VENICE “The OC” it ain’t.
A California beach-based show aimed at teenagers is about to hit the Web, but this one has nothing to do with the lovestruck, spoiled sect.
Produced by former “Welcome Back, Kotter” star Robert Hegyes, a Venice resident, “The Venice Walk” is a new Internet-based show that chronicles the travails of a retired NYPD cop who makes his way to the left coast to become a juvenile probation officer and the seven troubled teens under his charge.
The show has been billed as the “Anti-OC teenagers on probation,” a slight against some of the popular television shows that depict life by the beach as being nothing but a string of lavish parties and two-timing relationships amongst beautiful teenagers.
“This is showing what is really going on,” said Andrea McDonald, the series’ associate producer. “They’re telling their story to the world and I think that’s what people want to see; that’s what I want to see.”
The series premiered on June 14 with the release of the first of six “webisodes.” The 40-minute pilot was edited into six, seven-minute webisodes, one of which will be released each week.
The first episode introduces Paco (played by the former “Sweathog” Hegyes), the new probation officer getting situated in his Venice office and dealing with his first charge — a teenager by the name of Frank, a frequent face in the juvenile justice system for dealing drugs.
The roughly six-minute clip ends with Paco warning Frank that if he doesn’t sober up, he’ll be thrown in jail. Frank assures Paco that he’s clean, the exchange interspersed with another scene of Frank dealing drugs to his friend.
“It’s real edgy stuff,” Hegyes said Tuesday. “Some parts are very funny, some parts are very sad.”
It was back in 1991, long after both “Welcome Back, Kotter” and “Cagney & Lacey” had wrapped, when Hegyes began embarking on a career in production.
He began pitching the story for “The Venice Walk,” which back then was referred to as “The Big Apple,” but the idea never drummed up any interest among financiers.
“You’re in and out of the place more than the f**king cops are in the donut shop,” — Frank’s friend says in the episode
In 2006, Hegyes pitched “Big Apple” to writing partner Craig Titley, who wrote the screenplays for “Cheaper by the Dozen” and “Scooby-Doo.” Titley fell in love with the idea and the two began developing a series.
McDonald, a fellow Venice resident and graduate of Crossroads School, then came on board as the associate producer.
The local theme extends to the cast members, many of whom hail from the Westside.
More than 2,000 actors auditioned for 10 available roles. Though the job is nonpaying, appearing on the show may prove good exposure for the young actors, many of whom have never been cast in a television show or movie, Hegyes said.
Playing the part of probation officer Dr. Sam Collins, Tiffany Moretti, of Santa Monica, sees her involvement with the series as a stepping stone to larger roles. Moretti has made appearances in several television shows in the past.
Hegyes contacted Moretti a few months ago, encouraging the 27-year-old actress to audition for the role of Collins, a tough cookie from the East Coast who is hard on her charges.
Moretti was shocked when she read the script during the audition, her personality greatly contrasting with that of her character.
“She’s being strong and assertive,” Moretti said. “I think Dr. Collins has her own issues. It’s pretty interesting.”
Producers of “The Venice Walk” are currently in talks with NBC Universal and Sony/Grouper to finance the show on their online platforms.
Networks such as ABC, NBC, MTV and TBS are increasingly offering full episodes of some of their popular shows on their Web sites. Some networks, such as ABC, have even created original shows for the Web.
“In the last nine months, there are already platforms that are 24 hours of program-ming. Things are moving very quickly,” McDonald said. “It’s the wave of the future.”
The webisodes are available free online at www.thevenicewalk.com.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 21, 2007. Read the original PDF.