Leila Basen has written numerous episodes of Heartland, the family favourite that airs on CBC Sunday nights. She learned firsthand about just how far and wide the show is loved and appreciated one year while travelling across the continent.
“It was Easter Weekend in 2010 and I was driving my pickup truck from Quebec to Alberta, heading out to start work on the fourth season of Heartland,” she recalls. “Hearing an unfortunate grinding sound coming from the engine, I pull off the highway. I’m in Bismarck, North Dakota, and manage to find a GMC dealer that’s open. There’s desperation in my voice as I explain that I have to be in Alberta the next day because I start work on a television series. One thing led to another and it turned out that the boys in the garage loved Heartland - it was their favourite series. They opened the shop especially for me on Easter Sunday and I was back on the road by noon.
[ — ]
In a bid to take CBC’s coveted Sunday night slot back to nostalgic family viewing like The Beachcombers or Road to Avonlea, Heartland creators took the show about horses and the people who love them and shifted the locale to mountainous Alberta.
As Leila Basen, one of the writers for the show explains, "The thing about Heartland, it was based on a series of books written by a British writer with stories set in Connecticut. The original pilot was to be show in horse country outside Montreal, the idea being that it was a generic eastern seaboard location. The CBC’s genius move was to move the stories to the foothills of the Rockies and be loudly and proudly Albertan. The series has sold all over the world, even a hit in North Dakota, without ever compromising its Canadian pedigree, both in front of and behind the camera. So to me, this move by the CRTC is a throwback to the bad old days when D-list American showrunners would come up to Canada to run throughly forgettable shows.”
Throwback Thursday: Heather Conkie answers fan questions! (March 2010)
Q: Congratulations Heather, Heartland is awesome. Like everybody here on blog I ever dreamed to ask you one question. It might be a little bit difficult, because we don't know so much of you as we know about every cast member and his/her role. I think Heartland wouldn't be the same without Mallory. So I was wondering how you got this idea (because she is not in the books of Lauren Brooke)? The idea of such a great person... funny and always loved. Thank you so much, Heather. You do a great job! ;) Greets from Germany, by the way. Posted by: Tiishirt on March 15, 2010 at 10:18 AM
A: I totally agree. Heartland wouldn't be the same without Mallory. When we were developing the first season we felt really strongly that we needed to represent a wide range of generations in the show. And so a twelve year old Mallory was added even though no character like her is in the books. I loved the idea of an only child, way too old and wise for her years who has an uncanny way of seeing things clearly and insightfully, a kid who actually says what other people only allow themselves to think. She adds a lot of humour to the show - especially in her scenes with Jack - and it's been a pleasure watching Jessica Amlee bring her to life.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Heartland is such a great show! I love going downstairs to sit in front of the tv anxiously waiting for the newest episode to air and i am never dissapointed :) my question for you is i noticed that on the heartland music list there are many songs by mathew barber. What helps you decide which songs to use in an episode? Thanks so much for taking the time to answer our questions!!! Posted by:Holly on March 15, 2010 at 11:46 AM
A: So glad you like the show, Holly! Picking the end song is one of my favourite things to do. It's such an amazing feeling when you hear the right one - the one that makes what's on the screen even more emotional and meaningful and captures the theme of the episode in words and music. When I get chills or goose bumps or choked up a bit or all three I know I've found it. Matthew Barber's songs seem to be incredibly suited to the tone of Heartland. I think we've used almost all his songs from his first CD. His new CD is just out and we've already used a track from it too. Wait for it at the end of episode 318. I am so glad we can give Canadian artists a boost because there is so much talent out there, including of course, Jenn Grant - I never get tired of hearing our opening credits.
Q: Hey Heather! I just have to say you write Heartland PERFECTLY! Any ways my question: When you write, do you just write as you go along or do you plan it all out then write it? Posted by:Jenna on March 15, 2010 at 05:15 PM
A: Thank you so much, Jenna! Actually a lot of planning goes into the season as a whole and each of the individual scripts. I have a team of writers who work with me - you've seen their names on the screen credits - Leila Basen and David Preston, who write as a team, and Mark Haroun and Ken Craw. We sit down and work out an overall arc for the entire upcoming season and then individual arcs for all the episodes and characters. Then we figure out story lines that push all the arcs forward. Scripts always start with an Outline and then move to a Draft that has all the dialogue in it. Sometimes when I write a script though, the ending might be quite different to what I had in mind when I started.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Greetings, Heather! Heartland has become one of the few shows I watch on a regular basis, and a lot of it has to do with the consistency in quality story-telling and the performances of the wonderful cast. Thanks for providing us with wholesome entertainment! It is clear to me that you are gifted in the writing department, as you've been honoured in the past with several awards and nominations. My question to you is: "Why television?" (as opposed to novels, short stories, or even feature films, etc.) Thank you kindly for answering these fan questions. Posted by:TC on March 16, 2010 at 08:45 PM
A: Thank you, TC for the kind words. I always look forward to reading your thoughts and comments on the Blog. Why television? Because I love it! I love the whole process - the writing, the filming, the fabulous cast and crew who make it happen, working with the picture and sound editors and the composer. I still get a thrill seeing it on the air for the first time even though by then I've probably watched it ten trillion times. Well, maybe not that many. Writing feature films would be wonderful too, I definitely haven't closed the door on that possibility. But I like the immediacy of television. Sometimes work on a feature can last years from development to completion. I can be part of producing 18 hours of television in the same time frame. Novels are not out of the question. It's something I plan on.
Q: Hi Heather, First of all, thank you so much for answering all of these questions! You and all of the other writers do such a good job on Heartland - every episode is just outstanding! So, on to my question: What was the inspiration beides being for drama behind Peter being a love interest for Lou instead of someone like Scott, whom she ends up marrying in the books? I'm asking this because I've seen a lot of blog posters questioning this exact fact. Once again, you and everyone else are absolutely amazing, and I look forward to season 4 and the Christmas movie! Posted by:Milly on March 15, 2010 at 03:27 PM
A: There really is a Peter camp and a Scott camp. The writers and I like to keep the audience on their toes and yes, keep the drama going. At this point we don't even know what road our Lou will eventually take. Life is like that. You never can tell what the future might bring.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Q:Hi Heather! 'WoW'; one word to sum up all that you did with Heartland! You, the rest of the crew and the actors really made this show special and loved. Heartland has become more than a show to me, but its become part of my life (in a good way!) I'm just glad that we have you to deliver it!!! On to my question regarding music: What made you choose 'Dreamer' by Jenn Grant, and what other song(s) would you have chosen if not 'Dreamer' for Heartland's theme song? I'm looking forward to you answering this. Thanks for taking the time to do this for us Heather!! We really appreciate it!!!!!!!!! :) Posted by:Sarah on March 15, 2010 at 12:51 PM
A: Thank you so much, Sarah. We love the show too and believe me, it's become a huge part of my life as well. In a good way. It's a great question. Originally, we scored the opening credits with a beautiful "big country, big sky" sounding piece of music. Very orchestral. And then our music director sent us "Dreamer". Once the song was edited to fit the opening credit sequence - it was one of those goose bump moments. It was fresh. It was original. And so well suited to Amy, her amazing gift with horses, and the images on the screen.
Q: Hi Heather, I'm very excited to get the chance to ask you a question because I've always wondered who had your job in the heartland series. Besides from the actors and actress, my favourite parts of heartland are the scripts, characters, music and everything else...... :) When you write the scripts (which i absolutly LOVE, by the way) how long does it take you to right a script for a full episode? Thanks so much for everything, you really do make Heartland just that much more special. From Heartland's biggest fan, Francesca. Posted by: Francesca on March 15, 2010 at 07:56 PM
A: Thanks so much, Francesca. The Outline stage of a script is always the most time consuming. It's when I figure out the themes and arcs of the episode and where the story fits into the season. I love writing the Draft, adding the dialogue, hearing the voices of the characters. The Draft goes through lots of revisions before it goes to camera. I guess it's about a two month process from beginning to end. And the writers are never just writing one script. We work on a few at a time.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A: Our audience is pretty savvy and keeping them surprised is always a challenge. And yes, those cliffhangers are part of the strategy. We try to take our characters down a road with unexpected twists and turns but more importantly, that road still has to be believable and honest. I wish you all the best in your path to being a writer.
Q: Hi Heather, You are amazing! Every week I sit down in front of the tv and am never disapointed. Each episode just keeps getting better and better!!! I know you have kept something from the book series, changed somethings and created completely new things like different characters and horses but do you ever go to Lauren Brooke the author and talk about different things like the script, story-line, and characters? thanks so much for taking time out of yor busy schedule to answer our questions. :) Keep up the good work! Posted by:Kelly on March 15, 2010 at 05:53 PM
A: Hi Kelly. So glad that you think the episodes are getting better and better. The Heartland series of books gave us a great start and a wonderful source of inspiration. We've taken quite a few of the stories from the books and built on them, especially in the first two seasons. I've never spoken to Lauren Brooke but the publisher is apparently very pleased with where we've taken the characters and happy with the ones we've added, both human and equine.
Q: First Heather...Thank you for helping to bring a wonderful CANADIAN drama to the CBC. I love this show and as a family this is the time where we sit around the ole tv together and watch what we consider a most excellent Canadian adventure. It gives us the opportunity as a family to discuss many of the issues and events that happen in front of us...AGAIN A Big Thank You (Merci) from the Belle Province. So my question is : What is a typical day of work for you? I'm fascinated with the workings of behind the scenes folks..! Thank you for taking the time to do this...it's greatly appreciated!! Posted by: Dalaigh on March 16, 2010 at 01:06 PM
A: Every day is different which I love. But for instance, we just finished shooting the Heartland Christmas movie and a typical day was getting up at about 5:30 AM in the dark, driving forty five minutes outside of Calgary to our "circus" where all the trailers are parked (cast, producers, hair, makeup, costumes etc) have scrambled eggs from the catering truck and then get taken to set - in this case an incredibly beautiful dry river bed surrounded by fifty foot cliffs. With a dozen horses. Scenes with Amy, Ty, Jack and Tim are blocked, rehearsed and shot with both horses and cast. We work six hours and then return to circus for lunch. More scenes are shot in the afternoon. Outlines and Drafts of scripts for season four are also coming in and I read them and make notes. I'm also working on my own Draft of episode 401 so it's never far from my mind. We finish shooting at around 6:30 or 7 PM and head back to Calgary. There might be time to grab a quick dinner if there is a restaurant still open. I usually listen to music at the end of the day to chill out. And the next day it starts all over again, but at a different location. In a regular season workday I work with the other writers, have phone calls with our composer "spotting" music cues for upcoming episodes, listen to potential closing songs, work on my own scripts and give notes on the ones being written by the other writers, visit the set, work with the directors who are in prep for upcoming episodes, consult with the casting agents for guest roles. My day often ends in the editing room looking at the latest cut of a show. All in all, very busy, but exciting and rewarding. It takes a lot of people to make a show like Heartland and I am fortunate to work with such a talented and funny and good natured group. It's all about collaboration.
Q: Heather! Hi from Australia : ) Just thought I would say that you are the best person for the job - as you are faithful to the books, but use your own imagination and make each episode the very best! Ok, here is my question...What is the funniest request you have had from an actor in Heartland, for you to do to their character? Posted by:The_Heartland_Fan on March 15, 2010 at 10:52 PM
A: No one has asked me anything totally outrageous but Graham was absolutely begging to have a motorcycle written back this season (episode 314) even though he completely ripped his pants and came close to injuring himself doing an unplanned wheelie on his old motorcycle in season 1.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Hey Heather! I am a HUGE heartland fan and i might as well tell that to the writer of the show! Because without you, i would be heartland free and that wouldn't be a fun life... So thank you for writing all those great episodes!! My question is: Are you going to write an episode that will ever include Caleb's parents? I've always wondered about them... Thank you so much! Everyone in the USA says hi!! Posted by: Margaret on March 16, 2010 at 05:44 AM
A: And a big "Hi" back to everyone in the USA. I think you must be a fly on the wall in the writer's room because we just recently had a discussion about Caleb's parents and what sort of people they might be. And yes, there is an event down the road that may just be the time to introduce them.
Q: Heather: Congratulations on producing such a wonderful show. I like the fact that it has humour, drama and good clean fun. My question is-- Amber has such a beautiful singing voice ( I loved her duet with Jack in "True Enough".) Will we be hearing her sing in any future episodes? Posted by:Sheila on March 16, 2010 at 03:08 PM
A: Again, I think we have spies in the writing room. I'm writing an episode for season four where we will definitely give Amber a chance to show off her vocal talent. Because yes, she does have a beautiful voice. Shaun brings his guitar to set and in between filming he and Amber are often found hanging out, singing together. They're great to listen to.
Q: Hi Heather. Amazing job with Heartland, the episodes are just unbelievable but I have always had this question and you are the best person to ask. Why isn't Sundance- Amy's buck-skin, ill mannered, tempered pony- part of the T.V series? He was always such an important horse in Amy's life in the books so I was wondering were he went. Thank you so much for taking time off to answer our questions! Posted by:Eve on March 15, 2010 at 08:24 PM
A: Thanks for the question Eve. We wanted Amy's main horse (Spartan) to be the one that she and her mom rescued in episode one of the series. If you recall, that rescue ended tragically with the death of Amy's mom. After the accident Amy and Spartan had a lot in common. They were both emotionally fragile and afraid to be hurt again and that was a big inspiration in our story telling. Over the three seasons, Amy and Spartan (Amber and Stormy) have developed a strong emotional bond, both on and off camera. But as to Sundance, I haven't ruled him out. He may very well appear sometime in the future.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Hey Heather, thank you for participating in the Heartland questions and answers, a new Canadian tradition right up there with Roll Up the Rrrrrim! My question for you, in keeping with a Twe tradition (not nearly as widespread as Tim Hortons) is: What is your favorite comfort food? Like, what do you eat when you need to come up with a super fantastic expiallidocius plotline? I am making a masterlist of Heartland favorite foods. Posted by: Twe on March 17, 2010 at 04:17 PM
A: Hey Twe - I love pasta - especially linguine with pesto sauce, but if I were to tell the whole truth, I would confess to a passion for plain old mac and cheese. With ketchup.
Q: Hi Heather, Thanks to you and your writing team for making my favourite show on TV. I've even got most of my friends and family watching it :) I find a lot of shows will keep the main couple apart because I think they feel that a happy couple is boring. I completely disagree and think that you guys have done a terrific job keeping the drama in a (mostly) happy relationship. My question is that do you feel that you can keep writing interesting stories where Amy and Ty stay together? Posted by:Sandy on March 17, 2010 at 06:08 PM
A: That's a very good observation, Sandy. We tried to keep Amy and Ty apart for the first two seasons and it wasn't easy. And I'm sure you noticed some of the reactions on the blog. Most people wanted them to be a couple sooner than later. But I'm glad we waited as long as we did because it made it a far more poignant moment when they told each other how they felt at the end of episode 218. And I was the lucky writer who got to type those lines. I think Mallory spoke for a lot of fans at the end of that episode when she remarked to Jake on her way out of the room - "Finally." Keeping them together this season has been fun. I really loved writing episode 303 where Ty gives Amy a promise ring. But every relationship has its ups and downs and theirs will be no exception. As they grow and mature, their stories will reflect that - hopefully in a real and interesting way.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Q:hey Heather! heartland is an amazing family friendly show, which is hard to find these days. :P when i watched the episode for the first time, i had my doubts about how well this show was going to turn out. I mean, first of all it was based in Canada instead of Virginia (which is perfectly fine with me, cause im Canadian! go Canada!), lou had dark hair instead of blonde, and just other minor details that really stood out to me. But once I saw more and more episodes, I was amazed at how well it justified the books. It stuck true to the whole concept of the story of heartland. As the show progressed, I saw what a wonderful job all the actors had done at portraying the roles, and didn't have any more doubts about the show. No matter how much the show changed from the novel series, it seemed to become even better! I applaud you in the awesome script writing for the show. :) My question for you is : how did the idea come about to have Ty come into the story as a person with a troubled past needing to stay at heartland under some sort of parole, rather than being a stable hand who worked on the heartland setting and was already a friend of amy's, as in the novels? Heartland is a great show, and keep up the good work! Every episode keeps me waiting in suspense, or has me crying along with the actors. You have a true gift at the art of script writing! Enjoy the sunny unpredictable whether of Alberta! It's got to be better than the constant rain here in BC! :P Posted by: tiffany on March 17, 2010 at 06:25 PM
A: Thank you for your very kind words, Tiffany. I'm glad you have an appreciation for both the books and the TV series. Right from the first days of development it was my goal to give Ty a backstory that could be peeled like an onion through many seasons. I wanted to give his character a little more dimension and a chance to change and grow as the episodes unfolded. I also wanted him to have a bit of an aura of mystery. In many ways, when Ty first arrived, he was just about as damaged as some of the horses that Amy deals with and that gave us way more to work with than if he had been Amy's friend from the start. Instead he had to earn her friendship... and eventual love.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Hey Heather! It's amazing that you've been involved in writing this great series! I read a LOT, maybe to much so it's not a surprise that I want to be a writer myself in the future (specifically script writer) and my question is: What are good things to know and skills to have to become a successful writer? Posted by: Savanah on March 17, 2010 at 07:00 PM
A: You need to be a fabulous eavesdropper. I'm serious. Some of the best lines of dialogue have come from conversations I have overheard. So carry a little note book around with you. And you need to be super self disciplined. I'm still working on that. Good luck and I hope you achieve your dream to be a writer.
Q: My question for you Heather....how much involvement do you actually have on set or are you more involved with the writing process? :) Thanks Posted by: 3blindmice on March 18, 2010 at 01:58 AM
A: I am involved in both. I try to be on set as much as I possibly can. We have cast read throughs before every episode but it really helps to hear the actors on set and help them out if they are having any problems with the dialogue.
Q: Hi Heather! I just wanted to say how impressed I have been with the season so far! It is absolutely fantastic. I have never come across a TV series so well acted, directed, written an filmed. It is my favorite TV to watch, because so many of the struggles that happen to each of the different characters, seem to tie in with every day family struggles :) Thank you for everything that you have done, Heather! Alright so my 1 question from a million is: Who has been the hardest character to write? Thanks so much! Posted by: Phoebs on March 15, 2010 at 05:53 PM
A: Wow! That's a lot of praise. Thank you so much Phoebs. That's also a hard question. I think it's easier to answer if I tell you who I find the easiest to write for. I love writing for Mallory. Her round about but totally honest assessments of people and situations are fun to do. I totally get Jack. I love that Amy can be a bit black and white in her opinions - there's very few grey areas there. I like that she understands and tolerates animals better than she does people. Caleb has a style of talking all of his own - yes he does. And so does Ashley. Heartland is peopled with so many characters of different ages and definite personalities that it's a joy to write. I love it when I can hear their voices in my head. I sometimes talk out loud when I'm writing. And yes, I cry at the emotional bits.
Q: I love the Heartland shows! I have a question for you: How did you decide on which horses to use in the TV series after hearing about them in the books? Did you think about what you thought that they would look like? Thanks for answering all these questions, and I hope that there will be lots more seasons of Heartland! Posted by:Teri on March 15, 2010 at 07:00 PM
A: Hey Terri, we have a wonderful animal wrangler, John Scott who finds the horses and all the other critters for Heartland. I guess we have a mixture of horses on the show - some from the books and some original to the TV series. In my imagination, Spartan was always a dark horse and we were lucky that John provided us with such a wonderful animal to play him. He and Amber have a real connection and it shows on screen. In the same way, when I read about Pegasus, he was always a larger than life white horse. The horse who played Pegasus has the most beautiful soulful eyes. He was perfect as the horse with a past - Tim's favourite rodeo horse and the horse that Amy's mom treated, discovering her healing talents. Sugar Foot turned out beyond my wildest dreams. He is so adorable. He's also a brat. He loves to eat anything sweet. I also have a soft spot for Max, the big St. Bernard who is almost as big as a horse.
Q: Great show! Everyone i know agrees. Where do you plan on taking Heartland, as you go further on with more seasons in the future? Posted by:natalie on March 15, 2010 at 11:19 AM
A: Thanks Natalie. We plan to continue to make it a family saga that is believable and honest. We want the audience to get to know our characters like they would old friends. I have all sorts of scenarios in my head for future episodes. Thanks to you and fans like you, we hope to stay around for a while to come.
Q: I was wondering if you like working with animals and whats your fav.? Posted by: Bailey on March 15, 2010 at 04:23 PM
A: I love working with animals. The horses are wonderful and all have personalities of their own. But I think my absolute favourite animal was the baby cougar in episode 306. I couldn't stop playing with it. SO CUTE!
Q: Hey Heather. There's nothing I can say that can sum up everything you've brought into Heartland and done with the show. I watch it every week along with all my friends. I love how you bring out the drama, emotions, and character in every single person on Heartland. You give them all a chance to really show who they are and what they can do. Its hard to pick a question for you because there's so many to choose from. OK so my question is, Did you plan just to follow the books by Lauren Brooke or did you want this to be something that fit into Lauren Brooke's Heartland world yet still be your own masterpiece(as you could call it) Thanks so much for taking the time to answer our questions and we all look forward to see what you have planned for Heartland in the future(hopefully many, many more seasons)
crazycowgirl Posted by: crazycowgirl on March 15, 2010 at 07:26 PM
A: I read all the Heartland books over one week when I started working on the series and I thought they were incredibly well written. I definitely wanted the series to fit with Lauren Brooke's world but books and TV are very different mediums. I wanted to augment that world with a new setting, some new characters and different story lines. I wanted to give the existing characters some more layers and dimension because week after week of episodes gives you such a wonderful chance to get to know and develop them as real people. But the books gave us an amazing base from which to go from.
Q: I'm really glad to have the opportunity to ask you a question, since you're behind the storylines for Heartland. Heartland has given me a lot of inspiration as a writer because when I was little I badly wanted to write horse stories. Then as I got older, I realized that a lot of the horse stories I used to read were actually pretty shallow when it came to characterization and plot, so I moved on to other types of fiction. But I always told myself, "Someday I will write a horse story that is both horsy and good quality fiction." And then came the Heartland TV series, and showed me that it is indeed possible to have both horses and awesome storylines. It's hard to settle on just one question about how you make it happen, but here goes! How do you balance the desires of horse fans (the ones who always want more about the horses) and those of people fans (the ones who love the character drama--like me) when planning the storylines for a season? For example, I've noticed that the plotlines involving people continue to develop throughout the season, where a plotline involving a certain horse often only lasts one episode. Is that how you find the balance? Posted by: Key on March 16, 2010 at 01:33 PM
A: You're a very keen observer, Key, and that makes me think you have the makings to be a good writer. I have to admit that when I started this project I had some doubts as to whether I could keep it out of the realm of horse story of the week. But the horses on the show have become characters just as much as the humans have. We try to have long arcs with the Heartland horses - Spartan, Pegasus for example. The horses that Amy treats and works with are, as you say, usually episodic, but occasionally I want to revisit them. I think we have struck a really good balance between the character drama and Amy's involvement with her horse "clients". I also like to think that some of the horse story fans have been drawn into the human drama and vice versa.
Q: What the best part of working on the set ? Posted by: sophia1234 on March 15, 2010 at 12:30 PM
A: The catering. Not to mention the most absolutely fabulous cast and crew that there ever was, the most talented animal wranglers and stunt people I have ever worked with and the beautiful Alberta scenery.
Throwback Thursday: Q and A with Heartland’s Story Department (November 2007)
Who's Mallory? Why did Ty's last name change? Will Ty and Amy get together? We passed on your questions to the busy folks in Heartland's Story Department. Here are their answers:
Q: I know there are only something like 23 books, but will the producers go beyond that amount, or will it just be one season and that's it?
A: In the first season of Heartland, our writers (Heather Conkie, David Preston and Leila Basen) have drawn from some of the story lines found in the first 8 books of the series. There are also several episodes that use Lauren Brooke's novels as a launching point, but mostly come from the imaginations of the writers.
As for a second season of Heartland, that's a decision that the CBC will be making over the next few months. Although there are many factors involved in whether or not a series goes to a second season, one of the major considerations is audience numbers. If you'd like to see another season of Heartland, the best thing you can do is keep watching and tell all your friends and family to watch too!
Q: I don't get why they made Ty so different than in the book (in the book he's not a criminal and he already knows about horses)? Why did they change things from the book? Who the heck is Mallory?
A: We get asked this question a lot. Fans of the books are often surprised by the way in which the writers chose to portray Ty. Although it may seem on the surface like TV-Ty and Book-Ty are polar opposites, as the season progresses, you'll see Ty change and grow in many ways. While TV-Ty may have a different back-story than Book-Ty, the heart of the character remains the same.
The other changes the writers made, such as the addition of Mallory's character, are meant simply to create good television. Because a novel and a TV show are two very different mediums, it's not always possible to adapt a book directly into a teleplay. So the rule of thumb is this - if a writer creates a story line or character that's not in the book, it should fit into the world that Lauren Brooke has originated without seeming out of place. We think Mallory fits right in with the Fleming Family and adds a unique and humourous perspective to the show. We hope you agree!
Q: Why are some of the character and place names in the TV series different than in the book?
A: Some of the names have been changed for clearance reasons. All this means is, we check to make sure we're not using names that may come into conflict with real people and places. For example, we changed "Green Briar" to "Briar Ridge" because there is a real stable called Greenbriar.
Q: Why is it that in the first episode, Amber (Amy) is wearing a jacket and there's snow and she goes to school -- and then in the second she's on summer holidays?
A: The writers wanted enough time to pass between the pilot and the second episode to give Amy a chance to grieve the loss of her mother. That way, when we come back in Ep. 2, Amy has returned to a certain kind of routine at Heartland.
Q: Does Lauren Brooke have any input into the show? Does she like it?
A: Lauren Brooke isn't involved in the making of the television series, but we're all big fans of the books, so we hope she's enjoying our interpretation.
Q: Is there a real horse whisperer who works with the show?
A: While we don't have somebody on set who calls themselves a "horse whisperer," we do have a very experienced team of wranglers who train the horses to perform the incredible stunts you see in each episode.
Q: I was wondering if Amy always rides Western or is it different horses that you use different saddles for, or what?
A: So far, Amy has been riding Spartan mostly Western, but as the season progresses, you'll see her riding English more often, particularly as we get closer to the Fall Finale.
Q: Is Amy going to date Ty? Is Ty going to come back? Is Ashley going to date Ty?
A: You'll have to tune in on Sunday Dec 2 to find out!
Throwback Thursday: “Writing a hit television series with horses in it” - Interview with Heather Conkie and Leila Basen in 2008
Head Writer and Executive Producer Heather Conkie and the writing team of Leila Basen and David Preston wrote the first season of the award-winning CBC family drama Heartland. This year they are hard at it again, writing an eighteen episode second season. Added to the team of writers are Mark Haroun, Susin Nielsen and Penny Gummerson.
For two time Emmy award winner Heather Conkie, poring through the series of books by British author Lauren Brooke revealed a host of horse characters and her writing team had to decide which horses they would use in the adaptation to the television series.
"The Heartland book series is centred around horses," said Heather, "and when we started writing the outlines at the start of the first season we knew that we wanted a stable of horses that would become actual characters in the series, characters that the audience would come to recognize, know and love. There are so many horses in the books, we had to pick the ones that we felt were the absolute best for the ranch."
"First and foremost," said Heather, was Pegasus. "Pegasus was Amy's father's horse when he was a rodeo star," she explains, "And he was also the horse that her father was riding when they were both badly injured in a rodeo event. Even when the vets wanted to put him down, Marion, Amy's mother refused to give up on Pegasus and it was through this horse that she discovered she had a talent for healing horses, a skill that Amy finds she has inherited. Her ability to carry on Marion's work helped Amy recover from her mother's tragic death and has made her who she is today. So Pegasus holds the key to a lot of things in the series.”
And of course, there's Spartan, Amy's horse, who was played during season one by three separate horses - one to play the calm and gentle Spartan that Amy rides and bonds with, one to be the crazy, feisty and traumatised Spartan that was in the accident that killed Amy's mom, and a third to be the Spartan that Amy rides in the competitions.
The upcoming second season is going to introduce two new horses - a wild mustang Appaloosa that Amy names Ghost and also Storm - a beautiful jumping horse that Amy's father, Tim buys for her for her 16th birthday. However, the fabulous present becomes a problem, because with the gift comes great fatherly expectations. Amy and her dad are at a point where they are just starting to get reacquainted and it puts a world of pressure on the relationship. Amy finds herself - like a lot of kids these days - under pressure. She has chores, she has school, she has her first love which is taking care of the neglected and abused horses and now she has this new horse that her father feels will give her the chance to fulfil her potential in show jumping. His expectation and the reality of what Amy can do turns into a problem.
Heather says that above all, the horse scenes have to be believable for the viewers - and there are many - who are horse people. "We have been on a huge learning curve during the first season," says Heather. "We received fountains of information from John Scott and stunt co-ordinator Tom Eirikson and the wranglers. We did our homework. The books are detailed and the details are accurate. Because we have a strong viewership of horse lovers we have to make the show real. We don't want people saying "That would never happen," so we work hard at learning about horses so we can make sure Heartland is as good and as realistic as it can be."
Luckily, Leila Basen, an accomplished writer who co-wrote "Bon Cop, Bad Cop," the top grossing Canadian film of all time, is on Heather's team. Leila has had horses since she was a child. She currently has a 9-year Hanoverian thoroughbred cross that she has shown on the ‘A’ circuit in Quebec for five years. Her horse's name is Memphis, and his grandfather was the legendary Secretariat.
Leila says that all her accumulated knowledge has been valuable when it comes to scripting all of the horse scenes that she and David Preston write for Heartland.
"Much in the same way you couldn't write a medical show and make up the medicinal procedures, we feel the same way when dealing with our horses. Our show is about characters but they are set in a horse context and so it has to be accurate, because we understand and appreciate our audience who understands horses."
"You can tell we have a large dedicated audience among horse lovers," Basen says, adding, "At my barn in Quebec I talk to kids who are riders. They only speak French but they still watch Heartland in English every Sunday because of the horses.”
Part of the fun on set is watching the horses during the takes. "The horses are treated like actors," Heather says, "We have to be aware of how many times they can do a stunt. And, like any actor there is a point when they reach their limits. We love these horses so much there is nothing we would do to ever overwork them. We are always astounded at some of the things they do - it is as if they know when the cameras are rolling and they just perform beyond what we expect. It is marvellous to watch and to be a part of.”
In a nutshell, the writing duties - always complex when they are shared - went something like this: Conkie mapped out the season arc, based on the first eight books of the series. The three main writers sat down and mulled over the episode scripts together, developing the series and its characters. They then divided up the scripts, rolled up their sleeves and got to work. "It started as an intensely collaborative process," recalls [Leila] Basen, "and has continued like that through the writing and production. We've always had a good back and forth, a lot of discussions of characters, what they would do and wouldn't, for example."
"We always saw the characters as imperfect," says [Heather] Conkie. "They all have their own flaws, which is what makes them interesting. It was that way with [Road to] Avonlea too. That's what makes characters interesting to write."
Heartland’s Leila Basen on her WGC Screenwriting Award Nomination
This year’s Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Award winners will be announced on April 22. We’ve been catching up with many of the writers nominated in the comedy and drama categories. Heartland‘s Leila Basen is nominated for her episode “Life is a Highway.”
Can you describe the episode “Life is a Highway” and how it fit into the Heartland season?
“Life as a Highway” marks the return of Chase Powers, a charismatic but incorrigible cowboy who makes an unexpected visit to Heartland and puts Amy and Ty’s relationship to the test.
What was the biggest triumph in this particular episode?
Showing the human side of a basically unredeemable character.
What does this recognition mean to you?
Heartland has been going strong for six years on the CBC, and it’s great that this year we got two WGC script nominations.
If there was one Canadian show that is no longer on the air that you could see honoured at this year’s awards, what would it be? (If you have a specific episode, even better).
My vote would be Mental Block, a tween comedy that ran two seasons, 2002 to 2004 on YTV. (Full disclosure – Mental Block was a show I co-created and wrote with David Preston.) It was a WGC Awards finalist twice in the Youth Category, but didn’t win either time because (according to one of the jurors) it was too funny for Youth and should have been in the Comedy Category. It would be great if it could win an award, even posthumously.
Source
I get to use all my years of knowledge and personal experience… for my writing. A lot of the stories are loosely based on things that happened to me or things that happened to people I know.
