DVD in the USA. Reception Criticism In a February 4, 2008 article of the National Post, the show was faulted on the basis that it had some similar elements to the American show 24. There have also been some claims of anti-Americanism, shown in the character of LaGarda and the portrayal of the American government. The show has also been criticized for an unrealistic portrayal of cooperation between Canadian law enforcement and intelligence agencies, but it is acknowledged this was done in order to avoid making it too complicated for viewers. Formerly secret diplomatic cables published by the whistleblower organization WikiLeaks revealed that US diplomats in Canada warned their superiors that The Border and several other popular Canadian dramas had an "insidious" anti-American bias. Ratings In its series premiere, the drama had an audience of 710,000. In a press release, Kirstine Layfield said she was optimistic "with the numbers, given the difficulty Canadian dramas have in trying to tear viewers' attention away from U.S. fare". In the second week, ratings fell to 600,000, improved to around 760,000 by the fourth episode, then dipped to a low of 548,000 viewers during the seventh episode, but improved once again the following week to 716,000. When The Border returned for its second season, viewership was around 704,000. In addition, Grace Park's presence in the show had given the show an audience of 765,000. On iTunes Canada, The Border was among the Top 30 downloads with numbers around 800,000. Awards and nominations The series was nominated for Best TV Drama at the 2008 Monte Carlo Television Festival, including nominations to James McGowan for Best Actor and Sofia Milos for Best Actress. In addition, it was also nominated for 9 Gemini Awards and 1 Young Artist Award at the 30th Young Artist Awards. The Border was the recipient of an award at the 2008 Banff International Television Festival for Best Mobile Enhancement. The show was nominated for five awards at the 2009 Monte Carlo Television Festival. References External links 2008 Canadian television series debuts 2010 Canadian television series endings 2000s Canadian crime drama television series 2010s Canadian crime drama television series Eco-terrorism in fiction CBC Television original programming Espionage television series Television shows set in Toronto Terrorism in television Canada–United States relations in popular culture Television shows filmed in Toronto