Go Girls... it's a Shore thing
After last month’s exciting final to North Shore filmed comedy/drama
Go Girls, series writer Kate McDermott tells Channel Magazine about her favourite characters, the future of Go Girls and the possible return of Amy … and she has a special give-away for Channel readers.
Channel Mag. Can you tell us a little bit about your inspiration for Go Girls; why base it on the Shore?
Kate McDermott. The show’s creators Rachel Lang and Gavin Strawhan decided on the setting for Go Girls, which was always intended to be a bright, optimistic show about dreams and ambitions. They chose the sunny, scenic North Shore as it fitted the themes of aspiration and hope.
CM. Are you yourself from the Shore and if so, how much of your personal experience have you put into writing the show?
KM. I’m actually a West Aucklander, but my sister moved across the bridge as soon as she left home and I have spent a lot of time on the Shore with her and her friends. Underage gigs at the Masonic, days at the beach, a beer on a balcony with Rangitoto in the background - these things make up most of my Shore experiences and yes, our characters do spend a bit of time at the beach or the pub.
CM. What Shore stereotypes do you think you’ve played up to, or played down in the Show?
KM. I don’t think we’ve played up to stereotypes, especially not with our lead characters. Amy may typify the blonde, white-pants-wearing Shore girl in the way she looks, but we’ve stayed well away from the ‘Shore girl, sure thing’ thing. We feature a good cross-section of characters, from Amy and her “new money” parents Larry and Alison; Cody and her family, the solid working class folk from Glenfield; and the McManns, a unique family consisting of three generations of solo mums. The McManns are not particularly North Shore, they’d be unique wherever we set them, I think. If anyone represents a North Shore stereotype, it could be the ambitious real estate agent Fran McMann (Britta’s mum). But I guess people like Fran can be found in most parts of the city.
CM. Who is your favourite character to write and what is your favourite story line so far?
KM. It’s very difficult to name a favourite character, it’s like being asked to pick a favourite child! I like them all for different reasons. I love that Cody is down to earth and real and can swear like a trooper. I love Britta’s unique view of the world and the fact than when she’s with her friends, she is the eccentric one, but when she’s with her family, she’s the straight, normal one! I adore writing Jan and Nan McMann for their bawdiness, Fran for her utter selfishness. And writing Kevin is great because it’s nice to be able to put a character’s private thoughts out there for everyone to hear. Someone recently wrote on a fan-site than they really wish they could sit down and have a beer with Kev. I think that’s the best compliment for everyone who has contributed to creating Kevin. I have to say that my favourite storyline is one we’re still working on in Series three. We’ve upped the stakes quite a lot in the next season, it’s very exciting.
CM. How many seasons do you think we can expect to see Go Girls on our screens for?
KM. We’re working towards a major cliff-hanger at the end of the third season, so it would be good to carry on after that. With such a large cast of interesting characters, the writing team have plenty of material which could keep the show going for as long as the audience wants us.
CM. The show was recently picked up by an American production company, if it were up to you, where would you set the American version and who would you cast in it?
KM. California would be the obvious setting for me, as they say “it never rains in California”. It does rain on the North Shore though, quite a lot when we’re shooting Go Girls, which is hard when we’re making episodes set in January and February. It’s difficult to say who I would cast in the American version as I am so in love with our own actors that I can’t imagine anyone else doing the roles! Someone other than Jay Ryan for Kevin? I have no idea...
CM. When writing the show, how far ahead into the story arc are you able to prepare/write? Do you have any exciting ideas for the upcoming season three? Are you expecting Amy to return in the New Year?
KM. It’s June now and I am currently writing the script for episode seven of the new series, while at the same time we are story-lining episode 10. We started working on the broad themes for the new series well before Christmas last year. We will have started shooting the early episodes before the scripts for the later ones are finished, but the cliff-hanger is already in place. Anna is back in New Zealand after spending some time in LA, and all I’ll say is that if Amy were to return, it’d shake things up for sure.
CM. Can you name any future projects you’re working on which we might see on our screens soon?
KM. I am working on the development of a couple of television projects, but it’s always impossible to say when or if they’ll ever see the light of day. I’m also working on a feature film script but again, the development process is a long, drawn-out one.
People on the Bus
