Creators Who Inspire: Meet JP Larocque
It was the challenge JP Larocque couldn’t refuse.
“Paige Haight, the Director of Television at Shaftesbury, approached me and said, ’Hey, we really like your writing, curious if you have any interest in sending along some ideas about a spinoff for the Murdoch Mysteries franchise, but in the kids’ space,’” recalls Larocque on the line from their Toronto home.
It made sense. Larocque has established themselves as one of Canada’s best television writers, working on shows such as Sort Of, Diggstown, and Coroner, and creating the comedy series Gay Nerds.
Teaming up with co-writer Jessica Meya, the pair developed Macy Murdoch, a digital series that sees the teenage descendent of Detective William Murdoch use a time machine to travel back in time to help stop Detective Murdoch from being framed for a murder he didn’t commit.
“Keeping with the fact that Murdoch, the character, was from down east, I thought Macy could be Black, or half-Black, given the history of Black Canadians and their roots within the Maritimes,” explains Larocque.
“I wanted to tell a story that was very close to my heart. I am a biracial person and I wanted to explore what it is to be connected to family, and what happens when you look back into your family roots and you see different lines that you don’t relate to or don’t quite connect with.”
Larocque and Meya dove into the Murdoch Mysteries archives, a tall order, considering the show has been airing for 18 seasons. With the premise and storylines set, they handed the reins to series showrunners Robina Lord-Stafford and Jennifer Kassabian. Meya is now writing for the Bell Media comedy Children Ruin Everything, and Larocque is working on the kids’ Max show Home Sweet Rome! and is set to write new episodes of the CBC series Allegiance.
“I wanted to be a TV writer since I was basically a baby,” Larocque says with a laugh. “I’ve always loved television. It was very comforting to me growing up, when I was always an outsider. So, to be able to get the chance to do this is a huge gift.”
Their plans also include moving into filmmaking.
“I received early-stage development funding from the CMF for a script that I’ve been working on, so I’m very excited to get that out the door,” says Larocque.
And they will undoubtedly bring their vision to life.
“When you’re a person who is from a marginalized community, or multiple marginalized communities, you have to try and work as hard as you can, as often as you can, to make yourself undeniable,” they say.
“And that is always my aim. I can do this job. I can do this job well, and I can do it in a number of different contexts. And if you give me the opportunity to show you, I will. That’s always been my credo.”
