Calls and Crocker at Mt Coolum
MT COOLUM is the unlikely star of The Strange Calls, a new six-part series that will air on ABC2 from Tuesday.
Oh, and there is some bloke called Barry Crocker as well.
The Strange Calls was created and directed by former Coolum lad Daley Pearson ($quid), who used to earn his keep at The Shop convenience store on the esplanade.
The multiplatform series, interacting via television, Twitter and Facebook, as well as "webisodes" and video blogs (thestrangecalls.abc.net.au), has been described by cinematographer Robert Humphreys as "a tightly-crafted comedy with a strong visual nod to the classics of the '80s - a little Close Encounters and a lot of The X-Files".
The Strange Calls tells the story of a young, disgraced, city police officer - Constable Toby Banks, played by Toby Truslove (Laid, Outland) - transferred to the night duty desk on the outskirts of Coolum. The situation is idyllic by day but Constable Banks soon discovers when the sun goes down, the phone starts ringing and weird things emerge from Mt Coolum's shadows.
His job is to answer and respond to the late night phone calls. His sidekick Gregor, a mysterious night janitor played by Crocker, is determined to expose the truth about Coolum's paranormal secrets.
Other cast members include Nick Simpson-Deeks (The Circuit, Winners and Losers), Patrick Brammal (Lowdown 2, At Home with Julia), Katherine Hicks (Rescue Special Ops, Out of the Blue) and Damon Herriman (Rake, Laid, Justified).
The series is produced by Hoodlum, the Emmy and BAFTA award-wining team behind interactive campaigns including Spooks, Lost and Flash Forward.
Executive producer Tracey Robertson said Hoodlum jumped at the chance to get involved.
"Not only could Hoodlum see the multiplatform potential of Daley's idea, but his comic talent was immediately apparent," she said.
ABC head of comedy Debbie Lee said The Strange Calls was a perfect fit for ABC2.
"We are delighted to be partnering with such an outstanding creative team to bring this unique, innovative and hilarious series to our screens," she said.
