“When Calls the Heart” the Anti Game of Thrones (with video)

The Canadian Press  Published: July 7, 2015, 11:51 am

Could When Calls the Heart be the cure for disgruntled Game of Thrones fans?

After U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill tweeted her opposition to the rape scene in the May 17 episode of Game of Thrones, others agreed that the HBO fantasy drama had finally gone too far in its depiction of violence — particularly against women.

Among them, feminist geek-culture blog The Mary Sue issued a lengthy explanation of why it would no longer be covering Game of Thrones on its pixelated pages.

Meanwhile, in Canadian television, a handful of series have been priding themselves on their family-friendly focus, exchanging sex scenes for sweetness, and violence for valour. Coincidentally or not, they all feature strong female lead characters.

When Calls the Heart — filmed in British Columbia and set on the Canadian frontier in 1910 — follows well-to-do teacher Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow), who’s assigned to a small coal-mining town.

It’s a classic fish-out-of-water setup based on Alberta author Janette Oke’s bestselling book series, which in 2013 became a TV movie of the same name.

The Canada-U.S. co-production aired its first two seasons here on Super Channel; Season 1 now airs Sundays on CBC. Michael Landon Jr., son of the man who headlined Little House on the Prairie and Highway to Heaven, is a co-executive producer.

Krakow says When Calls the Heart . . .

To read full article, see http://o.canada.com/entertainment/television/when-calls-the-heart-the-anti-game-of-thrones-with-video