Klondike

Have just watched the first episode and enjoyed it. When I watch a drama I'm not concerned if the historical accuracy is not perfect I'm more concerned that the actors can act (they can). Some reviewers seem to be upset that a Scotsman and an Australian play the leads complaining that the accents aren't believable, but who can say how someone talked over 100 years ago, language changes FACT. Yes the language they use is modern screen writers write for there target audience (as they always have). Enough of a rant if you want to be entertained and get an impression of the conditions in Dawson City watch, if you want 100% historical accuracy either invent a time machine and travel back to the 1890's or watch a documentary.

I was looking forward to this series as I have done the Chilkoot Trail and spent a fair amount of time in the Yukon. I saw an interview with the producer stating how they went out of their way to be accurate so I had high expectations. Yes the scenery was spectacular, but not at all like that of the real Chilkoot Pass. The first disturbing piece of footage was at the beginning when the miners were working their way up the pass and in the background there is a ski area! You would think in this digital age they would be able to "photoshop" it out. Did not one person in their crew notice this? At the pass they are greeted with a spectacular view of the Yukon River. Sorry, but that's not what you see. Also, each miner had to prove they had 1000 pounds of gear to get over the pass, an important fact left untold. Okay, all this technical geography stuff aside (most folks would never know anyways), I just thought they did a poor job making this look like the late 1890s. Modern phrases are used and everybody is way too clean. It was a good attempt on the Discovery Channel's part but it ended up being a disappointment for me. There are great books on this great historical time out there for folks who are interested. Think I'll go pull out some Robert Service poetry and get a better fix!

I watched it all and didn't mind it,know some of the producers who do a good job productionwise. There are errors, lots of them, like wolves chasing after humans, very rare. Also mounties, or North West Mounted Police were not against native Indians like American cavalry, in fact they were incorporated with the intention of keeping American whiskey traders in Montana.

There was not a lot of killing as portrayed here (stolen from Deadwood), in fact very little as the Mounties kept it clean. The idea of the Indians being hung is a little far fetched also. As with all things like this, the mounties didn't allow any murders, etc. Remember, this is Canada, not California gold rush or Black Hills gold rush where killing and lawbreaking was the norm. Women couldn't get into a beer parlour in 1969 without a male escort. Yeah, beer PARLOUR, not bar.

In truth, Klondike was not even close to Deadwood in crime. Eh? But anyways, a nice 3 episodes, not very true, but what the heck, neither was The Butler.

I typically love historical epics, and I'm fascinated about stories of the West and gold rushes etc. However, "Klondike" blew it in so many ways, I'm not sure I can enumerate them all.

The camera work, scenery and set design was marvellous, and definitely needs acknowledging. The rest? Well it was great to see Robb Stark again, and he comes out unscathed. The remainder of the characters are cardboard cutouts and I felt no sympathy for them, good or bad. Tim Roth was embarrassing.

The plot was simple enough, but was cut to shreds by jumping around here and there, which makes me think the editor should never work in Hollywood again.

I could go on, but, you get the point, I'm sure. I don't normally write critical reviews, so the fact that I'm doing so means this was missing it all, really wide of the mark. Mediocre - 5/10.

Klondike was much-hyped on Discovery, and looked interesting. As a period-piece, it works on some levels, offering a gritty look at the Gold-rush era in the Yukon. However, the story-telling and logic of the plot is sadly wanting. It's almost as if the scriptwriters didn't want to use any clichés in their dialogue - so, they wrote obscure, pompous phrases that are not clichés - but they don't make any sense either. I wouldn't say that the acting is flawed - Tim Roth is brilliant as a psycho land baron-villain - but the lines they are given just don't explain the plot or what the characters are supposed to be thinking.

We watched 'Alaska-Ultimate Survivor' during which we saw how real-life survival experts dealt with frigid cold, especially after unexpected encounters with icy water. The Director should have watched that series before setting up some of his shots. (Once your core temperature drops, so do you).

There was also some explicit 'skin' scenes, thrown in to further narcotize the viewers who may have been nodding off. Unnecessary. Try writing a realistic script instead, Ridley Scott!