Search on for studio to turn Rodgers’ Drifters books into TV series

Susan Rodgers didn’t know how to pitch her Drifters novels to agents attending a writing workshop in Georgetown last fall. Lucky for her, Sharon Buckingham was there to help. Writer of the 2008 Gemini awardwinning film, “Sticks and Stones,” Buckingham gave Rodgers private mentoring sessions, where she offered to help write and edit her pitch. “When I sent her the pitch, she took it for herself, so that was exciting,” said Rodgers.

An agreement was made in Dec. 2017, giving Buckingham’s production company, TSB Productions Inc., three years to work out a deal with a studio to make a Drifters TV series. It also spells out what role Rodgers will have if the series is picked up.

“It’s kind of funny, there’s this one clause that says, basically, they have the right to change the characters and change the story.

“I wasn’t surprised to see it there, but at the same time,” she thought, “how much do I care if they change things around. I’ll live with it.”

While it may be a long wait, Rodgers is excited to see how well Buckingham does in the journey to find a company to buy the series, she said.

“She’s so well connected, like, for me to try and get a meeting in Toronto with any of those companies, probably just would never happen, or wouldn’t be taken seriously… She’s got the tools to make it happen.”

Instead of money, the most important thing for Rodgers is the inclusion of her company, Mighty Ocean Film Inc., which she hopes will be involved in the potential TV series.

“I think it’s going to be an adventure. It may not happen, but if it does, it’ll be exciting.”

Paperback and digital copies of the Drifters books are available online at www.susanrodgersauthor.com.

She plans to write the second installment of the Dallas White series this summer and is looking for funding for her upcoming film, “Still the Water.”