Jackson Davies, better known as Constable Constable on the Beachcombers, was stopped for photo ops numerous times on his way to the Gibsons Wharf where filming of A Beachcombers Christmas movie got started this week.
Davies says he's happy to be back on the Coast where he played the lovable constable for 19 seasons.
"It's sort of like coming home," he said.
But his fame here keeps him from blending in. Even in a hat and sunglasses, people recognized him and asked him to pose for photos with family members, happily reliving their memories of the Beachcombers, which attracted an average of 1.5 million CBC viewers every week it ran.
"A family from northern Saskatchewan stopped me for a photo. They came here just to see the filming of the new movie. The father grew up watching the Beachcombers and now he's sharing it with his son," said Davies, who stood for a photo with the family outside Molly's Reach.
Another family from central Alberta asked for the same photo op with Davies, and he was happy to oblige.
"It's a wonderful opportunity Gibsons has. You can't go and visit places where TV shows like the X-Files were filmed, but you can come to Gibsons, walk down the streets Relic walked on and eat in the famous Molly's Reach restaurant. It's really neat," Davies said.
He is not only acting in A Beachcombers Christmas, being filmed until August; he is also executive producer of the movie.
He said he sees this movie as a chance for new generations to get acquainted with the Beachcombers, and a chance for older generations to relive the Beachcombers experience.
He also sees filming in Gibsons as a great boost to the economy.
"All of us, the cast, the crew, come and live here and shop here and put money into the local economy. Every time we come here, my wife has to go to one special clothing store in lower Gibsons, so I end up spending a lot of money here," he said.
A Beachcombers Christmas will be filming in various locations around Gibsons until Aug. 13. The movie has a Christmas theme, so crew members will be putting up Christmas lights and decorations and hoping for rainy weather during shoots.
Producer Nick Orchard thanked the community for its co-operation so far. He noted most people are friendly and accommodating to the film crew.
A Beachcombers Christmas will air on CBC this winter.
