Los Angeles-based Australian consultant Andrew Hazelton has joined US writer/director/producer Mark McCullough to work on a TV series based on Mark’s father, William "Freddie" McCullough.
A resident of Bloomingdale, Georgia, “Freddie” died on September 11, aged 61. Mark wrote his dad's obituary which went viral after it was published in the Savannah Morning News, understandably so given its candour and self-deprecating humour.
“Freddie loved deep fried Southern food smothered in Cane Syrup, fishing at Santee Cooper Lake, Little Debbie Cakes, Two and a Half Men, beautiful women, Reeses Cups and Jim Beam. Not necessarily in that order,” the obit read.
“He was the hero for his six children: Mark, Shain, Clint, Brandice, Ashley and Thomas. Freddie adored the ladies. And they adored him. There isn't enough space here to list all of the women from Freddie's past. There isn't enough space in the Bloomingdale phone book. A few of the more colorful ones were Momma Margie, Crazy Pam, Big Tittie Wanda, Spacy Stacy and Sweet Melissa (he explained that nickname had nothing to do with her attitude). He attracted more women than a shoe sale at Macy's.
“He got married when he was 18, but it didn't last. Freddie was no quitter, however, so he gave it a shot two more times. It didn't work out with any of the wives, but he managed to stay friends with them and their parents.”
The obit concluded, “Freddie was killed when he rushed into a burning orphanage to save a group of adorable children. Or maybe not. We all know how he liked to tell stories.”
Mark McCullough has written a TV series, Double Wide Blues, based on his dad’s colourful life and described as a raw, edgy comedy about the residents in a Southern trailer park.
Mark wrote, directed and produced the psychological horror short films Play Time, Every Breath You Take and Pretty Fishes, and produced the feature My Turn.
McCullough and Alexis Nelson, his partner at Fort Argyle Films, recently opened a branch of the company in Savannah, Georgia where McCullough will oversee production of the series. Nelson will continue to handle financing and project packaging out of their Los Angeles office.
A former senior sales manager at Roadshow Films, Hazelton moved to the US last year. He spent the last nine months as VP Distribution & Marketing for Michael Favelle’s Odin’s Eye Entertainment. Hazelton met Mark via Alexis when she worked for Hoax Films and needed advice on distribution.
His firm Oz Connect Media aims to help Australian producers and content owners gain access to the expanding US Video-on-Demand market.