The Bureaucrat is an animated TV series in development with Smith & Smith Productions, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and America's Public Broadcasting System, based upon a short cartoon I made in the winter of 1999 called 'Crat. The clips on this site represent early renderings done for the 1999 Banff TV Festival. The sound design is thanks to Nick Sewell (except for the...er, music). The voice cast featured in the clips include Victor J. Hanson, Jaison Johnson, Kristen Purc, Stephen Gilbert and Konrads Ozols.

The Bureaucrat is assembled entirely on Macintosh computers, using Adobe AfterEffects and the Media100 editing system. The sound recording facilities were provided by Carter Craig Communications.

Update for September 2004

Here is a written account of the story of the near-making of The Bureaucrat. You can also read the original teleplays for the unproduced episodes A Waste of a Rocket Scientist and Douze and Don'ts.

Update for October 2002

The rights for the series have reverted back to me, and the project is officially dead. These pages continue to exist for archival purposes.

Update for January 2000

The second script has been dutifully sent off to Red Green, as he basks in the Florida sun. After he's done with it, it's off to another fellow named Bruce. Then it comes home to me for a final okay, and then gets bundled with the first script for the persual of the powers that be at CBC and PBS.

Though recent reports of the CBC having an internal panic attack over funding cuts, laying off staff, cancelling new programming, &c, have me worried, I take heart in the fact that I just received another lump of development money...so at least I can buy beer.

Update for November 1999

CBC has commissioned two scripts, and I'm to write them along with Steve Smith. The idea is to spin 'em out over the winter, and be in production by late spring 2000. Maybe a September 2000 air date is possible -- if not, January 2001. More tangible good news: this means I'm getting my hands on some development money -- yay!

Update for September 1999

Well, B-- has gone and done something stupid.

He concealed a contract with Smith & Smith from me, and then tried to get me to sign a document declaring him 50% co-author! "Honestly, I'm not trying to screw you," he tells me. Anyway, fret not, fans -- for now, the B--ly fires have been extinguished by two clever gentlemen of the firm Weir & Foulds, who've instructed B-- to take his allegations, fold them until they're all corners, and insert them in his bum. Many thanks to N. William C. Ross and John D. McKellar, C.M., Q.C., for their generous and effective legal rescuing. :)

I've signed the contract with S & S myself, and now, hopefully, things should start happening.

Update for August 1999

Smith & Smith finally got a chance to take a look at the proto-pilot, and they want to meet!

Update for June 1999

B-- has taken the proto-pilot to the festival, and even though I said I wouldn't give a shit, I do. Is it possible some one might really be interested?

Fingers are crossed. If nothing happens, though, I'm prepared to go ahead guerilla-style.