Season 8 of Canada’s favorite mockumentary, Trailer Park Boys, premiers Friday, September 5th on Netflix. It’s been seven years since Ricky, Julian, and Bubbles have made a new season of the show, though they’ve released specials and films since then.

1. It Was One Of The First Mockumentary TV Shows In The Modern Era, Predating The UK version of The Office

While Ricky Gervais certainly didn’t invent the mockumentary style, he did bring it to the attention of the people in charge of green lighting TV shows. After the massive success of US version of The Office, there were tons of new mockumentary style TV shows. But what you don’t know is, The Trailer Park Boys premiered on Canada’s Showcase channel 3 months before The Office on April 22nd, 2001. Series creator, Mike Clattenburg, made a short mockumentary film called “One Last Shot”, which he eventually devolped into the show.

2. A 15 Year Old Ellen Page Shows Up In Season 2

Way before Hard Candy, Juno and X-Men, a young Canadian girl by the name of Ellen Page showed up in the second season of Trailer Park Boys as Sunny Vale Trailer Park Supervisor Jim Lehey’s daughter. She hasn’t shown her face since and no real references have been made to her since. Which is probably for the best since her “dad”, Jim Lehey, turned into a insane, bisexual, alcoholic, weed smoking mad man in later seasons.

3. The Actors Who Played Trevor & Corey Left They Show Because They Were Being Treated Like Their Characters In Real Life

These two characters, who were fan favorites, were the moronic lackeys to Ricky and Julian for the first six seasons of the show. They dissapeared mysteriously between seasons and no one knew what happened. Eventually, the actor who portrayed Trevor, Michael Jordan, posted a blog telling their side of the story. They blamed shitty pay and mistreatment as to why they eventually decided to leaved, calling out the producers of the show.

http://saintjohnshawn.com/2007/06/13/trailer-park-boys-what-really-happened-to-corey-and-trevor/

4. Jim Lahey Is A Shakespearean Trained Actor

John Dunsworth, who plays Jim Lahey Trailer Park Supervisor, wasn’t always the mad man he seems like on television. Before linking up with series creator Mike Clattenburg, Dunsworth was immersed in local theater in Halifax and created his own playhouse.

5. Series Creator Mike Clattenburg Has Nothing To Do With This New Season

The guy who started it all won’t be with the boys this time around. The rights to the show were bought from him by Ricky, Julian and Bubbles so now this new season is totally in their hands. Mike gave them his blessing. They all became writers on the show as the seasons went on so have some solace in that.

6. Bubbles Had His Own Bar In Halifax Called Bubbles Mansion

In 2006, Mike Smith – who plays Bubbles, opened his own bar based on the character and show called Bubbles Mansion. By 2010 it closed down. They blamed the city ordinance that banned them from charging $1 for drinks in downtown Halifax. After the price sky rocketed to $2.50, they could no longer compete. If only anyone in Halifax had a job, maybe the business could of flourished.

7. They Built Their Own Trailer Park To Shoot The Show In

The first few seasons were shot in trailer parks around Nova Scotia until so many complaints built up against them that they weren’t allowed to come back to film. They ended up buying a plot of land for season 5 and constructing their own trailer park set in the actors home town. During the hiatus between seasons that set is no longer around and they ended shooting this new season in a trailer park in Truro, Nova Scotia. Lets hope they can control themselves this time.

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