Time of Your Life (Canadian TV series)
Encyclopedia
Time of Your Life was a Canadian
television soap opera
which ran production from August 1988 to May 1989. The series was created by producer Harry Jakobs and Maryse Wilder, Rhea Cohen and Maurice Thevenet. The show was shot in Montreal
, in a studio with built sets in an industrial lot warehouse on Royalmount and The Decarie Expressway near Montreal's infamous racetrack Blue Bonnets and Orange Julep. This low budget independent series was quite the buzz winter of 88-89 as it was a rival to Degrassi Junior High
, its only themed competitor at the time. It was loosely based on the low budget Canadian independent feature Rebel High
(a modern 1980s High School Confidential
). The show debuted on October 17, 1988 and was aired right after the successful American soap General Hospital
at 4pm, daily Monday through Friday replacing Bob Barker
's The Price is Right
. Making it at that period Canada's first daily syndicated soap with all 130 episodes shot 2 weeks in advance to air date until completion of the 1st season cliffhanger. Never to produce a second season, due to a tax shelter
scandal and contract disputes, some syndicated markets aired the soap once a week. This worked especially for continuity as sets, storylines and characters changed within what appeared as a 2 to 5 year "syndicated" timeline. It was later rumored after production ceased the show bible, synopsis and broadcast package was sold to a notorious American developer was re-created as a very popular television series which lasted 10 years.
, rape
, cults
, suicide
, alcoholism
, bullying, abortion
, porn
, and homosexuality
.
Ara Carrera ... Christine
Kara Feifer ... Lisa
Scott Armstrong ... James
Alan Legros ... Eddie
Richard Raybourne ... Matt
Francoise Robertson ... Laura
Nancy Klein ... Lead Writer
Evan Keliher ... Lead Writer
Bryan Zako ... Lead Writer
Stanley White ... Writer
Nick Rotari ... Writer
Greg Lipper ... Writer
Stephen G Blanchard.... production manager
Mark Feifer.... executive producer
was where the French translations were post produced by Natalie Rosen
RDS
CEO Dominic Vanelli was once a floor manager.
Award winning DOP David Franco (Graceland w Kevin Costner
) was one of the first camera ops to become DOP on the series.
The local hang out for the kids on the show was called Harry's Place, named after Producer and Co-creator Harry Jakobs.
During mid-season, production stopped due to a strike by the cast who felt underpaid. The cast got a raise, and production resumed.
The show was syndicated
in Canada and around the world, becoming very popular in some countries.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
television soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
which ran production from August 1988 to May 1989. The series was created by producer Harry Jakobs and Maryse Wilder, Rhea Cohen and Maurice Thevenet. The show was shot in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, in a studio with built sets in an industrial lot warehouse on Royalmount and The Decarie Expressway near Montreal's infamous racetrack Blue Bonnets and Orange Julep. This low budget independent series was quite the buzz winter of 88-89 as it was a rival to Degrassi Junior High
Degrassi Junior High
Degrassi Junior High is a Canadian CBC Television teen drama series that was produced from 1987-1989 as part of the Degrassi series. The show followed the lives of a group of students attending the titular fictional school...
, its only themed competitor at the time. It was loosely based on the low budget Canadian independent feature Rebel High
Rebel High
Rebel High is a 1987 social satire film about the chaos and mayhem that modern western cities' high schools became. It is based on a US novel by Evan Keliher. Made in Canada, most of the cast is relatively unknown and in many cases uncredited.-Plot:...
(a modern 1980s High School Confidential
High School Confidential
The 45rpm single High School Confidential was the third gold disc for piano rocker Jerry Lee Lewis, released in 1958. A different take of the song featured on the soundtrack of the MGM movie of the same title. In the movie Jerry Lee played the title song in the beginning and end of the movie,...
). The show debuted on October 17, 1988 and was aired right after the successful American soap General Hospital
General Hospital
General Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
at 4pm, daily Monday through Friday replacing Bob Barker
Bob Barker
Robert William "Bob" Barker is a former American television game show host. He is best known for hosting CBS's The Price Is Right from 1972 to 2007, making it the longest-running daytime game show in North American television history, and for hosting Truth or Consequences from 1956 to 1975.Born...
's The Price is Right
The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right is a television game show franchise originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, and created by Bob Stewart, and is currently produced and owned by FremantleMedia. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also includes merchandise such as video games, printed...
. Making it at that period Canada's first daily syndicated soap with all 130 episodes shot 2 weeks in advance to air date until completion of the 1st season cliffhanger. Never to produce a second season, due to a tax shelter
Tax shelter
Tax shelters are any method of reducing taxable income resulting in a reduction of the payments to tax collecting entities, including state and federal governments...
scandal and contract disputes, some syndicated markets aired the soap once a week. This worked especially for continuity as sets, storylines and characters changed within what appeared as a 2 to 5 year "syndicated" timeline. It was later rumored after production ceased the show bible, synopsis and broadcast package was sold to a notorious American developer was re-created as a very popular television series which lasted 10 years.
Storylines
The show covered many subjects including, drug useRecreational drug use
Recreational drug use is the use of a drug, usually psychoactive, with the intention of creating or enhancing recreational experience. Such use is controversial, however, often being considered to be also drug abuse, and it is often illegal...
, rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
, cults
Cults
Cults is a suburb on the western edge of Aberdeen, Scotland. It lies on the banks of the River Dee and marks the eastern boundary of Royal Deeside.Cults, known for its historic granite housing, sits approximately six miles from the coast of the North Sea...
, suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, bullying, abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, porn
PORN
Porn is a common short form for pornography. It may also refer to:* Progressive outer retinal necrosis, a disease of the retina* PORN, a French industrial rock band...
, and homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
.
Cast
Jason Cavalier Leboeuf ... MickeyAra Carrera ... Christine
Kara Feifer ... Lisa
Scott Armstrong ... James
Alan Legros ... Eddie
Richard Raybourne ... Matt
Francoise Robertson ... Laura
Writers
The writing team experienced extreme turnover during the first (and only) season. The first Lead Writer, for example, remained with the show for only two weeks.Nancy Klein ... Lead Writer
Evan Keliher ... Lead Writer
Bryan Zako ... Lead Writer
Stanley White ... Writer
Nick Rotari ... Writer
Greg Lipper ... Writer
Crew
Avinoam Dimari....directorStephen G Blanchard.... production manager
Mark Feifer.... executive producer
Trivia
Cinar studios which is well known for producing award winning animated children's shows such as CaillouCaillou
Caillou is a Canadian children's television show based on the books by author Christine L'Heureux and illustrator Hélène Desputeaux. Many of the stories in the animated version began with a grandmother introducing the story to her grandchildren, then reading the story about the book...
was where the French translations were post produced by Natalie Rosen
RDS
RDS
RDS may refer to:*Amazon Relational Database Service, Amazon's cloud-based Relational Database Service*Radio Data System*Radio Dimensione Suono, an Italian radio station*Random dot stereogram, a form of 3-D image*SAP Rapid Deployment Solutions, from SAP AG...
CEO Dominic Vanelli was once a floor manager.
Award winning DOP David Franco (Graceland w Kevin Costner
Kevin Costner
Kevin Michael Costner is an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and businessman. He has been nominated for three BAFTA Awards, won two Academy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Costner's roles include Lt. John J...
) was one of the first camera ops to become DOP on the series.
The local hang out for the kids on the show was called Harry's Place, named after Producer and Co-creator Harry Jakobs.
During mid-season, production stopped due to a strike by the cast who felt underpaid. The cast got a raise, and production resumed.
The show was syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
in Canada and around the world, becoming very popular in some countries.