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A Hollywood sit-com called "The Rev."What do you do when your childhood dream to become a rock star still haunts you in your dreams? And what do you do when those dreams of becoming a rock star also involve the desire to gently share the Gospel? You create a Hollywood sit-com called "The Rev." John Carmen, creator, executive producer and lead actor in "The Rev " had 40 dreams about a Reverend who wants to save souls as much as he wants to perform rock and roll before deciding to make the dream come true. With a strong belief in himself and his idea, he saw incredible potential for a traditional sitcom that was clean, family oriented and hilarious. It was the perfect opportunity to combine elements of spirituality with every person's desire to be a star: and the number of story lines that could be spun from the concept was infinite! John approached veteran sitcom scribe Jim Geoghan. Jim applauded the idea of Johnny Starr, double N, double R, and penned the presentation pilot. Next to sign on to the project was Emmy award-winning producer, Deboragh Gabler. Impressed with John Carmen's creative drive and generosity of spirit, she jumped at the chance to work on a project that mixed humour with God. Deboragh saw 'good television' in "The Rev" and was drawn to the lead character who had such duality of nature. Moreover, she welcomed the uniqueness of building a show around a Reverend. Jim Geoghan and Deboragh both agreed that Kelly Sandefur would prove the perfect director for "The Rev." Deboragh had worked with Kelly recently and Jim Geoghan and Kelly went way back to the hit series "Family Matters." Kelly had produced 215 episodes over an eight year run and had a strong nose for successful comedy. Upon reading the script he felt that television needed "The Rev." With 25 years of experience in the sitcom business as editor, director and producer - he was the right man to do the job. Kelly affirmed John’s instinct that "The Rev" demanded a Hollywood sitcom look and feel with three-camera set-ups and a studio-created surreal world for the Starr family to inhabit. With all the key production professionals in place, the team set about to create and cast "The Rev." Vancouver's first three-camera sitcom was about to be born. Auditions were held and another "Family Matters" alumnus joined the team: Jo Marie Payton. Famous for her role as Harriette Winslow, Jo Marie fell in love with "The Rev" and was determined to win the role of 'Mama." With her well-equipped comedy tool kit and incredible presence, she pulled 'Mama' off the page and brought her to life. Well aware that directing is 99% casting, Kelly Sandefur was thrilled to connect with Jo Marie again. "She's such an amazing technician, has such chops, and is so funny" Jo Marie and John Carmen also became fast friends. According to Jo Marie, "John is this mixture of Elvis, John Wayne and Billy Graham. He has this look about him - you get the immediate sense that he is kind of spirit and easy going." Jo Marie feels "The Rev" has something magical about it. Her experience tells her that the longevity of a series must be built upon the premise that the show is something the whole family can watch; something they can enjoy together: "This is what "The Rev" offers." The reunion was not over yet: the production team hired Jo Marie's old friend, Tiny Lister. John Carmen met Tiny Lister serendipitously in Las Vegas and knew that he was the man to play Johnny Starr's older brother. In fact, John changed the older brother's character name from Rufus to 'Tiny' as a sign of respect and synchronicity. Out of all the cast members, Tiny was particularly drawn to the spiritual content of "The Rev" and loved that humor is being used to put good, moral lessons on television. Tiny feels like he's living a dream as he has been looking for an entertainment vehicle to talk about God. "It's so refreshing to be able to play a character that is so close to my heart: a good-guy who likes milk and cookies rather than play the hero's arch-enemy." Like everyone who comes into contact with John Carmen, Tiny savors his strong connection to him and loved the idea of playing his brother on screen. However, the two 'brothers' needed to be rounded out by a third: and in walked Simeon Taole. Simeon shared the same acting coach as John Carmen, Iris Quinn. When Iris heard about the pilot she encouraged Simeon to try and get an audition. In the meantime, Simeon was helping John Carmen with the rehearsal process and ultimately won everyone over. His character, Freddy Starr is a fun-guy, easy going, and gets into trouble. Freddy will be tested and have to learn, like many of the other leads, to test their faith in God. Simeon feels incredibly blessed to be acting with such seasoned, talented actors. He watched Jo-Marie Payton for years on Family Matters and believes that the way things are moving -it's almost as though a divine hand is pushing "The Rev" forward. Freddy parallels Johnny Starr in having ambitions for a music career - but he is seeking to become a rapper. Problem is, he's not very good at it. Sound familiar? But this doesn't stop either of Johnny or Freddy and opens up "The Rev" to the celebration of music. John Carmen sees incredible potential to incorporate musical guests and performances into the sitcom. John Ellison, who famously wrote the hit song 'She's Some Kind of Wonderful' is leading the way: he wrote the theme song for "The Rev." With a gentle nod to Bonanza's Cartwright brothers, the Starr brothers have incredible adventures ahead of them. But they needed a bad guy to help push them forward. Who better to play the evil real-estate developer Delbert Armstrong than "Empty Nest's" star David Leisure? David emphasizes that "It's not just one gimmick: The Rev offers characterizations of different types of people and I see the show developing, evolving and blossoming." He also relishes the opportunity to participate in "The Rev's" humor and gentle messaging. What he finds terrific is that there is a white guy being raised by a black family. John Carmen agrees. "We chose an interracial family because it gives "The Rev" zest - it's different and reflects a wonderful model." His sense is that "as long as there is love in the family. . .who cares?" Catherine Lough-Haggquist who plays 'Latrice' the cocktail waitress with a heart of gold goes even further. A product of an interracial marriage herself, she believes that "some of the strongest scenes are between Johnny Starr and Mama because you believe they are mother and son. The dynamic between John and Jo Marie seems so natural. Because you can buy their relationship it ceases to be an issue." While the theme of the series is gently religious and uses humor and the duality of the Johnny Starr's nature (the gospel and rock n' roll) to address life's challenges, the key for the creators is that "The Rev" never becomes preachy. The values are universal and not exclusionary to people of other faiths. The production team believes that people are ready for the church to be more relevant to life's challenges on a day to day basis. And Johnny Starr's Church may just prove to be the place to go. A real television family has been created in the making of the presentation pilot of "The Rev." Producers, cast and crew reinforced time and time again how much fun they were having making the show. As Deboragh Gabler said, "To have fun, to create laughter, this is God's work." Jo Marie Payton couldn't agree more. She hopes people will join the Starr family and think "I like these people, I really like them." John Carmen (aka Johnny Starr) is setting an example for all of us. He has a dream and he's making it come true. Click here to download PDF of The Rev Press KitContactJohn Carmen - Executive Producer
JoMarie Payton - Executive Consultant
Lori Thompson - Publicist |
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Copyright ©The Rev TV Series
2004, Sunny Days Productions, LLC |