A dream to turn the classic Beachcombers CBC-TV program into a 21st-century animated series has drawn one step closer to reality.
Slap Happy Cartoons, a Vancouver-based animation studio, will develop, finance and produce the concept first announced last October at a Gibsons event marking the 50th anniversary of the inaugural Beachcombers episode.
The agreement between the studio and television executives Blair Peters and Nick Orchard was announced on July 5.
Peters and Orchard previously secured the rights to develop an animated version of the show that starred Bruno Gerussi as a Greek-Canadian log salvager and his business partner, portrayed by shíshálh Nation member Pat John. The original series was shot on location on the Sunshine Coast and ran for a record-breaking 18 years.
“When I came up with the idea, I was sitting in Molly’s Reach,” said Peters, who lives on the Sunshine Coast and regularly visits the café that became a fixture of the show. “I saw this picture [of the original cast] and thought, why not Beachcombers animated? And it made sense to me because the characters were rich and interesting back then, but my kids probably don’t know who the Beachcombers are. I thought it would connect with this generation because it’s still the same endearing characters that earlier generations enjoyed spending 20 years with.”
The original Beachcombers was licensed to over 35 countries worldwide, achieved top ratings in the United Kingdom, Australia and Germany, and was translated into numerous languages.
Slap Happy Cartoons was founded in 2012 to create original cartoons for youth and adults. It has produced award-winning original series like Nerds and Monsters for YTV and The Hollow for Netflix. Slap Happy has also contributed production services for clients including Nickelodeon, Warner Brothers, and the Vancouver Canucks.
“With The Beachcombers Animated, we can tell new fresh stories, we can update the humour, and push the adventure in this new medium,” said Josh Mepham, head of development for Slap Happy Cartoons. Mepham and Peters previously collaborated on two widely-distributed series titled Yvon of the Yukon and Being Ian.
“There’s a big push these days for diversity and inclusion,” added Mepham. “In its day the Beachcombers was trailblazing with [Pat John] as a star. A young Indigenous man as the star of the show was unheard of back then and still rare these days. We want Jesse to be the eyes and ears of this show, the grounded centre.”
A video clip from the show’s pilot episode shows irascible Relic (originally played by Robert Clothier) absconding with a Coast Salish totem pole so he can sell it as a salvaged log.
The development team is prioritizing sensitivity to cultural and environmental themes. Darrell Dennis, a comedian and member of the Secwepemc Nation, was hired as a writer and contributor for the series.
“Darryl co-wrote our pilot script,” said Mepham. “We’re going to be sure to have Indigenous artists bringing authenticity to the voice of the script. We’re going to get it right.”
Peters is considering ways to benefit the real-life Sunshine Coast through the animated production. “I wouldn’t be adverse to having a small office and design team here,” he said, “and maybe have some story meetings over here. We talked about inviting some of the characters on the Coast to discuss the whole idea of an animated series and see what they have to say.”
The development team is actively pursuing a broadcast deal, which will signal a green light for preparation of the show’s first season. Producers are approaching original series actors — particularly Jackson Davies (Constable John Constable) and Corey Douglas (Tommy) — as potential voice talent.
“We’re cognizant of the presence of hardcore fans out there,” said Peters, “and we ask them to be patient while we try to develop this and introduce these characters to a new audience that is younger and is expecting a faster pace and a different level of humour. Humour and heart is what these stories are going to have.”
