Tag Archives: Trailer Park Boys

The Trades

Links: The Trades, Season 1

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From Debra Yeo of the Toronto Star:

Link: A love letter to Canada’s blue collar workers, The Trades features a ‘diva’ raccoon and may induce a desire to do handiwork
Who says acting is just make-believe? Anastasia Phillips was so inspired by Audrey Stool, the apprentice carpenter she plays in the new Crave comedy “The Trades,” that when her dishwasher broke she took it apart and fixed it herself. Continue reading.

From Melissa Roushorne of The Sarnia Journal:

Link: Sarnia hosts star-studded premiere for ‘The Trades’
When your night starts off by the ‘Trailer Park Boys’ and ‘The Trades’ star Robb Wells asking the crowd ‘’what the **** is going on Sarnia’ you know it’s going to be a good one. Continue reading.

From Paul Morden of The Sarnia Observer:

Link: Sarnia-inspired comedy series about tradespeople hits Crave
Ryan Lindsay celebrated the arrival of his comedy series, The Trades, on television with many of the people who helped it get there during a weekend screening at Sarnia’s Imperial Theatre. Continue reading.

From Angela Gismondi of Daily Commercial News:

Link: The Trades TV show creator inspired by personal experience, his family and local tradespeople
“At family dinners we would always end up talking about my brothers’ days because of the crazy jobs, the nicknames, the rumours, just all of the humour and comedy that comes along with them working in such a hazardous environment.” Continue reading.

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Featured, The Trades

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

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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.

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The Trades

Production underway on the all-new Crave original comedy, The Trades

From a media release:

Crave, in association with Rollercoaster Entertainment and Blink49 Studios, announced today that production is underway in Nova Scotia on the Crave Original comedy series, THE TRADES. From the producers of TRAILER PARK BOYS, THE TRADES is an eight-part, 30-minute, comedy set in a working-class community, where the stress and high risks of working in a refinery are balanced by the comedic, high-wire antics of the plant workers. The series will be available in English and French.

“From the moment I first read the pilot two years ago, I was immediately drawn to Ryan J. Lindsay’s vision for the series,” said Robb Wells, star and producer, THE TRADES. “I love all of the colourful characters, the backdrop, and especially, the different types of humour associated with each trade. It’s amazing to see the team come together, including an unbelievably talented cast and crew. It’s going to be so much fun, and I am very excited.”

THE TRADES centres around Todd Stool (Robb Wells, TRAILER PARK BOYS), a pipefitter who is proud of his working-class background, and collection of big boy toys. His sister, and roommate, Audrey (Anastasia Phillips, MOONSHINE), decides to follow in her big brother’s footsteps and pursue a career in the trades as a carpenter, just like their father Rod (Patrick McKenna, THE RED GREEN SHOW). While Todd loves his life, he dreams of climbing the corporate ladder and becoming site manager at Conch Industries – which isn’t so far-fetched, given the current site manager Bennett’s, (Tom Green, THE TOM GREEN SHOW) lifestyle. But Todd’s future, that of the plant—and the town, are thrown into question when Chelsea (Jennifer Spence, YOU ME HER), an ambitious young executive sent from head office, announces she is the new site manager, and vows to make some changes.

Rounding out Todd’s rag-tag crew are: Jimi (Enrico Colantoni, VERONICA MARS); Dewey (Jason Daley, TRAILER PARK BOYS); Homer (Jesse Camacho, LOCKE & KEY); Backwoods (Daniel Petronijevic, LETTERKENNY); Taser (Brandon Oakes, DIGGSTOWN); Medhi, the Chief Engineer (Raoul Bhaneja, BLINDSPOT); and Steph the Safety Chick (Susan Kent, THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES). Together, they balance the high risks of working in an oil refinery with bawdy nicknames, elaborate pranks, and jokes to amuse and enrage one another – but must work together if they want to save their livelihood and protect their community.

THE TRADES is co-produced by Trailer Park Boys Inc. and Kontent House Inc. in association with Bell Media’s Crave, with the participation of the Nova Scotia Film & Television Production Incentive Fund, and the assistance of the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit and Ontario Creates. The series is distributed by Rollercoaster Entertainment and Blink49 is the exclusive U.S. sales agent. Ryan J. Lindsay is creator, writer, and executive producer; Shelley Eriksen is writer and 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 Ben Rappaport.

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Trailer Park Boys

Trailer Park Boys celebrate their 20th anniversary

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From a media release:

It’s hard to believe that the iconic Canadian mockumentary television series, Trailer Park Boys is celebrating its 20th Anniversary. The show that follows the misadventures of Ricky, Julian and Bubbles in Sunnyvale Trailer Park premiered on Showcase on April 22, 2001.

The show has seen 13 seasons, 3 feature films, 2 animated series, 2 Out of the Park series, 6 specials and live concert tours throughout Europe, Australia, New Zealand and North America. It seems there is no stopping the comedy trio who continue to be loved by fans around the world.

Trailer Park Boys Jail, the 13th season of the show, can be seen on their very own streaming service app, Trailer Park Boys/Swearnet. Appearances by David Lawrence (Terry from Fubar), Alex Lifeson (Rush) and directed by Bruce McCulloch of Kids in the Hall fame, the show feels like a Canadian comedy, group hug.

How do the Boys plan on celebrating this milestone? “I am going to smoke 20 joints today” – Ricky. “I am out of the vodka hustling game and into crypto currency and NFT’s, it’s the future” – Julian. “I am just thankful that we are all still together and love each other, plus the 20 years of free cat food has been deecent.” – Bubbles.

The TPB brand will be celebrating the 20th Anniversary throughout the year with a roster of tier-one licensing partnerships from publishing to apparel and beyond. New product releases will kick-off in July. A major 20th Anniversary event is slated for October 2021 which will include retail partnerships and a major contest giveaway.

Also, stay tuned for some NFT’s of your favourite Trailer Park Boys characters. Even Ricky, Julian and Bubbles know about the trendy technology and are creating some digital art for their fans. Sunnyvale has just levelled up.

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Degrassi, Featured, Trailer Park Boys

Television Shows That Impacted Canadian Culture

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Canadian television is an interesting blend of homegrown material and foreign shows. Like anywhere else, some of these shows have managed to have a profound effect on pop culture here, and have proven to stand the test of time. These are some shows and series that have had a lasting effect in Canada.

Degrassi: The Next Generation
The Degrassi series was a smash hit in Canada and was picked up by Teen Nick in the states. Even after 20 years, the legacy and impact of Degrassi is still felt. Degrassi Junior High was one of the first drama series in Canada that was directed with the teenage market in mind, and Degrassi: The Next Generation expanded on the concept in the early 2000s. This was the groundwork for many different shows that came later, and it is credited with launching the careers of many actors and performers, notably the incredibly successful musician Drake.

Degrassi didn’t shy away from controversial topics, and in fact it was one of the first televised series to shine a light on these issues that would later become widely discussed. It has a way of teaching empathy, and helping people understand different walks of life. In another light, this series has also become a blueprint for other drama series as it illustrates how to grow and build characters, and keep a series going through cast changes over years while fighting to stay relevant. Degrassi has proven to be an impactful and important series in Canada that is likely to live on for generations.

Ed, Edd n Eddy
Ed, Edd n Eddy is the brainchild of Canadian cartoonist Danny Antonucci who is responsible for numerous animated series. The show was a massive success in Canada and globally, and became one of Cartoon Network’s most successful properties. Over a 10-year span, it had 70 episodes and won several awards like a Reuben Award, Leo Awards and a SOCAN Award.

If you ask people who grew up during the early 2000s, many remember this show fondly. It had a certain charm and an endearing structure that revolved around the main character’s whacky schemes to fund their love of Jawbreaker candies. There is something about this show that resonates deeply in Canada and if it were not for the success of Ed, Edd n Eddy, many later Canadian cartoons like Total Drama Island would never have had their chance to shine.

World Poker Tour
While it may not be specifically Canadian, the live World Poker Tour series certainly was a massive inspiration for people across the country. Canada is known globally as a massive hotbed for poker talent, and the boom can be traced back to this live series that brought the game into the households of millions of Canadians.

The World Poker Tour was very enthralling and found a way to keep the audience engaged, even during the tedious segments. One of the big reasons for this has been contributed to the entertaining chemistry between co-hosts Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten who kept things lively throughout the program. This series really managed to capture the intensity and suspense of high-stakes poker games and the long term effects of the WPT cannot be ignored.

Trailer Park Boys
Whether you love it or hate it, you cannot deny that TPB has had a lasting effect in Canadian culture. The long-running series has become a phenomenon at home and abroad, and there are legions of fans around the world supporting the many reboots, specials and spinoffs the comedy trio have produced. Somehow, even amongst claims of being stale and past its prime, TPB lives on.

Trailer Park Boys certainly does not represent all of the country, but it does have a specific Canadian charm that comes across in many of the jokes and dialogue that the series has become known for. Pop culture is rife with running jokes and references to characters that have appeared on the show and many millennials of today can say they grew up watching the TPB hijinks. The chemistry between the main trio of Ricky, Julian, and Bubbles and the oftentimes improvised script that plays out between the characters can only have proven to be a formula for comedy excellence that has managed to preserve over 20 years.

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