Fort Erie duo developing detective series with plans to film locally

Fort Erie residents Jordan Grimbly and Sabrina Knappett are developing a detective TV series called ‘SNOOPS.’ They are preparing to pitch it to Bell Fibe TV1 in the coming months, with hopes of filming in Fort Erie as early as spring or summer 2026.

Grimbly, who recently left his job at Fort Erie Sobeys after nearly a decade with the store, is building a professional pitch package for a proposed six-episode season that aims to feature distinct parts of town, including Crystal Beach, Ridgeway and Stevensville.

After announcing the development of the show and requesting locations for filming in the Facebook group “Our Town” on January 19, Grimbly told Fort Erie Radio he was inundated with offers by locals to use their properties for the show.

Within a day, residents had reached out offering not only homes and businesses as locations, but also help as background actors and extras. As of publishing, Grimbly has received offers from eight homes and about 15 businesses in Fort Erie to use for filming.

“We were taken aback by the outpour of support by the community, and we’re so grateful for everyone,” said Grimbly.

He described the project as a comedy-mystery about two wannabe detectives who travel to Fort Erie after hearing about a $50,000 reward and try to stop a cat burglar from ransacking the town.

He and Knappett have worked together since early 2022, after Grimbly auditioned for a YouTube project Knappett was casting for. The pair went on to collaborate on several other YouTube productions and developed a strong working relationship before deciding last year to create their own series instead of continuing to audition for other people’s projects.

“It’s 2026, let’s get something big going on. Let’s do a big production,” is how Grimbly described the motivation to create the show with Knappett.

The first script is finished, and the rest of the season is mapped out. Knappett has been responsible for the majority of the writing of the show, while Grimbly expects to contribute some writing later in the process. For now, he has been focused primarily on community outreach and locking in locations before formally approaching the network.

“We figure the more ready we look to Bell, which we will be, the more ready we are,” he said.

Grimbly wants the series to move through multiple settings across town instead of staying in one space, and he is still considering reaching out to additional businesses beyond those that have already offered locations.

Bell Fibe TV1 typically provides funding for projects it selects, particularly shows shot in smaller communities, such as the recent local hit ‘Cows Come Home’ by Lindsey Middleton and Katie Uhlmann. Grimbly hopes the network’s support would allow the production to hire a professional crew and reach a high standard for both visuals and sound.

“We’re being smart with our production setup. We’re doing whatever we can to basically put most of the money towards the crew because we really want this to look as absolutely professional as possible,” said Grimbly.

His hope is for the setting to function as more than just a backdrop for the series, with scenes reflecting the distinct character of different areas across Greater Fort Erie.

“I love how all these areas kind of have their own special kind of character to them,” added Grimbly.

The next major step for Grimbly and Knappett is completing a polished pitch deck, drawing from examples of successful decks shared online, before contacting Bell Fibe TV1 to formally pitch the series.

If the pitch does not move forward with Bell, Grimbly said the project will continue through other avenues, including possible crowdfunding.

“I’m in the mindset that we’re going to get it, and we’re going to do it. Whether it’s through Bell, whether it’s through our own means. Just make it happen,” he said.

The next public update will come once the team knows whether Bell Fibe TV1 will greenlight the series, and Grimbly plans to keep local volunteers and location hosts updated as the pitch process continues.

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