Bob Dawson needed to get away from his schoolteacher’s life in England. But Fort Hamilton Secondary School took him farther than he ever expected to go.
In the 1986 Canadian TV movie 9B and the short-lived but highly acclaimed 1988 drama series that followed, Dawson (played by Robert Wisden) finds himself in a small town deep in the wilds of northern British Columbia, where he takes on the seemingly hopeless task of educating the local high school’s worst misfits and troublemakers.
9B joins the VisionTV drama lineup on Mondays, starting March 31, at 9 p.m. and Midnight ET / 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. PT. (The original TV movie will air in two parts on March 31 and April 7, followed by the full run of five one-hour episodes.)
Based on the real-life experiences of Vancouver journalist Don Hunter, the series earned one Gemini Award and received seven other nominations.
Feeling distinctly out of place but determined to meet the challenges ahead, Dawson becomes drawn increasingly into the lives of his rebellious pupils, and into the quirky and colourful community of Fort Hamilton. Faced with issues ranging from teen pregnancy to a student’s sudden and shocking death, he must learn to walk a fine line between professional objectivity and personal involvement.
The cast of 9B includes Gemini nominees John Bayliss as principal Blue Bradman, Joanne Vannicola as student Mary Neissbrkor and Robyn Stevan as single mother Donna Remple.
Graham Greene (The Red Green Show), Nicole de Boer (The Dead Zone), Chris Owens (The X-Files) and Mishu Vellani (ReGenesis) also star.
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