CBC, ABC team up on 18 to Life

From CBC:

CBC AND ABC TEAM UP ON HALF-HOUR PRIME-TIME COMEDY
18 TO LIFE

CBC Television has announced production will begin on 18 TO LIFE, a new single-camera comedy pilot, and that ABC has acquired the U.S. rights to the show, marking the first time a Canadian and a U.S. network have teamed up for a half-hour prime-time comedy.

18 TO LIFE is a domestic comedy about a couple that does the unthinkable: they get married at the tender age of 18. Their parents—next-door neighbors and polar opposites—are less than thrilled, and even their peers disapprove. What gives the series its heart is that young Tom and Jessie truly love each other. They’re the right couple…at the wrong time. As the two struggle to become man and wife in a world that views them as kids, the tension between their families adds a dose of biting humor to their sweet love story. 18 TO LIFE is one part aspirational romance and two parts cautionary tale, which should endear it to teens and parents alike.

18 TO LIFE is created, written and executive produced by  Derek Schreyer (The Murdoch Mysteries, Instant Star, Cold Squad, 15/Love) and Karen Troubetzkoy (15/Love, The Magician’s House) and directed by Peter Wellington, an award-winning film and TV director best known for his work as sole director on The Movie Network’s comedy Slings and Arrows.

Cast includes Stacey Farber (Degrassi: The Next Generation’s) and Michael Seater (Life With Derek, The Zack Files) as the young lovers. Peter Keleghan (The Newsroom), Al Goulem (The Tournament, Stardom), Ellen David (Surviving My Mother, Mambo Italiano, Heist), Angela Asher (Degrassi: The Next Generation, Queer as Folk), Jesse Rath (Prom Wars, Dead Like Me), Tiio Horn (Indian Summer: The Oka Crisis) and newcomers Tommie-Amber Pirie and Ariel Shiri also star. Ian Whitehead produces.

“For the CBC to have ABC invest and collaborate in the pilot for an all-Canadian half-hour comedy series is truly remarkable,” remarked Kirstine Layfield, CBC’s executive director of network programming. “It’s a great tribute to all the talented Canadian writers, actors and producers that we are now making television series that are being sold to U.S. and international broadcasters and watched by audiences around the world.”

U.S./U.K. distributor Alchemy Television brokered the deal between CBC and ABC, and Montreal’s Galafilm developed and will produce the show. Anton Leo is Creative Head, Comedy for CBC Television.

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19 thoughts on “CBC, ABC team up on 18 to Life”

  1. The show sounds great. I really like both Stacey Farber and Michael Seater so I’m sure it’ll be good.

  2. I really hope the pilot gets the go ahead for the show! it’s sad to see life with derek end (michael seater’s former show), but this gives him a chance to play in a more mature series. And I’m so happy to see Canadian media is seeping it’s way across the boarder like cold maple syrup. And it’s coming at a great time. Sadly Corner Gas is leaving, and I think degrassi may be also, so it leaves a larger Canadian audience open to watch the new series.

  3. I really hope the pilot gets the go ahead for the show! it’s sad to see life with derek end (michael seater’s former show), but this gives him a chance to play in a more mature series. And I’m so happy to see Canadian media is seeping it’s way across the boarder, like cold maple syrup, eh? (lol). And the show’s coming at a great time. Sadly Corner Gas is leaving, and I think degrassi may be also, so it leaves a larger Canadian audience open to watch the new series.

  4. I think this show is going to be great Does anyone know when it will be aired? Also this show sounds like a new younger version of Dharma and Greg with touches of King of queens in it to me.

  5. I haven’t heard a specific date but it’ll be winter (not fall) this year on CBC (ABC has since dropped out).

  6. can not wait for this to come out… i am so glad they are airing it in America to… Stacey and Michael will be awesome!!!!

  7. All I can say is GO CANADA!! It’s so awesome to see Canada’s young stars rise to fame alongside some of our ‘greats’- the ones who have had the experience and are the perfect position to guide the ‘young’uns’…

  8. WTF is up with the one p.o.c, the iraqi just being called the refugeee ….great . fuckery at it`s finest .

  9. We took a picture with Michael Seater because he was on my front lawn with his dog! He and all the rest of the cast and crew spent pretty much the entire summer on my street filming all the exteriors and the inside of the the Hill’s house. The crew was extremely nice and it was quite the experience having all the hullabaloo on our street over the course of the summer. We were fortunate to be able to meet the writers and they were nice enough to let us watch the playback screens multiple times (we brought along our popcorn!) Overall, the experience was quite good, and my neighbours and I are all enjoying watching the show every Monday night!

  10. I am all for wholesomeness in television but there is a comment in All new to life re eating meat which is either very suggestive or I am completely misunderstanding.If the suggestion is suggestive I would hope that it will be corrected.
    Thank you.

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