Luka Hanlein, director of Photography, and Kat Sokolich, director, with Bubba the Alligator. PROVIDED

A new television series with the hopes of being picked up by a major network or streaming platform that dotes on the charm and uniqueness of the Sunshine State began shooting last week in Southwest Florida.

“It’s Floriduh, Man” took its first steps in Collier County over last weekend, preparing scenes and advertisements for the comedy series developed by Writer/Executive Producer John Sokolich.

Other than top-billed cast, the series includes local actors and community members that came together to provide staffing, vehicles, and even reptiles for the filming. The series is directed and produced by Kat Sokolich, who also owns the production company, Catastrophic Films. Tara Sokolich also serves as assistant director and executive producer.

“It’s about friendship, and an odd couple with the backdrop of Florida and the crazy stuff that happens down here,” John said.

According to the series synopsis, Raymond, a polished professional, encounters Oscar, a disheveled hitchhiker from his past, on his way to a high school reunion. Their unexpected reunion spirals into a comedic and surreal adventure filled with bizarre antics, as Oscar’s erratic behavior contrasts sharply with Raymond’s stable yet unremarkable life.

The creators say despite initial skepticism, Raymond grows to appreciate Oscar’s resilience and kindness, leading to a renewed, albeit chaotic, friendship. The series sets a quirky tone, blending comedy and drama while hinting at deeper themes of friendship and redemption against the eccentric backdrop of Florida.

“It evolved into like a series of unfortunate crazy events along the way,” Tara said. “As the episodes have been written, it’s become more deep. They build off each other, but it’s comical.”

John met Oscar Costa (Oscar) and Abel Cepeda (Raymond) on a project Kat was working on a number of years ago. He said the differences in the two sparked an idea in his mind.

“These guys were like the odd couple,” John said of Costa and Cepeda. “It was like a typical Florida man talking to a businessman, and that’s really where this whole thing got its start. I was like, ‘I’ve got to write something for these two.”

While the “Florida Man” moniker has gained nationwide recognition for debauchery and crime, John said his vision for the show wasn’t necessarily that.

“In Oscar’s case, he’s just a fun-loving, easy-going guy, who just happens to have things happen to him because he’s so kindhearted,” he said. “It’s not like the ‘crazy’ Florida Man, it’s just some bad decisions while trying to be lovable at the same time.”

John, Kat, and Tara call Southwest Florida home, and thought it would be a good place to kick off the series and garner local interest.

“We want people to support it and get excited, and what better place than our backyard?” John said.

“There’s really nothing that I’ve seen in all my years living here of anything like this happening in this local area,” Tara said. “Getting local businesses to be a part of it is something we want to do. It helps them while they’re helping us.”

A commercial was shot this past weekend as the project’s proof of concept, with the next steps being fundraising to shoot the pilot. There are 10 episodes written thus far for what would be the first season of the show.

As for how the trio hopes to see the community gets behind the project?

“We’re trying to be authentic with this,” John said. “Not the sensationalized headlines you see a lot of times when it comes to Florida Man.

“This show is about friendship. It’s about growing and growing pains and living life. We’re hoping that rings a bell here locally and spreads out.”

Kat added that many series and shows out there currently sort of poke fun at the Florida way of life and culture.

“With this, we want people to have pride in the community around them,” she said. “We want to convey why people love Florida, and why it’s unique, and why there’s no place like Florida.”

At the heart of the show is the bond and development between Oscar and Raymond, and their journey along the way, whatever antics may arise.

“Some of the best friendships are ones where people aren’t necessarily the same,” John said. “Where there’s differences in personalities and life. Where they’re both from Florida, you can see both sides of the coin. Raymond is a real estate agent, and Oscar is a free soul. And they come together and have their lives collide. It’s a comedy of errors in some cases, but the show sums up the human experience with these two together.”

The project’s proof of concept is hopeful to be released in early 2025, with the pilot coming in either late ’25 or early 2026.

“We’d really like this whole project to not just be something that we’re working on, we’d like it to be something the community gets involved in so we can all help each other,” John said.

Once the commercial is in the can, the group will be shopping the show around to various entities both locally and in Los Angeles.

For more information on the show, visit www.itsfloriduhman.com or find it on various social media platforms including Facebook and X.