TV

Regan Latimer on three seasons of “B.J. Fletcher: Private Eye”

When AfterEllen.com held a contest in 2008 to find the next great lesbian/bi web series, we had no clue what was coming. Sure, we knew that our readers were above average, but nobody realized how many talented and creative entries we would get. Eventually, the weary judges agreed on a winner that has become one of our favorite web series ever – B.J. Fletcher: Private Eye.

Four years later, Fletcher is three episodes into its third and final season and writer/producer/director Regan Latimer was kind enough to take time to talk to us about the incredibly true adventures of B.J., George and Regan.

AfterEllen.com: We’re so glad to see Fletch and George again! The quality of Season 3 is better than ever – congratulations!

Regan Latimer: Thank you! We are very pleased with our third season. The quality is definitely a step up from where we were two years ago. We’ve upgraded equipment in between seasons, which has added to the overall look of the show. We were all really excited to be back in the Fletcher groove.

AE: We sort of feel like proud parents.

RL: As well you should! AfterEllen was absolutely a defining mentor to our web series. Had AfterEllen not had that web series contest back in 2008, the world would most likely be Fletcherless today. And what a sad world that would be.

AE: Now that you’re back, things are really hopping. How many episodes are in Season 3?

RL: Season 3 has five episodes in total, which will bring B.J. Fletcher: Private Eye to its series end. (The first three have been posted, # 4 goes up April 3, and #5 goes up April 10, with a blooper reel the following week.)

AE: And three episodes in, we still don’t know what happened in the 10 months between the end of Season 2 and the beginning of Season 3. That’s kind of mean, you know. So when will we know what happened? This is a lesbian series, after all, so surely we’ll see George and B.J. processing their feelings.

RL: “Kind of mean.” [Laughs] Well, I can’t give anything away, but the lesbian processing quota undoubtedly will be met by the end of the series, one way or another.

AE: Does Jenna know about the napkin? If not, will she find out? Is she aware of BJ’s feelings? Does she suspect George is still in love with Fletch?

RL: Jenna does not know about the napkin. In fact, Fletcher doesn’t even know that George has the napkin, let alone that she read it! Fletcher, as always, remains clueless. Jenna, on the other hand – well, I think the underlying unrequited aspect of Fletcher and George’s relationship has been on Jenna’s radar since day one. There was a point in Season 2 when she basically told George to decide where she wants to be, and she trusts that George has made that decision. That said, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the next step Jenna is taking in their relationship has them heading overseas!

AE: So Samantha Steele – what a hottie! Tell us about the actress. Will she be around all season?

RL: Yes, we were blessed this season filming with the hotness of Kimwun Perehinec as Sam Steele. Kimwun is truly wicked awesome to work with – a pro with an extensive theatre, TV, and film background. She actually is very good friends with Lindy Zucker (Fletcher), and together they schemed for her to come and play Fletcher’s doppelgänger. I wrote it into the Season 3 plot, and now we all get to benefit from Kimwun’s charming qualities. Will we see Steele again? You never know where she may pop up!

AE: Can we expect any surprise guests this season?

RL: Maybe, but we have to keep some things a surprise!

AE: Since we haven’t talked to you since year one – tell us when you knew BJ Fletcher: Private Eye was a hit.

RL: We started to see elements of Fletcher‘s popularity fairly early on, which was amazing for us. You have to remember, when we started Fletcher, web video was still very much in its infancy. We had no guides or examples, really, to go by; we figured things out as we went along. Once we jumped over the million views mark and were getting fan mail from all over the world, we all felt really proud about where we’d brought this project.

AE: How did you decide you were all in for another season?

RL: Production on Fletcher the web series halted when we signed onto a development deal with a producer here in Toronto. The potential TV series was never intended to be a continuation of the web series, but would be based on the original idea. That meant the storylines that we’d created and grown in the web series would be pretty much left hanging. We’re big fans of the cliffhanger, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. I think we all felt the need to bring a conclusion to our original project and when I approached the cast and crew about doing a shortened third season to do that, everyone was happily on board.

AE: Is the TV development deal still on?

RL: We were locked in the development deal for two years. It was a major learning experience and a lot of positive things came out of it. We had interest from certain parties, but moving forward meant making quite a few compromises. I can’t go into much detail, but I will say that I was not willing to change certain elements of the show just for the sake of appearing to have a more mainstream appeal. The beauty of the web is that it offers a certain creative freedom that is really hard to find elsewhere.

AE: Who writes the scripts – is it just you? Tell us a little bit about your process for getting into the voices of the different characters, that kind of thing.

RL: I write all the scripts for the series. I start with an outline of the overall plot and character arcs for the whole season. Once those are established, I do beat sheets for every episode – basically outlining scene by scene what takes place, the major plot points, important bits of dialogue or character development and so on. Then comes the dialogue, piecing it all together into a cohesive whole. I do a lot of reading aloud in my best Fletcher and George voices while I write (I’m sure Lindy and Dana would cringe) in order to get a feel for how it’s all gelling. Once the scripts are ready, we sit down and do a table read with the cast to figure out what works and what needs changing. Lindy and Dana (Puddicombe) make suggestions and then I work with that feedback to create the final scripts. It’s a great process – I love it!

AE: How much improv gets into the final cut?

RL: One of the greatest skills this cast brings to the table is their incredible ability to improvise. How much makes it into the final cut varies. We always rehearse and discuss improv ideas before filming. A lot of what doesn’t make it into the final cut of the episode does find its way into the outtake reel. These women are hilarious improvers. Case in point, in Episode 1 of Season 3, at the end of the scene where they meet Mrs. Kinsey, Dana does a spit take. It was totally unexpected and totally hilarious.

AE: How has Fletch changed over the series? Is she vulnerable enough to admit she needs George?

RL: Fletcher has definitely grown over the course of the series, though she’s never been one to be that in-tune with her emotions. She’s more the “get drunk for a night and get on with things” type of processor. Has she become vulnerable enough to admit she needs George? Time will tell!

AE: What is your favorite episode so far?

RL: That’s a bit like being asked to choose a favorite among your children. Really, the episodes that stick out for me are the ones that have those really great moments between Fletch and George. From their scaling a fence and falling over patio furniture to times when they’re struggling to understand their feelings and deciding whether or not to risk acting on them, I’m consistently blown away by Lindy and Dana’s ability to make us laugh one moment and really feel for the characters’ plights the next. Also, any episode that includes the moms — Mrs. Drew (Patricia Yeatman) and Mrs. Watson (Maria Heidler-Bell). Those women are an absolute riot.

AE: What’s most of your fan mail about?

RL: For the past two years, a lot of the fan mail was asking us when there would be new episodes. Glad we finally answered that one! We also got to hear a lot of interesting stories from fans around the world telling us how they found us and how they enjoy the show. We recently received an email from a woman serving in Afghanistan, who told us about how she has to wait for the show to load up on their painfully slow connection out there. We love hearing from the fans.

AE: What’s their most frequent question? And the answer, of course.

RL: “Will Fletcher and George get together?” I don’t know. It’s a mystery!

AE: For the sake of our readers, what’s everyone’s relationship status?

RL: Another thing that must remain a mystery!

AE: Have you found any Fletcher fan fiction?

RL: Yes! Love it! It’s certainly interesting to find out the direction some would have the characters go.

AE: You have said that a straight audience discovered the show – how did that happen? Is your audience pretty mixed, sexual orientation wise?

RL: Yes, our audience is very diverse. B.J. Fletcher: Private Eye is not a “lesbian-only” series. In fact, one of our main goals in making this show was to not have the sexual orientation of the main characters be the major focus (as it has been in other series). Being gay is just one more aspect of who they are – it’s not an issue. Our show is a comedy, first and foremost, that a wide range of people can enjoy and relate to. We had a letter from a 68-year-old grandmother in Texas telling us how funny and entertained she is by Fletcher’s antics. That feels good for sure.

AE: Does Fletch have a Moriarty? Have we met the character?

RL: Fletcher does have a Moriarty in the character of Doyle. Doyle is her nemesis, who seems to best her at every turn. We revealed their history in Season 2, Episode 9 in a hilarious flashback sequence. That was a fun one to shoot!

AE: Is this really the final season? What if a patron showed up and offered to fund another season?

RL: This is the final season of Fletcher. I’m thrilled that with the financial support of the fans we were able to produce this final installment and give the series a conclusion (and an ending you’ve gotta’ see to believe!). Logistically though, we’re just not able to continue the series without full funding. The modest fundraising campaign we held last summer, gave us enough to cover basic production expenses (food and tech supplies), but cast and crew still work on a volunteer basis and the time commitment is too high when they have bills to be paid! If a patron stepped forward with an offer of full funding, of course we’d love to continue the show. Plenty of adventures remain for these characters to bumble their way through!

AE: You’ve had some great experiences with fans and friends between Seasons 2 and 3.

RL: One of the great things about Fletcher has been the opportunity to meet some amazing people along the way. In 2010, our friends at One More Lesbian invited us to present at OML’s Theatre Nights at the Gay Games in Cologne, Germany, with a number of other awesome shows. Our producer, Rochelle Dancel, had a great time meeting the lovely Bridget McManus. Several of our German and Swiss fans volunteered to translate the show for us – we were bowled over by the support. Lindy and I also did a Toronto Pride event last year with Seeking Simone‘s Renee Olbert at the Toronto Women’s Bookstore. We told the fans to ask anything they wanted — and they did!

AE: If you knew then what you know now, would you do it all again?

RL: Absolutely. Fletcher has been an amazing experience that I feel blessed to have headed. I’ve worked with some amazingly talented people on all levels of the production. Lindy and Dana brought these characters to life with insane comedic and dramatic talent, and a chemistry that is not so easy to come by. It’s been a blast!

AE: What’s next for you and Bee Charmer Productions?

RL: We have some new wicked awesome projects in the pipe that would absolutely appeal to our current Fletcher audience base, so stay tuned for further info on that. We’re looking at doing something in London in the near future. I have a feeling AfterEllen will be kept in the loop!

Join me in thanking Regan and the cast and crew of B.J. Fletcher: Private Eye for three awesome seasons. And tell us how you think the series will end!

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