Shoresy (series)

Shoresy is a comedy spinoff of Letterkenny, in which the titular character Shoresy joins the Sudbury Bulldogs, a struggling AAA team in Northern Ontario, and embarks on a mission to "never lose again." The first season premiered on May 13, 2022. A second season was announced January 17, 2023, and a third season on October 25, 2023.

Episodes

Three seasons of six episodes each have been produced, with Jared Keeso credited as writer and Jacob Tierney as director for each. Unlike Letterkenny, which Crave released an entire season at a time, Shoresy has been released two episodes a week. Hulu in the United States and SBS in Australia both release the entire Shoresy season at once, after the final two episodes have been aired on Crave. Also in contrast to Letterkenny, each Shoresy season follows a clear plot arc linking multiple episodes: saving the team from being shut down in Season 1, holding the team together amidst success in Season 2, and the challenges of the national senior tournament in Season 3.

• Season 1 was released starting May 13, 2022 on Crave in Canada and May 27, 2023 on Hulu in the United States.
• Season 2 was released starting September 29, 2023 on Crave and October 27, 2023 on Hulu.
• Season 3 was released starting May 24, 2024 on Crave and on June 21, 2024 on Hulu.

Shoresy Fall Classic

See main article: Shoresy Fall Classic

On June 14, 2024 New Metric Media announced the inaugural Shoresy Fall Classic, a series of hockey games pitting cast members against NHL alumni to raise funds for charity. Two games were scheduled for 2024, against former Boston Bruins on November 16 and against former Toronto Maple Leafs on November 17.

Development

The popularity of Letterkenny had led to rumors of spinoffs. According to Justin Stockman, vice-president of content development and programming at Bell Media, basing a spinoff on Shoresy—a side character whose face is never seen—was "the most bizarre idea," but made ultimate sense as Shoresy was the top character associated with Letterkenny merchandise, and his limited backstory left room for creativity (The Canadian Press). Bell Media announced it had ordered the new series on June 10, 2021 in the Lede:

From the team behind the smash-hit series LETTERKENNY comes its first official spin-off, SHORESY. Created by, written by, and starring Jared Keeso, directed by Jacob Tierney, and produced by New Metric Media in partnership with WildBrain and Play Fun Games, in this new series, Shoresy joins a senior triple hockey AAA team in Northern Ontario on a quest to never lose again.

Tierney is also credited as executive producer, along with Mark Montefiore of New Metric Media, and Kaniehtiio Horn, who plays Tanis, is listed as consulting producer. Casting sheets listed both Crave and Hulu as associated networks .

Characters and Casting

See main article: List of Shoresy (series) characters

From the start, Keeso was slated to continue portraying Shoresy, although no hint was initially offered as to whether his face would continue to be obscured, and whether he would continue to use a falsetto voice.

Casting call from Northern Casting

On October 3, Northern Casting began put out an open casting call for male performers age 20 to 29 with junior B or higher hockey experience, and for the role of Tendy, "a goalie on Shoresy’s team who has a bad attitude and tends to blame anyone but himself for the team’s misfortunes" . On October 13 they put out a call for additional hockey players for "a new TV show made by hockey players, for hockey players" Male players 18–38 were sought for dates from mid-November to early December. Calls were also put out for "sexy bar patrons" ages 18–35, and for hockey fans 18–100 from Northern Ontario and the Sudbury area—"only experience needed is the love of the good ol' hockey game!" .

On November 1, Northern Casting also issued a rush casting call seeking a female of any ethnicity aged 18–30 for the character of Alice, described as "flirty but not bubbly. She's playful. Sanguinet and Goody's love interest" .

Among the first cast was Jon Mirasty, a former hockey player born and raised in Flying Dust First Nation. On November 18, additional cast members were announced, including the return of JJ Frankie JJ from the episode National Senior Hockey Championship, and Kim Cloutier (Anik) appearing as a guest star:

• Tasya Teles as Nat
• Harlan Blayne Kytwayhat as Sanguinet
• Blaire Lamora as Ziigwan
• Keilani Rose as Miigwan
• Jonathan-Ismael Diaby as Dolo
• Terry Ryan as Ted "Hitch" Hitchcock
• Ryan McDonell as Michaels
• Max Bouffard as JJ Frankie JJ
• Andrew "The Canon" Antsanen as Brant "Goody" Goodleaf
• Jon "Nasty" Mirasty, Brandon Nolan, and Jordan Nolan as Jim, Jim, and Jim
• Keegan Long as Liam
• Bourke Cazabon as Cory

Guest stars in the debut season would include Laurence Leboeuf, Scott Thompson (Shoresy's foster father), Jonathan Torrens (as Remy Nadeau), Jacob Tierney (as Benoit "Benny" Brodeur) Camille Sullivan, Eliana Jones (as Mercedes), and Michala Brassuer, as well as appearances by Lysandre Nadeau, Tessa Bonhomme, and Jay Onrait as themselves.

Kim Cloutier and Bouffard reprise their roles from Letterkenny, as Anik Archambault and JJ Frankie JJ respectively. Ryan, who appeared as "Teddy" in the Season 8 episode "Miss Fire," also returns as Ted "Hitch" Hitchcock.

For Season 2, Northern Casting put out a call in early February 2023 for hockey players aged 18-35, who have their own hockey gear (North Bay News). Ashley St. Jean, Casting Director for Northern Casting, added "Players must have A/AA/AAA or equivalent skill level minimum to be in the Hockey Locker room or bench scenes. However, we are looking for Junior 'A' skill level or higher to be on the ice." A further open call for union and non-union performers of any ethnicity, age and gender to appear as background players was made in early April.

Production

Shoresy is produced by New Metric Media, in partnership with WildBrain and Play Fun Games in association with Bell Media for Crave, with the participation of Canadian Media Fund, OMDC Tax Credits, and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, and is distributed by WildBrain; New Metric Media is the exclusive sales agent.

Jared Keeso is executive producer, writer, star, and creator. Jacob Tierney is executive producer and director. Kaniehtiio Horn is consulting producer. Mark Montefiore is executive producer and Kara Haflidson is producer for New Metric Media. For Bell Media, Production Executive is Chris Kelley; Sarah Fowlie is Head of Production, Original Programming; Carlyn Klebuc is General Manager, Original Programming; Justin Stockman is Vice President, Content Development & Programming; and Karine Moses is Senior Vice President, Content Development & News.

Filming of the series was slated to begin in the Sudbury area in November 2021 and to continue until the end of December.. A Bell Media release confirmed filming was underway on November 18. Jacob Tierney, who co-created Letterkenny and has directed every episode, is also director on the new show, and will make an appearance.

In appreciation for the promotion the show will bring to Greater Sudbury, and for New Metric Media's contributions to the local economy throughout the filming of Letterkenny, estimated at around $40 million, the Greater Sudbury city council passed a motion in November 2021 from Ward 7 councilor Mike Jakubo to halve rental rates at the Sudbury Community Arena for the filming of Shoresy, an in-kind contribution worth approximately $50,000. Jakubo stated the production of new series would contribute $4.8 million to the regional economy, including $2.3 million in labour alone. The support came as a grant from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation film program came in lower than expected, threatening a funding shortfall.

The order for Season 2 was announced January 17, 2023. Production would take place April 10 to May 12, with filming in Sudbury from May 3 to May 12, 2023.

Promotion

The show was initially announced June 10, 2021, described only as "Shoresy joins a senior triple hockey AAA team in Northern Ontario on a quest to never lose again."

On February 13, 2022, a trailer video was released to social media featuring shots of the team, including Jared Keeso as #69 Shore—face fully visible (and missing a tooth).

On April 19, 2022, in the Crave and Hulu release date announcement, a teaser trailer was provided featuring a dressing room verbal exchange between Shoresy, from a toilet stall, and Michaels.

A third trailer was released on May 6, 2022 with Shoresy meeting with a reporter, then visiting the Jims at the jail.

Hulu released its own trailer on May 18, 2022 in advance of the May 23 release on that platform.

Promotional Images

Reception

Reviews of Shoresy have been broadly positive. John Doyle in The Globe and Mail called it "a real hockey show about real hockey," and called it "Letterkenny refreshed." Dan Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter, in contrast, did not care for the hockey characters or plotlines of Letterkenny, but found it surprisingly enjoyable, comparing it to the underdog film Slap Shot, and admiring the show's appreciation for its women and indigenous characters. Matt Donato for IGN praised the reinvention and expansion of the character and in the upsetting of sports and gender tropes in the "rough and rowdy" show, calling it "an unexpectedly wholesome hockey comedy that makes Letterkenny proud."