The makers of Falcon Beach have replaced the show’s entire creative team as shooting of its second season gets underway in Manitoba.

Elizabeth Stewart, head writer and executive story consultant on the first season of the young adult drama, has been replaced by Peter Lauterman (Cover Me, North of 60).

Also exiting are Daegan Fryklind, Therese Beaupre and Grant Sauve – replaced by a new writing team that includes executive story editor Tracey Forbes (ReGenesis, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), David Schmidt (Alice, I Think) and Jeremy Boxen (Kenny vs. Spenny, 11 Cameras).

Sauve will stay on to write one Falcon Beach script this season, which will begin shooting in Manitoba on June 12.

Season one of the teen-aimed drama drew only tepid ratings earlier this year despite a massive ad push by Global TV, but producers say the new writers have nothing to do with the numbers.

‘It isn’t because we were dissatisfied with the writing team on the first season,’ says Kim Todd, principal at Winnipeg-based Original Pictures, who coproduces the show with Toronto’s Insight Productions.

‘Elizabeth wanted to hand over the mantle to give the second season renewed energy and fresh perspective. Everyone – including the writers – thought we should go ahead with a different team and bring in some new ideas and fresh blood.’

Stewart worked with Todd on the youth series Guinevere Jones and The Adventures of Shirley Holmes.

Falcon Beach follows a group of young people in a summer resort town and features a cast of beach buff stars, including Steve Byers, Jennifer Kydd, Ephraim Ellis and Devon Weigel.

All of season one’s cast will return for the second run, says Todd, as will DOP Alwyn Kumst, production designer Craig Sandells and line producer Ellen Rutter. Norma Bailey also returns as one of three directors who will work on a rotating basis.

Todd says there are no big storyline changes in the works for season two.

However, after last season – when Global bounced the series between three different nights – Todd says she wants each hour-long show to be a self-contained story, so that viewers who miss an episode will still be able to follow the storyline.

‘There is always a fine balance between long, juicy character arcs that leave audiences wondering what will happen next week, and having each episode tell a full story,’ explains Todd.

‘In looking back at the first season, we think this time around we should tip it a bit more towards strong episodic stories.’

The budget on the 13-hour series remains the same as last year – $18 million.

The first season of Falcon Beach launches on ABC Family on June 4 with the airing of the two-hour pilot, followed the next evening by the first episode in its regular slot, Monday nights at 9 p.m.

Publicity for the American launch is in full swing, with aerial banners on key beaches in California and New York and full-page ads in Seventeen magazine. Show stars are already doing live public events, and plans are in the works to make the series available for iPod download.

Global will rebroadcast season one on Monday nights beginning June 12, in hopes the ABC Family publicity will spill over into Canada.

www.falconbeach.ca