Trailer Park Boys


Trailer Park Boys is a Canadian mockumentary television series. The show focuses on the misadventures of a group of outrageous trailer park residents, some of whom are ex-convicts, living in the fictional Sunnyvale Trailer Park in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The television series, a continuation of Clattenburg's 1999 film of the same title, premiered on Showcase in 2001. There are three films in the series: ', released on October 6, 2006; ', released on September 25, 2009; and , released on April 18, 2014.
The seventh and final season of the series' original run on Showcase ended in 2007, with its final episode, "Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys", premiering as a one-hour special on December 7, 2008.
In 2013, Robb Wells, John Paul Tremblay, and Mike Smith, the actors who respectively portrayed Ricky, Julian, and Bubbles, purchased the rights to the show from the original producers and created their own internet streaming network, "Swearnet". In March 2014, Swearnet began co-producing new seasons of the show, partnering with the streaming service Netflix to produce an eighth and ninth season, as well as three new specials. Season 8 premiered on September 5, 2014, followed by Season 9 on March 27, 2015.
Later that year, the show received the green light for two more seasons and began production on Season 10. During that time, the Canadian government granted the cast and crew money to help produce the new season and a new spin-off series. Season 10 premiered on Netflix on March 28, 2016.
A new eight-part series, Trailer Park Boys: Out of the Park: Europe, became available for streaming on Netflix on October 28, 2016. A vlog series on Swearnet called State of the Union confirmed a second season taking place in the United States. Titled Trailer Park Boys: Out of the Park: USA, it premiered on Netflix on November 24, 2017.
Season 11 premiered on March 31, 2017. After confirming on June 19, 2017, that a twelfth season had been greenlit and filming had begun, it premiered on Netflix on March 30, 2018.
A spin-off was released on March 31, 2019, as. In October 2019, Smith revealed that filming had begun on another season.

History

In 1998, director Mike Clattenburg wrote and directed a short film titled One Last Shot, which was shot in black-and-white. The film followed the exploits of two friends, Rob and Gary Williams or GW, although it is not based in the same setting as Trailer Park Boys. It was the first time Robb, John Paul and John Dunsworth worked together. In the 1999 feature film Trailer Park Boys, the character Julian states to the camera that he wanted his life to be documented after receiving a telephone psychic's prediction that he would die soon. He hoped that the film would deter others from the life of crime he had chosen.
The feature film was shown at the Atlantic Film Festival in 1999, and it caught the attention of producer Barrie Dunn, who saw the potential for a TV series. Clattenburg and Dunn, along with Wells and Tremblay, worked on a proposal for a 13-episode season of the show and traveled to Toronto to pitch the show to The Comedy Network. After being turned down, they suddenly decided to pitch the show to Showcase before returning home to Nova Scotia.
They found that the network was receptive and sent them back with a commitment to a first season, with the provision that a second experienced producer be brought on board to assist the team. The first six 30-minute episodes were then written and filmed. Some modifications were made to the characters and storyline for the series, and more humor was added to the series in comparison to the film.
The biggest change from film to series was the addition of Mike Smith's "Bubbles" character, who was originally developed for the earlier short film The Cart Boy, a film that Smith, Wells, Tremblay, and Clattenburg worked on together in 1995. Smith's character soon grew from a recurring character to one of the show's primary protagonists. Trailer Park Boys resided with Showcase for its first seven seasons. Beginning with the eighth season, the series was released through Netflix.
Early seasons were shot in various trailer parks in Nova Scotia, but the crew was not welcome to film again due to complaints from residents. Space was purchased and a functional trailer park set was built in Dartmouth for later seasons, giving the staff more freedom than at previous locations. When the series returned from hiatus beginning with Season 8, it was shot at Bible Hill Estates Trailer Park in Truro, Nova Scotia, with every subsequent episode being filmed at that location. After the 12th season, they ceased filming at the location and removed all sets and props from Bible Hill Estates, which still exists as an operating land lease community.

Plot

Episodes revolve around Sunnyvale Trailer Park residents Ricky, Julian, and Bubbles trying to make money through petty crimes while avoiding the police. Their schemes are complicated by the interference of the park's vindictive alcoholic supervisor Jim Lahey and his assistant and lover, Randy. Ricky and Julian's incompetence is rivaled by Lahey's drunken ineptitude.
Throughout the series, Ricky and Julian end up in and out of jail, with most of their schemes collapsing into failure. Later seasons adopted a cyclical formula: each season finale featured the boys' schemes succeeding, and their future looking optimistic, while the next season's premiere would show them explaining how everything had gone wrong in the interim. Fans learned to expect that seasons would somehow end with some or all of the main characters going to jail.

Characters

Each character has his or her own trademark mannerism or trait. Julian often takes a leadership role and devises schemes, all while holding a Cuba Libre on the rocks in his hand. Ricky believes himself to be dumb, and his speech is often laced with malapropisms that fans call "Rickyisms"; he lives in a dilapidated 1975 Chrysler New Yorker, grows marijuana, and often displays a slovenly appearance. Bubbles wears spectacles that magnify his eyes to an unusual extent, drives a go-kart, and lives in a shed with many cats; he is the least likely to face any repercussions for the trio's illegal activities. Alcoholic trailer park supervisor and ex-cop Jim Lahey usually attempts to derail the Boys' schemes, and nearly always shoehorns the word "shit" into his cautionary metaphors that fans call "Shitisms." Randy is Lahey's assistant and lover; he never wears a shirt unless he absolutely has to and is often taunted for his large gut and addiction to cheeseburgers.
There are also a number of minor characters. Ricky's wheelchair-bound father Ray is a former trucker and self-declared Calvinist, who is secretly committing disability fraud, in addition to being an alcoholic and gambling addict. Barbara is the trailer park owner and Lahey's ex-wife. Cory and Trevor are hapless best friends who assist and idolize Ricky and Julian, often unaware that they will serve as scapegoats when Ricky and Julian's plans inevitably go awry; Jacob later replaces Trevor after his disappearance from Sunnyvale. Lucy is the mother of Ricky's daughter Trinity, while Sarah, a friend, moved in with Lucy after Ricky's first imprisonment. J-Roc is a white aspiring rapper who genuinely thinks he is black; he is rarely seen without his friend Tyrone, who actually is black.

Main cast members

Departures

Cory and Trevor

In addition to his role as Trevor, Michael Jackson was also a production assistant behind the scenes for seasons 2–6. During this time, Jackson and many of the other actors on the show were paid minimum scale despite the show's growing success. Tension grew between the producers and Jackson due to working conditions and creative disagreements. Jackson gave notice that he would leave the show after season 6, as he was close friends with the series' creator Mike Clattenburg. Although Jackson had one more season to fulfill on his contract, no legal action was taken against him.
The producers and writers did not directly address the issue of Cory and Trevor leaving the show at the end of season 6, even though they knew of their impending departure for some time beforehand. Their departure from Sunnyvale was addressed in season 7 and their names have been part of the continuing storyline. Cory Bowles returned for Season 8 as part of the show's Netflix reboot and has since appeared in each following season, with Jacob Rolfe's Jacob Collins character filling Jackson's role as Cory's sidekick, as Jackson declined to return to the show. In season eight, Cory explained that he and Trevor were exploring the world, but got separated on a subway train in New York City. In season 10, Bowles is credited as a director on some episodes.

Ray

, who played Ricky's father Ray LaFleur, was last involved with the franchise in the 2014 film , which served as a farewell to the character, as Dunn wished to focus full-time on his law career.

Philadelphia "Phil" Collins

, who portrayed Jacob Collins's father Philadelphia "Phil" Collins in Seasons 4–7, died of a heart attack on April 15, 2013, during the filming of Don't Legalize It, which was his last appearance in the franchise.

Lucy

On April 2, 2016, Lucy DeCoutere announced that she was resigning from the show after co-star Mike Smith was arrested for allegedly assaulting a woman. Later that day, publicist Sheila Roberts said that DeCoutere had informed the show's producers a few weeks before Smith's arrest that she would not be returning for the show's next season.

J-Roc

On April 20, 2016, Jonathan Torrens announced that he had also left the show, tweeting, "Playing J-Roc has truly been one of the greatest pleasures & privileges of my life. But it's time to hang up the ol' do-rag." In response to fans' reactions, he tweeted, "Truly moved & humbled by all your best wishes and kind words. The real legacy of Trailer Park Boys will always be the loyalty of its fans." Torrens' last appearance as J-Roc with the rest of the cast was on "Trailer Park Boys Podcast" episode 33, released March 18, 2016.

Jim Lahey

On October 16, 2017, actor John Dunsworth, who played Jim Lahey, died after a short illness. Filming for the twelfth season had begun in June 2017 and concluded in August, marking his final appearance on the show. The final episode of Season 12 featured a tribute to Dunsworth.

Style

The series is shot in a mockumentary style, featuring handheld camera work. Characters often speak directly to crew members, who frequently become involved in the plot. In one episode, a crewman is shot; in another, one is tased by Jim Lahey. The show is loosely scripted, with much of the dialogue ad-libbed from basic plot points. These aspects are intended to evoke a sense of realism. The trio have stated that many of the show's most popular moments were not in the script.
Furthering the myth that Trailer Park Boys is nonfiction, many of the actors often make public appearances in character.

Reception

The show became very successful in many countries. The show's lead trio formerly toured with Our Lady Peace, with whom Bubbles sings his trademark song "Liquor and Whores".
On January 13, 2017, Trailer Park Boys and Bubbles finally released "Liquor & Whores" as an EDM track produced by Canadian Multi-Platinum producer, Marc Mysterio on Sony Music. The Trailer Park Boys have also appeared in music videos with The Tragically Hip, while Bubbles has appeared with George Canyon and Snow, and they have been presenters at numerous award shows – always in character. Several famous artists appear on the show, such as Alex Lifeson from Rush in "Closer to the Heart," singer Rita MacNeil in the season four finale "Working Man," Brian Vollmer from Helix, Sebastian Bach from Skid Row, and the late singer-songwriter Denny Doherty of The Mamas and the Papas in the season seven finale "".
The show is a great success for the cable network Showcase, where it is the network's highest-rated Canadian series. It airs in Australia on The Comedy Channel, in the United Kingdom and Spain on Paramount Comedy, in the Republic of Ireland on 3e, in Iceland on SkjárEinn, in New Zealand on TV 2, in Israel on Xtra Hot, in the Netherlands on Comedy Central Netherlands, in Denmark on DR2, in Portugal on SIC Radical, in Germany on Comedy Central Germany, in Finland on Nelonen, in Bulgaria on Nova Television, and in Poland on Comedy Central Polska. In the United States, BBC America formerly aired a censored version of the show, but it is no longer part of their lineup. On February 5, 2009, satellite provider DirecTV began airing the series in the United States on its channel The 101 Network, uncensored, at the rate of two episodes per week. DirecTV aired the entire seven-season run of Trailer Park Boys, plus both specials. All episodes aired on DirecTV are in widescreen format, as opposed to the standard definition aspect DVD releases of the first five seasons. It is also available on Netflix.
Actors John Dunsworth, John Paul Tremblay, and Robb Wells can be seen in the 2002 movie Virginia's Run starring Gabriel Byrne and Joanne Whalley. John Dunsworth plays a local cop while John Paul Tremblay and Robb Wells play active and verbal townsmen similar to their Trailer Park Boys characters. Actors are credited as the cop for John Dunsworth, J.P. for John Paul Tremblay, and Robb Wells as Rob. The movie was filmed in Shelburne, Nova Scotia.

Episodes

Films

''Trailer Park Boys: The Movie''

The second Trailer Park Boys movie to be produced, was released on October 6, 2006, and distributed by Alliance Atlantis. Ivan Reitman produced the movie, Mike Clattenburg directed it, and Clattenburg and Robb Wells co-wrote it. It was nominated for a Genie Award for Best Motion Picture, but did not win. This movie and later on the second one also paved the way for its popularity in the U.S.

''Countdown to Liquor Day''

The franchise's second feature film, Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day, was released in Canada on September 25, 2009. The movie serves as sequel to the last televised episode, "Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys".

''Don't Legalize It''

In May 2012, Mike Clattenburg announced on his Twitter page that a third and final film in the Trailer Park Boys franchise was in development. Principal photography for the third and final installment was scheduled to begin in October 2012, but was pushed back to March 2013; filming began on March 17, 2013. On April 20, 2013, the production moved to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, where filming took place at Parliament Hill during the 4/20 weekend. Entertainment One announced that the third and final film, titled , would be released in Canada on April 18, 2014. The film picks up shortly after where Season 7 of the TV show left off, and centres around Ricky's concerns that if the Canadian government legalized and controlled marijuana sale, it would put his grow-op out of business.

Specials

Trailer Park Boys: Xmas Special
In 2004, the Christmas Special was made featuring Randy, J-Roc, Barb, and Jim Lahey in a flashback time setting before the time of the pilot episode. The movie sheds background insight on the origins of Sunnyvale Trailer Park and the characters.

''Live in Fuckin' Dublin''

Footage from the trio's May 9, 2013, performance at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin, Ireland, the Ricky, Julian and Bubbles Community Service Variety Show, was collected for a concert film. The live show contains an introduction and epilogue shot in the format of a Trailer Park Boys episode, with the premise that the boys are arrested in Dublin and forced to serve community service by staging a puppet show discouraging drug and alcohol use. Some elements from the television series return in Live in Fuckin' Dublin, such as Alex Lifeson's feud with Ricky, Ricky's inadvertently gluing objects to his nose, and Conky's many resurrections. The film was released on June 1, 2014. The season 8 episode "Community Service and a Boner Made with Love" contains a similar premise.

''Live at the North Pole''

On November 15, 2014, Netflix released a new 90-minute special, titled Trailer Park Boys: Live at the North Pole. This is a concert film of their choice. It was filmed on location at the State Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

''Drunk, High, and Unemployed (Live in Austin)''

Ricky, Julian and Bubbles bring their trailer park humor out onto the stage for a night of liquor, schemes and an intoxicated acting demo. The boys are at it again in the great state of Texas. Bubbles is auditioning for a movie in Austin, TX, and brings the boys with him. A whole lot of alcohol, drugs and shenanigans await them live on stage.

DVD releases

has released all twelve seasons of Trailer Park Boys on DVD in Region 1. The Say Goodnight to The Bad Guys special was also released on Blu-ray.
DVD NameEpisodesRelease date
The Complete First and Second Seasons13May 27, 2003
The Complete Third Season8April 6, 2004
The Complete Fourth Season8April 12, 2005
Christmas Special1November 15, 2005
The Complete Fifth Season10May 9, 2006
The Complete Sixth Season6May 8, 2007
The Complete Seventh Season10May 6, 2008
Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys1December 7, 2010
The Complete Eighth Season10December 9, 2014
The Complete Ninth Season10June 2, 2015
The Complete Tenth Season10October 4, 2016
The Complete Eleventh Season10April 3, 2018
The Complete Twelfth Season10April 2, 2019
The Complete Series55June 16, 2009
The Complete Collection55October 11, 2011
Dressed All Over 55 eps., 2 specials and 2 filmsNovember 5, 2013

Continuation of ''Trailer Park Boys''

The Trailer Park Boys franchise has continued past the original run of the television series, almost without interruption. The cast and crew took the summer of 2008 off, but a new special one-hour episode titled Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys aired in Canada on December 7, 2008. Series creator Mike Clattenburg announced on November 12, 2008, that the special would be followed by a sequel movie scheduled for Canadian release on September 25, 2009, which would be "the end of Trailer Park Boys," and that no additional seasons would be made.
In January 2009, the boys were in character at selected venues nationally including Massey Hall in Toronto. They performed the Ricky, Julian and Bubbles Community Service Variety Show. The premise was that they were fulfilling court order community service and must put on a puppet show aimed at demonstrating the dangers of using alcohol and drugs.
In November 2009, Wells, Tremblay, and Smith announced that they would be starring in a new television series called The Drunk and On Drugs Happy Fun Time Hour, which aired on Action in 2011. The series was given an order of six episodes. The actors also served as writers and executive producers for the series.
In March 2010, the boys did a show in character at Massey Hall in Toronto called The Ricky, Julian and Bubbles, Drunk, High and Unemployed Tour. The tour expanded throughout 2010 and 2011 with live theatre performances worldwide including the U.S., Canada, UK, and Ireland, with further performances in Australia and New Zealand in 2012.
In November 2010, the boys did a sketch for Funny or Die, called MashUpPiece Theater: The Wire / Trailer Park Boys.
In February 2012, Wells, Tremblay, and Smith played guest roles on the FX animated series, Archer, as a radical Nova Scotian separatist terrorist, a compatriot disguised as a Mountie, and a real Mountie, respectively.
In October 2012, Barrie Dunn officially announced a third and final Trailer Park Boys film. Filming began in March 2013 and ended in late April. The film was released in Canadian theaters on April 18, 2014.
Two Trailer Park Boys actors and one guest star died in early 2013; Brian Huggins, who portrayed Shitty Bill, in March, and both Richard Collins and guest star Rita MacNeil in April.
On July 4, 2013, it was announced that Tremblay, Wells, and Smith acquired the rights to Trailer Park Boys and confirmed it would return with an eighth season. Principal production took place from July–September 2013, back on location in an existing mobile home community in Truro, Nova Scotia. In late September 2013, Mike Smith announced on the SwearNet Facebook page that the cast and crew had also returned to the location in September to shoot content for two new specials, that Season 8 had been "rough cut" into ten episodes, and that SwearNet was seeking network deals in addition to its plans to webcast the new material.
On December 27, 2013, Smith confirmed on Twitter that a ninth season will go into production in spring of 2014. Although creator Mike Clattenburg and producers Barrie Dunn and Michael Volpe are not involved, they gave their blessings to Tremblay, Wells, and Smith and are credited as the original creators on the revived series.
On March 5, 2014, Netflix announced that the two new seasons of Trailer Park Boys will air exclusively on their streaming service later this year. In addition to season 8 and 9, the network will also air three specials and two new films after their theatrical release.
A new 80-minute special titled Trailer Park Boys: Live In Fuckin' Dublin debuted on June 1, 2014, exclusively on Netflix.
On September 1, 2014, Netflix announced that season 8 of Trailer Park Boys would be available on September 5.
On November 15, 2014, Netflix released a new 90-minute special, titled Trailer Park Boys: Live at the North Pole.
Season 9 of Trailer Park Boys was made available on March 27, 2015.
On June 1, 2015, Swearnet officially announced that the production of Season 10 was underway.
On December 9, 2015, a new 75-minute special debuted on Netflix, titled Trailer Park Boys: Drunk, High, and Unemployed Live In Austin.
On March 28, 2016, Netflix released season 10 of the Trailer Park Boys. It consisted of 10 episodes and includes appearances from several well-known stars such as Snoop Dogg, Jimmy Kimmel, Doug Benson and Tom Arnold. Two episodes were directed by Bobby Farrelly.
On April 2, 2016, and on April 20, 2016, Lucy DeCoutere and Jonathan Torrens announced they were leaving the show.
On May 30, 2016, filming and production began for Season 11 of Trailer Park Boys.
On July 5, 2016, filming for Season 11 was completed and editing began.
On October 28, 2016, Trailer Park Boys Out of the Park: Europe was made available to stream on Netflix with 8 episodes.
On February 22, it was announced that Season 11 would air March 31, 2017.
On March 31, 2017, Season 11 aired.
On April 20, 2017, an animated, story-driven mobile video game, entitled Trailer Park Boys: Greasy Money, was released on Android and IOS devices.
On June 19, 2017, it was announced that filming of the twelfth season is officially underway.
On October 16, 2017, John Dunsworth died at the age of 71, with Season 12 marking his final appearance on the show.
On November 7, 2017, the cast announced through social media that "Trailer Park Boys: Out of the Park: USA" would be available on Netflix on November 24, 2017. This is the second season in the "Out of the Park" spin-off series.
Season 12, the final season produced as part of the Netflix deal was made available on March 30, 2018.
On March 31, 2019, was released on Netflix. The second season was released worldwide via Netflix on May 22, 2020.
In October 2019, Smith revealed that filming had begun on another new live-action season.