The Honourable Schoolboy
June 13, 2023
Soon, books began to appear.
Published in 1991 by Greey de Pencier Books in Toronto, novels based on the characters of the series began appearing in bookstores across Canada. Say Yes, written by Joan Weir, Secret Ballot, written by Joan Weir and Crossroads, written by Ian Weir (who also wrote Northwood scripts) were paperbacks, about 120 pages long, that focused on issues seen as specific to the age of our audience. On the back cover of Say Yes, for example, it read “When you’re on the threshold of adulthood, where do your allegiances lie? Jason and Maria are young lovers involved in a new romance. Jason is also a hockey jock, trying to impress the coach and his father. Playing hard and tough is the easy way for Jason to be a hockey hero, but it’s also a sure way to lose Maria. Can he figure out a way to satisfy his coach and teammates without jeopardizing his new love?”
Of course, when I first saw copies of the book, I was flipping through to see if Peter Andersson showed up. He’s definitely not prominent, but there’s a passage where Peter is talking with Jason in the rink dressing room before hockey. Beyond learning that he and Jason had played on the same hockey team for four years, since they were twelve, and that Pete was named after his dad’s favourite brother who had drowned in a boating accident, it was odd to read words coming from Pete’s mouth that I would never say in the show. Could I have already become possessive over all things Peter? Here’s an example of Pete’s words, in relation to Jason’s dad seeming to be avoiding his own son.
“Jase, chill out. Maybe it’s got nothing to do with you, Maybe things are rough for him at work. Being a shop steward at the shipyard can’t be much of a picnic when the union is so touchy.” Hmmm. Beyond reiterating that Pete was not exactly inspired to be the NHL star his own dad wanted him to be, there wasn’t much more here on Pete.
I wonder what kind of novel Pete might have been featured in? Perhaps on the back cover might have been written. “It’s tough being sixteen and caught in a love triangle…” or maybe “How do you tell your own father you’re going to let him down?…” or perhaps “When athlete’s foot hits, it hits fast…”
Seriously though, I wonder if this was a small taste of what actors who have action figures made of their characters feel like: a sense of possession, wondering how your character has been turned into a commodity, this person you’ve tried to do your best to breathe life into. It’s another reminder that a prominent character on a TV series or movie is a collaboration between writer, producer, director, and a whole bunch of crew and marketing folks. The actor, ultimately, is but the delivery vehicle.
