Letterkenny (TV series)
| Letterkenny | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Jared Keeso |
| Developed by |
Jared Keeso Jacob Tierney |
| Written by |
Jared Keeso Jacob Tierney |
| Directed by | Jacob Tierney |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 33 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Jared Keeso Jacob Tierney |
| Producer(s) |
|
| Production location(s) | Sudbury, Ontario |
| Running time | 23–30 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
New Metric Media Bell Media DHX Media |
| Release | |
| Original network |
CraveTV The Comedy Network |
| Original release | February 7, 2016 – present |
Letterkenny is a Canadian television sitcom created by Jared Keeso and developed and primarily written by Keeso and Jacob Tierney, with Tierney as director. The series debuted on CraveTV in February 2016, and later also aired on The Comedy Network.[1] The show stars Keeso and Nathan Dales as Wayne and Daryl, two friends living in the small town of Letterkenny, Ontario,[1] a fictional community loosely based on Keeso's own hometown of Listowel, Ontario.[1]
On March 10, 2016, Letterkenny was renewed for a second season of six episodes.[2] On August 8, 2016, just weeks after production wrapped on Season 2, CraveTV announced that they had ordered a third season.[3] On March 17, 2017, a St. Patrick's Day special episode, "St. Perfect's Day" was released.[4] The third season, shot during the winter season, was released on Canada Day, July 1, 2017.[5][6] A Halloween episode was announced on October 2, 2017, which was released on October 20, 2017.[7] The fourth season of six episodes was released on December 25, 2017.[8] On October 23, 2017, it was announced that the series has a new media partner which has agreed to a production commitment for 40 new episodes, a 26 city Letterkenny Live! tour beginning in February 2018 and the expansion of Letterkenny merchandise.[9] The six-episode fifth season was released on June 29, 2018.[10]
At the 5th Canadian Screen Awards in 2017, the series won the award for Best Comedy Series.[11]
Series overview
Letterkenny revolves around the antics of the residents of a small rural Canadian community called Letterkenny.
Expanding the cast from the web series, the series focuses on Wayne and Katy (created for the TV series), siblings who run a small farm and produce stand, with help from Wayne's two friends: Daryl and "Squirrely" Dan (created for the TV series). It also focuses on a pair of local hockey players (Reily and Jonesy) who are involved in a polyamorous relationship with Katy.
Episodes deal with life in a small town, amongst different types of people: the farmers (the "hicks"), the out-of-towners who make up the local hockey team, the town's minister, the local drug addicts (the "skids"), and members of the local First Nation (the "natives"). Often plots revolve around Wayne defending his reputation as "the toughest guy in Letterkenny", the exploits of the local hockey team, and Wayne's attempt to break up his sister's open relationship with two of the members of the team, the various schemes by "the skids" to rip off the residents of both Letterkenny and the reservation, and Wayne's various attempts to find love. In later seasons, the scripts feature wordplay and puns as a running joke to convey the intelligence of the small town characters.
Production
Letterkenny is the first original series commissioned by CraveTV,[12] and premiered on that platform on February 7, 2016.[13] The show has its roots in Letterkenny Problems, a short-format web series created by Keeso and released on YouTube in 2013.[14] Letterkenny Problems garnered a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Original Fiction Program or Series Created for Digital Media at the 2nd Canadian Screen Awards in 2014.[12] The town of Letterkenny portrayed in the series is fictional, and not based on the actual ghost town in Renfrew County.[15]
Tierney and Michael Dowse are also involved in the production of the series.[1] Tierney also has a supporting role as Pastor Glen in the series, whose cast also includes Michelle Mylett, Dylan Playfair, Andrew Herr, Tyler Johnston, Lisa Codrington, Alexander De Jordy, Kaniehtiio Horn and K. Trevor Wilson.[16]
The series is filmed in Sudbury, Ontario.[17] A second season was ordered in March 2016,[2] and a third was ordered in August 2016.[18]
Cast and characters
- Jared Keeso as Wayne, the leader of "the Hicks" and self-proclaimed toughest guy in Letterkenny. Wayne is best friends with Daryl "Darry" and Squirrely Dan. He is overprotective of his sister Katy. Keeso also plays Shoresy, a hockey player friend of Jonesy and Riley whose face never appears on camera.
- Nathan Dales as Daryl, Wayne's best friend, whose nickname is "Darry".
- K. Trevor Wilson as Squirrely Dan, the storyteller of "the Hicks".
- Michelle Mylett as Katy, Wayne's sister
- Dylan Playfair as Reilly, a hockey player for the Letterkenny Irish and Jonesy's best friend.
- Andrew Herr as Jonesy, a hockey player for the Letterkenny Irish and Reilly's best friend.
- Tyler Johnston as Stewart, leader of "the skids".
- Alexander De Jordy as Devon, a member of Stewart's crew. (seasons 1–2)
- Jacob Tierney as Pastor Glen, a local preacher who is infatuated with Wayne.
- Evan Stern as Roald, a member of Stewart's crew.
- Lisa Codrington as Gail, bartender at Modeans.
- Kaniehtiio Horn as Tanis
- Mark Forward as Coach, a hockey coach who gets angry easily
- Dan Petronijevic as McMurray
- Melanie Scrofano Mrs. McMurray
- Kamilla Kowal as Bonnie McMurray
- Joel Gagne as Joint Boy
- Alex McCooeye as Jim Dickens
- Jay Bertin as Tyson
- Kalinka Petrie as Angie, Wayne's ex (seasons 2–4)
- Clark Backo as Rosie, Gail's cousin (seasons 2–5)
- Boomer Phillips as Boomtown (seasons 2–3)
- Sarah Gadon as Gae (seasons 3, 5)
- Adrian Holmes as Bradley, Gail and Rosie's cousin (seasons 3–4)
- Jay Baruchel as Hard Right Jay (season 5)[19]
Guest appearances
- Jay Onrait as himself
- Dan O'Toole as himself
- Mark McMorris
- Craig McMorris
Episodes
Series overview
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | February 7, 2016 | |||
| 2 | 6 | December 25, 2016 | |||
| Special | March 17, 2017 | ||||
| 3 | 6 | July 1, 2017 | |||
| Special | October 20, 2017 | ||||
| 4 | 6 | December 25, 2017 | |||
| Special | March 23, 2018 | ||||
| 5 | 6 | June 29, 2018 | |||
Season 1 (2016)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Ain't No Reason to Get Excited" | Jacob Tierney | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | February 7, 2016 |
| A group of small town hicks try to help their friend get over a breakup. | |||||
| 2 | 2 | "Super Soft Birthday" | Jacob Tierney | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | February 7, 2016 |
| Wayne tries to maintain his status as the toughest guy in Letterkenny, Katy throws Daryl a birthday party. | |||||
| 3 | 3 | "Fartbook" | Jacob Tierney | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | February 7, 2016 |
| Letterkenny becomes enveloped in fart culture when the boys create a fart sharing website. | |||||
| 4 | 4 | "Wingman Wayne" | Jacob Tierney | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | February 7, 2016 |
| The hicks hit the bar to pick up women, Jonesy and Reilly get in shape. | |||||
| 5 | 5 | "Rave" | Jacob Tierney | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | February 7, 2016 |
| Wayne and Daryl start a pest control business, Stewart cleans himself up to impress Katy. The hockey team plays a road game against the Natives. | |||||
| 6 | 6 | "A Fuss in the Back Bush" | Jacob Tierney | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | February 7, 2016 |
| The skids turn Letterkenny into a warzone when they rip off the Natives on a dart deal. | |||||
Season 2 (2016)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | "A Fuss at the Ag Hall" | Jacob Tierney | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | December 25, 2016 |
| The Hicks attempt to establish order at Ag Hall while Reilly and Jonesy make the jump to Senior Hockey. | |||||
| 8 | 2 | "The Election" | Jacob Tierney | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | December 25, 2016 |
| The Hicks, Skids, and Hockey players participate in a Letterkenny election. | |||||
| 9 | 3 | "Relationships" | Jacob Tierney | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | December 25, 2016 |
| Wayne doubles down on finding love. | |||||
| 10 | 4 | "The Native Flu" | Jacob Tierney | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | December 25, 2016 |
| Reilly and Jonesy have an away game on the Rez. | |||||
| 11 | 5 | "Uncle Eddie's Trust" | Jacob Tierney | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | December 25, 2016 |
| Wayne and Katy inherit some money. Folks from Letterkenny pitch them on why it should be theirs. | |||||
| 12 | 6 | "Finding Stormy a Stud" | Jacob Tierney | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | December 25, 2016 |
| Tension rises around Letterkenny while Wayne looks for a stud to breed with his beloved German Shepherd "Stormy". | |||||
St. Patrick's Day special (2017)
| No. overall | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | "St. Perfect's Day" | Jacob Tierney | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | March 17, 2017 |
| Sitting around the produce stand recalling the events from the night before at the St. Patrick's Day Party at the Ag Hall. A Legend is born. | ||||
Season 3 (2017)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 1 | "Sled Shack" | Jacob Tierney | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | July 1, 2017 |
| The Hicks build a sled shack on the sleddin' trail. The Hockey Players, now leading goal scorers, try to motivate the Irish to get a W. | |||||
| 15 | 2 | "Puck Bunny" | Jacob Tierney | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | July 1, 2017 |
| Wayne attempts to lure Up Country Degens to the sled shack but choosing the bait proves problematic. | |||||
| 16 | 3 | "MoDeans 2" | Jacob Tierney | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | July 1, 2017 |
| MoDean's Grand Re-Opening gives Wayne the opportunity to confront Jivin' Pete, who's "no longer a good guy". | |||||
| 17 | 4 | "Les Hiques" | Jacob Tierney | Jonathan Torrens | July 1, 2017 |
| The Hicks go fishing on the Quebec border and meet their French doppelgangers. | |||||
| 18 | 5 | "The Battle for Bonnie McMurray" | Jacob Tierney | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | July 1, 2017 |
| Bonnie invites the Hicks for a hot tub party and Dan, Daryl and Katy compete for her attention. Wayne and Rosie are #relationshipgoals. | |||||
| 19 | 6 | "Bradley is a Killer" | Jacob Tierney | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | July 1, 2017 |
| Gail's cousin Bradley returns to Letterkenny to be a bouncer at MoDean's. The Hicks love Bradley. Gae and the Skids reach a crossroads. | |||||
Halloween special (2017)
| No. overall | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | "The Haunting of MoDean's II" | Jacob Tierney | Lynne Kamm | October 20, 2017 |
| Wayne and the Hicks help their old pal Gail get to the bottom of a strange brew happening at the local bar. | ||||
Season 4 (2017)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 1 | "Never Work a Day in Your Life" | Jacob Tierney | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | December 25, 2017 |
| It's Gail's birthday but in an effort to forget Rosie, Wayne is non-stop chorin'. | |||||
| 22 | 2 | "A Fuss at the Golf Course" | Jacob Tierney | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | December 25, 2017 |
| The Hicks and McMurrays defend the majestic Canada Goose at the local golf course. The turf war for the Dollar Store continues. | |||||
| 23 | 3 | "Way to a Man's Heart" | Jacob Tierney | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | December 25, 2017 |
| Tanis recruits the Hicks, who recruit the Hockey Players, to help with a feud on the Rez. | |||||
| 24 | 4 | "Letterkenny Talent Show" | Jacob Tierney | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | December 25, 2017 |
| Letterkenny locals put their special skills on display with their own talent show. | |||||
| 25 | 5 | "The Letterkenny Leave" | Jacob Tierney | Jesse McKeown | December 25, 2017 |
| The Hicks attend a hot tub party at the McMurray's. The Hockey Players decide to do whatever it takes to get gains. | |||||
| 26 | 6 | "Great Day for Thunder Bay" | Jacob Tierney | Jonathan Torrens | December 25, 2017 |
| The Bay Brothers, James and Hudson, return home for Hay and all of Letterkenny wants to be the one to throw them a party. | |||||
Easter special (2018)
| No. overall | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | "Super Hard Easter" | Jacob Tierney | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | March 23, 2018 |
| It's Easter and it's Daryl's turn to hide the eggs. Glen and his unlikely sidekicks put on a Passion Play. | ||||
Season 5 (2018)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | 1 | "We Don't Fight at Weddings" | Jacob Tierney | Trevor Risk & Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | June 29, 2018 |
| The Hicks, Skids, and Hockey Players attend a Letterkenny wedding. | |||||
| 29 | 2 | "The Ol' College Try" | Jacob Tierney | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | June 29, 2018 |
| Wayne tries on a new relationship. The Skids get deeper into the Dark Web. The Hockey Players meet their new team. | |||||
| 30 | 3 | "Hard Right Jay" | Jacob Tierney | Jesse McKeown | June 29, 2018 |
| An out-of-towner causes a ruckus in Letterkenny. | |||||
| 31 | 4 | "Letterkenny Spelling Bee" | Jacob Tierney | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | June 29, 2018 |
| Competition heats up at Letterkenny's Adult Spelling Bee. | |||||
| 32 | 5 | "Back to Back to Back" | Jacob Tierney | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney | June 29, 2018 |
| The Hockey Players try to win their first championship and Stewart is visited by some old friends. | |||||
| 33 | 6 | "Bock et Biche" | Jacob Tierney | Jonathan Torrens | June 29, 2018 |
| The Hicks and Hockey Players travel to Quebec for Anik's pre-wedding party. | |||||
Reception
Critical reception
John Doyle of The Globe and Mail called the series "refreshing and intoxicating", and "funny, mad, droll, childish, and spiky." Focusing on the show's characteristic use of often thick Ontario dialect, he wrote that "Not since Trailer Park Boys launched have we heard the flavourful, salty Canadian vernacular used with such aplomb and abandon"; but also that "Almost all the conversations are raw comedy and utterly plausible as small-town guy talk, not just in Canada but in villages and parishes wherever the grass grows."[14]
Ratings
CraveTV has stated that Letterkenny's debut was the biggest debut of any series on their platform since it launched in 2014, and that as of March 10, 2016, nearly one in three subscribers have watched the series.[2]
Accolades
| Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd Canadian Screen Awards | Best Original Fiction Program or Series Created for Digital Media | Letterkenny Problems | Nominated | [12] |
| 2016 Canadian Comedy Awards | Best TV Show | Letterkenny | Nominated | [20] |
| 5th Canadian Screen Awards | Best Comedy Series | Mark Montefiore, Patrick O'Sullivan, Jared Keeso, Jacob Tierney | Won | [21] |
| Best Direction in a Comedy Program or Series | Jacob Tierney ("Super Soft Birthday") | Won | ||
| Best Writing in a Comedy Program or Series | Jacob Tierney and Jared Keeso ("Super Soft Birthday") | Won | ||
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Comedic Role | Jared Keeso | Nominated | ||
| Best Achievement in Casting | Jenny Lewis and Sara Kay ("Rave") | Nominated | ||
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role or Guest Role in a Comedic Series | Nathan Dales | Nominated | ||
| Best Picture Editing in a Comedy Program or Series | Erin Deck ("Super Soft Birthday") | Nominated | ||
| Duncan Christie ("Ain't No Reason To Get Excited") | Nominated | |||
| 2017 WGC Screenwriting Awards | Best Script From a Rookie Series | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney ("Ain't No Reason to Get Excited") | Nominated | [22] |
| Best TV Comedy | Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney ("Super Soft Birthday") | Won | ||
| 6th Canadian Screen Awards | Best Comedy Series | Mark Montefiore, Patrick O'Sullivan, Jared Keeso, Jacob Tierney | Nominated | [23] |
| Best Direction in a Comedy Program or Series | Jacob Tierney ("The Election") | Won | ||
| Best Writing in a Comedy Program or Series | Jacob Tierney and Jared Keeso ("Relationships") | Won | ||
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Comedic Role | Jared Keeso | Nominated | ||
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role or Guest Role in a Comedic Series | K. Trevor Wilson | Nominated | ||
| Best Photography in a Comedic Series | Jim Westenbrink ("Relationships") | Nominated | ||
| Best Picture Editing in a Comedic Series | Christopher Minns ("The Election") | Nominated | ||
| Best Sound in a Fiction Series | Rick Penn, Jamie Sulek, Devin Doucette, Kieran Sherry, Rob Ainsley, Clive Turner ("Relationships") | Nominated | ||
| Best Casting | Jenny Lewis, Sara Kay | Nominated |
References
- 1 2 3 4 Szklarski, Cassandra (March 5, 2015). "'19-2' star Jared Keeso to helm original scripted comedy for CraveTV". CTV News. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Letterkenny's Huge Launch on CraveTV Fuels Second Season Order". Bell Media. March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
- ↑ "Told Ya this Was a Huge Deal Bud. CraveTV Orders a Third Season of LETTERKENNY". Bell Media. August 8, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
- ↑ "Letterkenny to drop special St. Patrick's Day episode". The Star. January 19, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
- ↑ Yeo, Debra (June 6, 2017). "Letterkenny Season 3 brings a taste of winter to summer". Toronto Star. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
- ↑ "Letterkenny Season 3 arrives on CraveTV on Canada Day". Canadian Press. June 1, 2017. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
- ↑ "S-s-s-p-p-c-ecial Halloween Episode of Letterkenny Drops October 20 on CraveTV". Bell Media. October 2, 2017. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
- ↑ "Another 6-Pack of Letterkenny to Launch Christmas Day". Bell Media. December 11, 2017. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
- ↑ "CraveTV Enters into Comprehensive Multi-Year Partnership with New Metric Media to Build LETTERKENNY Brand Worldwide". Bell Media. October 23, 2017. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
- ↑ Daley, Dean (June 25, 2018). "Letterkenny season 5 comes to CraveTV on June 29". MobileSyrup. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ↑ Furdyk, Brent (March 12, 2017). "2017 Canadian Screen Awards: And The Winners Are…". ET Canada. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
- 1 2 3 "Crave TV orders up first original series: Letterkenny". Winnipeg Free Press. March 5, 2015. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
- ↑ Pope, Chris (November 9, 2015). "TV Show "Letterkenny", starring Listowel's Jared Keeso, has a launch date". 570 News. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
- 1 2 Doyle, John (February 8, 2016). "John Doyle: Letterkenny's a refreshing and intoxicating Canadian comedy". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
- ↑ "Letterkenny is coming to CraveTV and we couldn't be more excited". TSN. December 26, 2015. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
- ↑ Punto, Jordan (May 28, 2015). "Why CraveTV didn't have a problem with Letterkenny". Playback Online. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
- ↑ Yeo, Debra (May 26, 2015). "Jared Keeso series Letterkenny shooting in Sudbury". The Star. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
- ↑ "Sudbury-shot show returns for third season". The Sudbury Star. August 11, 2016. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
- ↑ Yeo, Debra (November 15, 2017). "Jay Baruchel joins cast of Letterkenny". Toronto Star. Retrieved November 26, 2017.
- ↑ "2016 Canadian Comedy Awards". Canadian Comedy Awards. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
- ↑ "2017 TV Nominees". Academy.ca. Retrieved March 9, 2017.
- ↑ "2017 WGC Screenwriting Awards Finalists". Writers Guild of Canada. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
- ↑ "2018 TV Nominees". Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
External links
- Letterkenny on CraveTV
- Letterkenny on IMDb
- Letterkenny on Twitter