From a media release:
- Brand new live-action Family Mystery Series from the Producers of Degrassi, and developed in association with marblemedia
- Ramona Barckert (2014 Canadian Screen Award winner) is Showrunner and Writer
Three-time Emmy®-nominated production company Epitome Pictures (Degrassi, Instant Star, The L.A. Complex), a DHX Media company, is starting production today on OPEN HEART a new original teen, live-action drama series. The 12 x 30-minute series was commissioned by YTV and TeenNick and is developed in association with marblemedia.
Exciting newcomer Karis Cameron stars as lead character Dylan Blake with the series also starring Tori Anderson, Justin Kelly, Cristine Prosperi, Kevin McGarry, Patrick Kwok-Choon, Jenny Cooper, Demore Barnes, Jeff Douglas, Elena Juatco, Mena Massoud, and Dylan Everett. The family mystery series will shoot this August through October in Toronto. DHX Media will handle worldwide distribution for the show.
OPEN HEART is a gripping mystery series, folded into a sprawling family saga, set against the high-stakes workplace and relationship drama of a hospital. Dylan Blake, the rebellious daughter of a fractured family of doctors, uses her stint as a youth hospital volunteer to secretly investigate the mysterious disappearance of her father. OPEN HEART is being produced with the financial participation of the Shaw Rocket Fund, the Cogeco Program Development Fund, Bell Fund and RBC Royal Bank.
The series stars:
- Karis Cameron (Signed, Sealed, Delivered; The Haunting Hour) as Dylan Blake, the gutsy and headstrong heroine who is determined to unravel the mystery that plagues the halls of Open Heart Memorial
- Tori Anderson (The L.A. Complex, Warehouse 13, Flashpoint) as Dr. London Blake, Dylan’s brainy older sister and first-year resident
- Justin Kelly (Degrassi, Lost Girl, Latest Buzz) as Wes Silver, the cool and playful charmer, with a smart mouth that gets him out of trouble just as often as it gets him into it
- Cristine Prosperi (Degrassi, Nicky Deuce) as Mikayla Walker, the bright and bubbly ally to Dylan who distracts herself with all the hospital’s social drama
- Kevin McGarry (Being Erica, Saw 7) as Dr. Timothy “Hud” Hudson, the first-year medical resident and rugged bad boy of Open Heart Memorial
- Patrick Kwok-Choon (Nikita, Rookie Blue, Being Erica) as Seth Park, loveable hipster-nerd lab tech, whose knowledge of biochemistry is exceeded only by his collection of indie novels and ironic t-shirts
- Jenny Cooper (Hemlock Grove, Scandal, NCIS, C.S.I. Miami, 24) as Dr. Jane Blake, mother to Dylan and London, and the leading trauma doctor who would rather save lives than deal with her own family affairs
- Demore Barnes (Hemlock Grove, The Listener, Flashpoint) as Dr. Dominic Karamichaelidis, the handsome attending emergency physician and resident advisor who doesn’t mind being the bad guy if it means saving lives
- Elena Juatco (Repo! The Genetic Opera, Breaking the Rules, Sorority Surrogate) as Scarlet, the first-year medical resident, whose stunning beauty often leaves her razor sharp medical skills underestimated by others
- Mena Massoud (King, Combat Hospital, Poser) as Jared, the snarky and upfront head of the youth volunteer program who plays by the rules and relishes the marginal authority his position gives him
- Dylan Everett (Degrassi, Wingin’ It, The Unauthorized Saved By The Bell Story) as Teddy, Dylan’s old friend – a bored rich kid and a very bad influence.
OPEN HEART is executive produced by Linda Schuyler and Stephen Stohn, Ramona Barckert, Matt Hornburg and Mark Bishop. The series is developed in association with marblemedia, which is also taking the lead in producing a fully integrated interactive digital component to the series. Directors are Stefan Brogren and Samir Rehem. Writers include Ramona Barckert, Chris Pozzebon, Scott Oleszkowicz, Brendan Gall, Brendon Yorke and Barbara Haynes. Production Executives for Corus Entertainment are Jamie Piekarz and Chris Bell and for TeenNick, Kim Powers.
