For CBC’s newest procedural Saint-Pierre, setting the story in the French territory Saint-Pierre et Miquelon ensured a critical draw for key buyers.
Co-creator, co-showrunner, executive producer and star Allan Hawco (Republic of Doyle, pictured right) tells Playback Daily he first became entranced with the remote archipelago, located 20 kilometres off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, while location scouting for CBC’s Son of a Critch. Saint-Pierre et Miquelon is a collection of eight islands and home to approximately 6,000 people. It has been a part of France since 1816, complete with Euros and its own time zone half an hour ahead of the province.
Saint-Pierre premiered on CBC on Jan. 6 and stars Hawco as a St. John’s cop who partners with his Parisian counterpart after exposing corruption back home and being exiled to the territory. The cast includes French actor Joséphine Jobert (Death in Paradise; pictured left) and British actor James Purefoy (Rome).
“The moment I had the initial concept of the idea, I was like, ‘shit, someone’s gonna do this,'” says Hawco. “If I don’t get to this fast, someone’s going to do it.”
It didn’t take long after that for him to contact Robina Lord-Stafford (Wild Cards), who he knew from guest starring on CBC’s Moonshine where Lord-Stafford was a writer. Moonshine‘s showrunner Sherri Elwood recommended her to Hawco, and from there he asked if she’d be interested in creating a series set on the archipelago together under Hawco Productions.
Lord-Stafford says part of the appeal of the series was first that she had never heard of the island, but also in its history as a hub during the Prohibition era.
“Something like that could be happening nowadays, but with a more modern take on it,” says Lord-Stafford, “so that I found really intriguing.”
The series took under two years to transform from an idea to reality. As Hawco explains, three weeks after he came up with the idea he pitched it to CBC, which led to a development deal for a pilot and series bible. Perry Chafe (Son of a Critch) came on as a creator from the pitch onward, eventually writing two episodes for the series.
In the second round of development, the producers went to Fifth Season with their pilot script to sign as as the international distribution. From there, they received the series greenlight from CBC, with Hawco and Lord-Stafford set as co-showrunners and EPs. Other EPs include Janine Squires, Erin Sullivan, Chafe and John Vatcher.
Ava Knight, Fifth Season’s director of acquisitions, previously told Playback Daily ahead of last year’s MIPCOM the company was attracted to the 10-episode count, the cast as well as its unique location. “[It’s] situated somewhere between North America and Europe, and it’s a wonderful hiding ground for criminals to evade the law,” says Knight.
Trish Williams, CBC’s executive director, unscripted content, said in a statement that CBC was attracted to the procedural aspect of the series for both domestic and international audiences as well as its “visually stunning landscape” and “unique culture.”
Financing for Saint-Pierre was provided by CBC, the Canada Media Fund, tax credits from Ontario and Newfoundland, federal tax credits and an equity investment from Newfoundland.
Shooting on the series occurred from May to November last year in both Saint-Pierre and Newfoundland, although it had to be completed in blocks on the island due to the difficulty travelling to the area, finding accommodations for the crew and avoiding a disruption of its tourism season. “It’s a very small place. We don’t want to be some sort of Goliath that comes in and takes over their town,” says Hawco.
There was also a two month hiatus so the same crew could shoot Son of a Critch. The first block on the island lasted two weeks in May and then the second was another two weeks in October.
Hawco says the team has a “solid plan” for season two from a creative and production standpoint should they get the greenlight. In the meantime, Hawco is in development on other original projects and working with others on their own series.
Photo by Derm Carberry; Image courtesy of Hawco Productions