We got advance screeners of the first two episodes of the upcoming VOD and webseries The Drive and I have to say I was more than pleasantly surprised by this production from East Van Entertainment. There's a sort of tradition in local cinema, and especially productions that don't have lavish budgets, to put out stuff that feels... well... it feels hokey. I've always hated to admit it but there's this certain Canadian hokeyness that has come across in most of the web series I've watched over the past few years. None of them have yet to break through and feel like something you might actually spend time watching, and following, after truly becoming interested in the characters. Until now. The Drive is more than a webseries, it's what I hope will become a network series that every Canadian will watch.
It helps that the producers have decades of collective experience in film and TV under their belts. Nick Hunnings, Lindsay Drummond, Kirsten Slenning and Magali Gillon-Krizaj stack the deck in this department, with English director Stuart Gillies being the ace up their sleeve.
They describe it as "an innovative new VOD series that focuses on Chris, a newcomer to a makeshift family of five roommates struggling to carve their own path while living on Vancouver’s eclectic, diverse and unpredictable Commercial Drive.". It's a drama like we've never seen out of our city, peppered with familiar landmarks and businesses whose names haven't been changed (the main character works at Grandview Lanes) yet not so inside for Vancouverites that outside audiences won't get it. It's excellent, and I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the episodes as well as upcoming seasons. The show is sure to go places.
Watch the trailer below, then on August 27th check out the public screening of all seven episodes at The Rio Theatre (tickets HERE), then for free on TELUS Optik TV On Demand after that.
