From a media release:
Be Loud. Be Disabled. Be Squeaky. AMI is pleased to announce the cast, writing and producing teams for The Squeaky Wheel: Canada.
Based on Steven Verdile’s popular web publication The Squeaky Wheel and produced by Hitsby Entertainment, The Squeaky Wheel: Canada is a satirical, half-hour news format which pokes fun at the ableist society people with disabilities face every day.
Presented by Canada’s top writers and performers from the disability community, The Squeaky Wheel: Canada‘s irreverent perspective flips tropes and clichés upside down by showcasing disability in a humorous way. Its clever blend of social commentary and provocative humour will leave audiences laughing hysterically and feeling pleasurably guilty about it.
The eight-episode series introduces a fresh perspective to the entertainment landscape with its disability-led creative team, fronted by series producer Michelle Asgarali.
Directed by Lucy Belgum and Tobi Abdul, production is slated to begin filming in Hamilton, Ontario, in December. The series stars Graham Kent and Gaitrie Persaud as its lead anchors, and an ensemble cast featuring Margaret Rose, Samantha Wyss, Sivert Gorachand Das, Wesley Magee-Saxton and Yousef Abdullah Kadoura. The writing team includes D. Cole, Daniel Barra-Berger, Jenny Lee-Gilmore and Sierra Haynes, and many story contributors with diverse perspectives across the disability community.
“I am honoured that AMI and Hitsby Entertainment are taking The Squeaky Wheel in this exciting new direction,” says Steven Verdile. “I look forward to seeing where this talented group of performers, writers and producers from the disability community takes us.”
“I look forward to bringing my directing skills to this unique show,” says director Lucy Belgum. “It’s rare to get such a well-written comedy about disabilities, and I am proud to be one of the first trans women to direct Canadian TV.”
“Being on a disabled-led project is a dream,” says director Tobi Abdul. “I’m thrilled to bring a disruptive internet publication to life and shake up the media landscape.”
The first season of The Squeaky Wheel: Canada will be broadcast on AMI-tv in 2024 and available for streaming on AMI+.
