Train 48
Encyclopedia
Train 48 was a Canadian television soap opera
, broadcast on Global Television Network
or CH (depending on location) airing from 2003 until 2005.
Train 48 was based on the format of an Australian television program called Going Home.
The show was broadcast daily, and recorded the same day. It took place in a railway car of a GO Train returning from Toronto
to the suburb of Burlington, Ontario
, and followed the lives of 12 daily commuters through their interactions. Although major plot lines were written in advance, much of the dialogue
was improvised by the actors. The entire series was shot on a 64-foot replica of a GO Train, which kept production costs to a minimum. The train setting allowed a basic construct where characters would share and act upon their opinions and views. The same-day recording allowed for comments on topical news stories to be introduced. The filming production was completed by 1:30 p.m. and edited by 5:00 p.m., later broadcast into regular time slots in different regions of Canada throughout the day (7:00 p.m. weeknights on Global in Toronto
). It is estimated that each 30 minute episode cost $40,000 (Canadian).
The method of improvisation, developed by show runners Duncan McKenzie
and Eric Lunsky was a hybrid of techniques used by Mike Leigh
and Keith Johnstone
. Actors worked from outline scripts of just a few lines per scene, and an extensive character bio which provided each actor with a background of events and attitudes which might affect the scene.
The improvised format and quick turnaround enabled the inclusion of references to extremely current events, giving a heightened sense of realism and currency. For example the 2003 North America blackout was mentioned the next day. The show typically dealt with fictional relationships, humour and the non-fictional topics mentioned were the cases of Scott Peterson
, Karla Homolka
, the SARS outbreak and different views about President George W. Bush
.
was an important aspect of the show for the Global Television Network. Characters were seen using Fido
cell phones, and if someone was seen reading the newspaper, it was the National Post
, a newspaper owned by CanWest, the parent company of Global Television. The show's producers argued that product placement was there to make the show seem more real. Later in the series, the use of product placement diminished, and the range of reading materials and products on the show became more diverse.
During the production of the series between 2003 to 2004, four episodes were aired on Global Television Network during the week. However, in 2005, this was reduced to three. The series dealt with such controversial issues as the adoption of babies by gay couples, in vitro fertilization, single parent families, and euthanasia. A number of events occurred which would be unusual on a real commuter train, including the death of a passenger, a beating, a shooting, an escaped snake, a party, and sex in the train washroom.
The producers received word of the show's cancellation several months ahead of time, allowing them to bring the stories to a conclusion. Throughout the series, viewers had frequently commented that the train seemed to be on a journey to nowhere. In response to this criticism, the final episode showed the train stopped, and the characters emerging from the train onto the platform. This was the only time in the series that characters were ever seen outside the train.
.
Other guest stars on Train 48 included Rae Dawn Chong
, politician Sheila Copps
, Sean Cullen
, Robin Duke
, comedian Rick Green
, Sue Johanson
, Global weatherman Anwar Knight, Carolyn Parrish, Carol Pope, actor Scott Thompson
, Emmy Award-winning actress Joanne Vannicola
, and former MuchMusic
personality Amanda Walsh
.
CanWest Global in partnership with Global had promoted the series with stories and columns in the National Post
and Toronto Star
newspapers.
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,...
, broadcast on Global Television Network
Global Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
or CH (depending on location) airing from 2003 until 2005.
Train 48 was based on the format of an Australian television program called Going Home.
The show was broadcast daily, and recorded the same day. It took place in a railway car of a GO Train returning from Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
to the suburb of Burlington, Ontario
Burlington, Ontario
Burlington , is a city located in Halton Region at the western end of Lake Ontario. Burlington is part of the Greater Toronto Area, and is also included in the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area. Physically, Burlington lies between the north shore of Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment...
, and followed the lives of 12 daily commuters through their interactions. Although major plot lines were written in advance, much of the dialogue
Dialogue
Dialogue is a literary and theatrical form consisting of a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people....
was improvised by the actors. The entire series was shot on a 64-foot replica of a GO Train, which kept production costs to a minimum. The train setting allowed a basic construct where characters would share and act upon their opinions and views. The same-day recording allowed for comments on topical news stories to be introduced. The filming production was completed by 1:30 p.m. and edited by 5:00 p.m., later broadcast into regular time slots in different regions of Canada throughout the day (7:00 p.m. weeknights on Global in Toronto
CIII-TV
CIII-DT-41 is a television station owned by Shaw Communications that serves much of the population of the Canadian province of Ontario. It is a flagship station of the Global Television Network...
). It is estimated that each 30 minute episode cost $40,000 (Canadian).
The method of improvisation, developed by show runners Duncan McKenzie
Duncan McKenzie (writer)
Duncan McKenzie is a Canadian TV writer and producer. He attended the University of Toronto in the late 1970s and Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario, in 1982-1983 for Media Arts...
and Eric Lunsky was a hybrid of techniques used by Mike Leigh
Mike Leigh
Michael "Mike" Leigh, OBE is a British writer and director of film and theatre. He studied theatre at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and studied further at the Camberwell School of Art and the Central School of Art and Design. He began as a theatre director and playwright in the mid 1960s...
and Keith Johnstone
Keith Johnstone
Keith Johnstone is a drama instructor whose teachings and books have focused on improvisational theatre and have had a major influence on the art of improvisation.-Education:...
. Actors worked from outline scripts of just a few lines per scene, and an extensive character bio which provided each actor with a background of events and attitudes which might affect the scene.
The improvised format and quick turnaround enabled the inclusion of references to extremely current events, giving a heightened sense of realism and currency. For example the 2003 North America blackout was mentioned the next day. The show typically dealt with fictional relationships, humour and the non-fictional topics mentioned were the cases of Scott Peterson
Scott Peterson
Scott Lee Peterson , an American, was convicted of murdering his wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn child in Modesto, California, in 2002. Peterson's arrest and subsequent trial dominated the American news media until 2005, when he was sentenced to death by lethal injection...
, Karla Homolka
Karla Homolka
Karla Leanne Homolka, also known as Karla Leanne Teale , is a Canadian serial killer. She attracted worldwide media attention when she was convicted of manslaughter following a plea bargain in the 1991 and 1992 rape-murders of two Ontario teenage girls, Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French, as well as...
, the SARS outbreak and different views about President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
.
Dilemmas and criticism
When Train 48 first debuted, product placementProduct placement
Product placement, or embedded marketing, is a form of advertisement, where branded goods or services are placed in a context usually devoid of ads, such as movies, music videos, the story line of television shows, or news programs. The product placement is often not disclosed at the time that the...
was an important aspect of the show for the Global Television Network. Characters were seen using Fido
Fido Solutions
Fido Solutions is a Canadian cellular telephone service provider currently owned by Rogers Communications. It was formerly owned by Microcell Telecommunications. Fido does, however, remain a separate entity from Rogers...
cell phones, and if someone was seen reading the newspaper, it was the National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
, a newspaper owned by CanWest, the parent company of Global Television. The show's producers argued that product placement was there to make the show seem more real. Later in the series, the use of product placement diminished, and the range of reading materials and products on the show became more diverse.
During the production of the series between 2003 to 2004, four episodes were aired on Global Television Network during the week. However, in 2005, this was reduced to three. The series dealt with such controversial issues as the adoption of babies by gay couples, in vitro fertilization, single parent families, and euthanasia. A number of events occurred which would be unusual on a real commuter train, including the death of a passenger, a beating, a shooting, an escaped snake, a party, and sex in the train washroom.
The producers received word of the show's cancellation several months ahead of time, allowing them to bring the stories to a conclusion. Throughout the series, viewers had frequently commented that the train seemed to be on a journey to nowhere. In response to this criticism, the final episode showed the train stopped, and the characters emerging from the train onto the platform. This was the only time in the series that characters were ever seen outside the train.
Cancellation
The cancellation of the show was announced publicly on June 2, 2005 by Cindy Wrong. She stated that the final episode would be shown on July 1. After the finale, re-runs of the last few episodes aired until the finale was shown again on September 2. The show was cancelled in order to make way for the launch of Entertainment Tonight CanadaEntertainment Tonight Canada
Entertainment Tonight Canada is a daily entertainment newsmagazine show that airs primetime on Global Television in Canada. Encore presentations can also be found on the Slice and TVtropolis channels, both of which are part of the Shaw Media network...
.
Theme song
The series theme song was entitled "Train goes" by Adam Crossley and 9 Point Landing.Cast
- Krista SuttonKrista SuttonKrista Sutton is a Canadian actress who has worked in television, movies and theatre. She is also an acting teacher. She grew up in Toronto but currently lives in New York City. She is best known for her leading role in the improvisational drama Train 48...
(Liz Irwin-Gallo) - Paul BraunsteinPaul BraunsteinPaul Braunstein is a Canadian actor who starred in the popular Canadian television series Train 48 in 2003 as "Johnny McLaughlin", a comical character. He was considered one of the most popular cast members of the series and has also made a few other appearances on television and film...
(Johnny McLaughlin) - Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (Randy Ko)
- Raoul BhanejaRaoul BhanejaRaoul Bhaneja is a Canadian actor. He was one of the stars on the short lived TV series Train 48 on Global...
(Peter Subramani) AKA 'Pete' - Andrew Kenneth MartinAndrew Kenneth MartinAndrew Kenneth Martin is a Canadian born actor, director, photographer, cinematographer and visual artist. A native of Waterloo, Ontario, he is perhaps best known for appearing in the series Train 48 as Charles Lucas West-Matheson ....
(Charles Lucas West-Matheson) - Lisa MerchantLisa MerchantLisa Merchant is a Canadian comic improviser and actress.She played Brenda Murphy on Train 48.She has won three Canadian Comedy Awards for Best Female Improviser .-External links:...
(Brenda Murphy) - Joanne Boland (Dana Davin)
- Jason Cadieux ("Dr David Garneau") (season 2+)
- Joe DinicolJoe DinicolJoe Dinicol is a Canadian actor.Dinicol was born in Stratford, Ontario, the son of acting coach and actor Keith Dinicol. He started his career as a child actor at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, and has since appeared on national Canadian television series Train 48 and Rideau Hall...
(Zach Eisler) - Jack Mosshammer (Seymour Shackleton) (season 2+)
- Ingrid Hart (Shannon Lamarche) (2003–2005)
- Amy Price Francis (Nicole Svendsen) (season 1)
Regular guests
- Allana Harkin (Mag)
- Victoria Adilman (Julia)
- Lindsay Ames (Naomi Reisman)
- Kathryn Zenna (Mel)
- Monica Correa (Ana)
- Kristin FairlieKristin FairlieKristin Fairlie is an actress and was a child actress. She was the voice of Little Bear on Little Bear. In 1998 she won a Young Artist of Hollywood Award for Best Ensemble for her lead role in the Showtime original movie The Sweetest Gift. Past Winners include Jena Malone and Leonardo DiCaprio...
(Jesse) - Holly LewisHolly LewisHolly Lewis is a Canadian actor. Born and raised in Scarborough, Ontario, Holly is best known for her television and film work, though she does have stage experience as well, working primarily in the Toronto area...
(Allison)
Other guest stars on Train 48 included Rae Dawn Chong
Rae Dawn Chong
Rae Dawn Chong is a Canadian-American actress.-Life and career:Chong was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, the daughter of Maxine Sneed and Tommy Chong. She and her sister Robbi were raised by her grandmother, Tommy Chong's mother. Chong's father is of Chinese and Scottish-Irish ancestry and her...
, politician Sheila Copps
Sheila Copps
Sheila Maureen Copps, PC is a former Canadian politician who also served as Deputy Prime Minister of Canada from November 4, 1993 to April 30, 1996 and June 19, 1996 to June 11, 1997....
, Sean Cullen
Seán Cullen
Seán Cullen is a Canadian comedian. He is known for combining improvisation with mimicry and music. Cullen has been described in Time as the "vanguard of comedy's next generation". He is best known for voicing Four, Five & Seven in Seven Little Monsters. -Career:Cullen entered into the public eye...
, Robin Duke
Robin Duke
Robin Duke is a Canadian actress and comedian. Duke is most famous for her work on the NBC comedy series Saturday Night Live. In the 2000s, Women Fully Clothed, a sketch comedy troupe which she co-founded, toured Canada...
, comedian Rick Green
Rick Green
Rick Green is a Canadian comedian, satirist, and writer. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Waterloo. From 1975 until 1979, he worked as a presenter at the Ontario Science Centre. In 1979, he helped found the Toronto-based comedy troupe The Frantics...
, Sue Johanson
Sue Johanson
Sue Johanson, CM is a Canadian writer, public speaker, registered nurse, sex educator, and media personality.-Early life:...
, Global weatherman Anwar Knight, Carolyn Parrish, Carol Pope, actor Scott Thompson
Scott Thompson
Scott Thompson is a Canadian television actor and comedian, best known for his time as a member of the comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall.-Personal life:...
, Emmy Award-winning actress Joanne Vannicola
Joanne Vannicola
Joanne Vannicola is a Canadian actress, born in Montreal, Quebec. She is most notable for her role as Dr. Mia Stone in PSI Factor and as the voice of Willy Zilla in Gene Simmons' animated television show My Dad the Rock Star....
, and former MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
personality Amanda Walsh
Amanda Walsh
Amanda Walsh is a Canadian actress and former VJ for the Canadian television station MuchMusic.-Career beginnings:Walsh was born in Rigaud, Quebec. She went to Hudson High School, in Hudson, Quebec...
.
CanWest Global in partnership with Global had promoted the series with stories and columns in the National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
and Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
newspapers.