Get to Know the Filmmaker: Andrew Barnsley Talks Season 2 of ‘Son of a Critch’
Producer Andrew Barnsley is behind series like The Kids in the Hall and Jann, as well as Schitt’s Creek, the show that swept up the 2020 Emmys. But it wasn’t Schitt’s Creek that was on the table when Casting Networks sat down with Barnsley via video call. Whilst getting to know the Canadian filmmaker, we wanted to hear his take on the second season of Son of a Critch.
We started at the beginning, kicking off the questions with a query about Barnsley’s “aha moment” when he chose filmmaking as his career path. Barnsley told us the answer was twofold. “So much of my career in production and filmmaking and television production has been in comedy,” he noted. “So, it was almost a decision to figure out how to bring comedy into my work life.”
The second part of his response includes a specific movie that “flipped the switch” when it came to pursuing a career in filmmaking. “It gave me a different perspective on my ambitions and opportunities I was seeking, in terms of growth professionally,” Barnsley told us.
You’ll have to watch the video to find out which film made such an impact on the trajectory of Barnsley’s career. But we will tell you one of his casting choices for a hypothetical series made about his life story. Along with two other actors Barnsley named, he mentioned Corey Stoll, which may or may not be the most spot-on self-casting in the history of Casting Networks asking that question.
From there, we had to get his take on season two of Son of a Critch. Barnsley executive produces the series based on Mark Critch’s award-winning memoir about coming of age in the ‘80s on an island in the North Atlantic. “We really are exploring new topics and new relationships in [the character] Mark’s life as he’s growing up in St. John’s, Newfoundland,” Barnsley said. “To me, the charm continues to be there — the heart continues to be there.”
Before the interview wrapped, we had a question for Barnsley about his role as president of the Toronto Film School (TFS). We wanted to know what he hoped students took away from their time at the university. As with all our questions, you’ll have to watch the video to get his full response. But we can tell you it included Barnsley’s desire for the way in which TFS graduates perceive industry work. “It’s a business of telling stories and sharing dreams, inspiring people,” Barnsley asserted.
You can catch all these insights and more in this on-camera installment of Get to Know the Filmmaker.
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This video interview has been edited and condensed.
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