Tag Archives: The Drunk and on Drugs Happy Funtime Hour

Shaftesbury mourns the death of Paul Pope, president of Pope Productions and executive producer of Hudson & Rex

From a media release:

Shaftesbury extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of Paul Pope, the beloved Executive Producer of Hudson & Rex and President of Pope Productions. Pope passed away suddenly on the morning of April 14, 2022. He was 63 years old.

“The news is truly shocking,” says Christina Jennings, Chairman and President, Shaftesbury. “Canada has lost an amazing producer, a force in Newfoundland. Paul has been Shaftesbury’s partner on seven shows for over 15 years. Most recently, we teamed up on Hudson & Rex. Paul was a wonderful man. A spirited human. He loved life and knew how to live it. Paul will be sorely missed by his wife, Lisa, his two sons and all of us here at Shaftesbury.

Based in St. John’s, NFLD, Pope was a dynamic force in the Canadian film industry, having produced or worked on hundreds of films. A founding member of the Newfoundland Filmmakers Cooperative (NIFCO), where he served as president for over 20 years, he has been instrumental in the development of a vibrant production industry. A generous mentor, he was a passionate voice for independent production at a national level with a long-standing tradition of supporting Canadian artists and ensuring that Canadian stories were brought to the screen.

In addition to his numerous awards and nominations for his projects with Pope Productions, he also received the Arts Achievement Award from ArtsNL, the Douglas James Dales Industry Builder Award, and an honorary Doctorate from Memorial University. Pope served on the board of Resource Centre for the Arts and NIFCO and has previously served on the board of the Canadian Media Producers Association and was Vice-Chair of the Canadian Media Fund.

About Pope Productions
Pope Productions is a St. John’s based media production company, helmed by producer Paul Pope. The company’s most recent television projects are the fourth season of Hudson & Rex for Citytv, which is now seen in over 100 territories worldwide and Departure Season 3 for Global. The company’s features and MOWs include the CBC comedy A Christmas Fury and festival favourites Hunting Pignut, Beat Down and Grown Up Movie Star, which scored a Special Jury Prize at Sundance for Tatiana Maslany. Documentaries include It’s Mental, Heavy Weather Presents, the multi-award-winning My Left Breast, Legends and Lore of the North Atlantic, and Going the Distance. From the historical dramatic miniseries Above and Beyond to the classic comedy Rare Birds, and the outrageous series Drunk and on Drugs: The Happy Funtime Hour, Pope’s rich repertoire reflects its deep commitment to a vibrant production industry both in Newfoundland and nationally.

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In Production: The Drunk and on Drugs Happy Funtime Hour for Showcase

From a media release:

PRODUCTION BEGINS ON THE DRUNK AND ON DRUGS HAPPY FUNTIME HOUR IN HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA

  • Highly anticipated new comedy series from the stars of Trailer Park Boys for Showcase

Showcase’s all-new Canadian original comedy series The Drunk and on Drugs Happy Funtime Hour, starring Mike Smith, Robb Wells and JP Tremblay (Trailer Park Boys), commenced production May 26, 2010 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The six-episode, half-hour limited series is slated for Showcase.

The Drunk and on Drugs Happy Funtime Hour is an innovative comedy series, that builds on the success and popularity of the stars of the seminal Showcase comedy series Trailer Park Boys, inspired by comedy classics like Monty Python’s Flying Circus and the more recent British import The League of Gentlemen.

Set in the sleepy fictional town of Port Cockerton, the series catches up with Mike, Robb and JP in the midst of shooting their new sketch-variety TV show called “The Happy Funtime Hour.” Disastrously, an actor hired to play a wacky German scientist (Maury Chaykin) assumes the personality of his character after synthesizing a powerful and addictive hallucinogen derived from local berries. Chaos ensues in the town as the cast ingests the drugs and begins to believe they really are the characters they portray on the show – including deranged pirates, drug-addled playboys from an 80’s television show and a group of not-so-super superheroes. The three stars play a total of 24 characters throughout the series.

The series’ impressive lineup of guest stars includes Jay Baruchel (Knocked Up, Tropic Thunder, How to Train Your Dragon), Genie and Gemini Award winner Maury Chaykin (Entourage). Trailer Park Boys alumni Pat Roach and John Dunsworth will also guest star in the series.

Directing the series is Gemini Award nominated Ron Murphy (Dan For Mayor, Being Erica). Stars Mike Smith, John Paul Tremblay and Robb Wells are also the writers and producers of the series.

The Drunk and on Drugs Happy Funtime Hour is produced by Happy Funtime Productions 2007 Inc. in association with Canwest Broadcasting with the participation of the Canadian Media Fund, Film Nova Scotia and the Bell New Media Fund. Producers are Paul Pope and Louis Thomas.

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Trailer Park Boys return in new series: The Drunk and on Drugs Happy Funtime Hour

From a media release:

Leaving the comforts of the Trailer Park for the chaos of Port Cockerton

  • Showcase commissions The Drunk and on Drugs Happy Funtime Hour
  • New series from the stars of Trailer Park Boys

What do you get when you pair three former Trailer Park Boys, guitarist Alex Lifeson from RUSH and some “magic” berries? You get the outrageous new Showcase series The Drunk and on Drugs Happy Funtime Hour (working title!). As announced exclusively on showcase.ca this morning, the half-hour comedy series has been greenlit for six episodes that will air on Showcase in 2010.

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