[2] The series featured the trials of Nellie Gordon, a single mother paramedic who was elected against popular expectations in a federal by-election as a New Democratic Party (NDP) Member of Parliament for the fictional riding of East Nova, Nova Scotia.
As a new backbencher MP, she has to learn the Byzantine intricacies of federal Canadian politics, which is complicated with her frank outspoken Maritime perspective.
However, she finds an unexpected friend in Herb Proctor, a Conservative backbencher from an Alberta riding who is often one of Nellie's most supportive allies in Ottawa despite their differing party allegiances and occasional conflicts.
Wendy Lill served as a two-term NDP MP for Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, although she says that the series was not literally based on her own experience.
The first season ran from April 8 to May 27, 2010, airing Thursdays at 11:31 am and 11:05 pm local time (3:31pm and 11:35pm NT).