>>PREVIEW
ALICE, I THINK
Air date TBA
CTV
Strange but true, Rouleau, Saskatchewan has turned into a tourist boom town. This modest Prairie community, with a population of less than 500, now has people flocking to it from all over Canada. This is because Rouleau is a primary shooting location for the smash hit CTV comedy series Corner Gas. Die-hard fans of the show are loading up on tour buses or driving many hours on their own to get their picture taken in front of the same gas pumps comic actor Brent Butt tends to on the series.
It has taken less than three years for Corner Gas to go from an intriguing proposition with modest network expectations to a full-blown Canadian cultural phenomenon. Its recent Gemini Award wins for best comedy series and best ensemble comedy performance further solidify the show’s status as a legitimate Canadian TV trailblazer.
We’ll have to wait until 2006 to see if the forthcoming CTV series Alice, I Think will catch on with viewers in the same way. But after the Rouleau success story, one thing is certain – the tourism bureau of Langley, B.C. is rooting for this new show in a big way.
For the shooting of Alice, I Think, Langley doubles for the fellow B.C. town of Smithers, the setting for the three Susan Juby novels the series is based upon.
Alice cast member and Calgary native Rebecca Northan explains the reason for the location switch. "Langley is a lot closer to Vancouver," she says. This makes it much more convenient and cost-effective to get the Vancouver-based actors, crew and production equipment to and from the set.
Shooting has already wrapped on CTV’s initial order of 13 episodes, which are now in post-production in preparation for the series’ on-air debut in the early part of next year.
The show revolves around 15-year-old Alice MacLeod, an offbeat kid from a somewhat bizarre family, who deals with her angst by keeping a video diary. Alice, portrayed by talented young Canadian actress Carly McKillip, regularly contends with the embarrassing exploits of her determined feminist, environmentalist and activist mother Diane.
Northan, a much-accomplished graduate of Calgary’s Loose Moose Theatre Company now living in Toronto, has enjoyed playing the role of Diane MacLeod, a mother with an unusual set of values.
"We shot a scene where I find out that my daughter Alice is thinking of signing a virginity pledge and not having sex until she’s much more experienced," says Northan. "My character loses her mind and decides that this is a horrible idea. She gets angry in a very motherly and protective ‘I want what’s best for you’ kind of way, but she’s much more open-minded than your average parent."
Northan thinks the series stands a good chance of building a devoted Corner Gas-like fan base, especially considering who’s involved. "The creative team behind Alice, I Think is the same team that did Robson Arms," she says.
The amusing exploits of a diverse range of tenants in a dilapidated Vancouver apartment building, Robson Arms scored critical raves and strong ratings during its debut run this past summer. It’s already been picked up for another season and Northan says she hopes longevity is also in the cards for Alice.
"I love the people I am working with so much that I would be happy to return to Vancouver every year for as long as I could to keep working on this show." |
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