Amazon Prime Video’s latest comedy series, The Sticky, revolves around an unexpected plot: a multi-million dollar heist to steal millions worth of maple syrup. The show brings to life the bizarre true story of the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist, one of the largest agricultural thefts in history.
The series’ screenwriter and co-creator Brian Donovan stumbled upon the story while attending a family Christmas party, where his brother-in-law shared tales of the infamous heist. Inspired by the event, Donovan and co-creator Ed Herro crafted The Sticky, featuring Canadian maple syrup farmer Ruth Landry (Margo Martindale) who plans to steal millions of dollars’ worth of syrup as revenge.
The real-life Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist occurred in 2011-2012, with thieves stealing nearly 3,000 tonnes of maple syrup valued at $18.7 million from a warehouse operated by the Fédération des producteurs acéricoles du Québec (FPAQ) in Quebec. The stolen syrup was trafficked and sold to distributors unaware of the operation.
The Sticky takes creative liberties with the real-life event, including changing the pace of the heist, the characters involved, and the motivations behind the crime. For instance, the show’s main character Remy is a fictional security guard who helps the thieves gain access to the warehouse, whereas in reality, an unnamed person rented another part of the warehouse to facilitate the heist.
The series also portrays the heads of the syrup management organization as corrupt, which is not based on factual information. However, it allows the show’s protagonist, Ruth Landry, to take revenge and strike back against those who wronged her.
All six episodes of The Sticky are now streaming on Prime Video, offering an entertaining and unusual take on a bizarre true story.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/monicamercuri/2024/12/06/the-true-story-behind-prime-video-the-sticky-the-great-canadian-maple-syrup-heist