Local Toronto actor, Hart Massey and his brother, Yale Massey decided to write and produce their own TV show. I had a chance to have a chat with Hart about the ‘Massey Bros’ production – ‘Hart of the Annex’. Check it out this month on Rogers!

1. Why did you decide to write your own tv show? What's the show about?

It all starts when you’re a lowly unemployed actor, and you feel rather invisible to casting agents when they shoot you down for the hundredth time for an Oscar Meyer Weener commercial. There sorta becomes a bit of a breaking point in your psyche when you realize, “Wait a second! I’m a smart guy. I’m university educated. I spent years studying and performing both onstage and in front of the camera. Maybe I wasn’t meant to be a dancing hotdog in a commercial anyway!”

But the odd part of being an actor is that doing commercials is a big part of the job. And unfortunately, so is being a waiter, a salesman, an ESL teacher and anything you might need to do in order to survive until your next gig. It’s really a lifestyle choice. And the more I delved into the acting scene, the more peculiar and hilarious some of those jobs became. But everyone told me you had to starve to be an actor. And coming from Forest Hill, most of the people I grew up with have become doctors, lawyers, accountants, and financial consultants. It’s pretty crazy when you invite your mom over for dinner in your first new apartment and you’re living in crack town!

So my brother, Yale, who is a director (and by the way, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a director or producer, it’s the same kind of lifestyle struggle) he thought it might make a good idea to write about our lives in our dumpy little apartment in the Annex. I guess from then on, our worlds just grew up. And they grew up together. Hilarious situations would happen to us and we would just write them down. We filmed a couple of pilots (at a disgustingly low budget), pitched them around and Rogers Television told us that if we made six episodes, we could build an audience on their network.

The timing couldn’t have been more perfect because Yale and I were running a corner store in the Annex that sold vintage clothing. We figured it was the perfect central location for a sitcom. We would literally be selling clothes and writing the series at the same time. And if some oddball would come into the store (and in the vintage clothing business, oddballs visit you in droves) we would just sit back and write a scene about them. Some of those visitors even made it into the show as actors. With reality television seeping in, the store was the perfect setting for a show about my life as a struggling actor working in a vintage clothing store, desperate to succeed so that he can get out of his day job and be able to afford the rent.

And that’s what the shows are about. It’s the story of our lives, just heightened a bit and a little more absurd.

2. What's it like working with your brother? 

Working with Yale is like the story of the tortoise and the hare. I’m like the hare. I’ve got a bit of that frenetic and fast paced mentality while Yale, the tortoise in this case, likes to take his time with things and make sure every detail is perfect. In many ways, this has been a race to the finish line. Can we make it to the Fall launch date or not? In total the whole project has been about 2 years in the making. For a hare like me, who works on the principle of action and getting out there and showing what you got, I have had to learn patience from my brother. That guy has been cool all the way through. I think it was the tortoise who won the race, wasn’t it?

3. What are your hopes and dreams for 'Hart of the Annex' - the person (you!) and the tv show?

We certainly want the show to spread beyond the Annex but starting off local is a good thing for us. This is our first show on television, so at least we have a bit more of the hometown crowd behind us. We can probably make a few more mistakes in our first season without getting squashed. But I won’t hide the fact that we’d like to make another season with a much bigger budget (one that doesn’t come from our back pockets), and a national audience. We’re hoping to get it made and we now recognize that it’s a process.

For Hart Massey, I hope he finally makes it. Whether it’s on this show or not. Even though I created it, I think it’s the biggest shot I’ve ever gotten. And for some people that’s what you need to do in order to get that chance.

4. Where can we see the show? What time, channel etc.

Hart of the Annex will finally hit the air in the GTA on Rogers Channel 10/63 on September 22nd. I think they like it over there because they’re playing it 8 times a week. The best times to catch it are Thursday 8pm, Saturday 7:30pm, Sunday 10:30pm, and for you drunken lot that didn’t get lucky on Friday night we’re on at 2am. It’ll be good for a laugh because Hart doesn’t get very lucky either.

If you don’t get Rogers, then you can order the DVD online at www.hartoftheannex.com. It’s only $20. We’re trying to keep it affordable for the artists.

5. Who will enjoy watching this show?

I think anybody who likes comedy and situational dilemmas is going to appreciate Hart of the Annex. It’s the story of the guy who is struggling to make it and there are enough people out there who can relate to that experience who will enjoy the show, whether you’re an actor or not. I’ll tell you the programs that influence us: Seinfeld, Cheers, Three’s Company, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Trailer Park Boys. If you get that humour and style, you’ll enjoy our show.

6. What's next for the Massey Bros?

I guess a lot of that depends on how the show goes. We’re hoping for another season out of this. It was always a dream to do 12 episodes and we have a three part trilogy in the works which is currently entitled “Death of an Actor”. Stay tuned to see if Hart dies.