TORONTO -- Commuters on Train 48 do not actually go anywhere, but they sure enjoy the ride. Tonight, 10 characters will board Global TV's new improv soap opera. They will flirt, eavesdrop, whine about the kids, the spouse, the boss and discuss the news of the day. Their express train heads west every weeknight from Toronto's Union Station to the distant suburbs. Every conversation is improvised and each half-hour show is taped on the same day it airs.
"It's a drama that feels real, as opposed to a reality show that feels fake," explains executive producer Steve Levitan, who bought the Canadian rights to the concept. Visiting Australia on business, Levitan got sucked into Going Home, a daily drama about train commuters that included local Sydney stories. Substitute Canadian news and Train 48 is a carbon copy of that show.
The lightning pace of the daily drama -- six hours to shoot the story, three hours to polish the final edit -- is unheard-of in Canadian TV and getting this experiment on the air has the cast, crew and CanWest Global executives very excited.
Last month, CanWest CEO Rick Camilleri boasted to media buyers about the opportunity for "subtle product placements" in Train 48.
"The vision for us and the company is integration," Camilleri told those attending the Canadian Media Directors' Council conference. That sounds like a lot of National Post newspapers being read, brand-name snack foods and background posters for other Global TV shows. There's already talk of Will & Grace star Eric McCormack appearing on Train 48 next week. (McCormack's U.S. sitcom airs on Global and he'll be in town for the network's fall launch party.)
Levitan says if McCormack, or any other celebrity, appears, "it'll be one of our weaker episodes." Stunt casting, he says, "will completely destroy the illusion that these are real people on a real show." His reluctance is understandable: Train 48 needs all the suspension-of-disbelief viewers can muster.
On a tour of the set, it is obvious that the only razzle-dazzle for viewers in Train 48 is the actors' sharply improvised scenes.
"This is not a low-budget show, it's a no-budget show," says Levitan.
He's not kidding. The set is a simple shell of a railway car, nothing else. No train station and no passing scenery: Train 48 only runs in the dark.
The riders share one car, an odd pastiche of Ontario's GO Train, a Toronto Transit Commission subway car and a Via Rail train.
If this sounds too centre-of-the-universe for the rest of the country, story producer Eric Lunsky promises there will be no references to Toronto or Ontario politics.
Inside the train, hand-held cameras will imply movement and flashing red and white lights will make it seem as if the car is whizzing past street crossings. The clickety-clack on the sound track is a freight train, not a passenger train, but Levitan doesn't think anyone will notice.
What does stand out is the improv skills of the actors. Raoul Bhaneja plays Pete, an opinionated stockbroker who religiously reads the National Post. Pete sounds off often to his fellow commuters, and Bhaneja enjoys the influence he has over his improvised character, a rare treat usually reserved for writers.
There may be no lines to memorize, but the actors have scene-by-scene guidelines with instructions such as: 'Shannon has a hangover. Lucas offers a remedy.' Or, 'Pete has an opinion of news topic A.'
News topic A was chosen at 6 a.m. that morning by Train 48's writing staff after a thorough read of the morning papers and dozens of Web sites. By 7 a.m., Bhaneja has a newspaper clipping in his hand and starts working out what Pete thinks before shooting begins at 8 a.m.
The scenes are shot in order and cut together on the fly like a live TV show. Throughout the day, tapes are run up to the second-floor edit suite where the rough bits are smoothed out. By 2 p.m., the filming is done. After the actors' debriefing, the director and story producer head upstairs to watch the final cut, but they can only make small changes, since this tape has to get to master control in a couple of hours.
Levitan describes Train 48 as "a soap opera combined with Politically Incorrect."
Perhaps it will not be too politically incorrect, however. Global production executive Jennifer Harkness became noticeably perturbed after she heard two definitely-not-for-prime-time exclamations. stuff.
Train 48 may be an improvised, instant drama, but the network conductor drives with a firm grip.
IF YOU WATCH
What: Train 48 series debut
When: Tonight, 7 p.m.
Where: Global
