Pure | |
---|---|
Genre | Crime drama |
Created by | Michael Amo |
Directed by | Ken Girotti |
Starring | |
Country of origin | Canada |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 12 |
Production | |
Production companies |
|
Original release | |
Network | CBC Television (season 1) Super Channel (season 2) |
Release | January 9, 2017 July 2, 2019 | –
Pure is a Canadian television drama series that first aired on CBC Television in January and February 2017,[1] and subsequently on Super Channel. The show stars Ryan Robbins as Noah Funk, a Mennonite pastor working undercover within an organized crime network in order to clean up a drug trafficking problem in his community.[2] The show also stars A. J. Buckley, Peter Outerbridge, Alex Paxton-Beesley, and Rosie Perez.[3]
Pure is produced by Two East Productions and Cineflix Media[4] and is directed by Ken Girotti.[5]
Showrunner Michael Amo stated that he pitched the show to television networks in the 2000s but "didn't get any takers".[4] It is inspired by the operations of a Mennonite organized crime ring that smuggled cocaine and marijuana from Mexico to Canada and the United States.[4][6]
The series premiere was watched by 858,000 Canadian viewers.[7] On April 12, 2017, the show was picked up by Hulu in the United States.[8] WGN America acquired the US television rights to the series in August 2017.[9]
Initially, Pure was not renewed for a second season;[10][11] however, in April 2018 the show was picked up by Super Channel, CBC, Hulu, and WGN America for a season two with six episodes, set to premiere in 2019.[12][13] The series is scheduled to debut on WGN America on May 28, 2019.[14]
In June 2018, Super Channel announced that actors Alyson Hannigan, Christopher Heyerdahl, Zoie Palmer, and Victor Gomez were joining the production for Season 2.[15][16]
The cast includes:[4][5][6][17][16]
Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | |||
1 | 6 | January 9, 2017 | February 13, 2017 | |
2 | 6 | May 28, 2019 | July 2, 2019 |
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Canada viewers (millions) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "Ordination" | Ken Girotti | Michael Amo | January 9, 2017 | 1.021[18] | |
2 | 2 | "The Singing" | Ken Girotti | Michael Amo | January 16, 2017 | N/A | |
Having agreed to accept a shipment of drugs from Mexican gang boss Eli Voss, Pastor Noah faces a crisis when the shipment is lost. | |||||||
3 | 3 | "As One" | Ken Girotti | Michael Amo | January 23, 2017 | N/A | |
With the drugs not easily accessed, Pastor Noah turns to a group of buyers led by Crowbar for help - but is unable to promise them 25% off the drugs as they demand. Meanwhile police detective Bronco re-asserts himself, demanding a fourth call on Noah's allegiance. Noah's son announces his intention to seek baptism. | |||||||
4 | 4 | "Funeral" | Ken Girotti | Michael Amo | January 30, 2017 | N/A | |
With substantially more dead bodies than foreseen, Noah strives to face the enormity of his own place in the crime gang even with his good intentions; meanwhile his wife has chosen a path to intimidate a local community member that brings down new sin on the enterprise. | |||||||
5 | 5 | "Communion" | Ken Girotti | Michael Amo | February 6, 2017 | N/A | |
6 | 6 | "Baptism" | Ken Girotti | Michael Amo | February 13, 2017 | N/A |
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
7 | 1 | "Excommunication" | Ken Girotti | Michael Amo | May 28, 2019 | 0.241[19] |
8 | 2 | "Faspa" | Ken Girotti | Andrew Wreggitt | June 4, 2019 | 0.219[20] |
9 | 3 | "Return of the Lamb" | T.W. Peacocke | Waneta Storms | June 11, 2019 | 0.107[21] |
10 | 4 | "The Proposal" | T.W. Peacocke | Michael Amo | June 18, 2019 | 0.166[22] |
11 | 5 | "Penance" | Ken Girotti | Andrew Wreggitt | June 25, 2019 | 0.195[23] |
12 | 6 | "Wedding" | Ken Girotti | Michael Amo | July 2, 2019 | 0.194[24] |
Though filmed in Nova Scotia, Pure is set in a fictional town called Antioch in southern Ontario, and during the first season, it also included the U.S. state of Texas and the Mexican state of Chihuahua.[17]
Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | ACTRA Maritimes Award | Outstanding Male Actor in a Supporting Role | Gary Levert | Nominated | [25] |
Directors Guild of Canada Awards | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series | Ken Girotti (episode: "Ordination") |
Nominated | [26] | |
2018 | Canadian Screen Awards | Best Dramatic Series | Pure | Nominated | [27] |
Best Direction, Drama Series | Ken Girotti (episode: "Ordination") |
Nominated | |||
Best Original Music, Fiction | Jonathan Goldsmith (episode: "Ordination") |
Nominated | |||
Screen Nova Scotia Awards | Best TV Series | Pure | Won | [28] |