested in not only their story, but everything going on at Hope Zion.
The supporting cast is a fantastic mix of young and veteran Canadian talent, led by accomplished actress Wendy Crewson (Air Force One) as Alex's biggest rival, Dr. Dana Kinney. Daniel Gillies plays Dr. Joel Goran, hotshot surgeon and Alex's ex-boyfriend. Daniel does a wonderful job of balancing Joel's arrogance & heart-breaker tendencies with his caring nature (towards Alex in particular). Michael Shanks plays Dr. Charlie Harris, Alex's fiancé in a coma, stuck between the spirit world and the real world. Charlie is the male protagonist of the series, and it's thanks to Michael's skillful blend of wit, dry humor and genuine emotion that we cheer for Charlie to beat the odds and wake up.
Last but certainly not least, the center-point of the series, Dr. Alex Reid played by Erica Durance. Known for her chipper and optimistic spitfire portrayal of Lois Lane on "Smallville", here Erica portrays an equally strong woman, but that is where the similarities end. No matter how closely identified she'll always be for her arguably definitive portrayal of the iconic Lois Lane, after watching a couple of episodes of "Saving Hope", you'll simply see her here as Alex. A true testament to Erica's talent. She presents Alex as a caring, driven and practical woman whose life is thrust into chaos, and it's this test of her love for and bond with Charlie that leads her to start to question where science ends and hope begins.
"Saving Hope" is an amazing series which Canadian audiences have discovered & are loving, but which US audiences sadly as of yet are mostly missing out on. In a landscape littered with disposable 'reality' show tripe, this is a high quality, brilliantly acted and emotionally powerful scripted drama with heart. I for one hope that we get to share in the lives of the residents of Hope Zion for many more seasons to come.
