ZOS is exceptional in nearly every aspect. Notably, the story line is solid with intertwining sub plots, and the acting from a primarily Canadian cast is outstanding. Each episode leaves me guessing and waiting for more.Canadians are not known for their dramatic acting abilities, but Nolden (Cpt. Kovacs) and Davidovich (Mila Michailov) are captivating in their portrayals of strength tempered with uncertainty. Doucet (Major Desjardins) gives a truly heartbreaking performance while trying to atone for his actions and protect the one he loves.ZOS is accurate in its depictions of violence. The gore is realistic and not for the feint of heart.I was exceptionally impressed by the unconventional and perhaps unpopular views that ZOS was able to express through its characters and story. Azzopardi shows us a film that steps away from mainstream American interpretation of war and peace. Many of the UN officials have their own agendas far beyond peacekeeping. Titac, a westerner, is perhaps the most cruel and corrupt of all characters; meanwhile, the Imam, a Pakistani/American religious leader, is against violence and promotes Christian relations and tolerance. For Canadians, it is sometimes hard to acknowledge that we are just as prone to immoral behavior as our Southern neighbors in war zones; nonetheless, Azzopardi forces us to accept that Canadian soldiers can are just as prone to theft, drugs, illicit sex, and general poor choices.In response to the negative reviews: I cannot help but feel that you're missing the point of a television production. Yes, perhaps their uniforms are improper and the wrong vehicles are being driven ... does the average viewer really care? No. I was too interested in the story to really be knit picking - I mean, its a fictional town anyways. If you want a completely historical account of the Canadian presence in Sarajevo, I suggest you find a documentary. A 100% completely accurate film without any Hollywood flare added would be quite dull...

Top quality drama set in a the midst of a peacekeeping mission in the former Yugoslavia, this series has no doubt drawn fire from critics for its less-than-complimentary portrayal of Canadian peacekeepers (among others) and of the peacekeeping mission itself. Far from being unrealistic, one fears that it is far closer to the truth than we are willing to admit. The story is strong and acting is far above average for Canadian productions, although it is sometimes a little hard to keep track of the characters. Perhaps that is intentional, to give viewers the same sense of confusion that must haunt the troops in the field on these missions.

I just wanted to say that I was fortunate enough to watch hour one and two of this series on an international flight on Air Canada. Although being on a 14 hour flight to the Orient might have clouded my judgment, (oh and it didn't), this show had me hooked from the first 10 minutes! The story line, is great, the writing is great, the acting is great, so all in all, I think it is and will be a great series. I am so upset that I can't find it here in the US. Being Canadian and having my fair share of bad Canadian TV most of my life, I am so impressed with this series so far. I guess I might have to wait until it's available on DVD before I can finish watching it. oh and to all you critics, watch it again and pay attention.

I have spent more than a year in the Balkans, and have served in Bosnia Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Albania, and Kosovo, and I have been awarded all four Balkans operations medals awarded by NATO and the United Nations. I have spent 38 years in the Canadian Forces, so I believe I am able to comment on the quality of production of ZOS.The characters do not wear their uniforms properly, and the female captain cannot be wearing a Canadian uniform, the Canadian shoulder flag notwithstanding. First of all, we generally wore our combat uniform -- the khaki uniform that made us resemble a Heinz pickle. The tan uniform the female wears should not have long sleeves, and in any event, our uniform regulations would not permit us to wear the sleeves rolled half-way up the forearm. The tropical tan uniform (and the Balkans aren't in the tropics) doesn't have a long-sleeve version.Her behavior with her superior officer would see her take a short cut to a court martial, with no "get out of jail free" card -- literally.Her beret more closely resembles the coif that Sally Field wore as "The Flying Nun." The Canadian major wears a beret instead of a helmet with a fragmentation vest. We don't protect our bodies and leave our heads vulnerable. We even wore ballistic protective goggles, just in case...The Azerbaijans drove away in a Canadian Iltis jeep, which was, interestingly, showing Canadian emblems.The show is an insult to anyone serving in the Canadian Forces, and more so for those who served in the Balkans.A TMN Customer Care Representative who corresponded with me told me that the production management hired a retired Canadian military officer as their technical adviser. I suggested that he might wish to verify the technical advisor's credentials, because I don't believe he and I were in the same Canadian Forces.If I took the time to look beyond my personal disgust at the abysmal quality of this production, I am sure I could produce a very long list of errors, flaws and technical problems of the first episode.Root canal would be preferable to watching a second episode.