Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Northern Rescue’s David Cormican

David Cormican has done it all in his career. The actor, director, writer, and EMMY-nominated producer is best known for credits including Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments, The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe, Inside Between (After Show), Tokyo Trial, and dozens of others. But for his latest project, Northern Rescue, David embarked in new territory, creating a drama that he’d been itching to make, and one that his entire family could enjoy. Pop Culturalist spoke with David about season one.

PC: Tell us about Northern Rescue. What inspired the series?
David: Northern Rescue is a family drama that focuses on the West family as they each deal with their grief following the loss of their mother/wife/sister. Originally, I was noodling on a family drama concept for quite some time. I was initially inspired by some of the other TV family dramas like Party of 5 and Heartland, but there was also this film I am a big fan of called The Grand Seduction based on the incredible Quebecois film, La Grande Séduction.

I wanted to create a family drama series set in a unique environment that had elements of going back to your home town and the town trying to keep you there. Also, most of the films and TV shows you’ll find on my filmography have a more mature content rating associated with them and may not quite be considered “family” fare, so I wanted to make a show that was one I could watch with my daughter AND my parents, and one that my niece and nephew could enjoy with their parents and grandparents.

I really wanted to create a show that was about real family issues, inspired by stories I knew to be true, that would resonate with even some of the most conservative of my family’s friends back home. I also liked the idea that we put the West family in a fish out of water scenario (i.e. Aquaverse), where they may be coming back to their dad’s hometown so he could take over a search and rescue command (SAR), but they ain’t going to be living in a conventional home.

So, it was all about a new school, new friends, new job, new surroundings, new air, new life as this family begins to pull back and deal with (or not deal with) their grief.

Once I was set on the show I wanted to make, I invited Dwayne Hill and Mark Bacci to help develop the concept with me even further as we started breaking down the story, creating more characters, and the formulating the world and tone of the series through the creation of the mini-bible for the series before we took it to script stage.

PC: You were heavily involved in producing and writing the series on top of being the show’s co-creator. How challenging was it juggling all these different hats? Is there one that you naturally gravitate towards?
David: Yeah, that’s a lot of hats to be wearing. It’s far from easy and definitely not for everyone, certainly not for the faint of heart.

The biggest thing about being responsible for so much was having to get used to running on three to four hours sleep each night during production, as my presence and decisions were required in so many places, usually all at the same time. So, when things were winding down for the day on set, that’s when I would start writing and rewriting the rest of the episodes with my team in the writers’ room.

Of everything, I think I am most effective maintaining the larger vision for the series and rolling up my sleeves on the rewriting to ensure that all of the proper story beats are being tracked and the ribbon of the show is moving in the right direction at all times. I’m also pretty good at—and really enjoy—the financing/sales side of getting a show greenlit and off the ground.

PC: How helpful was it having a history with Netflix when bringing Northern Rescue to life?
David: We are very fortunate to have a great working relationship with several executives at Netflix. So, it was very fortuitous to be sitting down with Larry Tanz and Lauren Smith at the Banff World Media Festival catching up about some of our other series (and mini-series) we had with them at the time. That’s when the conversation floated to the area of family dramas and Larry asked what we had in that genre.

Low and behold, we’d already done a fair amount of our development and had two scripts at that point. It was only a couple weeks after that meeting and emailing the scripts across that we were negotiating deal points.

It’s nice having a bit of a short-hand with everyone, as it helps take some of the guess work out of starting up on a new endeavor together and makes everyone a little more comfortable with what each side is bringing to the table right out of the gate.

PC: How does Northern Rescue differentiate itself from other family dramas?
David: I think the immediate two answers that are most obvious or superficial would be Tux, the penguin, and Aquaverse, their “home”. With that said, beneath the family’s adopted penguin and the former aquatic marine complex serving as their home lies some pretty unique elements of drama that specifically relate to the different ways in which each member of the family will be dealing with their own emotions and loss.

I can’t tell you how many audience members and new fans of the show have reached out to me, personally, on social media to thank us for making a show that finally reflects how their own grief has manifested and unfolded in relation to losing their own parent to cancer. It’s been very sad to hear these stories and about lost loved ones, but ultimately, each of these dialogues with fans is positive as they share how empowered this series makes them feel and how much they feel the show represents them and their own families.

I think it’s our willingness to go into some of the deeper, darker, more private moments and public outbursts that accompany grief that have resonated so well with audiences.

PC: Is there a storyline that you didn’t get to explore in season one that you’re excited to explore in season two?
David: I feel like you’re trying to get me to spill the beans on second season’s storylines! I don’t feel like we left anything off the table in season one. I’m very proud of the stories we crafted and the way in which they all unfolded, weaved, zigged, and zagged, and it all ultimately paid off in episode 10. By the end of season one, we pretty much twisted almost all of their storylines to provide for some really juicy jumping off points for a second season, should we be so fortunate to get the chance to explore the West family and Turtle Island Bay even further.

I think what I am most looking forward to is exploring the introduction of Rick Walker (as played by Alan Van Sprang) a little more. He was a late addition to the season, though completely by design, as he was teased throughout the season leading up to when we finally meet him in episode 10. I’m really excited about letting that character breathe a little more throughout the storylines and unraveling some more of the mystery around his character for audiences.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
David: I hate to admit it…but Queer Eye and RuPaul’s Drag Race. I started watching these in the last few weeks, or rather, sneaking a peek while my girlfriend watches while I pretend to not be watching, when I’m truthfully totally hooked and being sucked in by the formats of each.

I guess I’ve been so wrapped up in scripts for the last couple of years, I’m impressed with how incredibly well done (and highly addictive), some of these shows on the unscripted side of the industry are. I haven’t really been exposed to a ton of those since watching the very first season of Survivor. I will say that I find my sense of word play is shared by RuPaul…so maybe that’s why?

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
David: I’m always trying to sneak in a screening of Monty Python’s Life of Brian!

PC: Favorite book?
David: Roddy Doyle’s Oh, Play that Thing!

PC: Favorite play or musical?
David: If I’m going old school, either Sondheim’s Company or A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. As for new school, Jason Robert Brown’s The Last 5 Years.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
David: Charles Bradley, but on vinyl! Definitely, vinyl.

PC: Last show you binge-watched?
David: After Life. I think the fact it’s an hour long show disguised as a half hour helped. I’m a big fan of the half-hour hours like Fleabag.

PC: Hidden talent?
David: Ummm, I cut my own hair. Is that a talent? I remember years ago seeing an entertainment piece that said George Clooney cut his own hair and I kinda thought if George can do it, so can I. I may have lost a little too much hair in spots I didn’t want to that first time, but I stuck with it and I’ve never had to worry about a barber or a stylist getting it wrong or parting or placing it weird ever since. [laughs]

To keep up with David, follow him on Twitter and Instagram, and catch Northern Rescue on Netflix.