Due South – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Due South

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

show1994

48%

WISE Score

A polite Canadian Mountie solves crimes in Chicago with his deaf wolf—charming in 1994, borderline unwatchable now.

Due South

show

TV-PG, 1994

48%

WISE Score

A polite Canadian Mountie solves crimes in Chicago with his deaf wolf—charming in 1994, borderline unwatchable now.

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Screenwise Verdict

Let's be real: Due South was a pleasant, wholesome buddy-cop show in 1994. It has good values, a charming premise, and genuinely kind-hearted protagonists. The IMDb rating of 8.0 reflects genuine affection from its era.

But we're 30+ years out now, and this show moves at a glacial pace by modern standards. The episodic structure, the long dialogue scenes, the '90s TV production values—it's all extremely dated. Your kids aren't going to sit through this unless they're unusually patient or you're forcing family bonding time.

If you loved this show back in the day, go ahead and rewatch it for yourself. But don't expect your kids to share your nostalgia. There are plenty of modern shows with similar wholesome values that won't feel like homework to watch.

Age Fit

Common Sense Media says 10+, which tracks for content—mild crime procedural stuff. But honestly? Even 10-year-olds in 2025 will find this painfully slow and dated. This is really for nostalgic adults who remember it fondly from the '90s, not actual family viewing.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

A Canadian-American buddy cop show known for its gentle humor, polite protagonist (a Mountie), and emphasis on doing the right thing. The show's tone is earnest and kind-hearted, modeling cooperation and decency without being preachy. However, it's a 1994 network procedural, so expect some dated attitudes and occasional formulaic plotting.

Imaginative

The fish-out-of-water premise (Canadian Mountie in Chicago) offers some creative cultural clash humor and the show features a deaf wolf sidekick, which is quirky. But it's ultimately a procedural crime show with standard case-of-the-week structure. Not particularly inventive by modern standards, though it had charm for its era.

Safe

Common Sense Media rates it for age 10+, and it's a network TV procedural from the '90s, so violence is mild and sanitized. Some crime scenarios and occasional gunplay, but nothing graphic. The show is known for being one of the gentler cop shows of its time. No concerning content flags, though parents should expect standard procedural crime elements.

Enriching

The show explores themes of honor, duty, and cultural differences with some depth. The Mountie protagonist models integrity and problem-solving. However, it's primarily entertainment-focused procedural television from 1994—episodic cases don't build much cumulative insight, and the format is fairly dated. IMDb rating of 8.0 suggests fans found it engaging, but modern kids would find it slow and talky.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Models genuine decency and integrity through the protagonist without being preachy—he's just a good guy doing good things
Fish-out-of-water cultural humor is gentle and occasionally clever, showing Canadian-American differences with affection
One of the gentler cop shows ever made—no graphic violence, minimal cynicism, just earnest problem-solving
The deaf wolf sidekick (Diefenbaker) is genuinely weird and memorable in a good way
IMDb rating of 8.0 suggests it has genuine fans who found it engaging and rewatchable

⚠

What to Watch For

This is 1994 network television—painfully slow pacing, episodic structure, and dated production values that modern kids will find boring
Standard procedural crime elements (investigations, occasional gunplay) though sanitized for '90s broadcast TV
Some cultural stereotypes and attitudes that haven't aged perfectly over 30+ years
Realistically, this is more 'parent nostalgia watch' than something kids will actually enjoy in 2025

Conversation Starters

"Why do you think the Mountie always tries to be so polite, even when people are rude to him?"
"What would be hard about moving to a completely different country like he did?"
"Do you think having a wolf as a partner would actually help solve crimes, or just cause problems?"

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