Yes, “The Beachcombers” was filmed in Gibsons

Of course, THE iconic show filmed in Gibsons will always be The Beachcombers. 

For those who do not know, The Beachcombers was the longest-running Canadian tv series. With 387 episodes, the show was hugely popular,  was syndicated around the world, and ran from October 1, 1972, to December 12, 1990.  According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, the half-hour family adventure show was “Widely panned by critics, [but] was nonetheless an audience favourite and was named one of Canada’s all-time best television series in a 2017 poll conducted by the Toronto International Film Festival. Watched by more than 1 million viewers per episode in its prime, the series played a pivotal role in the development of film production in British Columbia and provided an early template for uniquely Canadian content on television.”

The Beachcombers was enjoyed by viewers in the US, UK, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, South Africa, Ireland, Greece, Italy, Kuwait, Malaysia, Egypt, and more. I like to think of it as the little Canadian tv series (or tugboat) that could.

Molly’s Reach is the landmark location for the show but has seen great turnover in businesses over the years and had been sitting empty for some time. The good news is that The Black Bean, a much-loved local café, recently had to relocate and decided to lease the space. Luckily for me,  the “new” Black Bean at Molly’s Reach opened days before my arrival. Hanging on the walls inside are many photos of The Beachcombers cast and crew at work. It brings back memories to see Relic, Molly, and Bruno sitting at Molly’s enjoying their bottomless drip coffees (no fancy stuff back then!).