Putting Drama on Ice

PUTTING DRAMA ON ICE BY PAUL EICHHORN HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA Saturday evening in front of the TV Previous efforts to portray hockey on the and a flashy New York-based agent, watching the "good old hockey game" is big or small screen have more often been expatriate Brett Parker (Michael Riley), a cornerstone of the Canadian experience. offside than in the net. Hockey depictions scheme to move the team to Houston. It's It ranks right up there with beer, vary from the comedic and still popular a scenario that has been recently played doughnut shops and cold weather. CBC's Slap Shot starring Paul Newman, to the out for real in Winnipeg, Quebec City and Hockey Night in Canada (on-air since 1952) juvenile, ice fantasy The Mighty Ducks and (possibly) Edmonton. Parker is a slick remains one of the only Canadian its dreadful sequels, to the operatic, operator, working both sides of the game, programs in English Canada to regularly beer-laced Canadian hit Perfectly Normal, a la Alan Eagleson. Only after he make the Top 10 most-watched programs directed by Yves Simoneau, to the recent encounters the ghost of the late Steelhead in any given year. Certainly, the love of smash hit from Quebec, Louis Saia's Les general manager (Sean McCann), who was the game inspired writers/producers Boys. On the small screen, Canadians also his childhood hockey coach, does William Laurin and Glenn Davis to create have viewed various TV programs Parker decide to keep the team, and their new CTV television drama, Power including the recent drama Net Worth, himself, in the old hometown. Play. "We have an obsession with the Gross Misconduct (directed by Atom game of hockey," admits Laurin, sitting in Egoyan) and the Radio-Canada series, Producing a hockey show has been a production office surrounded by Lance et compte. Hugely popular in something Laurin and Davis have kicked table-top hockey games, pairs of skates Quebec, a poorly dubbed English version, around for years. In the late 1980s, they and pictures of hockey greats on the He Shoots, He Scores, never caught on in approached CBS about a series on a walls. He and his longtime colleague, the rest of Canada. Laurin and Davis women's pro hockey team. More recently, Davis, created and are executive hope to change that with Power Play. the duo had been in talks with the CBC producers on the series. They're hoping about a hockey movie. Davis says Robert that Power Play, which appropriately The series revolves around the on-and-off Lantos, the former head of Alliance enough is shot in a former Molson ice activities of a fictional NHL team, the Communications who is now executive brewery in downtown Toronto, scores Hamilton Steelheads. The owner's producer on Power Play through his with Canadian viewers. daughter, Colleen Blessed (Kari Matchett), Serendipity Point Films, asked the pair in 36 WINTER 1999 I the early '90s what type of TV show they couldn't get a low-level functionary of to the large ensemble cast and shooting would like to make. Their answer—a the CBC to return a call for three days. the hockey scenes realistically. It's hockey show. When the opportunity Americans seize opportunities because obvious that for some Canadian TV arose late in 1997, the pair quickly wrote a the competition is so fierce." writers and producers, playing at home pilot. CTV became immediately interested has become an advantage. after getting the pitch in March. The pilot However, the pair admit they're now back was shot in July, a quick turnaround by in Canada because Canadian television is Canadian standards. moving toward the American model. Writers are getting a chance to run the A successful hockey team is all about The pair, whose last program was CTV's show. "When we left here, the highest we putting together the best squad of now-cancelled Once a Thief, point out that could go was head writer or story editor. players. Power Play actually had the hockey is just a starting point for Power We would never be able to run the show. difficult task of creating two powerhouse Play. "Hockey was an ideal vehicle to talk The shows were run by line producers, teams—on and off the ice. about certain issues and elements in who knew where the cheap gas was, by Canadian life that we really wanted to financiers, because financing Canadian Under Laurin's and Davis's leadership, a discuss," Laurin explains. "The show is television was an elaborate undertaking, or who's who of Canadian television is about many things and most of them not by CBC bureaucrats," Laurin explains. "For bringing Power Play to life. Along with the hockey. Hockey is the lens in which we whatever reason, TV only works when it's production might of Robert Lantos and project all the other things." Both Laurin run by writers." Laurin and Davis estimate Alliance Atlantis Productions, the two and Davis see the show as re-evaluating the Canadian myth and what memory means in a cultural context. "To us, that's what hockey is really about." HOME-ICE ADVANTAGE Coming back to play at the home rink usually offers most hockey teams an advantage. Coming home is also an important theme in Power Play's storyline. The main character, Parker, returns to his Hamilton roots after years of working in the United States. Early on he looks for ways to flee back south of the border. Yet, suddenly, like Saul on the road to Damascus, he decides to remain in his own ancestral home as the Steelheads' GM. In some ways, Davis and Laurin have travelled a similar road. The Montreal natives worked in Hollywood for several years churning out product for the U.S. networks including South Beach, Mann and Machine and Scene of the Crime. "We're the Canadian guys that went away and came back," says Laurin. "Power Play is about Opposite page: Michael Riley and Al Waxman. Above: Producers/writers William the stuff that made us come back. Many of Laurin, left, and Glenn Davis,. "We're the Canadian guys that went away and the circumstances in the show are related came back. Power Play is about the stuff that made us come back" to our experience of being away and looking at the country afresh." Canada only has six to eight experienced have hired seasoned directors such as writer "show runners" like themselves. John Fawcett, Graeme Lynch and Don They originally fled to the United States They hope programs such as Power Play McBrearty along with proven writers because a "home-ice advantage" for contribute to the on-going evolution of such as Paul Quarrington. The cast is led writers didn't exist. They found the Canadian television production. by an all-star team of Canadian film and American television model which is television actors. Michael Riley (who driven by writers (or as Laurin calls them New money also brought them home. "show runners" ) to be liberating. "The Unlike a decade ago, Canadian starred in Perfectly Normal) is joined by great thing about Hollywood is that it's a entertainment companies, such as two icons, Gordon Pinsent, who plays the fierce furnace of ideas. It's relatively easy Alliance Atlantis, can raise pools of eccentric and philosophic team owner, to get a meeting there. Much easier than capital on the stock market. It's come in and Al Waxman, who appears in the early in Canada. I can get the president of the handy for Davis and Laurin. Power Play episodes as a Punch Imlach-type head Fox network on the phone within 24 has a hefty per-episode budget of $1.15 coach. Power Play also features several hours and I'm not a powerful guy. I million. The producers attribute the cost young new talents, including Dean 111 TAKE ONE 37 too small and not very realistic," comments Davis. Filling an arena full of extras is usually a luxury only available to Above: Gordon Pinsent. Building English-Canada's big-budget feature films. To eliminate the first hockey drama series with an all-star cast. Hockey is ultimately about what happens on cost and logistical nightmare, Power Play the ice and Power Play employs some digital special effects McDermott as the Mark Messier-esque had a very uncon-ventional launch on ice created by Toronto-based Dan Krech team captain and Kari Matchett as the in early October at Hamilton's Copps Productions. Davis says 200 extras were owner's scheming daughter. It's rounded Coliseum, home of the Steelheads. Several shot doing various crowd reactions out by Caterina Scorsone as Michele, hundred fans streamed into the stadium throughout Copps Coliseum. For the game Parker's troubled daughter who is for a game between Cherry's real-life scenes, the crowds are digitally recreated anxious to keep him in Hamilton. Davis team, the Missisauga Ice Dogs and the to fill the entire arena. and Laurin admit McDermott and other team of Power Play actors. In the end, a TV actors playing on the Steelheads had to be show broke out when the pilot episode As for Hamilton being the home rink for great actors and also pretty good hockey was screened. With the team logo painted the games, they say the city seemed like players. Some actors were sent to hockey on the ice and real players skating around the perfect base for the Steelheads. Not school to improve their skills. in eye-catching Steelhead uniforms, at only was it close to Toronto for shooting times it seemed as if Hamilton had finally and had a large arena, Hamilton also The cast also includes former Boston scored its own NHL team.

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