M’CHIGEENG—The filming of an episode of the CBC television series Still Standing, featuring the M’Chigeeng First Nation was to begin earlier this week.
“Yes, it’s true! We are thrilled to be making an episode on M’Chigeeng First Nation for the ninth season of Still Standing,” stated David Kerr, one of the producers of the show. “As of this very moment (August 17), no filming has happened yet. That will begin on August 22 and extend until August 26.”
Mr. Kerr explained, “There are a variety of ways that any given episode comes together. In the case of M’Chigeeng there was a process of discussion between the show and the administration and some community members to make sure that everyone was comfortable with us and our show.”
“We have been interested in telling the story of M’Chigeeng First Nation for some time,’ said Mr. Kerr. “Often communities have been on our radar for years and it’s just a matter of time until the logistics of travel and other factors come together and then finally, we can make it work in terms of scheduling.”
“The process of making an episode of Still Standing involves dozens of conversations over the course of several months. Before filming begins, there is a lengthy research phase whereby we reach out to as many community members as possible to learn about where the community has been, where it’s at and where it’s going. The goal is to get many different perspectives and feedback to make sure that our show is accurate and authentic,” said Mr. Kerr.
“The focus is to represent a small slice of life in M’Chigeeng that represents just some of the amazing people that live in the community,” continued Mr. Kerr. “In researching the episode, we encountered people who are starting something new, people who are celebrating and honouring culture and traditions, and people who are using the power of community to find joy and meaning. In addition to celebrating what’s happening now, we are also going to learn about the past and where the community is coming from to better understand it’s history,” continued Mr. Kerr.
As anyone who has seen Still Standing knows, it is a Canadian television series, which premiered on CBC Television in the summer of 2015. The show’s tagline is “towns that are against the ropes but still hanging in there, reflecting the show’s premise to tell the ‘story of small towns in Canada and how they overcome struggles’.”
A hybrid comedy and reality series, the program features actor and comedian Jonny Harris. In each episode he travels to small Canadian communities that are struggling financially but still standing and spends time getting to know the residents and their lifestyles. At the end of the trip Mr. Harris performs a stand-up comedy show for the town’s residents, into which he integrates some of his newfound insights about life in their community. In the television format, however, clips for the comedy show are interspersed throughout the episode rather than occurring specifically at the end.
Mr. Kerr explained it takes five days of filming to get everything the producers need for an episode. “We don’t have a specific airdate for this episode at this point, but you will see the M’Chigeeng episode of Still Standing a part of the upcoming season this fall on CBC Gem and CBC television,” said Mr. Kerr. “If you should miss the episode, you will be able to catch it on demand on CBC Gem.”
