From Karen Kicak, special to the Toronto Star:
Link: I was a writer on ‘Workin’ Moms’ — and wrestling with whether I wanted to become one
In the fall of 2015, a friend working at CBC emailed me an eight-minute sizzle video for a show that had just been greenlit called “Workin’ Moms” with the subject line: “You NEED To Get on This!!!!” Continue reading.
From a media release:
With production underway in and around Toronto and Hamilton, CBC and Pier 21 Films are confirming casting for new, original comedy series RUN THE BURBS, from award-winning comedian, writer, and actor Andrew Phung and his best friend and collaborator filmmaker Scott Townend (The Secret Marathon).
Premiering on CBC and CBC Gem in Winter 2022, Phung executive produces, writes, and stars in the series as a stay-at-home dad – Andrew Pham – living and loving with his entrepreneurial, executive wife and two kids. The Phams are a young, bold Vietnamese-South Asian-Canadian family taking a different approach to living life to the fullest, while changing the way we think about contemporary family values and life in the burbs.
Joining Phung on screen forming the balance of the Pham family are actor and comedian Rakhee Morzaria (Note to Self, Private Eyes) playing Andrew’s wife Camille Pham; and rising young stars Zoriah Wong (Nancy Drew) and Roman Pesino (Odd Squad) as their children Khia and Leo Pham. The Pham fam are joined in the burbs by a cast of friends, family, and neighbours played by an illustrious roster of Canadian talent including Ali Hassan (CBC’s Laugh Out Loud) as Camille’s father Ramesh, YouTube sensation Julie Nolke (Explaining the Pandemic to my Past Self) as Camille’s best friend Sam, Jonathan Langdon (Utopia Falls) as next door neighbour Hudson, Simone Miller (Detention Adventure) as Hudson’s daughter Mannix, Samantha Wan (Second Jen) as local bubble tea café owner Cathy, Candy Palmater (The Candy Show) as neighbour Candy, comedian Chris Locke (Workin’ Moms, Mr. D) as neighbour Sebastian, and Baroness von Sketch Show’s Aurora Browne as neighbourhood permit assassin Barb.
“We set out to make a show that goes big. To showcase a family that truly supports one another while going all out every week. It’s a bit of a throwback to classic family sitcoms in the burbs, but with a family that you’ve never seen reflected on television before,” comments Townend.
“We are so hyped and proud of this incredible group of performers that have joined us on this journey. We are introducing Canada to some amazingly talented new faces they may not have met before – including the amazing Rakhee Morzaria – alongside comedy rockstars like Ali Hassan, Aurora Brown, and Candy Palmater – they are all going to blow audiences away and take on the burbs like no one has before. We’re honoured to have this opportunity and it’s been our absolute pleasure working with CBC, Pier 21 Films, and Endeavor Content as we bring Run the Burbs to life,†adds Phung.
Pier 21 Films Executive Producer Laszlo Barna adds, “We are so fortunate to be working with such a talented cast led by our star and co-creator Andrew Phung. We can’t wait for the world to join us in the burbs and meet the Phams and their unforgettable friends and neighbours.â€
“We are so excited to watch Andrew’s deeply personal story about family come to life through this remarkable cast and creative team,†said Sally Catto, General Manager, Entertainment, Factual and Sports, CBC. “RUN THE BURBS authentically reflects how Canadians are building new communities in suburbs across the country, and we can’t wait to share it with audiences this winter.”
A CBC original series, RUN THE BURBS is produced by Pier 21 Films. As announced earlier this year, Endeavor Content has picked up the international sales rights. Executive Producers are Laszlo Barna, Nicole Butler and Bill Lundy (for Pier 21 Films), Andrew Phung, Scott Townend, and Aleysa Young. Shebli Zarghami serves as Executive Producer and Showrunner. Jessica Daniel is producer. Co-Executive Producers are Matt Kippen and Wendy Litner. Nelu Handa is Consulting Producer. Season One directors include Aleysa Young, Peter Wellington, Joyce Wong, Melanie Orr, and Justin Wu.
From a media release:
Award-winning producer LoCo Motion Pictures is proud to announce that production on the third season of its CBC Gem original scripted tween series Detention Adventure commenced on July 5th in Toronto. In addition, Blue Ant International has secured the worldwide distribution rights to the third season of the series (outside of Canada).
In the new season, Carolyn Taylor (Baroness Von Sketch Show) will guest star in five episodes and up-and-coming singer, dancer and actor Danté Prince has been tapped to co-star as “Dash†alongside returning series regulars Simone Miller Castoro-Qualizza as “Raign Westrook,†Tomaso Sanelli as “Brett Austin,†Alina Prijono as “Joy Jayadi,†Jack Fulton as “Norman ‘Hulk’ Bean,†Lilly Bartlam as “Kelly Darnell,†Andrew Moodie as “Principal Lounsberry,†Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll as “Coach Rod,†and Stacey McGunnigle as “Miss Marner.†Benjamin Ayres will also return as a guest star as “Bruno Black.â€
In season 3, the Detention Adventure Team is at it again working to uncover the secret hidden in Lawren Harris’ painting given to them by none other than Principal Lounsberry. Their investigation is interrupted after learning they will be spending one of their final weeks of school at Island School! Unimpressed when Island School proves to be a dilapidated camp, the kids soon realize that the camp is more than it appears and might just hold the answers they’re looking for. With the help of the charismatic new art school student, Dash, the team explores what Lawren Harris’ painting could mean through different art forms while forging new bonds with their fellow Island School students. But with the crew heading off to high school, does growing up mean growing apart?
Co-created by Joe Kicak and Carmen Albano, Detention Adventure is written by Kicak, Albano, Lisa Rose Snow, Jay Vaidya and Cassie Cao. The series is executive produced by Lauren Corber, Kicak and Albano. Ryan West is producer.
Detention Adventure launched in 2019 as CBC’s first original kids scripted series for CBC Gem. Since then, the series has received numerous awards and accolades including Kidscreen Award winner for Best Web/App Series: Kid and CSA winner for Best Writing, Children’s & Youth and Best Original Music. Blue Ant International has licensed the first two seasons of the series to platforms in more than 125 territories, including the US, the UK, Ireland, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, Latin America, the Nordics and Hong Kong.
At the end of its first season, Detention Adventure teased a new quest to be tackled by our heroic foursome: a map hinting at the lost treasure of Ignatius Cockshutt.
The time for that quest is nigh, as Season 2 of Detention Adventure returns to CBC Gem on Friday.
But Raign (Simone Miller), Brett (Tomaso Sanelli), Joy (Alina Prijono), and Hulk (Jack Fulton) aren’t alone this time around; quick and quirky Kelly (Lilly Bartlam) joins the fray and adds a new dimension to the web series.
“We wanted to have a history expert this season,” says co-creator, co-executive producer, co-writer and director Joe Kicak. “Having Kelly in there really became the catalyst for this season. And, as you’ll see, she very much becomes part of the story arc.”
A big part of what makes the second season of Detention Adventure so enjoyable—aside from the nods to Brantford, Ont. (my hometown) and the addition of Workin’ Moms’ Sarah McVie—is the personal stories attached to the four main characters. From dealing with divorce or the death of a parent to feeling like the odd one out or an underachiever, Raign, Brett, Joy and Hulk face reality when they aren’t hunting for Cockshutt’s treasure.
“We wanted them to feel very real,” says co-creator, co-executive producer and co-writer Carmen Albano. “The emotional arc of our characters is important, so it had to be genuine.”
Detention Adventure serves up genuine scares too. Several scenes shot in a darkened church result in very creepy moments, making this adult wonder if it was a little too scary for kids.
“CBC told us to just go for it,” Kicak says with a laugh. “We shot one scene and they said, ‘We didn’t really get a jump scare,’ so we made it even worse. Then they said, ‘OK, maybe you went a little too far.’ It might scare some kids but, at the same time, you might have other kids who really enjoy the ride.”
Climb on board the ride this Friday.
Season 2 of Detention Adventure is available on CBC Gem this Friday.
Image courtesy of CBC.
From a media release:
Production is underway on the second season of CBC Gem original tween action-adventure series DETENTION ADVENTURE (10×11) from LoCo Motion Pictures and Broken Compass Films. Filming in the Greater Toronto Area will continue until mid-February. Upon its initial launch in spring 2019, DETENTION ADVENTURE was CBC’s first-ever original kids scripted series for CBC Gem. Season 2 is once again directed by showrunner Joe Kicak, and will be available to stream on-demand via CBC Gem later in 2020.
In Season 2, the DETENTION ADVENTURE crew – Raign (Simone Miller, Snapshots), Joy (Alina Prijono, Odd Squad), Hulk (Jack Fulton, Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments), and Brett (Tomaso Sanelli, Titans) – must join forces once again. This time, their adventure has them searching the historically rich town of Brantford for the lost fortune of its wealthiest former resident, Ignatius Cockshutt.
After a summer of defeat, being unable to make heads or tails of their new treasure map to Cockshutt’s fortune, the gang finds new hope when they meet Kelly (Lilly Bartlam, Paw Patrol), an enthusiastic fellow student with a passion for their town’s history. Unfortunately, their hijinks land them in a new form of detention: helping the head of Brantford’s Historical Society Miss Dumont (Sarah McVie, Workin’ Moms) plan the town’s annual historical re-enactment.
The group must follow clues that lead them through their town’s historic sites, learning more about the mystery of Ignatius Cockshutt and drawing nearer to their prize. However, a shadowy figure follows their every move, circumventing their plans and trying to beat them to their goal. Who is their mysterious adversary, and who will find the treasure first?
A CBC Gem original series, DETENTION ADVENTURE is produced by LoCo Motion Pictures and Broken Compass Films. Created by Joe Kicak and Carmen Albano, executive producers are Lauren Corber, Joe Kicak and Carmen Albano, with producer Ryan West. The series is directed by Joe Kicak. For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Programming; Gave Lindo is Executive Director, OTT Programming; Marie McCann is Senior Director, Children’s Content; and Zach Feldberg, Mélanie Lê Phan and Paige Murray are Executives in Charge of Production.
DETENTION ADVENTUREÂ Season 2 is made with the generous support of the Shaw Rocket Fund, the Canada Media Fund, the Bell Fund, the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada.
