Case Closed – “B.J. Fletcher: Private Eye” is a Hit

B.J. Fletcher: Private Eye is an exciting new web series that has now completed two solid seasons of quality lesbian entertainment. With an all Canadian cast and crew, featuring Lindy Zucker and Dana Puddicombe in the leading roles, the show is a distinctly new and unique production bringing to life strong female characters with the right balance of action, comedy, and diversity. Cherry Grrl recently had the chance to learn more about the series from Creator, Writer, Director, and Executive Producer, Regan Latimer, and Associate Producer, Rochelle Dancel.

Cherry Grrl (CG): Who is B.J. Fletcher and what is she doing when the series begins?
Rochelle Dancel (RD): B.J. Fletcher (played by Lindy Zucker) is a Private Investigator longing for more exciting cases.  Our intrepid investigator soon ropes in her best friend, Georgia Drew (Dana Puddicombe), to become her assistant, and our duo go on to investigate cases that don’t always work out as planned.

CG: Where did the idea for this unique character, and a series based on her, come from?
Regan Latimer (RL): I have always been a fan of mystery and P.I. stories, so the initial idea of a series following a private investigator and her best friend/sidekick was an easy decision. I worked closely with Lindy Zucker, who plays the title character, in developing the personality and quirks of Fletcher. Actually, the pieces fell into place for the concept of the series quite quickly, once the two main characters of Fletch and George were established.

CG: The series has received a lot of fan support – were you surprised by the positive response?
RL: I wouldn’t say I was surprised by the positive response as much as appreciative of it. The fans have been really incredible and supportive of the show. It’s great to know we’re creating a story and characters that people around the world are watching and enjoying.

RD: The fabulous thing is that we have a whole new audience for Season 2.  We got messages from fans saying that they’d just discovered the show, and it’s great that they’re now going back and catching up on Season 1 on our website.

CG: Would you say that your audience is primarily made up of lesbians or have you found the show has a broad appeal?
RD: I would say both.  Whilst three quarters of our audience identify as lesbian or bisexual, our characters appeal quite broadly because their sexuality just happens to be one aspect of who they are.  Our storylines show our main characters going about their everyday PI lives, which, of course, in the world of Fletcher, means stakeouts, shady underworld figures and lots of drive-thru meals.  But I’m sure everyone can relate to having their mother and their girlfriend’s mother meet for the first time, or being slightly annoyed or jealous because you think your best friend is spending far too much time with their new girlfriend.

CG: What were some of the best or most rewarding comments that you received from viewers?
RL: That’s a great question, because we’ve had such a wide range of viewer response from brief “love the show” comments, to people quoting their favorite lines, to more personal messages about how they enjoy the show and appreciate great well-written storylines with lesbian characters. We’ve also received quite a few comments about wanting to see the series picked up for TV, or funded so that we can continue with a third season.  We’d like that too!

RD: I find it amazing that, regardless of what they say, people take the time and effort to contact us at all.  Having people engage with our show and being so invested in whether or not Fletcher and George end up together is a fabulous thing!

CG: Do the responses and communications from fans affect the way that you write the story at all?
RL: I wouldn’t say they directly affect plot progression or the overall character arcs, but we definitely listen to what fans are enjoying. For instance, the character of Jenna Watson was originally written for the final case of Season One only. We received a lot of viewer response to her character, and Vanessa and Dana had such great chemistry from the get-go, that it led to her being a major part of Season Two.

CG: What has been the most difficult aspect of getting the series made?
RD: Because the actors are working actors and the production team are freelancers, we’re not exactly in day jobs where we get holiday/vacation pay if we take time off – so the show is a way of life for everyone involved and it can get pretty grueling.  It’s a scheduling nightmare around jobs, auditions and various other commitments, and there’s an unbelievable amount of sleep deprivation.  Frequently, Regan will film with at least two actors, one of which has come off a night shift and one of which has to go straight to work after the shoot.  Then Regan has the unbelievable job of editing and writing music and getting the episode ready every week.  As I live in the UK, I get to juggle the time difference, which actually works out well for the show given that Toronto is five hours behind.  So I go to work all day and then come home and work on the website and other stuff well into the early hours of the morning and then up my caffeine intake the next day.  And for everyone, this goes on for months.

It’s safe to say that the fans really do keep us going.  We’re incredibly grateful for the donations that we receive online and that our fans made at our fundraising event.  For Season 2, this meant that we could actually feed everyone when we were doing long shoots and, because the funds also went on transportation, we could use a greater variety of locations that were spread further afield because we could take care of getting people there and back.  We also got some new equipment, which has improved our end product.  They may seem like small amounts to people but they help us out enormously, so we really can’t thank the fans enough.

CG: What was different for you as filmmakers about the production of season one versus Season Two? What lessons did you learn or what types of things did you improve upon having had the experience of one season behind you?
RL: Season Two was definitely tighter in many ways, just because we had already established characters and routines from which to work off of. The actors were more comfortable in their roles and there was a certain groove that we were in from the experience of the first season. It also became even more collaborative and creative since we had a little more time to create and film Season Two.

RD: The other aspect of having a web series is the website itself and, coming onboard for Season 2, I overhauled our website from the first season.  Coming from a new media background, it’s a constant challenge to me – and one that will rightly continue to be so – to maintain and present a site that is a reflection of the quality of the show and supports it as such.  I’m looking forward to developing new content and excited at seeing all of our ideas for the future come to fruition.

CG: What is the atmosphere like on set?
RL: The atmosphere on set, for the most part, is really fun. There are definitely times where it’s hard to film for laughing. We’ve got some incredibly talented and hilarious personalities working on this show, and when we all come together to work and create, it provides a fantastic opportunity to play. There are stressful moments of course…when we’ve been filming for eight hours and still have shots to get, but for the most part the vibe on set is positive, enjoyable, and highly creative.

CG: What were you looking for when you cast your leads and in what ways did the actors meet or surpass your expectations?
RL: Lindy Zucker (B.J. Fletcher) was in on this series from the start. I wrote the character for her and definitely played to her comedic strengths. Dana Puddicombe (Georgia Drew) came to us through Lindy who recommended her after reading the character breakdown of George.  I met Dana for the first time at the initial reading of the first three episodes, and saw right away the amazing chemistry the two have together in these roles. To say they have surpassed my expectations would be an understatement. Both have amazing comedic timing and flair, but also the ability to go back and forth between the subtle nuances of emotion in these characters. I have been absolutely blessed with the troop of actors that make up the cast of B.J. Fletcher: Private Eye. Every actor and role is a strength to the show that really all contribute to the success and richness of the final product.

CG: Do you have a favorite episode so far and if so why?
RL: It’s really hard to pick out one particular episode. I have had many favorite scenes over the two seasons. Overall though, the final episode of Season Two ranks up there as one of my favorites. There was just so much in it, from the Quantum Leap dream sequence in the beginning, to the kidnapping and rescue, to the final realization from Fletch and George about their feelings in the final scene. There were amazing performances, great dialogue, a range of comedic and poignant moments, and the best part being it leaves you wanting more!

RD: It’s really hard for me to pick a favorite episode because I love them all so much.  One of the more significant moments for me was watching the opening credits of Season 2 for the first time (before I’d watched any of the season’s episodes) and getting a sense of how much the show had grown.  If you’ve watched it from Season 1, you’ll know what I’m talking about!

CG: What do you think makes B.J. Fletcher: Private Eye stand out from the other shows out there on the web?
RD: For a show with no budget, we’re very proud of the fact that we have pretty high production values, great locations, and a growing ensemble cast.  The writing is original and we’re delivering content that we ourselves love to watch.  The great thing about being online is that we’re not competing against other shows during a particular timeslot – you can watch anything you want at your leisure.

I feel that, right now, the web series is starting to come into its own from all angles.  Although you now have major networks creating their own shows online, you also have indie filmmakers, student filmmakers, and kids with their first cameras putting their stuff online, and really creating things that they would want to see themselves.  It’s a great way of creating or finding content for previously underserved audiences and I love discovering new shows and new talent that otherwise wouldn’t be seen on network television (well, not yet, anyway).

CG: Is there a season 3 in the works and do you have plans to make seasons 1 and 2 available on DVD?
RL: Season Three is definitely in the works, in fact the outline has already been written. In order to make it happen, however, we do need to find proper funding. Making B.J. Fletcher: Private Eye is a full time job, so we need to find the money to be able to make that job happen. Everyone is onboard for a third season though, and we hope to be able to find the funding to start production soon.

Seasons One and Two will be released together on DVD this Spring with lots of extras including interviews, outtakes, and behind the scenes bonuses!

RD: We have a lot of plans for Season 3 and we’re looking forward to the fans enjoying them too, so keep checking out our website, join our mailing list, and stay tuned!

For more about B.J. Fletcher: Private Eye visit www.bjfletcherprivateeye.com and www.beecharmerproductions.com.  You can watch the entire series right here on Cherry Grrl in our CGTV (Cherry Grrl Television) section – http://www.cherrygrrl.com/cgtv/bj-fletcher-private-eye/.

Photos by: Jonathan Thomas.