Snook still gettin’ on
‘Snook — Out on Bail’ to breathe new life into one of Newfoundland’s favourite characters
In 2017, after three decades of entertaining Newfoundland audiences with his “streetsmart corner-boy” character, Pete Soucy took a step back from Snook.
Now, after being approached by Bell for a 10-episode series on Fibe TV1, Snook and his signature lock of curly hair are returning to television screens.
Snook - Out on Bail tells the story of Snook’s efforts to mitigate a prison sentence awarded to him after a long life of petty infractions. He traipses around the city doing good deeds while Dougie, his longtime pal who has never actually been seen on camera, records it all on his cellphone.
“I thought there was another story there,” said Soucy, who is filming the show in St. John’s currently.
“There’s a story that could be an interesting tale…revealing of his world but also funny.”
FAMILIAR FEELING
At first, Soucy worried if the character – now several years older as Soucy himself ages – would work the same as he used to. He also wondered if the persona could come to him as easily as it had years before.
These fears would be quashed soon after he began writing the script, which he developed with local writer Reuben Canning Finkel.
“It was automatic…it feels just like it did, and people seem to be responding the same as they used to,” said Soucy.
Local filmmaker Roger Maunder is directing the show, which is halfway through its filming schedule. He says the set is always full of laughs.
“It’s hard, cause you gotta be quiet,” said Maunder. “It’s really hard not to laugh through the takes.”
FAMILIAR FACES
Out on Bail features an extensive roster of well-known Newfoundland faces, including Premier Andrew Furey, St. John’s Mayor Danny Breen, comedian Greg Malone, and actors Lawrence Barry, Robert Joy, Petrina Bromley, and Mark Critch.
“My favourite thing about it is the collaboration between all the actors and politicians,” said Maunder. “Everyone coming together to tell the story in such a funny way.”
NEW DECADE, NEW AUDIENCE
Bringing Snook into a new decade, Soucy describes the character as “an anachronism.”
“Even back when he first started, he was already from a different era,” said Soucy.
“It doesn’t matter if I’m doing him in the ‘90s or 2000s or 2020, he’s from his own environment, downtown St. John’s, and he’s from his own time…and he’s kind of dealing with the world from that perspective.”
In recent years, comedy troupes like The Outhouse and Donnie Dumphy have exploded in online popularity with younger audiences. Soucy hopes Snook will have a similarly broad appeal with the new show as his heyday, but notes that Snook, the character, isn’t concerned with any of that.
“He’s concerned about his own world,” said Soucy. “It’s more about his milieu…this is essentially another chapter in Snook’s story with a cast of characters he has developed over the years.”
Soucy says Snook is adjusting to modern society “as you would expect any boomer.”
“Snook is pretty indifferent to stuff in general…his whole life, he’s always been shrugging at something new or something he doesn’t understand. It doesn’t really take a toll on his psyche.”
NOSTALGIA
After such a long absence from Newfoundland’s eye, Snook’s return to the screen comes with an air of nostalgia. Maunder considers the characters personality in relation to this vast time frame.
“People know Snook from years ago when he was younger,” he said. “Now he’s an older Snook. Maybe he’s matured, maybe he hasn’t.”
For Soucy, nostalgia plays into the charm of the show.
“Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” he said. “Perhaps people assumed he was gone and done, as I did. The fact that he’s back, with a new story, might have some appeal.”
Snook – Out on Bail is slated for release this November on Fibe TV1.