July 14, 2014 (2014-07-14) – July 21, 2014 (2014-07-21) (TV version)
Backpackers is a Canadian comedy web series, which aired in 2013 on CTV.ca and CW Seed.[3]The CW picked up the series for television broadcast, for which material from the web series was edited into four half-hour episodes, and six new episodes were produced.[1]Backpackers made its television premiere on July 14, 2014. The series stars Dillon Casey and Noah Reid as Brandon and Ryan, two friends on a backpacking trip across Europe after Ryan and his girlfriend Beth (Meghan Heffern) experience cold feet over their pending engagement.[3] Ryan's stolen journal is posted on the Internet and goes viral, sending Ryan, Brandon, and Brandon's brother Andrew (Giacomo Gianniotti) on another journey, to recover the journal and fulfill Ryan's dream of becoming a published author.[1]
The web series was produced by Smokebomb Entertainment, the digital content division of Shaftesbury Films.[4] The television series is produced by Shaftesbury U.S. and Smokebomb in association with The CW.[1]
As best friends Ryan and Brandon race across Europe in search of Ryan's missing bride-to-be, they find themselves struggling with the eternal twenty-something question of what to do with their lives.
Ryan is obsessed with finding his fiancée Beth, so he and Brandon reach out to Beth's family to locate her travel itinerary. They quickly find themselves at Beth's younger brother Randall's mercy when he demands payment in the form of topless photos before handing over any info. The guys head to a beach on the Amalfi Coast and spot Isabella Cucinota, the screen siren of Brandon's childhood dreams. Ryan wants to stay focused on getting a topless photo for Beth's brother, but Brandon can't say no when Isabella invites the guys back to her place.
The search for Beth continues, and Ryan and Brandon end up at a music festival in Berlin. They run into Mitchell who, still annoyed at being ditched, withholds Beth's whereabouts, and more importantly, who she is with. Meanwhile, Brandon finds himself choosing friendship over love when he decides to continue to help Ryan search for Beth instead of following his heart.
