Spotlight: Good Morning Chuck (Or the Art of Harm Reduction)

From Connect3 Media and St Laurent TV, Good Morning Chuck (Or the Art of Harm Reduction) deals with the topic of addiction in a way that balances the heft of the reality with life’s comedic moments. The dramatic comedy series centers on Chuck, the beloved host of a morning show who finds himself on the front page of all the newspapers and gossip magazines after a scandal involving his drug and alcohol addiction erupts. With his reputation on the line, Chuck heads to rehab—though he isn’t fully convinced that he has a problem.

Cineflix Rights is taking the title out to the global market. The dramedy is co-directed and co-written by Jean-François Rivard (Happily Married), Sarianne Cormier (Les Vestiges) and Patrick Dupuis (Punch Club).

“We have had fantastic success with Happily Married internationally and have been looking for our next Quebec series, so the opportunity to work with Jean-François again was very exciting,” says James Durie, head of scripted at Cineflix Rights. “It really felt like a standout piece of TV—topical yet different; local yet universal—with the ability to make the viewer laugh and cry.”

Achieving the right mix of humor and drama comes down to “the alchemy of a good dramedy,” says Durie, “and with the topic of addiction, we felt it was even more important in Good Morning Chuck. Once we had read the scripts and seen the rough cuts, we knew that the production team had hit the right notes. A lot of the situations are quite comical, and it’s good to laugh about them, but the depth of the characters and their personal journeys provide incredible drama.”

Having Rivard behind the project gave Cineflix Rights further confidence in the show’s potential for international success. “In Quebec, Jean-François is often compared to the Coen brothers,” Durie says. “He has a unique storytelling style that works on many levels. His ability to mix comedy and drama is incredible, while the way he constructs scenes and episodes provides lots of mini-reveals for the audience to enjoy along the way. I’m not sure there is another writer/director on the planet that could have pulled off Good Morning Chuck.”

In terms of acting talent, Nicolas Pinson (Les Invincibles) stars as Chuck alongside Chantal Fontaine (Happily Married), Sylvain Marcel (19-2), Bernard Fortin (Providence), Benz Antoine (The Expanse,  V-Wars), Kevin Owens (WWE Superstar) and Marilyn Castonguay (Happily Married).

The series was commissioned in Canada by Crave, and Cineflix Rights has its sights set on sales across the globe. “Addiction is a universal topic, and the rise and fall of the celebrity is a story everyone recognizes, so I am not sure it is restricted to any territory,” Durie says. “What I love about this show is that it starts off as a story about celebrity downfall but really finds its feet in the personal stories of ‘normal’ people and their addictions.”

The subject matter and the shooting style are unique and distinct, he adds, noting that there are some “unforgettable scenes in each episode.” Durie continues, “Visually, it is very eye-catching, so much so that Crave commissioned a black-and-white version to go alongside the color version. We will be taking out the color version to the international market, but it is an option open to our licensees.”

The series is filmed in French, joining a roster of non-English-language fare that Cineflix Rights has successfully sold globally. “We have found with our international slate that language is no longer a barrier to entry if you are telling the right story and in the right way,” Durie says. “We certainly feel Good Morning Chuck has that and are excited to see how the market and viewers react to the show.”