Real life on the small screen
Bre Harwood
January, 2025
[This article was written prior to Southern Interior’s release. The series is now available to stream for free – find the link at the bottom of this page. Enjoy!]
“You know that when goats show up to your set, it’s getting real.” – Amy Bohigian
Southern Interior, coming out later this year, is a TV series inspired by the quirkiness, community and culture of Nelson. Amy Bohigian, the founder of Watershed Productions and showrunner, describes its vibe as “a certain kind of Portlandia, from a different perspective.” After receiving funding two years ago, Bohigian, her team and what feels like the entirety of Nelson have been working hard on this sketch comedy, with scenes that draw inspiration from many of Nelson’s characters, slice-of-life events and conversations heard in local grocery stores.
“Going to the Co-op and shopping for groceries is never just a generic grocery shop,” Bohigian says. “I can always come away from the produce section overhearing conversations about chakras and alignment, and then turn the corner and someone’s telling me about a threesome that just broke up.”
It’s moments like this that Bohigian and her team aim to capture, drawing on what she describes as the “authenticity” of the people of Nelson. The idea is to create comedy that allows us to laugh at ourselves and pay homage to the area’s culture, wackiness and spirit of honesty. “[Southern Interior] is such a funny, creative and heartfelt way to present what Nelson is all about,” says Lynne Karey-McKenna, one of the main actors on set. It was hinted that the show might include things like babies with dreadlocks, something to do with goats, snakes, kids, the farmers market and lots of hula hoopers. “Amy asked me early on if I wanted to be an extra for a specific part,” Ben Euerby, the show’s music composer, recounts about his role in one of the episodes. “One could almost make it a game of Where’s Waldo? but in this case it could be Can you spot the composer?”
Southern Interior may be a wacky comedy, but it was important that the show have something unique to say—something that people from any walk of life can relate to. By using humour to tell relatable stories, the goal is to create connection and build community. Thankfully, there are a lot of shared experiences the team could draw on. “People get it right away because they’ve lived in Nelson,” says Bohigian, “or have a cousin who’s lived here, or know someone who passed through. Everyone has a story from Nelson.”
But it’s not just the obvious stories Bohigian and her team want to tell. The stories and perspectives Southern Interior aim to showcase are those living just below the surface—the easily forgotten and often overlooked pieces of our community. “It may make people uncomfortable, but I think that’s what good comedy can do: It can make you uncomfortable and laugh at the same time.”
Filmed locally, a large source of pride for the show was its ability to capitalize on some of the incredible talents existing right in the local community. “There’s the costuming and performing, to the technical and filming side of it, and right up to producing,” says actor and writer Lucas Myers. “These are all very specific and challenging jobs. To have people that are so proficient with them, living in a small town like this, is really inspiring.” Southern Interior was able to provide space for this diverse range of local artists and professionals to shine without having to leave the area—a rarity in a small town. “Having an industry project like this going on in Nelson was really exciting for all of us, because it really showed that we could create our own work here,” Amy says. “Coming from Vancouver,” Karey-McKenna says, “I thought my film work would be over. But I have found an incredibly lovely and super talented and creative pool of film artists here.”
Working alongside showrunner, director and editor Bohigian are many others, including story editors Sioux Browning and Morgan Brayton; head writers Jackie Atkins and Michelle Hart; staff writers Deryn Collier, Lucas Myers and Jon Ramos; cast Lucas Myers, Michelle Hart, Jon Ramos and Lynne Karey-McKenna; producer Gregory Mackenzie; director of photography Bohdan Doval; and production sound and sound designer Carlo Alcos. Funders for Southern Interior include the Bell Fund, Creative BC, Columbia Basin Trust through the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance and Canadian Media Producers Association.
However, it wasn’t just the cast and crew who came out in support of the show. The whole town, it felt like, was there to help with the project. “Nelson is the star of the show,” Jon Ramos, actor, writer and visual effects artist says. “Everyone was just excited to be represented, and that responsibility remained in our hearts and minds while performing.” When it came to things like locations and logistics, even things like having goats and babies on set, everything was local. “Nelson has seen a lot of changes,” Myers says, “but one thing that hasn’t changed is the incredible support of the local community for creative endeavours.”
Ultimately, behind the hula hoops and chakras, Southern Interior was created through community, diversity, support, vulnerability and love. “Every role was equally important and lead to a real humility and kindness on set,” Ramos says. “I live to be on those teams and offer more of myself as a result.” And that’s the exact spirit the show hopes to capture and inspire in its audience. “With humour leading the way, I hope to help lead us toward a kinder way with each other. This is a place to relax, have some good times and think about how we can make a better world,” says Bohigian.
Southern Interior will be streaming later this year through Shaftesbury Productions’ digital platform out of Toronto, though Bohigian and her team are aiming to get it out into the world as far as they can. Other potential releases and streaming information will come out closer to the release date, so keep an eye open for more details.
