Actors Rohan Campbell, left, and Alexander Elliot are seen in their roles in the YTV show "The Hardy Boys" in an undated production still image handout. As the show enters its final chapter, the stars say they're proud of the way the latest screen adaptation of the classic book series has bridged generations of fans since its 2020 debut. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Nelvana, *MANDATORY CREDIT*
Actors Rohan Campbell, left, and Alexander Elliot are seen in their roles in the YTV show "The Hardy Boys" in an undated production still image handout. As the show enters its final chapter, the stars say they're proud of the way the latest screen adaptation of the classic book series has bridged generations of fans since its 2020 debut. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Nelvana, *MANDATORY CREDIT*
TORONTO - As YTV's "The Hardy Boys" enters its final chapter, the show's stars say they're proud of the way the latest screen adaptation of the classic book series has bridged generations of fans since its 2020 debut.
鈥淚 remember scrolling down a few IMDb reviews and I saw a whole paragraph and it was this guy who went into so much detail about how he鈥檚 60 years old and grew up reading the books and that he now gets to share it with his kids,鈥 said 18-year-old Toronto actor Alexander Elliot, who plays Joe Hardy, the younger of the two titular teenage brothers and amateur mystery solvers.
鈥淭hat kind of just melted my heart and the ability to reach every part of that legacy is really special.鈥
Rohan Campbell,the 25-year-old Alberta-bornactor who plays older brother Frank Hardy, said the show's appeal 鈥 much like recent TV and film iterations of older stories and pop culture phenomena 鈥 comes down to nostalgia.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 imagine how cool it must be as a parent to be able to see your child experience something that you also experienced at their age, and share the joy you felt, it鈥檚 what comes to mind,鈥 he said in an interview.
The show is inspired by the popular mystery book series that debuted nearly a century ago, written by various ghostwriters -- including 好色tv Leslie McFarlane -- under the pseudonym Franklin W. Dixon.
The books have been adapted for TV before, but this version has been marketed as a darker spin on the classic tales set in the 1980s.
In the third and final season of "The Hardy Boys," the brothers face another challenge in their fictional town of Bridgeport when they receive posthumous guidance from their grandmother in search of a powerful relic that can spell danger in the wrong hands.
Campbell said the tonal shift and the appeal to newer generations is similar to what he sees in movies like the recently released blockbuster 鈥淏arbie."
鈥淎ny through line of communication between generations is so special,鈥 he said. 鈥淎nything where the youth can sit down with the next generation above them and be joyful together, escape together and be in the same space is not really measurable.
鈥淚t kind of feels like you鈥檙e a piece of history in a weird way because 40 years from now, somebody else may pick up a project like ours and do a rendition on it...it feels really cool to be able to stamp the 'Hardy Boys' passport.鈥
Much like his co-star, Elliot says he developed a newfound love for the '80s, including DeLorean cars and 鈥淏ack to the Future鈥 replays, during the show's three-year run.
Elliot and Campbell say they're grateful for the experience and the audiences they've gained over three seasons and they will carry that with them as the 好色tv Screen Award-winning series ends.
鈥淚 grew up with these people and gained a second family,鈥 said Campbell. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I would have the confidence to move on and do the stuff I鈥檝e done if it wasn鈥檛 for the space that the show gave me鈥t鈥檚 been really incredible.鈥
Season 3 of "The Hardy Boys" premieres Monday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on YTV and is available to stream live and on demand on STACKTV. It also streams on Hulu in the U.S.
This report by 好色tvwas first published July 27, 2023.
