SECRETS FROM THE SET OF FRANKIE DRAKE

CBC’s Frankie Drake Mysteries is “Poirot meets Chicago via Yonge Street”: The title character is a convention-flouting female private detective who solves crimes in 1920s Toronto. In the investigative spirit of the rompy new series, here’s some intel we uncovered when we visited the production at a suburban GTA studio.

A lot of the art-deco-era costumes actually come from your fave fast-fashion re

tailer. “Zara was really good to us this season,” confesses costume designer Debra Hanson. “We do a mix of period and modern, because true vintage from the period is so fragile and rare. For instance, there’s a scene where Frankie gets out of the tub and puts on a fabulous robe...and it’s from Zara. Sure, there are people who will go ‘I have that!’ but if you mix the right colours and shapes, you wouldn’t know that it’s not from 1929.” Some actors turned down roles because they were scared of a razor. “In the ’20s, men didn’t really have facial hair,” explains key makeup artist Shauna Llewellyn. “We’ve actually had guys walk away because they won’t shave. It’s unbelievable how partial they are to their facial hair. I get it—they might not have the strongest jaw or whatever—but it’s surprising, because as an actor you have to morph into whatever role.” Google is a prop master’s best friend. “Kijiji, eBay, yard sales...” says Rick Little, the show’s prop master, reeling off where he finds period-authentic items for the intricate sets. “Some of the things you think are going to be a nightmare—like a round tom drum with Asian painting on it—you plug into Kijiji and it’s down the road from here for $70. And then the things you think are simple turn out to be difficult: fans, for instance, because paper doesn’t last well, or glass without chips.” The actress who plays Frankie Drake had to get her motorcycle licence for the part. “Frankie’s this ballsy gal who takes no prisoners and drives a motorcycle,” elaborates Lauren Lee Smith. “I was so scared! The first day I was on the bike, I cried. By day two, I was more confident. The cars on the show have been way more of an issue for me, I must admit. They’re temperamental! Frankie’s, in particular, is extra-special: It doesn’t want to go—it stalls. It literally almost blew up at one point....” You’ll learn some new stuff about Canada in the ’20s. “It wasn’t until this show came around that I started doing more research about black people here in the late 1800s, and I was like, ‘Oh, there were a lot of us here at the time!’” laughs Chantel Riley, who plays Trudy, Frankie’s partner in the gumshoe game. “We don’t ignore that it was a difficult time with racism, but it’s great to see these two characters, a black female and a white female, coming together. In the 1920s, we couldn’t even walk through the front door, but Frankie looks at Trudy as Trudy.”