TEMAGAMI - The new season of Still Standing will include an episode featuring the Town of Temagami.
Still Standing co-producer Dave Kerr says that the town will be featured in an episode as part of the new season which will premiere on CBC TV and will be streaming free on CBC Gem later this fall. All other episodes of Still Standing can be streamed free now on CBC Gem, he added.
The Still Standing crew of about 20 people was in Temagami in mid-May to film the episode featuring some of its well-known people from the past and present, and some of its history.
Among those present was the star of the show Jonny Harris.
The Temagami arena was filled with local people who turned out to enjoy Harris's live comedy show, which was filmed and will be incorporated, in part, into the episode.
"It takes five days of shooting to get everything we need for an episode. Usually, it's four days of filming things around town, and one day of setting up and shooting the comedy show,” said Kerr.
"Producing an episode of Still Standing takes a larger team than you might think. Our crew is somewhere in the neighbourhood of 20 people just on the road, which doesn't include executive producers, researchers, and the post-production team. There are a lot of moving pieces and a surprising amount of equipment is needed to film and write all the segments and the stand-up show.
"There are so many aspects that go into an episode. It’s talking to people to learn about what kinds of things people do in town, filming scenery and buildings, and getting shots of everyday people going about their lives doing what they normally do. When you put it all together, the hope is that the people who watch the episode will feel as though they got to experience a tiny bit of what life in Temagami is like on a typical day," he explained.
Temagami was chosen using the Still Standing criteria, Kerr continued.
"The town has to be under a certain population, have come back from some kind of adversity or industry turnover and have something special that really makes it stand out. Once we have our shortlist, we have to juggle production logistics and scheduling.
"Temagami, in particular, was chosen for a number of reasons: it has a unique history, a vibrant community, and the beauty of the place is absolutely breathtaking."
Darlene Wroe is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter with the Temiskaming Speaker.LJI is funded by the Government of Canada.
