2009 Canadian TV series or program
| The Assistants | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster featuring the cast (from left to right), Britt Irvin, Michael B. Jordan, Meaghan Rath and Brendan Penny. | |
| Created by | |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Camera setup | Film; Single-camera |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | The N |
| Release | 10 July (2009-07-10) – 2 October 2009 (2009-10-02) |
The Assistants is a Canadian sitcom created by Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi. In the United States, the series aired on The N.
Premise
Gillian, an aspiring actress, has become an assistant to film producer Zak Del Toro in the hopes of jump starting her filmmaking career. She with Zak's other assistants, Danny, Rigby and Nate, fulfill Zak's tasks at Kinky Bunny Picture, typically involving an undesirable task.
Cast
Main
- Britt Irvin as Gillian Hughes – The newest assistant of Kinky Bunny Pictures. She aspires to be a director and directs movies on the side. Gillian is new and naive, coming to Kinky Bunny without knowing about the outrageous and eccentric tasks that Zak has his workers fulfill. She is the kind and generous one out of the group but has proved that she can bite back (especially at Rigby).
- Meaghan Rath as Rigby Hastings – A manipulative and often difficult person to get along with. She is usually seen giving back handed and insulting comments or exploiting situations. Rigby was the only girl who worked at Kinky Bunny until Gillian arrived-which sparked a competitive jealousy. Despite her tough personality, her no-joke manner does get things done and like the other assistants, her creative moments have helped situations.
- Brendan Penny as Danny Newell – The assistant most like a "regular guy" and the most absent-minded, he often fumbles his duties. He is later chosen as the star of Gillian's independent film. He has a crush on Gillian.
- Michael B. Jordan as Nate Warren – The assistant who always gets stuck with Zak's oddest and usually grossest jobs. He puts a lot of effort into doing his tasks and also trying to impress Gillian's best friend.
- Zak Santiago as Zak Del Toro – The head of Kinky Bunny Pictures. He often gives his assistants ridiculous duties to do.
Recurring
- Jocelyne Loewen as Hope
- Melanie Papalia as Sandra
- Ali Mukaddam as Heston Nidalu
Guest
- Brendan Meyer as Barry Collins
- Eva Marcille as Alicia James
- Katharine Isabelle as Paulette Reubin
Production
The show was produced and filmed at Tom Lynch Company Studios with funding from The N Original Productions. The series consisted of 13 22-minute episodes.
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Car" | James Genn | Boyce Bugliari & Jamie McLaughlin | 10 July 2009 (2009-07-10) | |
| Zak gives a demand to Gillian to sell his car before the end of the day. | |||||
| 2 | "The Star" | James Genn | Sarah Jane Cunningham & Suzie V. Freeman | 17 July 2009 (2009-07-17) | |
| Gillian bonds with a Hollywood star at a press event. Rigby tries to get her script read by a producer. Danny teaches Nate to "do nothing" at work. | |||||
| 3 | "Rehab" | Mark Sawers | Sarah Jane Cunningham & Suzie V. Freeman | 24 July 2009 (2009-07-24) | |
| Gillian has to give a script to an actress who is in rehab. While there, she is checked in as a patient and can't get out. | |||||
| 4 | "The Premiere" | Mark Sawers | Boyce Bugliari & Jamie McLaughlin | 31 July 2009 (2009-07-31) | |
| Gillian has to prepare a ritual for Zak and Nate tries to get a gift bag for a woman. | |||||
| 5 | "The Morning After" | James Genn | Boyce Bugliari & Jamie McLaughlin | 7 August 2009 (2009-08-07) | |
| Rigby attempts to avoid Heston after last night. Meanwhile, Zak receives upsetting news and wants his baby blanket back from his nephew. | |||||
| 6 | "The Pen" | James Genn | Boyce Bugliari & Jamie McLaughlin | 14 August 2009 (2009-08-14) | |
| Gillian accompanies Zak to a meeting where she must take notes. However, once there, she discovers her pen has no ink. | |||||
| 7 | "The Addiction" | Jonathan A. Rosenbaum | Sarah Jane Cunningham & Suzie V. Freeman | 21 August 2009 (2009-08-21) | |
| Gillian and Danny find themselves constantly making out. Meanwhile, Nate finds trouble while on an errand for Zak. | |||||
| 8 | "The Break Up" | James Genn & Mark Sawers | Sam Johnson & Chris Marcil | 28 August 2009 (2009-08-28) | |
| Gillian's film has been chosen to show at a film festival, however only if she 'cuts' out Danny's scenes. Meanwhile, Zak asks her to break up with his girlfriend. Guest star: Brendan Meyer Mr. Young as "Barry Collins" | |||||
| 9 | "The Wrap Party" | Jonathan A. Rosenbaum | Sarah Jane Cunningham & Suzie V. Freeman | 4 September 2009 (2009-09-04) | |
| Gillian decides to throw a screening party in order to show off the finished product after successfully completing her short film project. | |||||
| 10 | "The Loophole" | Jonathan A. Rosenbaum | Will McRobb & Chris Viscardi | 11 September 2009 (2009-09-11) | |
| After a psychic tells Zak that he is about to die, Gillian begins to plan his funeral. | |||||
| 11 | "The Bully" | James Genn | Emmy Laybourne | 18 September 2009 (2009-09-18) | |
| After Gillian discover a rumor that another producer has stolen Zak's idea for a new film, the assistants try to find the truth. | |||||
| 12 | "The Competitions" | Jonathan A. Rosenbaum & Mark Sawers | Hollis Rich | 25 September 2009 (2009-09-25) | |
| Gillian wants to reunite with her ex-boyfriend; Rigby is interested in Gillian's ex-boyfriend. | |||||
| 13 | "The Roomies" | Jonathan A. Rosenbaum | Sam Johnson, Chris Marcil & Julia Ruchman | 2 October 2009 (2009-10-02) | |
| Gillian forces Rigby to be nice if she is to be her roommate, but soon learns what type of a monster she's created. Meanwhile, Danny tries to become smarter. | |||||
References
- Brian Stelter (31 December 2007). "Programming for Kids, from Cradle to Adulthood". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
- Steven Zeitchik (6 November 2007). "Reveille, Ali, N network on 'Body' image". Archived from the original on 20 August 2008. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
- "The Assistants Summary". Nickelodeon. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
- "The Assistants Press". Tom Lynch Company Studios. Retrieved 21 August 2010.