Producing Odd Job Jack, a TV comedy series about one man's search for permanent employment, is a full-time occupation for London native Denny Silverthorne.
"It's plenty of hard work, but lots of fun, too. And I feel pretty lucky," says the 30-year-old co-creator, director, editor and music composer of the weekly animated show, which premiered on The Comedy Network March 5 and airs its second episode tonight.
The first Canadian TV series developed from a concept originally produced for the Web, Odd Job Jack is also the world's first "sit.com," an interactive comedy that can be accessed on the Internet at www.oddjobjack.com
The series, initially named The Seen, is presented by Smiley Guy Studios, a multi-media Toronto production company founded in 1997 by Silverthorne and fellow Canadian Film Centre graduates Jeremy Diamond, who's the show's head writer, and director/editor Adrian Carter.
Odd Job Jack profiles its title character's misadventures in temporary employment positions.
"We wanted our show to be sort of like The Simpsons and a bit like South Park, to have good stories that are a bit subversive, but not shocking or gross and use animation that's part traditional and part more modern style," says Silverthorne, an Oakridge secondary school graduate who left London 10 years ago and has a degree in film studies from Queen's University in Kingston.
In each episode, Jack Ryder tries out a new job, ranging from mortician's assistant to hamster wrangler, meets an array of interesting, often bizarre characters and gets some different perspectives on the working world.
"Like Jack, the three of us had come out of school not knowing what to do for a living, so we used some of our own weird job experiences as ideas for the show," says Silverthorne of the series. The project began as a class assignment for its trio of creators, who were students in the film centre's new media design program.
Two other members of the production staff are former Londoners and longtime friends of Silverthorne-- illustrator David Craig and director of interactivity Brad Sears, dubbed "the man behind the Web site." Forest City native Jeff Dutrizac is the show's line producer.
Every episode has a corresponding interactive Web component based on the job Jack's been assigned that week by Betty Styles, his career counsellor at Odd Jobs Unlimited, a temporary employment agency.
In tonight's episode, I Watch the Watchmen, Jack's employed as a security guard at a widget company. In the accompanying online game, J'Ackuse, participants must monitor and control a panel of security cameras in order to catch a a thief.
Online players can also sign up for the Molson Canadian Hi-Score Battle, which will award prizes to the participants recording the top scores in the Odd Job Jack games.
The Web site also features a video recap of each episode, in-depth information about the characters, a merchandise store and the opportunity to download screensavers, out-takes from the show and sound bites.
Silverthorne wants the show's viewers to realize that its hero is always destined to be fired from his odd jobs, but not through any fault of his own.
"Jack's not a slacker. If anything, the guy tries too hard. He's a very optimistic character, but circumstances just seem to conspire against him."
In addition to Odd Job Jack, the Smiley Guy Studios team is working with the National Film Board on an "interactive video project" designed for children.
