THE HERO STITTSVILLE NEEDS
Sens superfan gets comedy series
When you hear about a TV show set in Stittsville, starring a guy who's not an actor, ticketing bicycles for illegal parking and stalking Ottawa Senators players, you figure it can't possibly be real.
Think again.
Stittsville on Patrol is the hilarious new short-form comedy series starring local hero Ben Milks, the Sens superfan better known by his Twitter handle, @brian5or6. The series premieres on Bell's Fibe TV, Channel 1 on Thursday.
Milks plays Simon Bauche, a self-appointed “community enforcement” officer in Stittsville who takes it upon himself to make sure bylaws are followed in order to maintain the safety and security of the peaceful bedroom community. No infraction is too small to be ignored; whether it's grass longer than two inches or an unsightly pile of apples beneath a tree, someone will be getting a ticket.
If he lets his guard down, he fears Stittsville will be overtaken by the evil Watson mafia from the crime-ridden big city of Ottawa.
The show, which comes across as a low-budget offshoot of Cops with the mockumentary style of Trailer Park Boys (minus the drugs and alcohol), is the brainchild of Christopher Redmond, a film and TV director based in Ottawa. While most of his work these days involves directing children's television shows, Stittsville on Patrol is a passion project for the son of an RCMP officer.
Growing up in North Battleford, Sask., Redmond was 18 when he and a friend decided to have some fun with a handycam and flashlights. In their rural crime-watch hats, they pulled people over and fired questions at them, then edited the footage into a short film that played at festivals and was aired on the local community television station.
“It was always just a fun thing that I remembered, and when I saw Ben on Twitter, the spirit of it really reminded me of what I was doing in Saskatchewan,” Redmond said. “He had this intense love affair with the hockey team, but also he was constantly melting down over the decisions that were happening.
“That was the spirit of the show. I wanted someone who loves their community but is constantly let down by any tiny little violation or anything that people do that degrades it from being the perfect haven they have in their minds.”
Initially, he pitched the idea to Milks as a feature film, with a full cast and crew. But when the pandemic hit, the project was scaled back to a single star and barebones crew.
For Milks, who describes himself as shy, believe it or not, and has no acting experience, it was a challenge to be the main focus.
“It was definitely hard for me to do this, especially since it was in public,” he said. “I had to go up to a lot of people and be in this character. It was nerve-racking.”
Despite his misgivings, he clearly had fun with the role, particularly when he was called upon to improvise his lines. A big fan of the style of comedy exemplified by FUBAR and Trailer Park Boys, and an aficionado of anything featuring the late, great comedian Chris Farley, the hapless, bearded Milks was most comfortable with the physical shenanigans.
“I'm not good with scripts,” confessed the 37-year-old. “If someone tells me to do something, we do a lot of takes. But any of the stuff I can do off the cuff is good. I'm good at falling down, and I fell a lot.”
Behind the scenes, Milks is married and the father of four boys under the age of 10. Born and raised in the Ottawa area, he has a day job in environmental services for the City of Ottawa, and moved his family to Stittsville last year, just two weeks before the pandemic was declared.
He started the @brian5or6 Twitter account in 2011, based on a character he dreamed up to amuse his girlfriend, who is now his wife.
“I was just going to do this parody of a crazy Senators fan just for fun, and for some reason, it took off. And then I started to really hit it off with the Senators,” he said, noting former player Erik Karlsson followed him after “Brian” ranted about him being traded.
The series consists of 12 six-minute episodes, with cameo appearances by Stittsville luminaries such as former Senator Chris Phillips and singer-songwriter-coffee shop owner Kathleen Edwards. It even sports a sizzling power-metal theme song written by Redmond's cousin, the L.A.-based film score composer Jordan Gagne.
Redmond said it was the most fun he's ever had working on a set, and hopes the hyper-local hook connects with viewers from Stittsville to Orléans, and beyond.
“For something original out of the gate, you have to prove there's an audience for it,” he said. “So the pressure is on for it to catch on. I'd love to do a few more seasons in this format, and then see what we can do.”
It was definitely hard for me to do this, especially since it was in public. I had to go up to a lot of people and be in this character. It was nerve-racking.