The Border has gone to camera for CBC’s midseason slate. The 13 x 60 series – a high-action drama that follows Canadian agents on the front line of immigration policing – has a lot of things ‘blowing up, and high production values,’ according to XP Peter Raymont, ‘but it has a conscience,’ too.

The series’ online component, created by Stitch Media’s Evan Jones (ReGenesis Extended Reality Game), is due to launch in November. It includes interactive elements whereby viewers will follow clues hidden within the episodes through an online adventure. Also, user-generated content will be uploaded by players via mobile phone photographs, and there are plans to stream a web-exclusive 14th episode of the series.

The Border is set across all major ports and points of entry in Canada, but the shoot is limited to Ontario locales such as Toronto, Ottawa and Oshawa, where recent filming attracted the attention of locals who reported the mysterious landing of an executive jet on a rural road (a scene from one of the first episodes) to local news outlets. Episodes will be ‘informed and inspired’ by headline news stories. The war on terror also makes the job of the agents more taxing. ‘A lot of it has to do with our relationship with the U.S.,’ says Raymont.

Creative producers and writers David Barlow (Blue Murder), Janet MacLean (The Murdoch Mysteries), Denis McGrath (Blood Ties) and Sarah Dodd (Blood Ties) are on board. The ensemble cast includes James McGowan (Warriors of Terra), Graham Abbey (Heartland) and CSI: Miami‘s Sophia Milos, who stars as a member of US Homeland Security.

The Border will run 13 consecutive weeks on CBC in January.

A longer version of this story first appeared in Playback Daily.