| The New Beachcombers | |
|---|---|
| Developed by | Jackson Davies |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | Canada |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBC |
| Release | 2002 (2002) – 2004 (2004) |
The New Beachcombers was a renewal of the CBC's long-running series The Beachcombers, which ran for 19 seasons from 1972 to 1990.[2][3][4][5] A movie of the week directed by Brad Turner was broadcast in November 2002, to commemorate both the CBC's fiftieth anniversary, and the thirtieth anniversary of the original show's first episode. The Movie of the Week, "The New Beachcombers" served as a pilot for a new series, "The New Beachcombers", that played from 2002 to 2004.[6] A behind-the-scenes documentary film was produced in association with The New Beachcombers, called "Welcome Back to Molly’s Reach", that was released in 2003.[7] A final TV movie made after the new series, "A Beachcombers Christmas" was aired in 2004.[8]
Bruno Gerussi, the actor who played Nick, the Greek-Canadian log-salvager, in the original Beachcomber series, had died.[4] In the new show, Cameron Bancroft, who played a teenager in the original series, returns to Gibson's Landing, playing a new character, Scott, to take over Nick's old tug, the Persephone, and to take over Nick's old salvage business.
Much of the original series took place in the then fictional cafe Molly's Reach.[3] In the new series the cafe is at risk of being torn down, and redeveloped, and Scott and other characters take sides over whether this redevelopment should be allowed.
Jackson Davies, the actor who played RCMP Constable John Constable from 1974 until the end of the original series, returned to play the Constable character, and also served as an Executive Producer.[4]
The New Beachcombers breathes new life into a beloved Canadian icon as new characters Scott, Donna and Katt unexpectedly reunite after a ten-year absence from Gibsons', only to find themselves still enmeshed in a romantic triangle and on opposite sides in the battle to save Molly's Reach.
The Beachcombers premiered October 1st, 1972 and the final episode aired December 12, 1990, making it the longest-running dramatic series ever made for English-language Canadian television.
Even as the 70-odd cast and crew film the opening sequences of the MOW The New Beachcombers - commissioned for the 50th anniversary of the CBC and on the 30th anniversary of the first episode of the log-salvaging family series - the revered late actors who played Nick and Relic are in the restaurant in spirit.
Naturally, the story has been updated, since its star for the entire 19-year run, Bruno Gerussi (Nick Adonadis), his sidekick/nemesis Robert Clothier (Relic), and Rae Brown (Molly) have all passed on since the series end.
That there is still an appetite for the half-hour drama isn't surprising says Davies. (A rumour that it once had more viewers than Hockey Night in Canada in the late 1970s can't be confirmed nor denied by the CBC.) Davies, who is still stopped in the street by fans, says, 'The Beachcombers was a lot like Canada. A little TV show in a little village right beside big America. We had to fight [to stay on the air].'
The original series ended in 1990; a sequel, The New Beachcombers, starring among others Graham Greene and Dave Thomas, ran from 2002 to 2004 before being cancelled.
