East, West N.S. is best for TV films
February 4, 1997
By Sid Adilman, The Toronto Star
CANADIAN content aside, why are so many TV programs and movies being filmed in Nova Scotia these days? Answer: For Canadian producers, its sea-coasted landscape, frame buildings and old-world mixed with low-rise modern charm offer a change from British Columbia where many previous TV series were made.
For American producers, it’s all that and even lower costs than filming in Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal.
Black Harbour, the south Nova Scotia-filmed TV series on CBC-TV, spoofs some of this on tomorrow’s episode at 9 pm.
A U.S. TV movie comes to film in the village and everyone is affected.
Nick (Geraint Wyn Davies), the former Hollywood director who moved to Black Harbour with his restaurateur wife (Rebecca Jenkins) and now builds fancy yachts, is asked to shoot second-unit action scenes.
The movie’s preening star (guest actor Nicholas Campbell), his wife home in Los Angeles, makes for emotionally troubled and married Vicky (Rhonda McLean). He persuades the director to give her a speaking part. She’s enamored by him and the possibility of the Hollywood career he glibly promises.
Her sensible, dependable and loving boat-builder husband (Alex Carter) cries – something few men on prime time series do.
The movie’s co-star, never seen, refuses to leave her trailer because she discovers the movie will have mayhem scenes hot in the script.
Nick’s sister-in-law (Carol Sinclair) and women of the village cater food for the film crew to raise money for the community. But she’s upset because the unseen co-star is reported to be insulting ladies-aid cooking.
The movie’s egotistical director (guest actor Michael Murphy), reduced to making TV movies, patronizes villagers and gets so jealous that he takes spiteful charge of the power-packed scene Nick has filmed.
The wordless ending is a poignant, heart-wrenching and plays for real.
Since returning after the Christmas-New Year holidays, Black Harbour created and produced by North Of 60’s Wayne Grigsby and Barbara Samuels, has shed much of the angst exhibited in the first few episodes. It’s more personable and, though still dealing seriously with still unsettling career moves from Los Angeles to a fishing village, it’s lighter.
Grigsby and Samuels, who wrote tomorrow’s episode, solidly hook their own experiences filming in Nova Scotia and those of American producers with Black Harbour’s characters and plots.
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February 4, 1997
By Sid Adilman, The Toronto Star
CANADIAN content aside, why are so many TV programs and movies being filmed in Nova Scotia these days? Answer: For Canadian producers, its sea-coasted landscape, frame buildings and old-world mixed with low-rise modern charm offer a change from British Columbia where many previous TV series were made.
For American producers, it’s all that and even lower costs than filming in Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal.
Black Harbour, the south Nova Scotia-filmed TV series on CBC-TV, spoofs some of this on tomorrow’s episode at 9 pm.
A U.S. TV movie comes to film in the village and everyone is affected.
Nick (Geraint Wyn Davies), the former Hollywood director who moved to Black Harbour with his restaurateur wife (Rebecca Jenkins) and now builds fancy yachts, is asked to shoot second-unit action scenes.
The movie’s preening star (guest actor Nicholas Campbell), his wife home in Los Angeles, makes for emotionally troubled and married Vicky (Rhonda McLean). He persuades the director to give her a speaking part. She’s enamored by him and the possibility of the Hollywood career he glibly promises.
Her sensible, dependable and loving boat-builder husband (Alex Carter) cries – something few men on prime time series do.
The movie’s co-star, never seen, refuses to leave her trailer because she discovers the movie will have mayhem scenes hot in the script.
Nick’s sister-in-law (Carol Sinclair) and women of the village cater food for the film crew to raise money for the community. But she’s upset because the unseen co-star is reported to be insulting ladies-aid cooking.
The movie’s egotistical director (guest actor Michael Murphy), reduced to making TV movies, patronizes villagers and gets so jealous that he takes spiteful charge of the power-packed scene Nick has filmed.
The wordless ending is a poignant, heart-wrenching and plays for real.
Since returning after the Christmas-New Year holidays, Black Harbour created and produced by North Of 60’s Wayne Grigsby and Barbara Samuels, has shed much of the angst exhibited in the first few episodes. It’s more personable and, though still dealing seriously with still unsettling career moves from Los Angeles to a fishing village, it’s lighter.
Grigsby and Samuels, who wrote tomorrow’s episode, solidly hook their own experiences filming in Nova Scotia and those of American producers with Black Harbour’s characters and plots.
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