'The Blackburns of Royal Palm Estate'. - Contributed

The clan from Royal Palm Estate returns next Sunday with new faces and a whole new concept.

At the launch of the spin-off series, The Blackburns of Royal Palm Estate, at Jamaica Trade and Invest on Trafalgar Road on Sunday, the small audience laughed to lines from a more youthful cast which the producers hope will sweeten the pot and inject new life into the long-running series with the never-say-die attitude.

"We feel that it will do well because we introduced a lot of younger issues, incest - more family-based things that will have a wider appeal," said Lennie Little-White, the show's producer and director.

But there were not only new faces out for the screening of the new series. Familiar faces such as Beth Hyde and Bobby Smith were there to support as, according to Little-White, it's not a case of out with the old and in with the new.

"All the original cast has been retained," he said.

Young bloods

In fact, there is little departure from the original series with the main set being the great house where it all began. Though most of the original cast might not appear this season, which focusses mainly on introducing the young bloods, they will be seen in upcoming seasons.

The new faces include Tracey-Ann Innis, who plays the household manager at the estate, and The Gleaner's very own Janet Silvera, who makes her debut as a television journalist who could put any athlete to shame.

True to its concept of family, the series not only retains the character CC (Billy Wilmot) but now includes his new-found twin sons, Marcus and Moses, who are played by Wilmot's real-life children, Icah and Inilek. For this set of kin, it's just business as usual.

"It's not much different from the things we do at home cause they're playing my sons. We're very comfortable doing that and it makes me proud when I see them doing what they do," the patriarch shared.

"Mi and mi son dem very close. We surf and spend a lot of time together, a lot of special time. They learn a lot of what they know from my experiences. I try to impart a lot with them. "

Inilek concurred: "He has been guiding us."

Family does not stop there for the Mediamix team as it has gone even further in incorporating the diaspora. Tiffany (Diane Clarke), the new executive chef at the great house, is British.

Clarke considers this a strategic move on the part of the producers as "ex-pats and the diaspora make up a huge part of Jamaica today".

Other actors out for the viewing were Adam Hyde, Bertina McCauley and Lenford Salmon.

The series runs Sunday nights at 9 on CVM-TV.