(by Dave Stewart)
Robbie Doherty remembers the exact moment he knew he wanted to entertain children for the rest of his life.
The 32-year-old Charlottetown man, who created the Silly Robbie character two years ago, was coming off the stage following one of his live shows at Old Home Week.
“The shows were great but I remember getting off the stage thinking, ‘this is not enough’. The kids who come to my shows have fun but they are just shows,’’ the energetic Doherty says. “I knew we needed to take a chance of getting out there, of taking it to the next level.’’
Robbie Doherty, left, and Jesse Wachter, are seen on the set of Silly Robbie’s World with two of the characters in the show, Lucky and Eddie, respectively. Silly Robbie’s World airs each Saturday on Eastlink Community TV. – Dave Stewart The Guardian
Doherty and a friend, Jesse Wachter, would soon launch a web series and are now in the midst of producing children’s shows called, Silly Robbie’s World, for Eastlink Community TV. They will film 13 episodes for the Atlantic Canadian community-based television station with the hope of catching the eye of a major network.
Doherty and Wachter met a few years ago when Doherty was taking part in the Grand Slam of Curling event. Wachter did a feature on Doherty’s team and they remained friends. Doherty later joined the circuit as operations manager and the friendship grew stronger. Doherty says the two men saw the world the same way and believe in the importance of spreading positivity.
They were in the midst of producing the web series when the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic shut down the Grand Slam of Curling tour, giving Doherty and Wachter some extra time. Doherty pitched the idea of a Silly Robbie’s World television show to Eastlink.