Yes, that’s me in the shadows on tonight’s episode of Son of a Critch.
I was in St. John’s interviewing the cast last August during production of Season 4 of the CBC sitcom. When I was asked if I’d like to also sneak into a scene as an extra or “background performer,” it didn’t take much arm twisting.
As Lucille Ball once said, “The ham always rises.”
I’ve done this kind of thing before. Look for me in reruns of Murdoch Mysteries (twice), Sunnyside (getting into a cab with a horse), Lost Girl (together with fellow writer-slash-hambone Rob Salem) and going even further back, Puppets Who Kill. In fact, I got killed on Puppets who Kill, and not just by the critics.
On tonight’s Son of a Critch (8:30 pm, CBC and CBCGem) I’m downstairs at the Strand Lounge in the Bella Vista Ballroom, toasting the retirement of VOCM station owner Mr. Murphy (Mack Barfoot). This is Block 2, Day 11 of 14 of Season 4. In the room are Mark Critch as Mike Sr., Richard Clarkin as Dick Dunphy and guest star Rick Mercer (hear him now as this week’s guest on brioux.tv: the podcast) as new station owner Bill Bartlett. Deanne Foley is directing.
I was given a dressing room in a trailer (a perk not normally offered to extras) and some clothes from the 1990s to change into. (Hell, those I could find back home in my closet). I stashed my glasses as the frames are too contemporary, plus not being able to see, I believe, is the key to acting.
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Actually, the key to acting is not to act. This sage advice was delivered years ago from Murdoch showrunner Peter Mitchell, delivered after seeing rushes of me walk through a saloon door carrying a bail of hay and possibly auditioning for a remake of the “Step in Time” rooftoop scene in “Mary Poppins.”
As the great actor Malcolm McDowell (Pop on the series) told me, Son of a Critch has a world class crew. 1st AD Kelly Warren gave instructions on the fly. I’m told where to stand, who to pretend to talk to, which hand to hold the wine glass.
The other extras, all very friendly, work this show quite often. One was from Ontario, in town visiting relatives. Some went on to appear in a ballroom scene shot upstairs later that afternoon. One lady told me that she worked all the time on Hudson & Rex, also shot in St. John’s. The day before I met a young local lad, there with his mom, picking up summer money as an extra in some high school scenes.
As the cameras rolled, Mercer made a speech as the cocky new station owner. My job, along with the other extras, was to suck up and appear uncomfortable, perhaps a little scared of getting fired, a look I perfected years ago while working at The Toronto Sun during the Quebecor era.
Thanks to publicist Lisa Ghione for pointing me to the set on time and Mark Critch for taking an unreasonable chance with his show. Try not to blink and look for me in the shadows on what is otherwise a very interesting episode. It is one with serious ramifications for one central character — and all of it really happened.
