This series consists of records relating to the television production entitled Middle of Somewhere, produced by Juxtapose Productions and plan9films and shot on location in Saskatchewan. Seasons 1 and 2 each contained 13 episodes, with runtimes of 26 - 30 minutes. Hosted and narrated by poet and author Seán Virgo, the series featured his encounters with Saskatchewan people and their environments. The soundtrack was provided by Jason Plumb and Joel Fafard and featured music by Joni Mitchell, Rheostatics, Andrea Menard and others. The production was edited by John S. Mills, written by Sean Virgo, produced by Sandra Panko, directed by Darryl Kesslar and executive produced by Dennis Hrapchak and Darryl Kesslar.
The types of records included are: episode masters; photographs; and movie samples.
SEASON ONE EPISODES:
Grasslands (Episode 1) relates to the ecosystem in the Val Marie area and the character of Will James, who homesteaded in the area. Interviews with Lise Perreault, pasture manager Danny McNaughton and Pat Pargey of Grasslands National Park are included.
Call of the Wild (Episode 2) relates to Waskiseu (Prince Albert National Park) and Grey Owl (Archie Belaney) and includes interviews with Audrey Sanderson with the Friends of PAND, Dan Frandsen of Parks Canada, Adam Pidwerbeski, Scott Nesbitt, and Phillippe and Mary Stenne of Camsell Portage.
Two Voices (Episode 3) relates to Indigenous storytelling and world views and consists of interviews with Indigenous novelist and lawyer Harold Johnson and poet Louise Halfe.
The River Map (Episode 4) relates to the North Saskatchewan and South Saskatchewan Rivers with a focus on Saskatoon and includes interviews with Nola Stein, Solomon Carriere and John Carriere of Cumberland House.
Forest of Dreams (Episode 5) focuses on trees and the natural environment in southern Saskatchewan and the legacy of Adolph (Adolf) Heyer of Neville and includes an interview with Bill Bryan.
God's Acres (Episode 6) relates to the Shekinah Retreat Centre near Waldheim operated by the Mennonite Church with an interview with Timber Lodge project manager Carl Wiens and to organic farming with interviews with Mennonite farmers Don and Louella Friesen of Carmen Corner.
Baba's Children (Episode 7) relates to various aspects of Ukrainian culture and includes interviews with Adam Pidwerbeski, Savelia Curniski, Dr. Bohdan Kordan, Janet Danuliuk, and Father Taras Makowsky of Holy Trinity Church, Saskatoon.
Between Worlds (Episode 8) focuses on Métis culture and includes footage of the John Arcand Fiddle Fest, the Ile-a-la-Crosse Roman Catholic Cemetery and interviews with John Arcand, poet and educator Rita Bouvier and Mark Callette, site manager at Batoche National Historic Site.
Resistance (Episode 9) focuses on the Battle of Fish Creek and the story of Kisse-manitou-wayo (Almighty Voice) and includes interviews with Eric Ferguson of Battlefield Paintball, novelist and historian David Richards, Lorin Gardypie, Mervin Daniels and Celine Perillat.
Small Town (Episode 10) looks at life in small communities and includes interviews with Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Constable Dave White and Laurel White, Dr. Anne Davis and members of the Jen family, who operated a Chinese restaurant (Jan's Café) in Ponteix.
A Blink in Time (Episode 11) focuses on homesteaders and homesteads and includes footage shot at the Saint Mary Roman Catholic Cemetery in Scotsguard, Lipton Hebrew Cemetery and Edenbridge Hebrew Cemetery with interviews with Clint Rousell, Doug Schlemko, Dorothy Schlemko, Richard Goddu, Marcel Cote, Albert Broudy and Jeremy Parnes.
Earth's Store (Episode 12) focuses on geology and paleontology and the elements of uranium, sodium sulphate and clay and includes footage shot at Uranium City, Chaplin Waterfowl Centre, and the T.rex Discovery Centre and includes interviews with Harold Johnson, Andrew Schultz, Clarice Schultz, Nolan Mathies, and Tim Tokaryk.
Wild Thing (Episode 13) focuses on the relationship between man and nature and focuses on coyotes, peregrine falcons and red-tailed hawks. Interviews with sheep ranchers Dwane Morvik and Jamie Morvik, fur buyer Phil Patchin and falconer Tom Donald are included.
SEASON TWO EPISODES:
God's Eldest Daughter (Episode 1) focuses on light and darkness and includes interviews with Joanne Ferguson, artist Grant McConnell and the Very Reverend Terry Wiebe of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.
I am The Grass (Episode 2) focuses on the economy and ecology of grass, hay and native prairie grasses and includes interviews with ranchers Alec Howard, Chris and Tania Thronberg, Ralph and Doris Bircham, and Dennis Huel and politician Mark Wartman.
The Unwelcome Guest (Episode 3) relates to disease, including cancer and multiple sclerosis, and includes interviews with David R. Popkin, director of the Saskatoon Cancer Centre, journalist Randy Burton and Dr. Andrew Kirk, neurologist at the University of Saskatchewan. The episode also includes Don Freed performing a song entitled Talkin' Mysterious Prostate.
The Jarring Atoms (Episode 4) relates to sound and noise and includes interviews with singer/songwriter Jason Plumb and composer Ross Nykofiruk with footage shot in Winston's Pub and Lydia's Pub in Saskatoon.
The Golden Keys (Episode 5) focuses on philanthrophy and patronage of the arts and includes interviews with Terry Graff, former director of the Mendel Art Gallery in Saskatoon, Eva Miller, daughter of Fred Mendel, Jeremy Morgan of the Saskatchewan Arts Board, Cheryl and Henry Kloppenburg, Megan Perreault of the Nouveau Gallery in Regina, and Jacqui Shumiatcher.
A Little Western Flower (Episode 6) focuses on the evolution of animals, nature and plants.
A Gentler Life (Episode 7) focuses on the cloister and religious life for men and women and includes interviews with Sister Lize Paquette of the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary and Abbot Peter Novecosky of St. Peter's Abbey, Muenster.
The Best Mirror (Episode 8) features the friendship between poet and scholar Lorna Crozier and singer and former Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan Lynda Haverstock and includes footage shot in Swift Current, where they both grew up.
With Only My Tears (Episode 9) features refugees who had to flee their homelands and settled in Canada, including George Barrera (Columbia), Tahans and Lien Dinh (Laos), Hugo Alvarado (Chile), Saba Andu (Eritrea), and Haidah Amirzadeh (Iran).
The Star Café (Episode 10) features the Star Café and Grill in Maple Creek and includes interviews with artist Barry Weiss and entrepreneur Tina Cresswell.
Good Servant, Bad Master (Episode 11) focuses on fire and includes interviews with Dan Paulsen, Warren Mellor, and Viktorija Cirkvencic, all members of Saskatoon Fire and Protective Services, Anne and Cliff Arnal, Father Ed Heidt (cremation) and Gus Macauley, a forest protection consultant.
Stakes in the River (Episode 12) focuses on the Saskatchewan Festival of Words in Moose Jaw and the Moose Jaw Movement in the 1970s and includes interviews with Gary Hyland, Ken Mitchell, Byrna Barclay, Judith Krause, Robert (Bob) Currie, Lorna Crozier and Geoffrey Ursell.
As Small as a World (Episode 13) features stones and includes interviews with Barry Tysdal regarding a buffalo stone, archeologist Brian Scribe, stone mason Robert Assié, who speaks about the stone carvings on the Saskatchewan Legislative Building in Regina, and artist Stephen Goulet.
