Tag Archives: Robb Wells

Featured, The Trades

The Crave original comedy, The Trades, returns for Season 3, March 20

Leave a comment

From a media release:

The Crave Original comedy series THE TRADES returns for its eight-episode third season, and continues to follow pipefitter Todd Stool (Robb Wells, TRAILER PARK BOYS) as he navigates his blue-collar life at a refinery with a little “help” from his family and friends. The first two episodes of THE TRADES Season 3 drop on Friday, March 20, followed by new episodes on subsequent Fridays.

Created by Ryan J. Lindsay, THE TRADES blends workplace satire with sharp character-driven comedy while celebrating the camaraderie, and absurdity of life on the tools. In Season 3, the stakes at Imperial Valley refinery are heightened as power shifts, and loyalties are tested, and management proves messier than the job site. The new season finds Todd “Goldenarm” Stool newly promoted to General Foreman, walking the fine line between friend and boss, after successfully unionizing Conch Industries. Meanwhile, his sister Audrey (Anastasia Phillips, MOONSHINE), is secretly dating Todd’s best friend Backwoods  (Dan Petronijevic, LETTERKENNY), a relationship everyone knows about, except Todd. Site manager Chelsea  (Jennifer Spence, YOU ME HER), struggles with the return of  (Jennifer Irwin, SUPERSTORE), whose “nepo babysitting” and unhinged policies once again shake up Imperial Valley refinery life.

Additional returning cast includes Raoul Bhaneja, Jesse Camacho, Brandon Oakes, Jason Daley, Susan Kent, Patrick McKenna, Aaron Poole, Tara Spencer-Nairn and Dave Lawrence. Notable guest appearances this season include Canadian rock  legend Alex Lifeson as Fernie, bartender at The Leaky Pipe; comedy icon Mary Walsh as Chelsea’s neighbour Gladys; and SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE  alum Jon Lovitz who appears as Cam, Homer’s addiction sponsor.

Filmed in Nova Scotia and Ontario, THE TRADES is co-produced by TPBI and Kontent House Inc. in association with Bell Media’s Crave. Gary Howsam is executive producer; Ryan J. Lindsay is creator, writer, and executive producer; Robb Wells is producer and writer, and Jonathan A. Walker is producer. Jennifer Irwin and Warren P. Sonoda are executive producers; Neha Kohli is co-executive producer and writer. Irwin and Susan Kent are also writers this season. Lindsay directed one episode and Sonoda directed seven.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Featured, The Trades

Crave original comedy series The Trades in production on Season 3

From a media release:

Trailer Park Boys Inc. and Kontent House Inc. announced today that production is underway in Nova Scotia on season three of their Crave Original comedy series, THE TRADES. Created by Ryan J. Lindsay, the eight-part, 30-minute, comedy centres around Todd “Goldenarm” Stool (Robb Wells), a pipefitter from a working-class background. The series will film in Nova Scotia and Hamilton, Ontario.

“The response to THE TRADES has been fantastic and we’re excited to be back for a third season with our incredible cast of colourful characters, talented crew and partners at Crave,” said Robb Wells, who stars as Todd Stool and is a series producer and writer.

In season three, Todd Stool walks the thin line between friend and boss. Meanwhile, his sister Audrey (Anastasia Phillips) is secretly hooking up with Todd’s best friend Backwoods (Daniel Petronijevic) and beloved site manager Chelsea (Jennifer Spence) must face an uncomfortable truth when Jenn Conch (Jennifer Irwin) returns to Imperial Valley and is determined to fit in.

Additional returning cast include Raoul Bhaneja (Blindspot) as Medhi, Jesse Camacho (Fubar) as Homer, Brandon Oakes (Revival) as Taser, Jason Daley (Trailer Park Boys) as Dewey, Susan Kent (Pretty Hard Cases) as Steph, Patrick McKenna (The Red Green Show) as Rod, Tara Spencer-Nairn (Corner Gas) as Daina, Dave Lawrence (Fubar) as Roach, and Aaron Poole (Most Dangerous Game) as Billy.

Audiences can watch seasons one and two of THE TRADES on Crave, while Season 3 is set to debut in 2026.

THE TRADES is co-produced by Trailer Park Boys Inc. and Kontent House Inc. in association with Bell Media’s Crave. Gary Howsam is executive producer; Ryan J. Lindsay is creator, writer, and executive producer; Robb Wells is producer and writer, and Jonathan A. Walker is producer. Jennifer Irwin, Warren P. Sonoda and Shelley Eriksen are executive producers; Neha Kohli is co-executive producer and writer. Irwin and Susan Kent are also writers this season. Lindsay also directs one episode and Sonoda will direct seven.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Featured, Trailer Park Boys

Trailer Park Boys wraps production of much anticipated Season 13

From a media release:

The rumours are true! Trailer Park Boys Inc., in association with Blink49 Studios, announced today the completion of principal photography of Season 13 of the iconic Canadian series TRAILER PARK BOYS. Following the launch of TPB+ earlier this month, producers confirm that its popular comedy series will return for a 10-episode season, in time for the April 2026, 25th anniversary of Trailer Park Boys.

The Boys are thrilled to be back in series mode. “Feels like it’s been awhile,” said Bubbles when production began at the end of June with Ricky asking: “Is this a f*cking dream?” Holding up a full glass, Julian announced, “We need to celebrate this sh*t!”

Returning cast members also include Patrick Roach, Cory Bowles, Jacob Rolfe, Jeanna Harrison, Sarah Dunsworth-Nickerson, Tyrone Parsons, Sam Tarasco, Bernie Robichaud, George Green, Brian Heighton, Garnet Estabrooks, Michael Oliver, Terence Lucas, Michael Kennedy and David Rossetti reprising their roles. New cast joining this season are Deborah Grover, Jordan Prentice, Hal Bissonnette, Noah Al Maktoomi, Uppekha Jain and Courtney Gilmour.

Filmed in Nova Scotia, TRAILER PARK BOYS is produced by Trailer Park Boys Inc. in association with Blink49 Studios. Ron Murphy directed all 10 episodes. Gary Howsam and Jonathan A. Walker are executive producers; John Paul Tremblay, Mike Smith, and Robb Wells are writers and producers. Aaron Horton is producer.

The series is distributed by Rollercoaster Entertainment. The series is produced with the assistance of the Canada Media Fund, the Nova Scotia Film & Television Production Incentive Fund, the Nova Scotia Content Creator Fund, and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit.

All 12 seasons of the classic TRAILER PARK BOYS are currently available on Crave in Canada and on Netflix worldwide.

Image by Michael Tompkins, courtesy of Trailer Park Boys Inc.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Featured, The Trades

Authenticity, and laughs, return for Season 2 of The Trades

I grew up in a blue-collar town, where working in a factory was integral to the city’s survival. Heck, I even worked a summer in a factory, trucking boxes of shoes, polish, and other accessories around a maze of boxes and loading and unloading trucks. It didn’t take me long to get into the feel of the place—the razzing, the nicknames, the back-slapping and the hard work.

Needless to say, I immediately connected with The Trades when I first tuned in to Season 1 on Crave, recognizing how the staff at Imperial Valley refinery interacted as legitimate, something creator Ryan J. Lindsay strives for.

“In the current landscape of content, authenticity is paramount,” he says. “People are so distractible, the mission with this show was clear. We knew we wanted to target a blue-collar or blue-collar adjacent audience and make them laugh. In order to do so, we needed relatable characters and relatable experiences. They need to watch this show and say, ‘I know a guy like that,’ ‘I work with a guy like that,’ or ‘I know a girl who has done that.'”

Director Warren P. Sonoda (left) and Ryan J. Lindsay on set

Now back for Season 2, with two episodes dropping every Friday on the Canadian streaming service, Lindsay’s creation centres around pipefitter Todd Stool (Robb Wells, Trailer Park Boys) as he navigates his blue-collar life at a refinery with help from his family and friends. The first two episodes of Season 2 are already up and running on Crave, and saw Todd and his buddy, Backwoods (Daniel Petronijevic, Letterkenny, 19-2), swapping their Imperial Valley refinery gigs for working the pipeline. Meanwhile, work at Imperial Valley was in disarray thanks to new foreman Danny (Pat Roach, Trailer Park Boys), necessitating Todd and Backwoods’ return to get the refinery and its ragtag staff (which includes a powerhouse cast in Anastasia Phillips, Jennifer Spence, Enrico Colantoni, Tom Green, Raoul Bhaneja, Jesse Camacho, Brandon Oakes and Susan Kent) back in shape.

The first of this week’s new instalments breaks new ground for The Trades with “Night Shift,” a bottle episode (the story is contained in one location, filming at night in Hamilton, Ont.) and the first to be directed by Lindsay.

“Directing is a different kind of hot seat from showrunning, writing or producing,” he says. “You’re ultimately the one who is watching the clock. In Season 1, I had the privilege of watching director Warren P. Sonoda for three months. It was the best director training ever.

“This episode is something I’m really proud of,” he continues. “It’s different from the rest of the season, has a horror theme, and is something we have never done before.”

The Trades drops two episodes every Friday on Crave.

Images courtesy of Kontent House Inc.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Featured, The Trades

From the producers of Trailer Park Boys, the well-oiled and witty new Crave original comedy The Trades premieres March 22

From a media release:

As revealed last night during TSN and CTV’s broadcast of SUPER BOWL LVIII, Crave’s new original comedy series, THE TRADES, debuts Friday, March 22. From Trailer Park Boys Inc. and Kontent House Productions Inc., the eight-part comedy series is a love letter to skilled-trade workers, written with grit, humour, and heart.

Set in a blue-collar community where the high stress of working in a refinery is balanced by the comedic high-wire antics of its plant workers, THE TRADES centres around Todd (Robb Wells), a pipefitter, and his sister and roommate, Audrey (Anastasia Phillips, MOONSHINE), who follows in her big brother’s footsteps pursuing a career in the trades as a carpenter, just like their father Rod (Patrick McKenna, THE RED GREEN SHOW). The first two episodes of THE TRADES drop on Friday, March 22, followed by two new episodes on subsequent Fridays for the duration of the run.

While Todd loves his life, he dreams of climbing the corporate ladder and becoming site manager at Conch Industries, which isn’t too far-fetched, given the current manager Bennett’s (Tom Green, THE TOM GREEN SHOW) chaotic lifestyle. But Todd’s future, and that of the plant and the entire town, is thrown into question when Chelsea (Jennifer Spence, YOU ME HER), an ambitious young executive from head office announces she’s the new site manager, and vows to make some changes.

In the season premiere, Todd works overtime to get a new robotic welding arm up and running, to improve the refinery’s productivity. Audrey debates joining the “family business” and an incident at work opens a job in management, reigniting Todd’s leadership aspirations.

In the second episode, Todd’s crew gives him a makeover to help him dress for the job he wants. His odds at a promotion look promising, until head office sends hot-shot executive Chelsea, to the refinery. Meanwhile, Audrey potentially blows her chances at joining the trades when she tries to save her big bro from humiliation.

THE TRADES is a Trailer Park Boys Inc. and Kontent House Productions Inc. co-production, in association with Bell Media’s Crave. The series is distributed by Rollercoaster Entertainment with Blink49 representing U.S. licensing. Ryan J. Lindsay is creator, writer/executive producer; Shelley Eriksen is writer/executive producer; Warren Sonoda is director; Gary Howsam is executive producer; and Jonathan A. Walker and Robb Wells are producers. John Morayniss and Virginia Rankin are executive producers for Blink49 Studios. Co-executive producers are Andrew McMichael, Angelo Paletta, Ross Mrazek, and Benjamin Rappaport. Series casting is by Marjorie Lecker; cinematographer is Jeff Wheaton; production designer is Michael Pierson; costume designer is Sarah Dunsworth-Nickerson; composer is Jonathan Goldsmith; editors are Sarah Byrne and Jeremy Harty.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail