Silly Robbie hits small screen

Charlottetown children’s entertainer Robbie Doherty brings his character Silly Robbie to television

Robbie Doherty remembers the exact moment he knew he wanted to entertain children for the rest of his life.

The 32-year-old Charlottetown man, who created the Silly Robbie character two years ago, was coming off the stage following one of his live shows at Old Home Week.

“The shows were great but I remember getting off the stage thinking, ‘this is not enough’. The kids who come to my shows have fun but they are just shows,’’ the energetic Doherty says. “I knew we needed to take a chance of getting out there, of taking it to the next level.’’

Doherty and a friend, Jesse Wachter, would soon launch a web series and are now in the midst of producing children’s shows called, Silly Robbie’s World, for Eastlink Community TV. They will film 13 episodes for the Atlantic Canadian communitybased television station with the hope of catching the eye of a major network.

All of the episodes are filmed at Wachter’s apartment in the Y Lofts (the former YMCA) in Charlottetown with the help of music producer Rob Reid and Wachter’s girlfriend, Jessica Gould, who handles graphic illustrations and design.

Each of the episodes features people, puppets and digitally enhanced characters.

Doherty and Wachter met a few years ago when Doherty was taking part in the Grand Slam of Curling event. Wachter did a feature on Doherty’s team and they remained friends. Doherty later joined the circuit as operations manager and the friendship grew stronger. Doherty says the two men saw the world the same way and believe in the importance of spreading positivity.

“There are talented people here (on P.E.I.), don’t get me wrong,’’ Doherty says, “but there was no one here that had the same mindset in terms of what I was looking for in terms of production; the positive message that I wanted to shoot. Jesse was the only one who got it and was talented enough who I knew could pull it all together. I pitched (the idea) and Jesse was on board right away.’’

Wachter, who had some previous experience producing videos that featured kids, was open to the new project.

“We ended up doing a web series where every episode (contained) a good lesson,’’ Wachter says. “We thought it might be a good idea to do an online video series for parents who could put their kids in front of it as they’re getting ready for work.’’

They were in the midst of producing the web series when the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic shut down the Grand Slam of Curling tour, giving Doherty and Wachter some extra time. Doherty pitched the idea of a Silly Robbie’s World television show to Eastlink.

When the station jumped at the idea, Wachter decided to move to Charlottetown to direct and produce the show.

“Robbie’s proposal to come here and do something was really appealing,’’ Wachter says. “In terms of quality, this is on par with anything else you’ll see on TV.’’

Doherty wrote almost six hours of script for the 13-episode series.

Doherty has portrayed the character of Silly Robbie for the past two years, mostly on the fairs and exhibitions circuit. He says parents often come up to him and thank him for the positive messages at his shows, online or on TV. He takes the responsibility that comes with it very seriously.

“It’s about being a role model,’’ he says. “Silly Robbie is me. This is something I want to do. I want to give kids a sense of self-worth, let them know that they should feel good about themselves and how they look.’’

Doherty’s wife, Jillian, jumped on board and plays one of the characters and local celebrities such as Ava and Lily Rashed, Kevin (Boomer) Gallant, Sam MacDonald and 24 Strong have appeared on the show. Charlottetown business Halloween Central even helps out by supplying props at a discount.

Wachter and Doherty say they would love to make a living off the show someday but, if not, they are committed to continuing Silly Robbie’s World in some way.

Wachter says if anyone can make the show hit the big time, it’s Doherty.

“Robbie is the most talented performer I’ve ever met,’’ Wachter says.

DAVE STEWART/THE GUARDIAN Robbie Doherty, left, and Jesse Wachter, are seen on the set of Silly Robbie’s World with two of the characters in the show, Lucky and Eddie, respectively. Silly Robbie’s World airs each Saturday on Eastlink Community TV.

DAVE STEWART/THE GUARDIAN Jessica Gould, graphic illustration and design, and Robbie Doherty, host, convert the kitchen of Doherty’s friend’s apartment into the workshop and set for Silly Robbie’s World, which is filmed and produced in Charlottetown.