T.W. Peacocke’s resume includes a long list of top Canadian television shows: The Crow, Black Habour, The Rez, North of 60, Madison, Cold Squad and Traders. He has just finished shooting two episodes of the cbc series Drop Beat, about two twentysomethings who have a hip-hop radio show on a college station.

Peacocke counts himself lucky to have been involved with several shows at their inception, helping to shape the look and tone of the series. However, he doesn’t see joining a show which is already several seasons along as necessarily being a drawback. ‘Sometimes you inherit a look, but I don’t see that as a restriction,’ he says. ‘It’s more like you’ve done three oil paintings, and now you’re going to do a watercolor, or a sculpture. You just embrace it.’

Coming in to direct six episodes of the third season of Traders, one of which earned him a best direction in a dramatic series Gemini nomination, Peacocke found that new life had been breathed into the show by executive producer Peter Mitchell, and that there was a lot more room for him to contribute than he had imagined. He had worked with Mitchell on Madison, and is effusive in his praise. ‘Pete Mitchell is one of the best people to work with,’ he says. ‘He is great at what he does, and he’s also very collaborative, inclusive, straightforward and loyal. Whatever he does turns out really well.’

For the past year, Peacocke has been working on a script written by Linden MacIntyre which was passed on to him by his agent, who also happens to represent MacIntyre. It tells the story of two elderly Cape Bretoners, one who learns he is dying and wants to be buried on his own land. His friend, a political bagman for the Liberals, tries to finagle the authorities into granting him permission.

Louise Cameron