Tag Archives: Trailer Park Boys

Link: ‘Trailer Park Boys’ actor John Dunsworth has died at the age of 71

From Alexander Quon of Global News:

Link: ‘Trailer Park Boys’ actor John Dunsworth has died at the age of 71
Actor John F. Dunsworth, best known for his portrayal of Jim Lahey in the comedy series Trailer Park Boys, has died at the age of 71.

The news was confirmed by Dunsworth’s daughter Sarah in an email. Continue reading.

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Bubbles is a Rock Star: Mike Smith’s Life in Music

If you are a fan of Trailer Park Boys, you have to admit that Bubbles is one of the greatest characters in TV history. He is Sunnyvale’s most awkward and peculiar resident, but also perhaps the most heartwarming. You cannot help but get the feels for this shed dwelling, feline fanatic, mumble-mouth in thick Coke bottle glasses. Bubbles is also the perfect foil to Ricky and Julian’s endless parade of dumb schemes and shenanigans.

But life does not imitate art in, well, real life for Mike Smith, the actor who has portrayed Bubbles since the debut of Trailer Park Boys in 2001. Between his role on the show and his true persona, Smith is a bit of an expert at living a double life, seamlessly shifting between total nerd and cool guy.

Cool guy as in rock star cool.

Smith’s adventures in rock n’ roll predate Bubbles, Jim Lahey, and the rest of the gang at Sunnyvale Trailer Park. Hailing from New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Smith began playing pretty early on. Around age 20, he formed a cover band called Sandbox Legacy in 1992. The band soon morphed into an alternative rock unit, writing and performing original songs.

In short order, the band dropped “legacy” from the title and became Sandbox, releasing the independent EP Maskman in 1993. It was a brilliant capture of the 90s rock sound, balancing ethereal acoustic numbers with crunchy, aggressive guitar driven songs.

With a lineup of Smith and Jason Archibald on guitars, Scott MacFarlane on bass, drummer Troy Shanks, and lead vocalist Paul Murray — a relative of iconic singer Anne Murray — Sandbox attracted major label attention early on. The band eventually signed with EMI in Canada and Nettwerk in the USA and dropped Bionic, their first full-length album in 1995.

The riff heavy, shimmery single “Curious” achieved regular airplay on a number of outlets including MuchMusic, propelling the song to #8 on the Canada Alternative chart. The album subsequently yielded the singles “Collide” and “Here and There” to positive critical and audience receptions, netting the band a nomination for Best New Group at the 1996 Juno Awards.

Sandbox followed up the success with the release of A Murder at the Glee Club in 1997, an ambitious concept album about a killer grappling with his actions. The band members decided to part ways in the years after A Murder at the Glee Club to pursue divergent interests, clearing the way for Smith to focus on his acting and join the Trailer Park Boys cast. The rest, as they say, is history.

But Smith has continued to keep one foot in music during his decade-and-a-half as Bubbles, often appearing as the beloved character. Case in point is the comedy rock group Bubbles & the Sh*t Rockers, which features Smith and none other than all-time guitar hero Alex Lifeson of Rush. Their music can be heard in the film Trailer Park Boys: The Movie.

Smith, once again as Bubbles, even shared the stage with Guns N’ Roses at tour stops in 2010 and 2011. It seems the proprietor of The Kittyland Love Center has a way of rubbing shoulders with rock royalty. The moral of the story, as demonstrated by Smith’s multiple talents, is to never pigeonhole the strange, cat-obsessed guy in the trailer park. Despite his nerdy appearance, he just might be a musical genius.

Main image: Wikimedia.

 

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CBC and Comedy Central greenlight new series from Mike Clattenburg

From a media release:

CBC in Canada and Comedy Central in the U.S. today announced that they have commissioned new comedy series CRAWFORD from Rabbit Square Productions, created by Mike Clattenburg (Trailer Park Boys, Black Jesus), executive produced by Laura Michalchyshyn (Trailer Park Boys, Chicagoland, The American West) and co-created by recording artist Mike O’Neill (Moving Day, Trailer Park Boys – Don’t Legalize It). The 13×30 series centers around a young man who, after a run of bad luck, moves back in with his parents and turns his natural ability to relate to raccoons into a successful business, all while navigating life with his eccentric family. Production will begin in Toronto in 2017. Content Media will handle international distribution for the series.

What happens when you fail your Bachelor of Arts and your record label drops your Metal band on the same day? For 28-year-old Don, it means moving back home with your polyamorous parents and finding a job that comes easily. Don has always thought differently – ‘thinking sideways’, as his Mom puts it. Following intuition rather than logic is the unique approach that turns Don’s compassion for and affinity for raccoons into a booming business – just as the town’s raccoon population explodes.

Commissioned by CBC in Canada and Comedy Central in the U.S., CRAWFORD is produced by Rabbit Square Productions, Laura Michalchyshyn and Mike Clattenburg’s company. Janice Dawe and Kathy Avrich-Johnson will also produce for Bizable Media. The series deal was negotiated by Maggie Pisacane of Frankfurt, Kurnit, Klein and Selz and Bizable Media. Mike Clattenburg is represented by The Gersh Agency and managed by Echo Lake Entertainment.

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Link: Judge dismisses battery charge against ‘Trailer Park Boys’ star Michael Smith

From Kate Morawetz of ET Canada:

Judge dismisses battery charge against ‘Trailer Park Boys’ star Michael Smith
A judge has rejected the domestic battery case against “Trailer Park Boys” star Michael Smith.

Known as the loveable, but dim-witted Bubbles on the long running comedy, Smith’s dismissal is a result of insufficient evidence, TMZ reports. Continue reading.

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Link: Goodbye J-Roc: Jonathan Torrens Is Leaving ‘Trailer Park Boys’

From Brent Furdyk of ET Canada.com:

Goodbye J-Roc: Jonathan Torrens Is Leaving ‘Trailer Park Boys’
One of Sunnyvale Trailer Park’s most enduring, beloved characters is exiting Trailer Park Boys, with Jonathan Torrens announcing he’ll be leaving the show.

As fans of the series have likely noticed, J-Roc (the white rapper played by Torrens) hasn’t exactly been front and centre during the past season, likely influencing Torrens’ decision to retire J-Roc. Continue reading. 

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