Kim’s Convenience spin-off Strays hopes to have you howling

Nicole Power stars in the CBC comedy set in a Hamilton animal rescue shelter.

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Kim’s Convenience may have been suddenly canceled in March while its fifth season was still on the air, but co-creator Kevin White has given fans the gift of a spin-off. Strays focuses on Shannon Ross, the enthusiastic director of Nicole Power’s car rental agency. In the new comedy Strays, Shannon embarks on a new career in Hamilton, leaving love interest Jung (Simu Liu) behind. She is now the executive director of the Hamilton East Animal Shelter, where she runs an eclectic staff.

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Ahead of Strays’ debut on Tuesday on CBC and CBC Gem, Power spoke about how he landed the concert, possible crossovers with Kim characters, and the challenges of working with animals.

Q: How did this spin-off come about?

A: And at the end of season 3 of Kim’s Convenience, I had the opportunity to help develop a series that would function as a companion piece to Kim’s. It would be Shannon in a different city, starting over. And if it stood on its own, we would consider the idea of ​​crossover in-universe appearances.

So I’ve had this long, slow recording to process it. And obviously that starting over story would have given Shannon and Jung a nod, will they or won’t they? history, so it was also a secret from the public. I’ve been living with it for so many years that I’m excited for people to meet this cast of Strays. It’s a set of amazing comedic actors that I can’t wait for people to experience.

Q: How has the change been from being a supporting character to being the protagonist?

A: It was definitely a lot more of a workload, as far as my time on set goes, I was on set almost every day. And being the protagonist of the show, he knew he had to bring much more strength and vulnerability to the character. She was not the joke and she was no longer going to support the joke. She was the central story.

Q: There is an old saying in show business that you should never work with children or animals, because they are unpredictable and can steal scenes. How was your experience with the animals on set?

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A: I was definitely a bit worried about it at first. We were filming season 1 in February 2021 so it was COVID and you don’t have much time for five takes of each scene anymore because there are a lot of new measurements and we were adding animals to the mix.

But I’m a stage actor at my core, that’s my experience, so I really like to challenge myself to be in the moment and the present. I think that’s when the best comedy happens. And when you depend on an animal that does not know what is happening at the scene, you must be fully alert. There has to be an amazing roll of bugs somewhere in all of us trying to navigate acting with animals. But they were amazing.

Q: Do you have animals?

A: I have a dog, it’s from a rescue called Charlie’s Angels in Costa Rica. We caught it in 2018, just before the pandemic.

Q: Maybe he can be the guest star!

A: I was bringing photos of him, his head shot, and I was posting them on bulletin boards at the rescue shelter. We had two amazing animal trainers who worked with us to make sure the animals felt really safe and we felt really safe. Many of the animals that were featured were adoptable, and I think six or seven of our cats were adopted by crew members. Every day we had free puppy therapy at work.

Q: Will there be crossovers with Kim’s Convenience, with characters from that show appearing?

A: Never say never. It’s Shannon, and Hamilton is just a drive from Toronto (where Kim’s was established) and a lot of young, modern folks are moving up and out. Then, who knows?

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Q: Finally, how do you remember your time at Kim’s Convenience?

A: The five years of my life with Kim were incredible. I had tried very hard since I moved from Newfoundland to be an actor. I did the restaurant circuit, I did a lot of theater, but I really couldn’t crack the code on the TV. And then I saw Kim’s Convenience play at The Best of Fringe (festival in Toronto).

Ins Choi (who wrote the play and co-created the TV series) is a good friend of mine. And that Shannon Ross character, described as a quirky East Coast girl, came to my mailbox one day and as soon as I read the sides, the character just connected with me so deeply. And then for five years, I was really able to explore it and I’m really honored to be able to bring it into a new series.

Strays debuts on Tuesday, September 14 on CBC and CBC Gem.

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