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Ghost Walk, Industry News

Saloon Media announces collaboration with UK-based StoryFirst on scripted drama, Ghost Walk

From a media release:

Saloon Media, a Blue Ant Studios company, announced today its collaboration with UK-based StoryFirst on its first scripted drama, Ghost Walk (8×60’). Created by Brendan Foley (Cold Courage), who also serves as showrunner on the project, the one-hour series will follow a vivacious, aspiring Canadian actress and prickly British scientist who together become the unlikely ‘Mulder and Scully’ of the world of ghosts. The series kicks off Saloon Media’s exciting new scripted slate and is the first of many Canadian/UK partnerships that the production company will reveal in the coming months. Ghost Walk was developed with the support of Canadian specialty TV channel T+E and will be produced in Ontario, Canada and York, UK.

Ghost Walk will introduce audiences to Melissa Roth, an aspiring Canadian actress who takes a temporary position as a ghost walk tour guide in York, UK. After a fall down a flight of stairs, Melissa begins to see spirits. She soon teams up with a cynical, charismatic British scientist, Charles Conroy, in hopes that he will cure her in exchange for the fame and fortune he would earn proving whether or not ghosts exist. The duo develops a bond; partners investigating hauntings from historic York to rural Canada, while tumbling through the minefield of friendship and – just maybe – something more.

Saloon Media’s Melissa Williamson (top left) and Michael Kot serve as Executive Producers on Ghost Walk. Dominic Barlow (top right) will Executive Produce on behalf of StoryFirst. Sam Linton, Head of Original Content (Canada), Blue Ant Media is Executive Producer on behalf of T+E.

Saloon Media, a Blue Ant Studios company, is a creative hub for compelling new television and digital productions. The founding partners have a wealth of experience in broadcasting and factual and scripted production, and a track record for delivering successful and award-winning programs to international clients. Saloon’s productions have broadcast on History, National Geographic, Smithsonian, Investigation Discovery, CMT, SBS, ZDF, Yesterday, Four, More4, and Netflix. Saloon is a specialist in international co-production, working with like-minded production partners around the world to produce top quality returning series and high-impact specials. Saloon Media is based in Toronto. Saloonmedia.com

StoryFirst’s focus is on the development, production, and financing of high-quality television series for the global marketplace. Alongside developing ambitious drama with new and established writing talent, StoryFirst is a co-producing partner for producers of drama projects around the world.

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Industry News, Kim's Convenience, Run the Burbs, Strays

CBC announces two new comedies

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From a media release:

CBC is announcing initial details for two new original half-hour comedy series featuring Kim’s Convenience stars Andrew Phung and Nicole Power – RUN THE BURBS and STRAYS – with both shows set to launch during the upcoming 2021-22 broadcast season.

Created by comedian, writer and actor Andrew Phung and his best friend and collaborator, filmmaker Scott Townend (The Secret Marathon), RUN THE BURBS is a new original comedy about a young, bold Canadian family taking a different approach to living life to the fullest in the suburbs, featuring Phung as a stay-at-home dad with an entrepreneur wife and two kids. The series has been in development since May 2020 and is produced by Pier 21 Films, with additional details to be announced later this spring.

STRAYS follows the upbeat and enthusiastic Kim’s Convenience character Shannon Ross (Nicole Power) as she embarks on a new career in Hamilton, Ontario alongside an ensemble cast including Frank Cox O’Connell (Soulpepper Theatre), Tina Jung (Suits, Second Jen), Nikki Duval (Workin’ Moms), Kevin Vidal (Workin’ Moms), Tony Nappo (Pretty Hard Cases), Paula Boudreau (Workin’ Moms) and Emily Piggford (The Sounds, Warigami). Created by Kevin White (Kim’s Convenience, Schitt’s Creek) and produced by Thunderbird Entertainment, the series has been in development since July 2018 and is currently in production. More details will be announced later this spring.

“As our comedy slate continues to evolve, we are thrilled to continue working with Andrew and Nicole and offer audiences two new comedies to look forward to starring these incredible talents they have come to know and love,” said Sally Catto, General Manager, Entertainment, Factual and Sports, CBC. “Both of these series were planned to join Kim’s Convenience on our comedy lineup this upcoming year, to reflect how many young Canadians are forging new lives outside of urban centres in Canada. We look forward to watching Andrew and Nicole as they explore these new stories.”

RUN THE BURBS and STRAYS join original comedy SORT OF as new additions to CBC’s award-winning comedy slate this upcoming broadcast season. Created by Bilal Baig (Acha Bacha) and Fab Filippo (Save Me), SORT OF stars Baig as a gender fluid millennial trying to live their most authentic life.

CBC will confirm series renewals and additional new original series for the 2021/22 broadcast season later this spring.

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Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Production underway on new CTV Life Channel original culinary series, Mary Makes It Easy

From a media release:

CTV Life Channel, in association with Boat Rocker Studios, Unscripted through Proper Television, announced today that production has begun on new culinary series MARY MAKES IT EASY. Hosted by Canada’s culinary sweetheart Mary Berg, Canadian Screen Award-winner for Best Host, Lifestyle for CTV Original series MARY’S KITCHEN CRUSH, the new series for CTV Life Channel consists of 25 half-hour episodes, including a holiday special.

For Berg, cooking is life. Making and serving delicious food for friends and family is how Berg expresses her love for them. It’s also how she connects with fans and followers around the world who might need some help with their own cooking adventures.

Filming in Toronto at Berg’s home kitchen, MARY MAKES IT EASY follows Berg as she provides tips, tricks, and recipes to solve every day cooking woes. From ideas on what to make with a fridge full of leftovers, to lackluster chicken emergencies, Berg takes viewers through simple solutions, and leaves them with a newfound confidence to overcome any challenges they encounter on their culinary journey.

As part of the new series, Berg wants to know what cooking questions Canadians need answered. With submissions now open at AskMary.ca, people have the opportunity to send their inquiries to Berg, with some questions to be featured on MARY MAKES IT EASY.

Berg has spent most of her life cooking and baking for those she loves, and building a strong appreciation for the connective powers of beautiful, home-cooked food. Berg is the Canadian Screen Award-winner for Best Host, Lifestyle for MARY’S KITCHEN CRUSH, a CTV Original series. MARY’S KITCHEN CRUSH is a Canadian Screen Award-winner for Best Lifestyle Program or Series, and is currently sold in more than 100 countries. Berg is also the Season 3 winner of CTV’s MASTERCHEF CANADA, as well as a cooking expert on YOUR MORNING, THE SOCIAL, and THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW on CTV. Best-selling author of Kitchen Party: Effortless Recipes for Every Occasion, Berg is currently working on her second cookbook, which is set to be released in fall 2021.

MARY MAKES IT EASY is produced by Boat Rocker Studios, Unscripted through Proper Television, in association with CTV. Cathie James, Allison Grace, and Lesia Capone serve as Executive Producers and David Donohue as Series Producer.

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Industry News

Overlord and the Underwoods enters the atmosphere with live action series order from CBC

From a media release:

Award-winning production company, marblemedia, in association with Cloudco Entertainment, a world-class entertainment studio, received a series order for Overlord and the Underwoods™ (20×30) from CBC, Canada’s public broadcaster, Nickelodeon International, ITV, in association with BYUtv.

The original half-hour, live-action, single camera family comedy follows the Underwoods, a North American family, whose life is turned upside down when their distant cousin, Overlord, the second most-wanted villain in the universe, seeks refuge in their home after being forced into intergalactic witness protection. After snitching out his boss, the evil Mega-Lord Supreme, Overlord is sent to live with his incredibly nice, distant cousins on Planet Earth. Over the course of the series, the evil Overlord and the very sweet Underwoods discover a thing or two about each other as they learn to treasure the value of family and the importance of true friendship, diversity, and compassion.

Created by BAFTA-winning showrunner, Anthony Q. Farrell (NBC’s The Office, CBBC’s Secret Life of Boys, CBC’s Little Mosque on the Prairie, upcoming marble and BYUtv series The Parker Andersons/ Amelia Parker) and Ryan Wiesbrock, creator of the Netflix Original Series Buddy Thunderstruck and the live-action adaptation of the Hulu Original series Holly Hobbie for Hulu and Canada’s Family Channel. The series features top talent and pre-production has begun in Toronto.

Farrell is compiling an exceptional creative writing team for the show including Kate Hewlett, Ryan Belleville, Jay Vaidya, Amanda Joy, Angelica Mendizabal, Caleigh Bacchus, Simon Owens, Sadiya Durrani and Richard Young.

Academy-Award winning FX expert, Roger Christian (Alien, Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace and Episode IV A New Hope) boards the series as Character Designer. Christian was responsible for creating the props and sets for Star Wars, including the infamous lightsaber. His designs for this show will be brought to life by MastersFX and include Overlord’s helmet and costume and his animatronic, robot sidekick. The team at MastersFX is the character effects company behind hit shows The Handmaid’s Tale and The Umbrella Academy, and they will bring Christian’s designs to life in Overlord and the Underwoods.

Production credits for the series include: Executive Producers Mark J.W. Bishop, Matt Hornburg, Carrie Paupst Shaughnessy, Ryan Wiesbrock, Sean Gorman and Ian Lambur; Supervising Producer Donna Luke; Series Producer Jim Corston; SVP Rights and Executive Producer, Diane Rankin; and Showrunner Anthony Q. Farrell. For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports, Trish Williams is Executive Director, Scripted Content, Sandra Picheca is Director of Current Production, Comedy, and Greig Dymond is Executive In Charge of Production. Michael A. Dunn and Andra Johnson Duke are Executive Producers and Jim Bell is Supervising Producer for BYUtv.

The series is produced in association with CBC, BYUtv, Nickelodeon International with ITV/Citv, and with the financial participation of the Shaw Rocket Fund. The series was developed through funding from the Bell Fund Slate Development Program. Cloudco Entertainment and Distribution 360, a marblemedia company, hold worldwide distribution rights for the series.

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Children's Programming, Industry News

Two new innovative family comedies coming to Super Channel Heart & Home: The Parker Andersons to premiere April 19 followed by Amelia Parker

From a media release:

Super Channel is pleased to announce it has acquired two new innovative family comedies slated for their Canadian premiere on Super Channel Heart & Home this April. The Parker Andersons (10 x 30 min) and Amelia Parker (10 x 30 min) follow the life of one interracial family, blended by marriage. The two interwoven scripted series highlight events in the life of the Parker-Anderson family from two different perspectives. Produced by marblemedia and Beechwood Canyon Productions, both series were shot in Toronto.

The Parker Andersons will premiere on Monday, April 19 at 8 p.m. ET, followed by Amelia Parker at 8:30 p.m. ET. Each half-hour episode will also be available on Super Channel On Demand, the day following its weekly linear broadcast.

This completely new and innovative concept enhances traditional TV storytelling by creating two stand-alone comedy series, each with their own storylines and episodes, while still connected by larger overarching plotlines tying the two independent shows together. The Parker Andersons follows the heartfelt family moments and warmly comedic antics of a newly blended family, while Amelia Parker centers around the quietest member of the family as she navigates the world around her.

The Parker Andersons follows Tony Parker, a British widower and father of two (Nathan and Amelia), who moves to the United States, where he marries Cleo Anderson, the mother of two kids (Victoria and Charlie). The series follows this diverse family as they learn that their differences are exactly what they need to create a happy new life together.

Amelia Parker centers around the quietest member of the Parker Anderson family, a tween girl who has been selectively mute since her mother died a few years ago. If she’s going to participate in the world again, she’d better find her voice. In confessionals, we see that
Amelia is actually an opinionated, vivacious girl, who openly explains her hopes, anxieties, and fears in virtual conversations with her deceased mom.

Anthony Q. Farrell serves as showrunner and an executive producer for both series. Farrell has written for The Office, Little Mosque on the Prairie and Nickelodeon’s The Thunderman’s and has developed shows for CBS Studios, Disney Channel and Cartoon Network, among others. He is also the creator of Secret Life of Boys, the BAFTA-winning CBBC series in its fifth season.  

The Parker Andersons and Amelia Parker stars Arnold Pinnock as Tony Parker (Cardinal, Coroner, Baroness Von Sketch), Kate Hewlett as Cleo Anderson (The Stanley Dynamic, Degrassi: The Next Generation, The Girlfriend Experience), Millie Davis as Amelia Parker (Odd Squad, Dino Dana, Wonder, Orphan Black), Agape Mngomezulu as Nathan Parker (Best Intentions, The Twilight Zone, Supernatural), Devin Cecchetto as Victoria Anderson (Ginny & Georgia, The Craft), Charlie Zeltzer as Charlie Anderson (The Handmaid’s Tale, Anne with an E), Sandy Jobin-Bevans as Roger Anderson (Designated Survivor, Just Like Mom and Dad, Good Witch) and Akiel Julien as Nick Parker (Utopia Falls, The Boys, What We Do in the Shadows).

Executive Producers for the series include Mark J.W. Bishop, Matt Hornburg, Carrie Paupst Shaughnessy, and Co-Executive Producer Donna Luke (marblemedia); Executive Producers Frank van Keeken and Yolanda Yott (Beachwood Canyon); Executive Producer and Showrunner Anthony Q. Farrell and Producer Jim Corston. Executive producers for BYUtv include Michael A. Dunn, Andra Johnson Duke, Melissa Puente and Jim Bell.

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