Netflix's Crime Drama ‘The Waterfront' Was Inspired By Real Life Events
Holt McCallany and Maria Bello in 'The Waterfront' on Netflix.
Series creator and showrunner Kevin Williamson drew inspiration from his father's past mistakes while writing the Netflix crime drama The Waterfront. The result is a gripping and dynamic tale about one family's misguided approach to resolving their financial troubles.
Set in coastal North Carolina, the story of the prominent Buckley clan is told over eight episodes, each packed with twists, turns, and cliffhangers that will keep you hooked. It's one of the best new shows in years and is reminiscent of classic family dramas, The Sopranos and Ray Donovan, in that there is nothing the Buckleys will not do to preserve their legacy.
Williamson, who has had a string of hit TV shows including Scream, Dawson's Creek, and The Vampire Diaries, sat down in an interview before the series premiered on June 19 to talk about his dad's mistakes, which cost the family dearly.
First, he clarified that the Buckleys are fictional, but their circumstances are not entirely made up. The Buckleys are a wealthy family on the verge of losing their fishing empire. They've ruled Havenport, North Carolina, dominating everything from the local fishing industry to the town's restaurant scene.
Jake Weary, Danielle Campbell, and Melissa Benoist in 'The Waterfront' on Netflix.
Their once-profitable family business faces financial ruin when patriarch Harlan Buckley (Holt McCallany) suffers from two heart attacks. To keep the family businesses afloat, his wife Belle (Maria Bello) and son Cane (Jake Weary) attempt to sell some precious land, knowing Harlan would be devastated. They also get into the drug smuggling business with some very unsavory characters, including drug kingpin Grady, played brilliantly by Topher Grace.
What was meant to be a temporary fix quickly becomes a nightmare they cannot escape. Harlan attempts to take control of the spiraling situation as the Buckleys' daughter, Bree (Melissa Benoist), who is an addict in recovery and has lost custody of her son Diller (Brady Hepner), soon finds herself entangled in a complicated relationship that could threaten the family's future.
As Williamson explained, the events surrounding this fictitious family were inspired by his father's misdeeds. He took creative license to explore the lengths people will go to when their legacy is at stake.
Williamson, who grew up in North Carolina, filmed the show in Southport, which is near Wilmington. He also filmed two of his biggest hit series, Dawson's Creek and I Know What You Did Last Summer, there. 'I'm very familiar with North Carolina because I grew up about two hours from there. There was a real Dawson's Creek where I grew up.'
He then described the impetus for this story. 'My dad was a fisherman, and I come from a long line of fishermen,' he said, clarifying that though this story and family are completely fictional, his dad's real-life troubles inspired it.
'My dad got into some trouble in the 1980s. He was a fisherman, and it was tough. The regulations and the government quotas that they were putting on the fishermen at the time…he just couldn't make a living. And for a lot of fishermen, the business went away. If you look at the percentages of where we were and where we are today, and now with the import business and how you can get fresh fish from other countries, the American fisherman is growing extinct. My dad was falling on rough times, and someone offered him a chance to make some money on the down-low by smuggling some drugs, and he did it.'
Williamson paused as he reflected on his father. 'He was a very good man who was trying to support his family.' He explained that this was not a one-time incident and led to a multi-year prison sentence, of which he served 11 months in a minimum security prison.
He reiterated that his father was a good family man who made mistakes. 'I think when it comes to feeding and supporting your family, you would do anything.'
Williamson described this family drama as very much like Dawson's Creek in that both were inspired by his experience growing up on a creek in North Carolina. "I love stories where a family, in this case, the Buckley clan, hits hard times. In this story, they try to steer the ship in the other direction.'
The drug smuggling world, they quickly learn, is like quicksand; you cannot just dip your toe in without your entire body getting immersed in the mess. To extricate themselves from Grady's unrelenting grip, they do some pretty horrendous things.
Jake Weary and Melissa Benoist in 'The Waterfront' on Netflix.
Harlan, his wife Belle, and their children Cane and Bree each cross moral lines when it comes to saving the family as they get deeper and deeper into the world of crime.
For Williamson, this was an examination into humanity. 'I wanted to explore the duality of life. You know, we're not this or that. We're this and something else. There's a duality to us; we are light and dark. I wanted to explore that in the context of a family that's challenged with crisis, because I think everyone today is challenged in some way.'
While not making excuses for his characters' choices, Williamson points to the financial challenges many people face. 'We live in the gig economy era, and everyone's looking for a side hustle just to make ends meet, and this family has a history in this world.'
Each family member does something they never thought they would or could, but it's all for the good of the family. McCallany, Benoist, and Weary discussed their characters in a sit-down interview.
Holt McCallany in 'The Waterfront' on Netflix.
McCallany described Harlan as 'a very imperfect man in many ways,' but explained his good intentions. 'He does a lot of things that a lot of people would consider morally ambiguous, but at the same time, I think that he loves his family very deeply. They're the most important thing in the world to him. And so, at the end of the day, the decisions that he makes come from a place of love.'
When asked to talk about her character, Bree, Benoist said she found a way to understand and relate to her. She's complex, and despite feeling betrayed by her family, when push comes to shove, she does something extreme to save them.
'I don't think she likes herself, and I think that's a force for a lot of her behavior. The entire time that we were shooting this, I found myself defending her time and time again because I could see that this person was in so much pain. She has a lot of her father in her, and she so desperately wants to be loved and accepted by her family.'
Bree's motivation, added Benoist, was her son. 'She wants to atone for all these terrible things that she's done to him. She's trying to make up for all of that. Not just with him, but the rest of her family as well. She has a cross to bear.'
As for Cane, who got the family into this drug-smuggling mess, Weary said, 'He's a victim of circumstance and now he's trying to repair his family's legacy.'
When asked whether there would be another season, Williamson was quick to answer. 'I'm ready for a second season, because I think we're just getting started.'
He wants to keep exploring that gray area between good and bad. 'I love the idea of good people doing bad things. The Buckleys are good people, but they cross the line and the line keeps moving in the show. Once you cross that line, can you come back, and is there salvation?'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
41 minutes ago
- USA Today
How to watch 'The Waterfront,' new series from 'Dawson's Creek' creator
How to watch 'The Waterfront,' new series from 'Dawson's Creek' creator Show Caption Hide Caption Need a show to binge? These are the must watch shows this summer USA TODAY's TV critic Kelly Lawler breaks down the best TV shows you don't to want to miss this summer Move over, "Outer Banks": a new North Carolina-based drama series just hit Netflix. "The Waterfront" follows a prominent fishing family in coastal North Carolina whose legacy is at risk, according to the show's description. According to Netflix, the show's first season, which premiered on June 19, is "as much about family dynamics as they are about the lengths people will go to when their legacy is on the line." Kevin Williamson, the creator of hit shows like "Dawson's Creek" and "The Vampire Diaries," is the writer and executive producer of the show. It also features a star-studded cast, including Holt McCallany, who is known for "Mindhunter," and Melissa Benoist, the former star of "Supergirl." Here's what to know about "The Waterfront" Season 1. What is 'The Waterfront' about? The show follows the Buckley family of Havenport, North Carolina. They have long dominated the town's fishing industry and restaurant scene, but the family's empire has started to crumble after patriarch Harlan Buckley suffered from two heart attacks, Netflix says. His wife, Belle, and son, Cane, are working to keep the family businesses afloat while daughter Bree faces her own struggles in addiction recovery, per Netflix. Williamson told Netflix's Tudum the series is about trying to find the 'lesser evil' in a difficult situation. 'It's just about a bunch of people who make mistakes. They do some bad things and then they get in deeper and deeper and deeper,' he said. 'Sometimes they keep making worse mistakes and sometimes they find their way out and do the good thing.' When does 'The Waterfront' come out? "The Waterfront" Season 1 released on June 19 at 3 a.m. ET. All eight episodes of the show hit Netflix at that time. How to watch 'The Waterfront' Only Netflix subscribers will have access to watch "The Waterfront." The service has several monthly plans available, which start at $7.99 per month. The platform doesn't offer free trials. The show's entire first season will be available to stream on the platform starting on June 19 at 3 a.m. ET. 'The Waterfront' trailer 'The Waterfront' cast TV fans may see some familiar faces on "The Waterfront." Here's who's on the cast: Holt McCallany as Harlan Buckley Maria Bello as Belle Buckley Jake Weary as Cane Buckley Melissa Benoist as Bree Buckley Rafael L. Silva as Shawn West Humberly González as Jenna Tate Danielle Campbell as Peyton Buckley Brady Hepner as Diller Hopkins Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Warriors player savagely taunted Caitlin Clark as she struggles
Caitlin Clark had a rare off night shooting with the Indiana Fever's loss to the expansion Golden State Valkyries, making just 3-of-14 from the field and 0-of-7 from distance. And there was one moment where Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski got in her ear. It turns out he's been VERY supportive of the new WNBA team in the Bay Area, and while he was courtside, he showed it. Advertisement Clark was whistled for a travel violation during the game, and as she began walking to the other end of the court, Podziemski popped up and mimicked the travel call as she passed by. It was high comedy. What's even better about this is Podziemski responded to all the attention to his taunt on X (formerly Twitter): No good [laughing emoji] we goin the other way [purple heart emoji] with it Love my Valkyries [heart emoji] There are other clips of him being a huge fan, which you have to love. Check out this one pumping up the crowd! How many points did Caitlin Clark score against the Valkyries? She ended up with 11 points, nine dimes and seven boards. She also had six turnovers and a steal. The Fever lost 88-77 to Golden State. This article originally appeared on For The Win: Caitlin Clark taunted by Brandin Podziemski in Fever loss to Valkyries
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
8 Unique Funeral Themes for the Most Meaningful Send-Off
There's plenty of beauty and meaning in a traditional funeral or memorial service, but that doesn't mean the usual funeral style is right for everyone. If your loved one had some specific interests or just a unique perspective on the world, we have some awesome ideas for funeral themes to make your tribute super personal. Everything from the decorations to the eulogies can follow the theme or relate to it, and you'll find this actually makes it easier to plan and create a really meaningful event. For many people, having a theme makes the event even more special and lets you really show what was important to your loved one (or how they loved to have fun). Things like birds and balloons can be very important symbols of letting someone go or fly away, and you can use these symbols as a theme for the entire funeral. Choose decorations that emphasize the air, such as bird cut-outs or ribbons that can move in the breeze if you're outside. Select readings that touch on the subject of birds or other things that fly. You may even want to fly kites together after the service. For someone who valued nature and the environment, a touching tribute can be a funeral with an environmental theme. Choose natural, local decorations that can be reused (living plants, for instance). Serve farm-to-table food that is locally sourced. You can ask guests to donate to an environmental charity or organization instead of giving flowers. If you're hosting a themed funeral, be sure to communicate the theme to everyone who is involved. The time after a loss can be challenging, and no one wants to be surprised. The night sky and all the points of light in it can be very comforting when you're facing the loss of a loved one. Let the stars inspire your funeral theme by decorating with star cut-outs, asters and other star-shaped flowers, and even star charts or space telescope photos. You can use the stars to inspire your readings and also host an evening star-gazing event after the service. Funerals are already formal, but you can take your formality to the next level with a black-tie attire service. Have people dress in gowns and tuxes as a way to show their respect in the most stylish way possible. This is especially fun if the person you're honoring loved dressing up. For an added touch, host a formal cocktail party as a reception after the service. Related: Most funerals are held during the day, but you could host an evening event by candlelight. This can be very touching, especially if you pass candles around and let everyone light theirs. After the service, release sky lanterns together in a safe place to give your loved one a beautiful send-off. It may sound like a weird funeral theme, but centering the whole event around your loved one's favorite movie can be a light-hearted but still very personal tribute. You can use cardboard cutouts of characters from the movie (like Star Wars, for instance), have guests dress in costumes if they wish, and even do readings from movie scenes that seem especially fitting. You could also show a small clip or the entire movie after the service. A special funeral theme for a book lover could involve all things reading related. Have book-themed decorations or flowers made out of book pages. Read parts of your loved one's favorite book at the service, and have guests bring books to exchange with one another. You could also ask for children's book donations to take to a local library or school. Another wonderful and unique idea is to let their cultural heritage inspire your themed funeral. If they're Irish, for instance, you could decorate with flowers like bells of Ireland, read an Irish blessing, sing an Irish song, and serve Irish food. Your loved one's cultural heritage is a rich source of inspiration for everything from the funeral flowers to the food. There are so many wonderful unique funeral ideas to choose from that it can seem a little overwhelming to pick one. This can be even more challenging if you're in the midst of dealing with grief. These tips can help you keep the stress to a minimum and choose a theme that's perfect: Think about what your loved one really appreciated in life. Let that inspire you. Ask a few friends or family members for ideas if you're not sure what you want to do. It can be healing for people to have input. Don't choose a theme that's going to make things more complicated for you or that involves a lot of set-up. One of the great benefits of funeral themes is that they can make the whole process easier. Consider the formality level you want at the service. Some themes are casual, and you may want a more traditional event. Your wishes matter here. Remember that the theme you choose is to honor your loved one, but it's also to comfort the people at the funeral. If you think a theme might be upsetting, consider tweaking it a little so everyone will be comfortable. A memorial service or funeral doesn't have to be totally traditional. There's no rule that says you can't have an event as unique as your loved one. The perfect funeral theme will make the whole event more meaningful and special for everyone involved.
