From a media release:
SPACE Orders New Original Drama Series ORPHAN BLACK
Bell Media’s SPACE announced today from the Banff World Media Festival that it has ordered a new original scripted series from acclaimed independent producer Temple Street Productions. ORPHAN BLACK follows outsider, orphan and street-wise chameleon Sarah, who has a murky past and tenuous future after she witnesses a woman’s suicide and assumes the identity of the dead stranger – who happens to look just like her. Expecting to solve all her problems by cleaning out the dead woman’s savings, Sarah is instead thrust headlong into a kaleidoscopic mystery. The order follows the recent announcement that Bell Media has commissioned another original drama MOTIVE (working title) for CTV.
OPRHAN BLACK is executive produced by Ivan Schneeberg and David Fortier (Being Erica), Graeme Manson (Cube, FLASHPOINT) and John Fawcett (SPARTACUS, THE SECRET CIRCLE). The series is co-created by Manson and Fawcett, with Manson also serving as writer and Fawcett as director. BBC Worldwide will distribute the series internationally. Set to begin production in Toronto this fall, 10 episodes of the one-hour drama have been ordered.
After assuming the dead woman’s identity, Sarah quickly realizes that she must completely integrate herself into the dead woman’s life, which includes taking on her job as a cop who’s currently facing a serious internal force investigation. While trapped in her new life, Sarah eventually learns the dizzying truth – that she and the dead woman are clones. As Sarah searches for answers, she discovers another chilling fact: there are more people like them out there. They are all genetically identical individuals who were planted in unsuspecting birth parents and nurtured in completely different circumstances. They have no idea who created them – or why – but they need to discover the reason in a hurry. An assassin is killing them, one by one.
ORPHAN BLACK is produced by Temple Street Productions in association with Bell Media. Trish Williams is Director, Independent Production, Bell Media. Corrie Coe is Senior Vice-President, Independent Production, Bell Media. Catherine McLeod is Vice-President, Specialty Channels, Bell Media. Phil King is President, CTV Programming and Sports.
It’s like the CW’s Ringer meets I Am Number Four.
whatever happened to “Borealis”? last update was months ago: “The Borealis pilot is completed, but not yet scheduled.” Did it die on the table?
That update was actually a couple of weeks ago at the upfronts. I haven’t heard anything about it going to series so my guess is it wasn’t picked up. They will still likely need to air the pilot due to funding requirements.
Well, it is a two-hour pilot, so Borealis will probably be advertised as a film. I just hope SPACE doesn’t plop it, unannounced, into the 9:00 PM ET Saturday rotation.
Yes CTV/SPACE passed on Borealis after seeing the pilot. Big disappointment for those of us who were looking forward to the show. The producers are looking at other networks now, hoping someone else will pick it up.
thanks for the responses! I thought the premise was pretty interesting. Here’s hoping someone else sees potential…
After watching Ringer, I won’t be able to get into this. There’s too many parellels and Ringer is too fresh in my mind.
It won’t air until 2013 so Ringer might not be quite as fresh in anyone’s mind by then :)
It appears that BBC America (which is also airing the co-production Copper) has picked this series up for US airing.
http://thefutoncritic.com/news/2012/06/26/bbc-america-orders-new-original-scripted-sci-fi-adventure-orphan-black-for-supernatural-saturdays-993000/20120626bbca01/