# Paul Gross' latest: "ZOS: Zone of Separation" on Movie Central/Network 19 Jan 09



## The Bread Guy

The latest from Paul Gross - Is it just me, or could they have done a WAY better job forming the good captain's beret, or teaching everyone a bit more about the concept of standing at attention (see attached photo)?  I know, I'm nitpicking, but they DID have a (retired) CF advisor on the payroll, though.  Highlights mine....

*Welcome to Jadac - The Frontline Where Chaos and Civility Collide in The New Pay TV Drama ZOS: Zone of Seperation*
The Movie Channel news release, 16 Dec 08
News release link

Corus Entertainment’s Movie Central (Western Canada) and Astral Media’s The Movie Network (Eastern Canada) present the premiere of ZOS: Zone of Separation, a powerful eight-part Canadian original series premiering Monday, January 19 at 9 p.m. PT on Movie Central and 10 p.m. ET on The Movie Network.

ZOS: Zone of Separation catapults viewers into a world devoid of civility, where the complex and conflicting emotions and actions of those people caught in the chaos, and those trying to uphold peace, are exposed. This series is about the life and death struggle to enforce a U.N.-brokered ceasefire in the fictional, Sarajevo-like town of Jadac. The town and its age-old rivals, the Christians and Muslims, are on the brink of spiraling out of control. The only thing keeping them from each other is a frazzled contingent of international peacekeepers – made up of unarmed U.N. Military Observers (U.N.M.O.s) and armed U.N. soldiers – whose distrust in one another only augments the hardships they suffer as they try to police the chaos and maintain sanity in an absurd “war of peace” that is the Zone of Separation.

“ZOS: Zone of Separation is not a war story, but instead it’s about the people caught within a conflict zone, absent of law,” said writer, executive producer and show runner Malcolm MacRury. “*Born from the fact that Canada is a peacekeeping nation*, ZOS: Zone of Separation shows, in gritty detail – and through depth of character, surprising comedy and sheer wildness – a fictionalized version of just what our troops are up against in their peacekeeping missions overseas.”

Led by a female commander, Captain Sean Kovacs (Michelle Nolden), the mission of this team of U.N.M.O.s is to try to defuse the crisis and maintain the fragile ceasefire between Muslim and Christian factions. The rival groups are led by westernized Muslim George Titac (Colm Meaney), a charming but ruthless coffee bar owner, and Mila Michailov (Lolita Davidovich), a beauty shop owner and widow of the Christian militia’s brutal warlord, along with her unpredictable side-kick, and gun-wielding leader of the Christian paramilitary fighters, “Speedo Boy” (Enrico Colantoni). The peacekeepers are always in danger and never trusted – even by the armed U.N. soldiers led by Major Gavin Hart (Rick Roberts), who are prepared to maintain order by any means possible.

“With the recent success of his feature film Passchendaele, Paul Gross and the talented creative team from Whizbang Films are back with a very timely, modern day take on international conflicts,” said Erica Benson, Vice President, Programming, Movie Central. “*With a strong woman at the heart of this story and a colourful cast of complex characters, this series is, at its core, about relationships, dysfunctional love and surviving in extreme circumstances. It’s an extraordinarily powerful series that reflects the unmatched depth and cinematic possibilities that pay TV audiences have come to expect from our dramas.*”

"There is nothing else like ZOS: Zone of Separation on TV – it is its own experience,” said Michelle Marion, Director, Canadian Independent Production, The Movie Network. “*Far from a history lesson, ZOS: Zone of Separation is a rock 'n' roll journey, a peek behind the curtain of geopolitical conflict and peacekeeping to the madness, chaos, sex, greed and intrigue. This is not what you'd see on the nightly news. With the creative freedom enjoyed by pay TV, the voice and point of view of the show are highly original – agree or disagree with it, it is hard to not get drawn in.*"

ZOS: Zone of Separation also stars Allan Hawco, Nick Mancuso, Paul Doucet, Jim Codrington, Peter Mooney, Joanna Boland, Alan C. Peterson, Nicholas Campbell and Paulino Nunes. The series is executive produced by Paul Gross, Frank Siracusa, Malcolm MacRury and series director Mario Azzopardi and was written by Malcolm MacRury, Peter Mitchell, Jason Sherman, John Krizanc and Paul Aitken. *Major John Russell, a retired officer in the Canadian Armed Forces served as the military advisor on the series.*

*As a companion site to the series, ZOStv.com will launch on January 1, 2009, with three online components: a Virtual Jadac, an interactive cinematic experience in which visitors can find their way out of the Zone of Separation; general support information about the series; and a virtual journalist who provides deeper insight into the events as they unfold, with field reports and in-character interviews with cast members.*

Movie Central and The Movie Network will give viewers advance access to the first episode of ZOS: Zone of Separation on Movie Central On Demand and The Movie Network OnDemand starting Tuesday, December 23 to Tuesday, January 2. ZOS: Zone of Separation will be simulcast on The Movie Network and Movie Central’s High Definition channels and new episodes will also be available each week on The Movie Network OnDemand and Movie Central On Demand. Following each episode premiere, the series will repeat on Fridays at 11 p.m. ET/MT on HBO Canada.

ZOS: Zone Of Separation, a high-definition production shot in Tulza, Bosnia, Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario, is developed and produced by Whizbang Films and Sulari Productions Inc. Movie Central and The Movie Network developed, commissioned and invested in the series. It is produced with the participation of the Canadian Television Fund, the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit and the Ontario Media Development Corporation, The Independent Production Fund, the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund and The Rogers Cable Network Fund. Alive Entertainment holds worldwide sales and distribution rights.


_- edited to remove link to photo and replace with attached copy -_


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## Haggis

On the surface it appears that this offering lacks the attention to detail found in "Passchendaele".


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## S.Stewart

I just watched this first episode off my digital cable and needless to say I was less than impressed. Seems far too hollywoodized to me.


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## Teflon

First Impression:



> Far from a history lesson, ZOS: Zone of Separation is a rock 'n' roll journey, a peek behind the curtain of geopolitical conflict and peacekeeping to the madness, chaos, sex, greed and intrigue. *This is not what you'd see on the nightly news.*



or reality!


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## Harry Potter

S.Stewart said:
			
		

> Seems far too hollywoodized to me.



I think producers have to insert a degree of "hollywood" into a serie like this, otherwise it wouldn't attract an audience outside of military circles.  Even "Band of Brothers" had a degree of Hollywood.  

Its not easy to take 20 years of modern peacekeeping and condense it into eight 40 minutes episodes.  Unfortunately you end up with characters who have every conceivable situation happen to them in the span of a single tour.  Makes it less than realistic for those who have lived it for real, but it is entertaining for the audience and it has the merit of giving the audience a degree of understanding of what troops on peacekeeping duty have to live with.  I have seen the first two episodes, and found that it wasn't as bad as I had feared.  

At the end of the day, anything that enhances the public's understanding of what troops on peacekeeping duties go through is positive, even if not 100% accurate.  As far as educating the public, in my opinion, it beats anything CBC would have put together.


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## Journeyman

Hey, the perspective was highlighted for you in the opening post, 

 “*Far from a history lesson*, ZOS: Zone of Separation is a rock 'n' roll journey, a peek behind the curtain of geopolitical conflict and peacekeeping to the madness, chaos, sex, greed and intrigue. This is not what you'd see on the nightly news. With the *creative freedom* enjoyed by pay TV......


Were you expecting the balanced journalistic integrity of Michael Moore and Noam Chomsky?


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## Blakey

Is this what's being discussed, http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=Ea4Usapv4H0 ?
If so, I didn't even get past the 30 sec mark.....


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## Harry Potter

Cataract Kid said:
			
		

> Is this what's being discussed, http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=Ea4Usapv4H0 ?



I have only seen the first two episodes, and this segment doesn't look anything like it.  Doesn't mean it isn't from a subsequent episode though.  I agree that if this was the only thing I could judge the serie from, it wouldn't turn my crank either.


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## Danjanou

Hey it is cable so lots of gratuitous nudity. 

I'm up to episode 4 now ( all available on TMN on demand) and am waiting patiently for a CSM type to show up, teach them how to do drill, shape berets, fix the uniform errors, the weapons (old M-16s with beaver tail hand guards etc.), and my personal irritant, sort out the female Capt's medals. Her ribbons  a) don't match the tours she's been on and b) keep switching around as if the costume person forgets which way to put them on in each take.

I need to pause the credits next time to catch the name of this so called advisor. My 4 year old nephew could do a better job.

Really bad series in fact so bad it's like a car wreack I can stop watching. Ah well there is the nudity.


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## Kat Stevens

It's the stupidest thing I've seen since I allowed one of my kids to PPV Jackass 2.


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## Eye In The Sky

Danjanou said:
			
		

> I need to pause the credits next time to catch the name of this so called advisor. My 4 year old nephew could do a better job.



Major John Russell, according to the first post.


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## FSTO

Watched this for the first time the other night. As a Naval Officer I was astonished at the absolute stupidity of the show. I cannot imagine what a member of the Army must think of that crap.


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## 2 Cdo

Eye In The Sky said:
			
		

> Major John Russell, according to the first post.



He should be given a smack in the head for the most disgraceful depiction of CF personel ever to grace a TV screen!

FSTO, I lasted about 5 minutes into whatever episode was on and switched channels in pure disgust. A complete and total train wreck of a show that makes reality TV look like "high art"!


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## Kat Stevens

That coked up clown running around in a g string and trench coat, killing anyone who looks sideways at his dog,  is the most ridiculous TV character I've ever seen.


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## Kat Stevens

...and another thing:  "The Canadians are coming in.  Knowing my luck, they'll be Albertans."  WTF is that supposed to mean?  Utter crap!


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## 2 Cdo

Kat Stevens said:
			
		

> ...and another thing:  "The Canadians are coming in.  Knowing my luck, they'll be Albertans."  WTF is that supposed to mean?  Utter crap!



Sensationalist Eastern Canada anti-Alberta crap. Did you honestly expect anything less. 8)


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## - m i l l e y -

not back the the east vs. west (you guys should just except the fact that the east is superior)

I agree with FSTO, as a Naval Officer (Cadet) I was astonished with the errors in portraying the CF.  Thought the show was crap but had fun pointing out all the errors (so many at that).  As well, I cannot imagine what you army pers think of all that shit.


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## 2 Cdo

ncs_eng 081 said:
			
		

> not back the the east vs. west (you guys should just except the fact that the east is superior)



 :rofl: That's the funniest thing I've read today!


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## Dissident

Who gave them the CadPat frag vests? Did the CF read the script before lending their support to this thing? Or did they see Paul Gross's name and went with it?

Sigh


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## - m i l l e y -

After Passchendaele I would have expected more from Gross, this was a let down.


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## chrisf

I can only hope this inspired the "trench coat and thong" as a fashion trend.... can you imagine the interesting sun burns?


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## chrisf

Wow. Just watched some more of the show clips. If i ever caught my troops rapping for a reporter while they were supposed to be cleaning out crappers, they'd be cleaning out said crappers for a long time to come.


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## Nauticus

Kat Stevens said:
			
		

> ...and another thing:  "The Canadians are coming in.  Knowing my luck, they'll be Albertans."  WTF is that supposed to mean?  Utter crap!


Your view is far from being objective.

I don't think a character's opinion on Albertans should affect whether or not you like the show.


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## Kat Stevens

Your objection to my objectivity is duly noted, and promptly disregarded.  By the way I'm from BC, doesn't matter where your from, stupid writing is stupid writing.


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## Nauticus

Kat Stevens said:
			
		

> Your objection to my objectivity is duly noted, and promptly disregarded.  By the way I'm from BC, doesn't matter where your from, stupid writing is stupid writing.


I'm curious then. Do you expect every single character in the shows you watch to hold conventional opinions that hold all people equally? Do you want every character to like Albertans in every show, regardless of anything else?

If not, then I'm curious why it matters in this particular show.


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## Kat Stevens

I'm equally curious as to why my enjoyment, or lack thereof, of this show is so important to you?  I've watched plenty of shows with absolutely despicable characters that I've truly loved.  Maybe because I've been to the Balkans a few times, and lived what this programme is trying to convey, that I think it's utter crap.  Liking or disliking Albertans isn't the point, and I think you know that.  That a Canadian officer would say something that foolish in the first place, seeing as there are no regiments of Albertans in the regular army, shows weak writing, and weaker research on the writers' part.  Thank you for your concern with my viewing enjoyment, it means a lot to me.


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## Gramps

This show makes me laugh and it makes me angry at the same time. Horrible acting, very weak writing, and what seems to be a lack of direction makes for a terribly frustrating thing to watch. The continuity or lack of in their uniforms is what makes me laugh. The advisor should definately be ashamed of himself and their script supervisor and other continuity people should have been fired. I would love to see the stuff that ended up on the cutting room floor, I am sure it would be pure gold. I hope this only does the one initial season.


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## Danjanou

Yeah Gramps but it was entertaining, maybe not as entertainingh as Kat and Nauticus in this thread but nice diversion from day to day reality.  8)


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## Kat Stevens

Kat Stevens said:
			
		

> snip!   That a Canadian officer would say something that foolish in the first place, seeing as there are no regiments of Albertans in the regular army, no matter how awesome that would be shows weak writing, and weaker research on the writers' part.  snip!


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## The Bread Guy

Danjanou said:
			
		

> I'm .... waiting patiently for a CSM type to show up, teach them how to do drill, shape berets, fix the uniform errors, the weapons (old M-16s with beaver tail hand guards etc.), and my personal irritant, sort out the female Capt's medals.


I'd be happy to be proven wrong, but other than "Full Metal Jacket", I can't think of any other military movie where the main military advisor/consultant is a former NCO.



			
				2 Cdo said:
			
		

> He should be given a smack in the head for the most disgraceful depiction of CF personel ever to grace a TV screen!


To be fair to the advisor, it's not impossible that, like consultants in many other fields, he says, "ya know, you need to do this because what's in the script would never, ever happen in reality" and gets told, "thanks for the input - we'll shoot it as is."


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## Teflon

milnews.ca said:
			
		

> I'd be happy to be proven wrong, but other than "Full Metal Jacket", I can't think of any other military movie where the main military advisor/consultant is a former NCO.
> To be fair to the advisor, it's not impossible that, like consultants in many other fields, he says, "ya know, you need to do this because what's in the script would never, ever happen in reality" and gets told, "thanks for the input - we'll shoot it as is."



I know this is a humourous example but Peacekeeper - King of Krasna (CBC made for TV movie from the 90s) had a PPCLI Sgt as the advisor and in his defence he did try real hard to make that piece of crap worth something but despite an almost non-stop confrontation between him and the director pretty much everything he said was ignored.

(For the record - No it wasn't me although I can not deny that I was TASKED to that,.... effort)


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## Danjanou

This is possible. I remember that 2 part made for TV CBC farce about Dieppe a few years back. The military advisor according to the credits was a Reservist Sgt from Toronto I know, former 2 Para type who went to the QOR here and later the RRC. 

After watching it, seeing his name ion the credits, and later bumping into him in local pub I proceeded to rag him merciless on his piss poor performance as it turned out the entire Senior NCO of the GTA cadre serving and retired was also ragging him. His response he explained to the producers and costume people etc what was accurate etc and what wasn’t and they promptly ignored him.


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## PMedMoe

milnews.ca said:
			
		

> I'd be happy to be proven wrong, but other than "Full Metal Jacket", I can't think of any other military movie where the main military advisor/consultant is a former NCO.



While not an NCO, USMC (Ret.) Capt Dale Dye has served as a military advisor (and often times, an actor) for several films.  Band of Brothers being one of the most notable.

Edit to add:  He seems he was an NCO at one point, according to his bio on IMDB.



> He spent 13 years as an enlisted Marine, rising to the rank of master sergeant. He was chosen to attend officer candidate school and was appointed a warrant officer in 1976. He later converted his commission and was a captain when he was sent to Beirut with the multinational peacekeeping force in 1982-83.


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## The Bread Guy

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> While not an NCO, USMC (Ret.) Capt Dale Dye has served as a military advisor (and often times, an actor) for several films.  Band of Brothers being one of the most notable.



True enough (and he's advised AND starred on a number of flicks), but I meant an on-screen credit saying "Mliitary Advisor - (NCO rank) Bloggins, retired, (branch of service)" - left the service as an NCO.


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