Bathurst — As a part of CTV’s new hit summer lineup, the upcoming Canadian adaptation of AMC’s innovative and addictive Breaking Bad is sure to spark at least some interest, and like most CTV “original” dramas — you’d better pray for a second season.
“I am really excited about this remake or reboot or whatever,” said executive-producer Darrell Drews, former show-runner for forgettable CTV classics like The Associates and Played. “I think I read somewhere that The Office is a remake, and people love it. It’ll be our own little Office,” he continued, laughing.
The copycat plot will focus on schoolteacher Mrs. Michaud as she grasps cocaine trafficking, deals with motorcycle gangs, and balances her French and science curriculum.
“That’s were we get really original — our show follows a woman. We took notice of the lack of strong female protagonists on television, so we made sure our lawbreaker can be empowering to and emulated by young female viewers.
“Our ‘Mr. White’ doesn’t have any illness or family for motivation though…she’s just a criminal,” stated Drews.
Filming locations include local tourist hotspot Youghall Beach and the always-accommodating Renous Atlantic Institution. Filming will also take place at École Place-Des-Jeunes, where Michaud will teach Grades 6 to 8. The restaurant Big D will also be used as a money-laundering front.
The program has already received a lukewarm reaction from the community, particularly from the local chapter of the Hell’s Angels, who have a monopoly on the northern New Brunswick drug trade.
“We’re real sick of how people look at us, like our ‘1%’ logo is a threat,” vented Big Bob Robichaud, their leader. “This show only shows us as bad people. Our people fundraise for charities all the time. Down south we gave poor kids bikes and shit.”
When pressed by The Manatee for examples of the group’s community-changing tactics, Big Bob said, “I really hate bullies — I’d beat the livin’ hell outta any bully for any person. Nobody notices when we’re good, but they never forget when we’re bad.”
Doubling down on his optimism, Drews explained why he thinks that this endeavour will work out. “That’s the beauty of it — nobody would ever think, in a hundred years, that a young schoolteacher from Bathurst would moonlight as a drug dealer.”