"Carianne"                                 

 

KeeKaWa's "Kaery-Anne",  KeeKaWa's "MacKenzie" King and KeeKaWa's Silver Treasure "Kristi"  have played the role of Diefenbaker (a deaf wolf who reads lips) on the TV series, Due South.  Several other KeeKaWa dogs have appeared on the series playing different parts for example, skijoring, Dief's love interest, Dief's son and daughter, Dief as a little puppy, etc. In October 1994 KeeKaWa's Kaery-Anne began her acting career with Lincoln as one of two Siberian Huskies playing the part of Diefenbaker on the TV series "DUE SOUTH". The trainers had recognized the need for another Siberian Husky resembling Lincoln to join him in the role.  Diefenbaker is a hearing impaired, lip reading, half wolf, sidekick to Constable Benton Fraser, a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police assigned to the Canadian Consulate in Chicago. Kaery-Anne had been bred the day before the agreement was made for her to join the Dief Team. The trainers felt that this would be the opportune time to train her and prepare her for the role. Keeping in mind that she was pregnant, she was treated with tender loving care. Kaery-Anne went on maternity leave during Christmas and gave birth to KeeKaWa's MacKenzie King, known as MacKenzie and future Champion KeeKaWa's Southern Treasure, known as Fraser. The puppies made their acting debut in the series, during an episode when a love affair between Diefenbaker and a Siberian Husky named Maggie takes place. Another KeeKaWa Siberian, Ch. Innisfree’s Keeley Walker C.D., portrayed the role of the puppies' mother, Maggie.   As the puppies grew, MacKenzie appeared on the TV series joining Kaery-Anne and Lincoln in the role of Diefenbaker. Several other KeeKaWa Siberians have played on the television series "DUE SOUTH". Kaery-Anne was whelped on March 21, 1990. Her Sire is Ch. Innisfree's Tempo and her Dam is Innisfree's KeeKaWa Kaerynne.  Kaery-Anne is obedience trained, although she never did receive her obedience title, instead she went on to become a television star. She is a very intelligent and inquisitive Siberian Husky with a happy bubbly personality. She is quite a comedian and she expects everyone she meets to give her hugs and kisses.  She passes this wonderful trait onto her puppies. Kaery-Anne was popular with the dog trainers because they found her easy to work with. In one scene Kaery-Anne, a chow hound by nature, walked up a set of stairs in the police station to the landing, past an actor who was eating a hamburger, and then proceeded up the second set of stairs.  This among other directives, she was able to master in one take. The first fan mail that came in for the show was for Diefenbaker. Dief had really captured the hearts of the audience. They loved the deaf, half-wolf. One admirer named "Puppy," who signed his letter with a big paw print wrote: "You are my big handsome hero."   If Diefenbaker received too little or no screen time at  all, the show received phone calls, letters and complaints on “DUE SOUTH’s” internet website.  In 1996 CBS wanted to cancel the series, but they revived the series due to the overwhelming response of fans on the Internet. In 1997 the series was canceled once again and Kaery-Anne returned home, while MacKenzie remained with one of the stunt men on the show.

 

	"DUE SOUTH" The TV Series

 

Diefenbaker is a deaf, half wolf who can read lips. "DUE SOUTH" is a comic Drama staring Paul Gross as an upright Mounty named Constable Benton Fraser, who picks his way through Chicago's mean streets with the help of a wisecracking Chicago cop, Ray, played by David Marciano. There is a constant interplay between the American and Canadian cultures and the stereo types, which reflect them, that make both the comedy and the action work together. MacKenzie King, a reporter in the show, was the name of the Mounty's love interest. Diefenbaker and MacKenzie King are both names of past Prime Ministers of Canada. In the "DUE SOUTH" story lines there were spoofs on politicians, politics and current news events. It poked gentle fun of American views of Canadians and leaves at least a little irony for Canadians to appreciate as well. The Mounty's boss was named Meg Thatcher (ex-Prime Minister of Britain - Margaret Thatcher). The series was the first Canadian drama sold to a major U.S. network (CBS) in prime time and Canada's most popular Canadian TV drama ever. It is shown in over 60 countries and licensed in 110  countries. For the 1993/1994 season the show was nominated for 14 Gemini Awards in March 1995, winning 5 awards. In March 1996, six Gemini Awards were presented to the series; it had been nominated for 15 Gemini's, for the 1994/1995 season. It was announced on March 2, 1997 that the show had been nominated for 7 Gemini Awards, winning 2 awards for the 1996/1997 season.

                            

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