Based on actual events, Klondike tells the story of the last great Gold Rush in history. In 1897 two friends make the perilous journey through North American wilderness to the Klondike boom town Dawson City, “The Paris of the North” where murder, revenge, riches and redemption await.
Klondike marks the first foray of the Discovery channel into scripted television and for the most part, it is an accomplished and admirable effort. The show draws from Charlotte Gray’s book Gold Diggers: Striking It Rich in the Klondike which recounts the history behind the Yukon gold rush in the 1890s. This was a time when around 100,000 prospectors flocked to the Klondike region of the Yukon in north-western Canada. The majority died struggling to reach this remote region, some died at settlements, others fell victim to exploitation and a few became incredibly wealthy. Plenty of rich pickings for an adaptation to the small screen.
The core of Klondike tells of a young man, Bill Haskell (Richard Madden) and his close friend Byron Epstein (Augustus Prew) who in the course of seeking their fortune learn of the Canadian gold rush. They brave the wilderness to reach the center of the Yukon territory and find Dawson City, a settlement full of outlaws, prospectors and businessmen. There, the cast expands with Father Judge (Sam Shepard) trying to bring Faith to the local populace, The Count (Tim Roth) trying to corner the real estate market through any means necessary, and the love interest of the piece, Belinda Mulrooney (Abbie Cornish), a wealthy and smart businesswoman. Terrible conditions, competing claims, backstabbing, prostitution and corruption all play parts in the successes and failures of the cast.
The easy summation is that, it’s good, but it’s no Deadwood. That show benefited from some of the greatest, grittiest characters to ever grace a TV production, let alone one set in the American 1890s. But Klondike stands well on its own merits. The cast are accomplished and do well with the material as well as carving out their mark with their characters. The stories are engaging, be it “man Vs wild” or “man Vs man”. The harsh realities of this “get rich quick” scheme are quickly driven home and it gets worse from there. The cinematography is superb and the high production values are evident. There is no Al Swearagen nor other characters that will be etched into your mind for years to come but it is an engaging and well executed tale of human defiance and resilience.
One of the critiques of the show is in its structure. While a mini-series offers something more movie-like in scope this is a blessing and a curse. The first act showing pure survival: traversing mountains, encounters with wolves (really a problem Robb Stark?) and river rapids, is exciting and beautiful to watch. Arrival at Dawson City brings new kinds of danger and an ever increasing complexity and overlapping of storylines and themes. While for the most part well fleshed out, there are times the show feels like it should have ended, a resolution needing a breath afterwards to process whereas instead it hurtles straight into something else. It feels like it was intended to be a 6-part series rather than a more condensed 3-parter. Also, Ridley Scott is noted as executive producer but it is hard no notice any real influence from this cinematic great, which is a shame. While entertaining, the show does lose some momentum towards the middle at a time when you would think it would actually step things up. There is more brooding than action. There is also a use of voice overs that grates somewhat, not only is the exposition unnecessary but the character delivering the voice over changes with no discernible pattern or reason rendering it distracting.
THE PACKAGEThe blu is presented as a two-disc set containing all three parts of the miniseries. With a run time of 429 minutes, you get plenty of viewing stuffed into the package. The picture quality is outstanding, from the dingy dark scenes on rain lashed nights to the expansive open shots showing the Canadian wilderness. Its a beautiful looking show and the quality of the transfer does it justice. Special features include fairly standard cast interviews and a behind-the-scenes featurette. There is also an additional documentary entitled Discovering Klondike. Playing to the strengths of the Discovery channel, it takes a look at the history behind the actual Yukon gold rush and how the era was adapted for the show. If you are intrigued by the show, you certainly get your moneys worth, if a fan already, I’m sure you’ll be satisfied with the package presentation.
While Klondike suffers during it’s third act due to some narrative choices, overall it is an engaging and quality piece of work. The setting, the characters and themes explored are all interesting and well developed. It is a beautiful show, perhaps too pretty at times for such a bleak and lawless time but the use of the Canadian wilderness gives the production an appropriately epic feel. A lot of investment and care has clearly gone into this production, the first attempt at a scripted series for the Discovery Channel and I’m intrigued to see what they give us next.
Klondike releases on Blu-ray and DVD June 10th, 2014. A link to buy via Amazon is below.
OFFICIAL RELEASE INFORMATION:
From Executive Producer Ridley Scott, Discovery Channel’s First-Ever Scripted Series KLONDIKE: Arrives As A Two-Disc Collection On Blu-ray And DVD June 10
Headlined by an all-star cast including Richard Madden (Game of Thrones), Abbie Cornish (RoboCop), Sam Shepard (The Right Stuff), Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs) and Augustus Prew (Kick-Ass 2), and executive produced by Academy Award® nominee Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Gladiator, Thelma & Louise), the action-packed mini-series Klondike arrives on Blu-ray and DVD June 10 from Cinedigm and Discovery Communications.
Originally having premiered on Discovery, Klondike dives into the brutal, thrilling, get-rich-or-die-trying world of the late 1890s gold rush. Based on Charlotte Grey’s best-selling book, Gold Diggers: Striking It Rich In The Klondike, the mini-series was directed by Simon Cellan Jones (Boardwalk Empire, The Borgias), and follows two men, Bill Haskell (Madden) and Byron Epstein (Prew), who risk everything in the hopes of finding gold in the Yukon.
BLU-RAY/DVD BASICS Blu-ray Price: $20.99 DVD Price: $16.99 Street Date: June 10, 2014 Pre-Book: April 29, 2014 Language: English Running time: 429 minutes
Rating: TV-14