In which our intrepid “Little Wheel,” who is “slanted”, of course, takes to the streets with her entourage to talk about Slanted Wheel’s BOREALIS 2045. Below is a composite of several man/woman-on-the-street Borealis-themed encounters that took place.
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“It’s entitled BOREALIS,” we say. And to avoid confusion, “As in “Aurora ____?” (We are helpful.)
“Ya. I get it. So what’s the deal?”
“It’s a big deal,” I reply. “BOREALIS 2045” takes place in the future… in the Arctic.”
“No kidding. Don’t get to see much of that in TV land.”
“Exactly. You’re wondering why the Arctic, right?” (We are also intuitive.) “A couple of years ago Slanted Wheel made a CBC pilot called “Dark Room” that had some very dramatic scenes shot in the Arctic and I realized how unusual a location it was. The pilot didn’t make it to series, but we had a great idea … the Arctic!”
“Our partners Tom Cox and Jordy Randall of Seven/24 thought so too. Turns out the Arctic has large deposits of oil and drilling is a cinch now that global warming has melted the ice. Know what you’ve got now?
“A flood?”
“A mid-21st-century Gold Rush.”
“Great news for Canada, eh?”
“Not so much. Russia’s planting flags on the ocean floor. The Danes are looking for evidence the Vikings were there first. A Japanese sub scoping out the area was harpooned by locals who thought it was a whale. In another 20 years … Ill, you can imagine.”
“Wars are fought over things like this.”
“True. That’s why our co-writer, Andrew Wreggitt – he wrote the Gemini-award-winning screenplay for Mayerthorpe for us, and of course he’s one of Canada’s best and we love him -- co-created the town Borealis, situated in an international free zone where all nations can pursue their interests peacefully … theoretically speaking.”
“Sounds rough.”
“It is. Think “frontier”, “Old West” …
“Deadwood!?”
“You got it. But in the future and cold. Borealis even has a sheriff of sorts --- a former “ultimate” fighter –a brothel, a saloon, and a ZipGrav.”
“A what?”
“A zero gravity chamber … very relaxing … and great for, er, sex.”
“Can I try it?”
“No.”
“Don’t sulk. We hate that.”
“Okay. (sniff)
“We pitched it to CTV and SPACE who put “into development” quickly (in network terms). There was a pilot, a bible, a sample episode. Responses from the “net” were positive, and then …”
“What?”
“Nothing. We didn’t hear back. Numerous calls were made but no decisions. And after a few “regime” changes it wasn’t clear who we were working with. Time passed. At the end of last year, Jon Slan. Slanted Wheel’s “Big Wheel” and a helluva guy, said ‘Wait! The network’s option on BOREALIS expired last September!’ This was a a shock. There were more phone calls. (Do producers do ANYTHING else?) We were almost set to take the project back when Corrie Coe at CTV and Rebecca DiPasquale at SPACE said, ‘Wait! We like this project. Be patient.’”
“How patient do ya have to be?’
“Very. But when we were finally ordered to production much joy ensued.”
(sigh) “I love happy endings.”
Re-posted: 10/31/2011
Author: Slanted Wheel StaffEdited to correct omissions of Andrew Wreggit as "co-writer" and "co-creator" of Borealis 2045.
___________________________________
“It’s entitled BOREALIS,” we say. And to avoid confusion, “As in “Aurora ____?” (We are helpful.)
“Ya. I get it. So what’s the deal?”
“It’s a big deal,” I reply. “BOREALIS 2045” takes place in the future… in the Arctic.”
“No kidding. Don’t get to see much of that in TV land.”
“Exactly. You’re wondering why the Arctic, right?” (We are also intuitive.) “A couple of years ago Slanted Wheel made a CBC pilot called “Dark Room” that had some very dramatic scenes shot in the Arctic and I realized how unusual a location it was. The pilot didn’t make it to series, but we had a great idea … the Arctic!”
“Our partners Tom Cox and Jordy Randall of Seven/24 thought so too. Turns out the Arctic has large deposits of oil and drilling is a cinch now that global warming has melted the ice. Know what you’ve got now?
“A flood?”
“A mid-21st-century Gold Rush.”
“Great news for Canada, eh?”
“Not so much. Russia’s planting flags on the ocean floor. The Danes are looking for evidence the Vikings were there first. A Japanese sub scoping out the area was harpooned by locals who thought it was a whale. In another 20 years … Ill, you can imagine.”
“Wars are fought over things like this.”
“True. That’s why our co-writer, Andrew Wreggitt – he wrote the Gemini-award-winning screenplay for Mayerthorpe for us, and of course he’s one of Canada’s best and we love him -- co-created the town Borealis, situated in an international free zone where all nations can pursue their interests peacefully … theoretically speaking.”
“Sounds rough.”
“It is. Think “frontier”, “Old West” …
“Deadwood!?”
“You got it. But in the future and cold. Borealis even has a sheriff of sorts --- a former “ultimate” fighter –a brothel, a saloon, and a ZipGrav.”
“A what?”
“A zero gravity chamber … very relaxing … and great for, er, sex.”
“Can I try it?”
“No.”
“Don’t sulk. We hate that.”
“Okay. (sniff)
“We pitched it to CTV and SPACE who put “into development” quickly (in network terms). There was a pilot, a bible, a sample episode. Responses from the “net” were positive, and then …”
“What?”
“Nothing. We didn’t hear back. Numerous calls were made but no decisions. And after a few “regime” changes it wasn’t clear who we were working with. Time passed. At the end of last year, Jon Slan. Slanted Wheel’s “Big Wheel” and a helluva guy, said ‘Wait! The network’s option on BOREALIS expired last September!’ This was a a shock. There were more phone calls. (Do producers do ANYTHING else?) We were almost set to take the project back when Corrie Coe at CTV and Rebecca DiPasquale at SPACE said, ‘Wait! We like this project. Be patient.’”
“How patient do ya have to be?’
“Very. But when we were finally ordered to production much joy ensued.”
(sigh) “I love happy endings.”
Re-posted: 10/31/2011
Author: Slanted Wheel StaffEdited to correct omissions of Andrew Wreggit as "co-writer" and "co-creator" of Borealis 2045.
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