ABOUT THE SHOW

FORTUNATE SON, set in 1968, centres on Ruby Howard, an American expatriate living in British Columbia with her family involved in antiwar activism who is asked to help troubled American Travis Hunter cross the border into Canada in order to dodge the Vietnam War draft. Meanwhile, CIA handler Vern Lang is setting up a complex operation in order to infiltrate the peace movements on both the American and Canadian sides of the border in an effort to stop draft evasion.

War, riots, assassinations, political corruption, racial tension. Tensions between generations, races and genders were all reaching critical levels. Violence  spilling out onto the streets and families increasingly dividing over social and political issues. But 1968 was also a time of hope, of new ideas and change. FORTUNATE SON tells the story of a family divided by a mother’s deeply held commitment to activism and the personal cost it exacts on those she loves.

Based on a true story and exploring Canadian history that hasn't been reflected in Canadian television thus far, FORTUNATE SON is a spy drama set in the social and political chaos of the late 1960s or the Nixon / Vietnam War era, reminiscing of the era of the first Prime Minister Trudeau and Trudeaumania. 

FORTUNATE SON is co-produced with Lark Productions in Vancouver, which is backed by NBCUniversal, and Seven24Films, and aired on the CBC. Executive producers included Wreggitt, Tom Cox, Jordy Randall and Erin Haskett, with Brian Dennis producing. Stefan Schwartz and Ken Girotti directed. Andrew Wreggit was executive producer and showrunner, also stating the show's inspiration came from the childhood of Tom Cox and helping draft dodgers cross the American border in the late 1960s. With the financial participation of the Canada Media Fund, Government of Alberta - Alberta Media Fund, the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit, the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit and the British Columbia Production Services Credit. For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Programming; Trish Williams is Executive Director, Scripted Content; Helen Asimakis is Senior Director, Scripted Content; and Deborah Nathan is Executive in Charge of Production.