Canadian car stories make great TV
SHOW AND TELL: Series shares the tales of passionate car owners and the rides they fell in love with
Car Stories, a new television series produced by Joe Media in Calgary, is looking for more car tales to tell in their second season, filming in spring and early summer this year.
An all Canadian-made television show that shot last year in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina and Winnipeg is expanding to Toronto in 2017.
When answering a casting call in 2016 for Car Stories, Cindy and Gary Chomiak of Calgary had no idea what to expect.
“We’re members of the Alberta Mustangs Auto Club,” Cindy Chomiak says. “And, we saw the note Joe Media sent to the club, telling the group they were looking for car stories. I contacted them, and sent a few pictures of our 1968 Ford Mustang California Special with a short story about the car.
“Joe Media contacted us, interviewed us on the phone a couple of times, and then booked a day for the shoot. I don’t think Gary or I had any idea what that day would be like — but it was great, we had a really good time.”
Car Stories features twenty-six cars, two per 30-minute episode, in a 13-episode arc. The show is broadcast on Unis TV.
Of the successful first season, producer Peter Hays says the experience of mingling with car owners passionate about their vehicles was overwhelmingly positive.
“It’s almost like a love affair, and the attachment people have to their cars is quite extraordinary,” Hays says. “Some people ended up in tears telling the story about what their car means to them. We’ve had responses from viewers saying they’ve never seen a car show quite like this, and they like what they’ve seen.”
The Chomiaks appeared in Episode 5, and told their Mustang story.
When she was 14, Cindy was given a ride in a Mustang California Special. The experience left a lasting impression, one she couldn’t shake.
In 2003, when she and Gary could afford to buy a Mustang, their first was a 1968 coupe. That car led them to the Alberta Mustangs Auto Club, and when member Jim Bateman learned about Cindy’s fascination with the rare California Special, he piped up.
“He said he had one sitting in his yard, and if we wanted it, it was ours,” Cindy says.
For two years, Gary and Bateman worked every Saturday to restore the California Special. It was finished in 2007, two days before the Chomiaks drove it to a Mustang meet in Great Falls, Montana.
It ran flawlessly, and never let them down. Now they drive the car all the time; it’s never been trailered anywhere.
In fact, as Gary says in their Car Stories clip, “If you see this car on a trailer, call the police because it’s been stolen.”
“You do your best to keep it in good condition,” Cindy says, “But, we built the Mustang to have some fun, and we do like to drive it.”
For producer Hays, he’s proud Joe Media is filming a car series based in Canada.
“There are many car shows out there, but they’re all America-centric,” he says.
In its first season, Car Stories featured two Canadian-built vehicles, including a Pontiac Parisienne and a McLaughlin-Buick.
Stephan Gabriele, executive producer of Car Stories, says they’re casting their net farther for the second season simply to find exceptional stories.
“We will go back and review some applications from last year, ” Gabriele says. “And, we’re going to shoot in Toronto this year because we’re looking for more real-life personal stories about people and their cars.
“However, we won’t be going back to some models we’ve already covered. For example, we shot a Ford Model A in the first season, and we won’t do another in Season Two.”
Joe Media is looking for cars and trucks built between 1905 and 1995. The vehicles can be original, restored or modified.
Most importantly, owners must be able to tell a story about why the car means so much to them. To submit an application or request more information, email classiccars@joemedia.tv or call 403-3985442.
Greg Williams is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Have a column tip? Contact him at 403-287-1067 or gregwilliams@shaw.ca