Tag Archives: Derek Harvie

Family Channel’s Bajillionaires is rich with laughs and creativity

The world is full of budding entrepreneurs looking to get a leg up and make a fortune, and some of them are pretty young. But Bajillionaires pushes the envelope in a new and charming way.

Debuting as a two-day television event on Saturday, March 2, and Sunday, March 3, at 10 a.m. ET/PT on Family Channel, Bajillionaires follows a group of neighbourhood friends who are looking to invent something amazing, change the world and possibly make a pantload of money in the process. Bajillionaires is created by Derek Harvie, whose credits include writing and executive producing Testees, The Tom Green Show and Freddy Got Fingered. While those were decidedly un-PG-rated, Bajillionaires is homespun fun thanks in large part to smart writing and a wonderful young cast.

“Charles Bishop at Six Eleven Media [Bajillionaires‘ production company] has developed tons of children’s shows … and he had an idea about kids inventing stuff and I had an idea about kids owning their own company,” Harvie says over the phone. “The invention thing seemed to tie in with that. Sometimes they’ll create an actual product or gadget and sometimes they might come up with a business idea.”

Ricky Ortiz is fantastic as Max Graham, a kid with big ideas and, in the first episode, hoping for a big loan from a bank. When he and Kaylyn French (Mya Singh, above left) get turned down, they opt to build a delivery drone, vibrating headband and super juicer to try to qualify for InventiveCon, an invention convention with a big cash prize to get their start-up off the ground. Max has great ideas, but they don’t always work out, as evidenced by flashbacks to a robot dogwalker, robot lawnmower and mechanical mechanic. Still, when he’s with Kaylyn and their buds Alicia Windsor (Arista Arhin), Noodles (Alec Dahmer, above right) and Zeke (Jadian Toros), hilarious—and sometimes good—things happen.

Part of the fun of Bajillionaires are the ideas the kids kick around. Sussing out how to create a drone that will deliver coffee to Sam’s sleep-deprived dad or a headband to gently wake someone from a nap shows ingenuity and something that could really be created. It’s entertaining and inspiring stuff.

“A lot of them are useless and a lot of them are funny,” Harvie says of the inventions. “But a lot of them are really smart and there are a lot of kids that have made money off of actual inventions. The popsicle was a kid invention.”

Bajillionaires‘ two-day event happens Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m. ET/PT on Family Channel. Bajillionaires‘ regular timeslot is Sundays at 10 a.m ET/PT on Family Channel.

Images courtesy of DHX Media.

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Family Channel, Universal Kids and Six Eleven Media start production on new live-action scripted comedy Greenfields

From a media release:

DHX Television’s Family Channel, Universal Kids and Six Eleven Media are pleased to announce that production has begun on the new live-action series Greenfields. Created by Derek Harvie, the half-hour, single-camera comedy follows 12-year-old Max and his eclectic group of friends as they navigate the highs and lows of running a start-up company. The 20-episode order is being filmed in Toronto, with the series scheduled to debut on Family Channel (Canada) and Universal Kids (U.S.), NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment’s network for kids 2-12, in fall 2018.

Twelve-year-old Max Graham (newcomer Ricardo Ortiz) is President and CEO of a tiny start-up company, which he runs out of his parents’ garage with his neighbourhood pals. Their goal: to invent an amazing product, change the world and maybe even make a bajillion dollars! With every flop – and there’s quite a few – the gang learns valuable lessons, creates closer bonds and comes one step closer to their BIG idea, all the while trying to find the balance between business and friendship.

Featuring a predominantly Canadian cast, Greenfields stars Ricardo Ortiz as Max Graham; Arista Arhin (Odd Squad, Star Trek: Discovery) as the team’s newest member and Chief Product Designer, Alicia Windsor; Mya Singh (Odd Squad) as Max’s oldest friend and Head of Marketing and PR, Kaylyn French; Alec Dahmer as accidental class clown and Research Technician, Noodles; Jadian Toros as the youngest member of the team and Chief Financial Officer, Zeke; Adrianna Di Liello (Backstage, Annedroids) as Max’s older sister, Chelsea Graham; Sandy Jobin-Bevans (Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle) as Max’s dad, Bryan Graham; and Allison Price (The New Yorker Presents) as Max’s mom, Helen Graham.

Greenfields is produced by Six Eleven Media in association with DHX Television’s Family Channel and is executive produced by Derek Harvie and Charles Bishop with his team at Six Eleven Media. Greenfields is also produced with the participation of the Canadian Media Fund (CMF). International distribution will be handled by DHX Media.

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