Everything about Ransom, eh?

Original drama Ransom joins Global’s winter schedule beginning February 16

From a media release:

Season 3 of original suspense drama Ransom moves in on Global’s winter schedule, taking over Saturday nights beginning February 16 at 8 p.m. ET/PT in simulcast with CBS.

This season finds crisis and hostage negotiator Eric Beaumont (Luke Roberts) and his elite CriRes team (played by Nazneen Contractor, Brandon Jay McLaren, and Karen LeBlanc), struggling to balance the demands of their personal lives with their careers as negotiators handling high-pressure kidnappings and hostage-takings. As they negotiate with formidable criminals and immerse themselves in the world of extreme hostage situations, the team members deal with the repercussions of Season 2’s dramatic conclusion.

During the first episode “Justice” (airing Saturday, Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Global), when a man is murdered and his wife is threatened to be next, Eric and the CriRes team are brought in to negotiate a blood money payoff.

Viewers who miss any of the intense drama can stream following the broadcast the next day on GlobalTV.com, Global GO (available for Apple TV, Google Chromecast, and Amazon Fire TV), and on demand.

Ransom is produced by Sienna Films, Big Light Productions, Entertainment One (eOne) and Korda Studios, and was created by Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files, The Man in the High Castle) and David Vainola (Diamonds, Combat Hospital) who also serve as Executive Producers.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

Global renews high-stakes drama Ransom for third season

From a media release:

Today Global announced a fourth renewal to its slate of Canadian content for the 2019 broadcast year, as suspense drama Ransom has been greenlit for Season 3. From global studio Entertainment One (eOne), Korda Studios, Big Light Productions, and producers Sienna Films, the 13-episode series will shoot in Budapest, Hungary, beginning in October 2018 and premiere next year on Global in Canada and CBS in the U.S. This announcement comes on the heels of Global’s recent renewals for Mary Kills People, Private Eyes, and Big Brother Canada.

With principal cast returning including Luke Roberts, Nazneen Contractor, Brandon Jay McLaren, and Karen LeBlanc, Season 3 of Ransom follows the world of international crisis and hostage negotiating with Eric Beaumont (Roberts) and his elite team as they save lives when no one else can. Eric understands criminals better than they understand themselves and uses his insight into human behaviour to resolve the most difficult kidnap and ransom cases.

Viewers who missed any of the action from Season 2 can catch up on Ransom now on GlobalTV.com, Global GO (available on Apple TV and Chromecast), and On Demand.

Ransom is inspired by the professional experiences of distinguished crisis negotiator Laurent Combalbert, who, along with his partner, Marwan Mery, are among the top negotiators in the world. They travel the globe to help multinational corporations and government agencies with complex negotiations and conflict resolution.

Ransom was created by David Vainola (Diamonds, Combat Hospital) and Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files, The Man in the High Castle) who also serves as Executive Producer. Ransom is a Canada-Hungary treaty co-production, produced by Entertainment One (eOne) with executive producers Jennifer Kawaja and Julia Sereny (Sienna Films); Daniel Kresmery and György Rajnai (Korda Studios) are co-producing. The series executive producers include Valerie Pechels and Odile McDonald (Wildcats Productions). Ransom is developed in association with Corus Entertainment Inc., with the participation from the Canada Media Fund, and produced with the financial assistance of the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit.

eOne controls worldwide rights to the series.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

Links: Ransom, Season 2

From Scott Campbell of the Renfrew Mercury:

Link: ‘Ransom’ a special show, says actor Brandon Jay McLaren
“It’s action-packed, there’s a cool international flavour. We take place in all these different cities. Most importantly, what’s cool about this show is we don’t use violence to solve our problems.” Continue reading.

From Charles Trapunski of Brief Take:

Interview: Ransom’s Nazneen Contractor
“The show has definitely helped me to better understand other people and to form some kind of agreement with them. And when I’m on the show I try not to negotiate with the people around me, but it has definitely helped me to become a better communicator.” Continue reading.

 

 

 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

Preview: Ransom returns for Season 2 with an explosive storyline

When we last left the Ransom team, Eric Beaumont’s (Luke Roberts) life was in shambles. His arch nemesis, Damien Delaine (Carlo Rota) had taken his daughter Evie (Jenessa Grant) hostage, leaving Eric unsure of what to do next.

Season 2 of Ransom, returning Saturday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Global, picks up with 13 new episodes right after that stunning cliffhanger, with Oliver (Brandon Jay McLaren), Maxine (Sarah Greene) and Zara (Nazneen Contractor) scrambling to help Eric out. Inspired by the professional experiences of real-life crisis negotiator Laurent Combalbert and his partner, Marwan Mery, Ransom‘s storylines travel the globe as the squad helps multinational corporations and governmental agencies with complex negotiations and conflict resolution.

Created by David Vainola and Frank Spotnitz, the Canadian-Hungarian co-production staffs homegrown writers in Alison Lea Bingeman, Sandra Chwialkowska, Lynne Kamm, Steve Cochrane, Kyle Hart, Avrum Jacobson, Tamara Moulin and Vince Shiao.

Here’s what we can tell you about Saturday’s return, “Three Wishes,” written by Frank Spotnitz and directed by James Genn.

Flashback
“Three Wishes” begins by going back almost two decades to show Eric’s origin story and introduce a key character in his life. It’s nice to see Eric at an earlier time and the charm that will make him so successful.

A trio of tasks
As hinted at in the episode title, Delaine forces Eric to complete three challenges in order to win Evie back. Each task forces Eric to make tough choices and make ethically questionable decisions. After seeing Eric in control of situations most of the time, it is interesting to see him in distress and, sometimes, freaking the heck out. A kidnapped daughter will do that to a man. There are a few clunky moments of dialogue to establish the parameters for the main storyline so viewers get just how dire the situation is (no cops, Delaine is dangerous, everyone is scared, keeping to protocol), and I’m not sure they’re necessary. Still, it’s a minor quibble for a genre that does over-explanation all the time.

Carlo Rota is the king
I’ve been a fan of Carlo Rota way back when he hosted The Great Canadian Food Show, through Traders, Queer as Folk and Little Mosque on the Prairie. He’s pitch perfect as Delaine, a man on a mission of revenge and swaggering around telling Eric what to do. You want to punch him in the face but you also understand why he’s going what he is. That’s the mark of great acting. Also, a nod to James Genn who does a bang-up job directing some key scenes between Eric and Delaine.

Ransom airs Saturdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Global.

Image courtesy of Corus Entertainment.

 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

Season 2 of Global’s intense original drama Ransom returns April 7

From a media release:

Global raises the stakes this spring as Season 2 of original suspense drama Ransom returns Saturday, April 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT in simulcast with CBS. From Entertainment One (eOne), Korda Studios, Big Light Productions and producers Sienna Films, the 13-episode series returns to the life-and-death world of crisis and hostage negotiator Eric Beaumont (Luke Roberts, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) and his elite team of experts. This season, as they negotiate with top-ranking criminals and delve deep into the world of high-stakes hostage situations, the team members struggle to balance their personal lives in a criminal world that knows no boundaries.

New this season, Karen LeBlanc (Mary Kills People), joins the series as new team member Cynthia Walker, a confident, charming, and clever, corporate lawyer in whom Eric (Roberts) quickly meets his match.

Along with Luke Roberts as hostage negotiator Eric Beaumont, Season 2 also welcomes back Tony Award nominated Sarah Greene (Penny Dreadful), as Maxine Carlson, the young newcomer eager to prove herself; Canadian Brandon Jay McLaren (Graceland), as Oliver Yates, the psychological profiler on the team; Canadian Nazneen Contractor, (Heroes Reborn) as ex-cop Zara Hallam; Emma de Caunes (Mr. Bean’s Holiday) as Nathalie Denard, a sometime client of Crisis Resolution; and Canadian Morgan Kohan (Star Trek: Discovery) joins the cast as Evie Beaumont, Eric’s 15-year-old daughter.

The Season 2 premiere entitled “Three Wishes,” picks up moments after Season 1’s cliffhanger, where Eric’s longtime adversary, Damien Delaine (guest star Carlo Rota, Jane the Virgin), has taken Eric and Nathalie’s (de Caunes) daughter, Evie (Kohan), hostage. Delaine appears at Crisis Resolution and demands that Eric fulfill his ‘3 wishes’ in order to release Evie, threatening to kill her within hours if he doesn’t comply. In a race against time, the team works to fulfill Delaine’s strange demands which include Eric answering a series of emotionally compromising questions and performing ethically questionable tasks. Tensions rise when Damien challenges Eric with a final wish that will force him into making an impossible decision.

Ransom is inspired by the professional experiences of distinguished crisis negotiator Laurent Combalbert, who along with partner, Marwan Mery, are considered to be among the top negotiators in the world. Today, they travel around the globe to help multinational corporations and governmental agencies with complex negotiations and conflict resolution.

Ransom was created by David Vainola (Diamonds, Combat Hospital) and Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files, The Man in the High Castle). Ransom is a Canada-Hungary treaty co-production and is produced by eOne with executive producers Jennifer Kawaja and Julia Sereny via their Sienna Films banner and Spotnitz, via his Big Light Productions banner. Wildcats Productions’ Valérie Pechels and Odile McDonald will executive produce with Daniel Kresmery and György Rajnai of Korda Studios co-producing. Ransom is developed in association with Corus Entertainment Inc., with the participation from the Canada Media Fund, and is produced with the financial assistance of the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit. eOne controls worldwide rights to the series.

 

 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail