Characters
Dr Mike Truesdale
Dr Mike Truesdale is a father, a bestselling novelist, and holds a PhD in Marine Biology. He’s also half way across the world from his teenage daughter and ex-wife, broke, and writing research papers no-one’s going to read. His favourite things may include smoking, pretending to work, and being right about things – although he’d never admit he’s felt real joy. To ask Mike, humans may just be incapable of true satisfaction. But he has redeeming qualities…somewhere.
Scott Hopkins
Scott Hopkins is an undergraduate twenty-something taking a year out to intern with Truesdale while he’s on the waiting list to transition. He’s full of humour, playful bemusement and pop culture references. He’s got a big heart and an excitable soul, but he keeps his past close to his chest. His favourite things are probably cooking, messing with Dr True, and solving mysteries. Luckily he gets to do a lot of all three during his adventures aboard The Earle.
Mary Truesdale
Mary Truesdale is full of compassion and patience, although Mike tests her limits. She’s the mother of his child, whom they had together after meeting at university. Now his ex-wife, she tries as hard as she can to keep him in their child’s life. Not an easy task when he’s half the world away, but Mary’s not one to be easily dissuaded. She’s the master of her own mind and will say what she feels. She now lives with her doting partner Steven and works as a Naval Architect. She gets along okay, but there’s always something in her asking: what’s Mike going to f–king do next?
Jerome Lestrange
Jerome is Mike’s beleaguered literary agent. You’ll find him with 5 or 6 stress-balls to hand at any one time, but they don’t seem to help much. It takes more than a bit of light squeezing to get a sequel out of best-selling author Dr Mike Truesdale, especially when he’s run off to the Philippines to study reef fish. Jerome can’t seem to catch a break, but he’s dedicated to his profession and he’ll try, try and try again, as long as Mike can at least send him a title by the end of the bloody week.
Lauren Truesdale
Lauren Truesdale. Teenager, actor, and adrift like Truesdale. Both struggle with crisis of identity and mental health but are separated by continents and past mistakes. Instead Mary and Steven try to connect with Lauren who in truth shares too much in common with Truesdale. In England Lauren struggles with navigating the world of adolescence while Truesdale, who never quite managed it, sails the Philippines. With a musical ear and a passion for theatre Lauren fights not to feel invisible.
Steven Rankin
Steven Rankin is the sous chef at an award-winning restaurant. It can be hard to tell which he’s more passionate about: his partner Mary, or his food. Mike Truesdale finds Steven intimidating, due in part to his stable, reliable demeanour, but mostly because of his Scottish accent. He’s yet to form a close bond with Mary’s child Lauren, but he cares deeply about them both and would do anything to keep them safe.
About Our Show
Dr Mike Truesdale and his intern Scott Hopkins live on their houseboat The Earle. Avoiding their lives and responsibilities back home in England, they sail the Philippines in Dr True’s ex-WWII British Baker Class Minesweeper.
Truesdale would rather investigate the migration of reef fish in light of warming oceans than think about his book contract or his fatherly duties. Meanwhile his fellow marine biologist Scott is always on the lookout for a pop culture reference to be made or an adventure to be had. Together the pair stumble upon mysteries to be solved: Who is responsible for the death of Finn the porpoise? Where are the stolen wedding gifts? Is their passenger quite who she seems? And when, if ever, will they ever solve the biggest mystery of all – how to be functional adults?’
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