What? A TV Miniseries?
My Unorthodox Journey to the Published Land: 9
I think it was late 2010 or perhaps early 2011 when my literary agent, Beverley Slopen, was approached by PDM Entertainment to secure the film/TV rights to The Best Laid Plans. Shortly thereafter, I had lunch with Peter Moss, the “M” in PDM Entertainment, to talk about developing the novel as a six-part television miniseries. I tried to play it cool at the restaurant but my heart was pounding the whole time. I remember thinking, is this what a coronary feels like? I survived. That began an odyssey that culminated in the airing of the miniseries on the CBC national network starting in January 2014. I still have trouble believing it all really happened.
I liked the vision Peter and his partners, Phyllis Platt and Brian Dennis, created for the series. Shortly after my lunch with Peter, the heavy lifting began. This involved developing a full treatment of the series as well as episode outlines, and I think even the scripts for the first few episodes if I remember correctly. Many months later, CBC gave us the green light to start shooting. The odds of securing that green light for any new series are very long. For the entire journey, I lived by the adage, “I won’t believe it until I see on my TV screen.” So often in the TV business, projects that have been approved and are fully developed never quite make it to air. So I always tried to keep my excitement in check.
I also learned very early in the process that the story as it’s told in the novel will almost certainly change when it’s adapted for television. The limitations on the production—budgetary and otherwise—make it almost impossible to move from page to screen without the story changing in some ways. That was certainly the case with The Best Laid Plans. For instance, there is no hovercraft in the miniseries. Having said that, I believe the six episodes accurately capture the themes I explored in the novel and reflect the true spirit of the story in the casting and adapted storyline. In the end, I was thrilled to have been a small part in recreating my novel for a different medium.
Making the miniseries
I had a very modest role in the development process. The powers that be often don’t want the novelist to be too closely involved lest they become too protective of their story. That wasn’t a problem in my case. I was just happy true professionals were bringing my novel to the small screen.
I did provide advice in the early going about the themes and characters. I was also asked to review the scripts for each episode and offer my thoughts. The miniseries was adapted by two of Canada’s finest screenwriters, Susan Coyne and Jason Sherman. When reviewing their scripts, I did not comment when the story sometimes veered from the novel because PDM Entertainment owned the story rights and I already knew there would be plot changes in the transition to television. But I did comment when I thought the characters were acting in a way that seemed out of character. Whenever that happened, the next iteration of the script respected and reflected my comments.
I was on the set for a few days of shooting in Ottawa and in Burritts Rapids. It was wonderful to watch as they prepped for a scene and then shot it. Then towards the end of shooting, I was called back to Ottawa for a final day. I was told to bring a suit. I thought we might be going to meet somebody. Nope, I needed my suit because they had cast me as a newly-elected MP in the final episode. If you sneezed at the wrong time watching Episode 6, you might have missed my cameo, but it’s there. Afterwards, my phone was not ringing off the hook for auditions. But it was a fun day.
Launching the miniseries
I participated in formal media launch events for the TV miniseries in both Toronto and Vancouver. They were a ton of fun, but pushed me a little out of my comfort zone. For instance, I did not expect to enter the CBC Broadcast centre in Toronto and see a gigantic photograph of me hanging from the ceiling. That was a little surreal.
Joining Ken Welsh (Angus) and Jonas Chernick (Daniel) at the Toronto media launch.
A fun news story about the TV miniseries.
Watching the miniseries
It was such a thrill to sit on our couch and watch the miniseries with my family and friends. Having thought at times it might never happen—standard operating procedure in TV production—I was close to hyperventilating when the show’s opening credits appeared. And it was very cool to see my name slide onto the screen during the opening scene. Needless to say, it was appointment television for me every week.
Honours for the miniseries
At the 2015 Canadian Screen Awards, The Best Laid Plans was nominated in several categories and took home two awards. Peter Moss won for Best Direction in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series, and Jonas Chernick won for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in the same category. It was a blast to be there for the ceremony. We sat with Jonas and I captured a photo just after he returned to his seat after from the stage where he’d said some nice things about the novel and me. Kind of him.
The series was certainly a critical success. It pulled strong audiences each week, but just not strong enough for CBC to renew it. It didn’t help when CBC lost the rights (and revenue) to Hockey Night In Canada, which happened around the same time. Nevertheless, it was a wonderful experience, start to finish, and one I cherish.
On a sad note, the legend, Ken Welsh, who played Angus in the miniseries, passed away in May after a short battle with cancer. I loved my time spent with him on the set and the several events we did together over the years, the most recent of which was via Zoom for the Book Drunkard Festival just last November. He is missed.
Next time, The Best Laid Plans is adapted as a stage musical. Seriously?
Kenneth Welsh was brilliant in this series. And I did not blink during your brief cameo (well done!). Fun Fact: Something else that you share with Susan Coyne - you've both presented at the Elora Writers Festival!
Jonas and Ken were perfect choices for Daniel and Angus! Loved them! (After reading this, feeling the desire to watch the miniseries again!)