grandbenders.com

Life’s a beach when you live on “The Bend” — the legendary Ontario party town known as Grand Bend. Back for a new season, this original Canadian docu-soap follows the unpredictable exploits of the Rapaport family, owners of a one-of-a-kind hotel, nightclub, restaurant and bar called Coco’s that is the beating heart of Grand Bend’s summertime nightlife. Follow Mickey, Nancy, Justin and an ever-changing cast of friends, staff members, club kids, beachgoers , hangers-on and frenemies for what promises to be a summer to remember!

PRODUCED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE CANADIAN MEDIA FUND

Episode Summary: As summer’s end approaches, Patrick prepares to work his last weekend at Coco’s. Determined to make it a memorable swan song, he lining up dates for every night — sometimes with more than one girl. Will Coco’s be the same without its much-loved front man? And will the stoic Mick show any emotion at Patrick’s farewell shindig? Worn down by months of non-stop work (and still struggling to compensate for the loss of Natalie), the Coco’s crew braces for the onslaught that is the Labour Day weekend. With buxom house DJ Amy E on hand, and Justin’s birthday party in the works, it promises to be a blowout to remember. But on Monday morning – when the staff have said their goodbyes and the eerie hum of the pop machines is the only sound to be heard – Mick and his family will face hard questions about what the future holds in store.

Episode Summary: Coco’s is a true family business, in the traditional sense. “This is an old-fashioned place,” Mick explains. “Only family touches the money here.” But every family has its ups and downs. After working at Coco’s for eight years, niece Natalie abruptly hangs her keys on the door and disappears without warning or explanation. Mick, as always, is philosophical: “Nobody is indispensable here,” he says. But with a long weekend approaching and their ever-reliable “drill sergeant” gone AWOL, the rest of the Coco’s crew is left scrambling. Who will schedule the staff and keep them on their toes in Natalie’s absence? Meanwhile, Mick’s “adopted son” Patrick, Coco’s inexhaustible front man and hustler, has decided to leave and follow his new love interest Kelia to Korea. But how to break the news to Mick and Nancy, especially in the shockwave of Natalie’s departure? With the business suddenly in disarray, “supreme overlord” Mick places more and more responsibility on Justin’s shoulders. But as pressure mounts, the growing tension between father and son threatens to hit a breaking point.

Episode Summary: It’s drag racing weekend at the Grand Bend Motorplex. In anticipation of the arriving race crowds, Mickey dons his Seventies shag wig and parks his 1961 Studebaker (the Cocomobile!) on the hill overlooking the stadium, hoping to scare up some free publicity. Justin’s girlfriend Amelia finally has the day off, and heads to the beach with some girlfriends, while manager Natalie holds down the fort as always (“You know I can’t leave the compound –my chain will break.”). Patrick double-books racing weekend dates, much to Mick’s amusement, but the arrival of Polish-Japanese party girl Kelia may change everything for Coco’s resident player. As Patrick and Kelia enjoy the sunset together on the beach, she begins enticing him to follow her to Korea, where she plans to take up teaching English. Could the incorrigible ladies man lose his heart to this exotic beauty?

Episode Summary: Competition is fierce in the beach town of Grand Bend. Gables, a bar further up the strip, is Coco’s hated rival. To scare up some publicity, Mick enlists Justin and Patrick to take out their leaky boat to fly the establishment’s newly printed flag As Juan, the handsome Mexican lifeguard and the resident DJ at Gables, watches over the beach goers, late afternoon storm clouds roll in. That’s bad news for a business like Coco’s that lives and dies  by Mother Nature’s whim. In the doorway, Mick stands grimly watching the rain pour down: “There goes my money washing down the gutter.” Justin closes down the kitchen just as the power goes out (“We’re shuttin’ it down, boys”), while Mick, ever scheming for revenue, comes up with a Rube Goldberg-esque plan to rig a generator to the DJ booth, so the club can remain open. As the storm passes, Coco’s re-opens for the night, and Mick contrives another ploy to undercut Gables’ cover charge. Just another day in paradise.

Episode Summary: Coco’s opens full time on Canada Day/July 4 long weekend. The forecast is for sunshine, and beach goers are ready to party after a long winter and full school year. Gearing up for the crowds, Coco’s is short-staffed. Manager Natalie works the phone to line up last-minute servers. Meanwhile, Coco’s sexy resident DJ, Amy E, is on hand for the weekend. She has a history with Coco’s frontman/hustler Patrick, and informs us that “he still adores me.” While Patrick helps her unload equipment, Mickey takes a spin behind the turntables on the patio, pumping the volume to the dismay of staff, but the delight of patrons, who quickly escalate to full-scale daytime dance party mode (stuffing $100 bills down our owner/hero’s T-shirt). New waitress/party girl Kayla is creating klutzy havoc wherever she goes, and her co-workers are unimpressed. She’s charming and loves the stripper pole on the dance floor — but can she take the pressure and keep her job? And if this weekend is any indication of how the summer is shaping up, will the new Coco’s crew be able to survive three more months?