Everything about Ransom, eh?

Ransom

Cameras roll on Global’s original series Ransom

2 Comments

From a media release:

Global independent studio Entertainment One (eOne), Big Light Productions, Sienna Films, and Wildcats Productions, in partnership with leading broadcasters Global (Canada), TF1 (France), CBS (US), and RTL (Germany) announce that production has begun in Toronto on the riveting new original drama Ransom. The 13-episode series starring Luke Roberts (Black Sails, Wolf Hall, Game of Thrones) as expert hostage negotiator Eric Beaumont is also set to film in Francethis fall.

Joining the cast as Beaumont’s team are Tony Award-nominated Sarah Greene (Penny Dreadful, Burnt) as Maxine Carlson, a young newcomer eager to prove herself; Brandon Jay McLaren (Graceland, The Killing, Chicago Fire) as Oliver Yates, a psychological profiler; and Nazneen Contractor (Heroes Reborn, Covert Affairs, 24) as ex-cop Zara Hallam.

Ransom follows crisis and hostage negotiator Eric Beaumont (Roberts), whose team is brought in to save lives when no one else can. Eric understands criminals better than they do, and uses his insight into human behaviour to resolve the most difficult kidnap and ransom cases. Despite the stakes, Eric refuses to resort to violence, even when confronted by some of the most dangerous criminals in the world. While Eric’s considerable powers of manipulation make him the best at what he does professionally, they often complicate his relationships with family, friends, and colleagues. Is Eric being himself, or who he needs to be in order to get what he wants? It’s often hard to tell the difference.

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

Ransom is created by David Vainola (Diamonds, Combat Hospital) and Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files, The Man in the High Castle). The series is executive produced by Spotnitz, Jennifer Kawaja, and Julia Sereny via their Sienna Films banner; and Valerie Pechels and Odile McDonald of Wildcats Productions, who also brought the IP on which the show is inspired. Ransom has been co-developed by TF1 and Corus Entertainment Inc., with the participation of the Centre National du Cinema et de l’Image Animé in France as well as Canada Media Fund, and will be produced with the financial assistance of the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Bachelorette Canada, Big Brother Canada, Featured, Mary Kills People, Masterchef Canada, Ransom

Corus announces Global and specialty schedules

3 Comments

The media releases from Corus today make me fear for their advanced caffeination levels and I can’t bring myself to print them verbatim but among the Canadian series news are these tidbits with the superlative adjectives edited out:

Global

Ransom – As announced yesterday, Global, together with TF1 France, green lit new original suspense drama Ransom, starring Luke Roberts (Black Sails, Game of Thrones), with CBS joining as a broadcast partner for the series. Production on Ransom will begin later this summer.

Mary Kills People – Also in production this summer, Global’s new original drama Mary Kills People has cast Caroline Dhavernas(Hannibal) as the series lead. The six-episode series follows Dr. Mary Harris (Dhavernas), a single mother and emergency doctor, who also moonlights as an underground angel of death – helping terminally ill patients who want to die slip away on their own terms. So far Mary has managed to stay under the radar; but her double life gets complicated when the police start to close in, forcing Mary to fight dirty if she’s going to stay in the killing game.

Big Brother Canada – After its most successful season yet, with an average audience of almost 1.2 million viewers per episode (2+) – growing audiences with total viewers and key demos A18-49 and A25-54 versus Season 3, Big Brother Canada, returns for a fifth season of competing, scheming, and household chaos. Based on Endemol Shine Group’s worldwide franchise and commissioned by Corus Entertainment Inc., Season 5 of Big Brother Canada is produced by Insight Productions in association with Corus Entertainment Inc.

Specialty Top Chef Canada from Food Network Canada makes its return with an All-Stars edition slated for early 2017. Real Housewives of Toronto promises an intimate look at the luxurious lives of the city’s wealthiest women, from their extravagant day-to-day escapades in Toronto to grandiose getaways at their exclusive colossal cottages in Muskoka, Canada’s playground for the rich and famous. A different kind of haute couture continues in the new Slice™ original Style Factory with a behind-the-scenes look at how fashion and beauty products are made. W Network is set to launch the first ever version of The Bachelorette Canada this fall. Bryan Baeumler, Scott McGillivray, and Mike Holmes all return to HGTV Canadawith new series this fall. Bryan Inc., Moving the McGillivrays, and Holmes and Holmes each give a deeper look into the personal and professional lives of the network’s biggest stars.

HISTORY treks north to Edmonton International Airport in the new, original series Airport: Below Zero. The series takes Canadians behind-the-scenes at North America’s most northerly big city airport. Joining HISTORY in Spring 2017, a team of crack investigators search for billions of dollars worth of treasures stolen by the Nazis in Nazi Treasure Hunters. Finally, CMT (Canada) brings host Billy Bretherton north of the 49th parallel in the original series Billy Goes North. The series chronicles Billy’s adventure with Canadian pests, critters, and gnarly animals other exterminators can’t handle alone.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Ransom

Global partners with CBS on suspense drama Ransom

1 Comment

From a media release:

GLOBAL AND TF1 GREEN LIGHT NEW ORIGINAL SUSPENSE DRAMA, RANSOM

  • CBS joins as broadcast partner for the new series from Entertainment One
  • The Canada/France Co-Production from Entertainment One, Sienna Films (Canada), and Wildcats Productions (France) is set to Premiere in 2017
  • Rising Star Luke Roberts Cast as Lead Character Eric Beaumont
  • Ransom is Executive Produced by Frank Spotnitz and his Company Big Light Productions, and Created by Canadian David Vainola

Global, in partnership with France’s TF1, announced today that they have green lit 13-episode original suspense drama Ransom, with CBS (US) joining as a broadcast partner. Starring the talented Luke Roberts (Black Sails, Game of Thrones), Ransom is a Canada/France treaty co-production from global studio Entertainment One (eOne), Big Light Productions and producers Sienna Films and Wildcats Productions. Filming in both Europe and Canada in the coming months, Ransom is set to premiere in 2017.

Through his company Big Light Productions, Golden Globe® winning and Emmy® nominated screenwriter Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files, The Man in the High Castle) serves as an executive producer on the series. Created by David Vainola (Diamonds, Combat Hospital) and Spotnitz, Ransom is inspired by the professional experiences of distinguished crisis negotiator Laurent Combalbert. Laurent Combalbert and his 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 follows crisis and hostage negotiator Eric Beaumont (Luke Roberts), whose team is brought in to save lives when no one else can. Eric understands criminals better than they do, and uses his insight into human behaviour to resolve the most difficult kidnap and ransom cases. Despite the stakes, Eric refuses to resort to violence, even when confronted by some of the most dangerous criminals in the world. While Eric’s considerable powers of manipulation make him the best at what he does professionally, they often complicate his relationships with family, friends and colleagues. Is Eric being himself, or who he needs to be in order to get what he wants? The difference is often hard to tell. The series begins with Eric taking on Maxine Carlson, a new member of the team eager to prove herself. But a dangerous secret from Maxine’s past may pose a threat that even the great Eric Beaumont is unable to resolve.

Ransom is a Canada-France treaty co-production and will be co-produced by eOne; Jennifer Kawaja and Julia Sereny via their Sienna Films banner; and Valerie Pechels and Odile McDonald of Wildcats Productions; while Spotnitz via his Big Light Productions banner will executive produce. Ransom has been co-developed by TF1 and Corus Entertainment Inc., with the participation of the Centre National du Cinema et de l’Image Animé in France as well as Canada Media Fund, and will be 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, excluding French-speaking territories.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail