Emmy® Award-winning actor Luke Kirby joins the cast of Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent in Season 4, returning this fall on Citytv. The series is produced by Lark Productions and Cameron Pictures Inc. in association with Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group, and Citytv, a subsidiary of Rogers Sports & Media. The award-winning series will see Kirby play new character Detective Sergeant John Darcy, who is called up from Guns & Gangs to partner with Detective Sergeant Frankie Bateman (played by Kathleen Munroe) in Homicide.
Kirby joins the upcoming season alongside returning cast members Kathleen Munroe (Detective Sergeant Frankie Bateman), Karen Robinson (Inspector Vivienne Holness), K.C. Collins (Deputy Crown Attorney Theo Forrester), Nicola Correia-Damude (Pathologist Dr. Lucy Da Silva), and Araya Mengesha (Tech Expert Mark Yohannes).
“From the moment we began imagining this next chapter, Luke stood out as the ideal choice. He brings a sharp intelligence and emotional depth that perfectly aligns with the kind of storytelling Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent is known for,” said Tassie Cameron, Executive Producer, Cameron Pictures. “His work is grounded, unpredictable, and deeply character-driven, which makes Detective Darcy an immediate and fascinating presence on our team. We’re incredibly excited to welcome him to the series.”
A renowned actor in film, television, and theatre, Kirby won a Primetime Emmy Award for ‘Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series’ for his portrayal of Lenny Bruce in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and most recently starred opposite Jennifer Garner in the television series The Last Thing He Told Me for Apple TV+. Prior to that, Kirby was featured as the lead in Étoile for Amazon, starred in Out of My Mind for Disney+ and in the HBO series The Deuce.
“The overwhelming viewer response to Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent is a testament to the amazing work and vision of our creative partners and cast,” said Kale Stockwell, Head of Original Programming, Rogers Sports & Media. “We’re excited to bring a new season of gripping stories that authentically reflect Toronto’s people and neighborhoods, set within this iconic global franchise.”
Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent, based on the classic series format created by Dick Wolf and developed by Rene Balcer for Universal Television, follows the Criminal Intent format the international brand is known for, showcasing original Canadian stories written, produced by and starring Canadians.
Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent is produced by Lark Productions and Cameron Pictures Inc. in association with Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group, and Citytv, a subsidiary of Rogers Sports & Media. Format licensed by NBCUniversal and Wolf Entertainment. Tassie Cameron (Pretty Hard Cases, Mary Kills People, Rookie Blue) is the series showrunner and executive producer. Tassie Cameron, Erin Haskett, Amy Cameron, David Valleau, Alex Patrick, Wanda Chaffey, and Tex Antonucci serve as Executive Producers.
CBC and BBC Northern Ireland today announced the greenlight of new original comedy series Committed (10×30), starring Dustin Milligan (Schitt’s Creek, Hot Frosty) and Diona Doherty (Derry Girls, Blue Lights). The series follows Canadian Peter Hooley (Milligan), a recently divorced accountant, who falls head over heels for Northern Ireland woman Julie Johnston (Doherty) after a whirlwind weekend in Toronto, and crosses the Atlantic to declare his love—only to discover he’s landed in an old-fashioned and eccentric rural Northern Ireland village that’s nothing like he imagined. Produced by Cameron Pictures and Fabel Productions, filming is currently underway in County Down, Northern Ireland, with additional scenes shooting in Hamilton, Ontario. The series is slated to premiere on CBC and the free CBC Gem streaming service in winter 2027 and is expected to air on BBC Northern Ireland around the same time.
Joining Milligan and Doherty are Ian McElhinney (Derry Girls, Game of Thrones), Dan Gordon (Blue Lights, Bloodlands), Muki Zubis (This is Going to Hurt), Seamus O’Hara (House of Guinness, Say Nothing), Patrick Buchanan (Blue Lights, Warrior), Chris McCurry (Belfast, Obituary), Athena Karkanis (Manifest, The Handmaid’s Tale) and Georgie Murphy (Stumble, GEN V).
“Committed offers a classic fish-out-of-water comedy intertwined with a unique love story that follows the all too human aftermath of a grand romantic gesture, rather than the build-up to it,” said Sally Catto, General Manager, Programming, CBC. “We know the show will connect with audiences in Canada and around the world thanks to its heart and authenticity, and are excited to be partnering with BBC Northern Ireland alongside the outstanding teams at Cameron Pictures and Fabel Productions.”
“Audiences are going to fall in love with this bold new comedy series. We’ve a brilliant cast that viewers will be familiar with on both sides of the Atlantic – we’re delighted to welcome Dustin to these shores starring alongside our own Diona Doherty,” said Jason Butler, BBC Northern Ireland Commissioning Editor. “And it’s fantastic for BBC Northern Ireland to link up with CBC on this innovative project helping to further develop and support the creative industry here and to bring a flavour of our Northern Ireland humour to comedy fans further afield.”
“Committed brings together so many of the elements we value in great television: sharp writing, memorable characters and a story that bridges cultures in a genuinely entertaining way,” said Amy Cameron, Co-Founder/Executive Producer, Cameron Pictures Inc. “Reuniting with CBC on a series of this scope and collaborating closely with Fabel Productions to bring this cross-Atlantic story to life, has been an energizing creative experience. This is a series rooted in place and perspective, yet universally relatable, and we’re excited for audiences to fall in love with these characters as much as we have.”
“To make a comedy from this part of this Island with all its quirks, huge hearts and ugly-beautiful glory is a career highlight. We’re so excited to share our abrasive but loveable, odd folk and their daft wee community with the world,” said Keith Martin, Executive Producer, Fabel Productions. “Wait until you see our amazingly talented Canadian and beloved homegrown cast. A dream! Thank you to all of our partners for making the leap in the name of love to a place not often seen or celebrated. High hopes, comedy with consequences and lots of animals to follow.”
“Committed exemplifies the kind of distinctive, character-driven storytelling that travels, resonating across borders and cultures,” said Prentiss Fraser, President of FOX Entertainment Global. “We’re proud to partner with CBC and BBC Northern Ireland, alongside the prolific team at Cameron Pictures, whose work consistently delivers both creatively and commercially. With its unique voice and a standout cast led by Dustin Milligan, Committed is well positioned to connect with audiences around the world.”
Committed is a romantic comedy about what happens in a relationship after the grand gesture, when real life barges in. At its core, the series explores what it means to step outside your comfort zone—and how people who are very different from you can make life far more interesting than you planned.
A CBC original series, Committed is produced in association with BBC Northern Ireland by Cameron Pictures Inc. and Fabel Productions Ltd. under the UK/Canada Co-Production Treaty, and global distribution is handled by FOX. The series was co-created by Keith Martin, Gerry Dee and Tim Loane, who is showrunner, and developed under the Northern Ireland Screen/Canada Media Fund Co-Development Initiative for Audiovisual Projects.
Executive producers are Amy Cameron, Tassie Cameron and Alex Patrick for Cameron Pictures; Keith Martin for Fabel Productions; Tim Loane and Gerry Dee; Jessie Gabe; and Molly McGlynn, who also directs the pilot and four episodes. Peter Huang directs five episodes. Co-executive producers are Dustin Milligan, Karen Tsang, Caledonia Brown and Shebli Zarghami. Chris Martin is producer. Writers include Tim Loane, Jessie Gabe and Shebli Zarghami, with supervising producer Kurt Smeaton and consulting producer Linsey Stewart.
It was about time that the Law & Order franchise headed north of the border. With four international versions airing around the world, Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent debuts Thursday at 8 p.m. Eastern on Citytv.
You may have seen the massive billboards in Toronto, the teasers on Citytv, the cast appearances at a recent Toronto Maple Leafs tilt and the social media posts. Rogers/Citytv is expecting big things from Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent. Judging from the first episode I screened, the show will deliver.
Starring Aden Young (Rectify, The Disappearance) as Detective Sergeant Henry Graff, Kathleen Munroe (Chicago Med, Call Me Fitz) as Detective Sergeant Frankie Bateman, Karen Robinson (Schitt’s Creek, Pretty Hard Cases) as Inspector Vivienne Holness and K.C. Collins (Pretty Hard Cases, Shoot the Messenger) as Deputy Crown Attorney Theo Forrester, the first episode of Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent hits the ground running and never looks back. Mixing the wry humour of the Law & Order franchise with crimes and a killer guest cast, I can’t believe it’s taken this long for a Canadian take to air.
We spoke to executive producer Amy Cameron about how the series came about, “being Canadian,” and how the iconic “dun-dun” can and can’t be used.
Walk me through the process of how Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent came to be. Amy Cameron: Well, it came through Erin Haskett at Lark Productions. Erin has Lark Productions, which is based in Vancouver. Universal Studio Group are minority shareholders and they hold the format license for Law & Order. They’re always looking for different places to bring Law & Order and what would make sense and what’s the right fit.
I think this conversation started a couple of years ago now with Erin and Rogers about whether or not they could do a Law & Order Canada. And when push came to shove, ultimately people felt that Law & Order Toronto wasthe sort of city where they wanted to have this start in Canada rather than Vancouver. They’re a Vancouver production company.
I used to be an exec on a project of Erin’s when I was at CBC, but other than that, we hadn’t worked together, but we are friends and enjoy each other’s company and similarly think about the industry. Last Christmas, she came to us and said, just after Christmas, ‘Would you guys be willing to take something on with me and produce it in Toronto and be our co-producer on the show?’ Sure.
Aden Young and Kathleen Munroe
And then it turned out it was Law & Order, which honestly, I spent the winter and the spring kind of feeling like it was all a bit of a surreal joke. I’m not actually checking out studio space for Law & OrderToronto. I’m not actually looking at crew for Law & Order. I mean, I was such a super fan
Tassie [Cameron] ended up writing a pilot that was presented and that was accepted, and we found out that it was green-lit on a Thursday. I should look at the dates, but it was the Thursday, a Thursday night, we found out that we were going to go ahead and it was announced to the world on the Monday.
Were still reeling with the information that we were green-lit, and we were going to produce Law & OrderToronto: Criminal Intent when the rest of the world found out too. That was the end of May, the beginning of June, and we started filming at the end of August. So it was insanely quick to turn around, locking down a studio space, getting our key creatives in place, having our designer design a set, and finding directors. The casting process was so wild, how do you define what’s Canadian? There’s the idea of trying to define how Canada is different from the U.S. What is Canadian versus what is American? No one thing can, there’s no one way to answer that question. It feels like it’s a million little decisions,
We wanted to make sure that this version of Law & Order was imbued with Canadian creatives, Canadian decisions, very much embedded in the Canadian culture and mindset and way of doing and creating. It was pretty wild. We were on the road for the first two weeks because our sets weren’t ready. It was wild. So much fun though. No time to stop and second-guess things. You’re just going.
This being a Dick Wolf creation, is there kind of a checklist that you had to meet? Did he see episodes and have to approve anything? AC: With the format agreement, you have access to Wolf executives for consultation purposes. We had a wonderful conversation with their post-producer, and we were able to sort of dig into, ‘OK, how do you do this? What’s this with those location cards, with the use of dun-dun? It was so incredibly valuable to have someone just say it out loud, which is the dun-dun sound is never used as an exclamation mark on a scene or music. If you have a score going, you can never count on the dun-dun as the thing that takes you. It’s a small nuance, but it’s its own entity, and it’s not meant for emphasis.
There are certain guidelines, when it came to writing the scripts. For Criminal Intent, you’re aiming for about 10% of the episode from the criminal’s perspective. It is much more an intellectual pursuit of a criminal rather than a physical one.
But for the most part, Wolf and Dick Wolf were hands-off. That said, he did watch the first episode, and he really liked it. The feedback we got was the Canadians did good work.
Karen Robinson
The cast is so strong. Aden Young, Kathleen Munroe, Karen Robinson and K.C. Collins really hit the ground running and are wonderful. Was there chemistry with the cast right away? AC: The only character that Tassie wrote with the actor in mind was Holness, Karen’s character. We had worked with Karen, and we knew that she would be able to bring it, that she would be able to bring in that humanity and humour when needed.
Working with K.C. on Pretty Hard Cases, we knew how strong an actor he was and really loved working with him again. Aden and Kathleen have worked together in the past. They get along very well.
Rogers and Citytv couldn’t have given you a better time slot on Thursday. You’re right after the mothership. Are you cautiously optimistic for a second season? AC: We don’t know about the second season, but I feel we have done everything we can to get a second season. If this season is the only season that we get to share with fans, I would be disappointed. And yet I’m incredibly proud. I’m so proud of our crew, they knocked it out of the park. The sets are spectacular. Oleg Savytski is our production designer. Unbelievable. The performances from our actors, the commitment of the writers to cracking the formula, cracking the format, just even our post team, the editors, and the attention to detail in terms of the edit and understanding that … I don’t think there’s anything else we could have done. It is up to Canadian audiences to show up if they want a second season.
Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. Eastern on Citytv.
Featured cast image courtesy of Steve Wilkie. Images courtesy of Rogers Media.
Lark Productions and Cameron Pictures Inc., in association with Citytv, announce casting for the highly-anticipated crime drama Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent. The Canadian iteration of the longest-running scripted drama brand in TV history features an all-Canadian ensemble cast that includes Aden Young (Rectify, Black Robe) as Detective Sergeant Henry Graff, Kathleen Munroe (City on Fire, Patriot) as Detective Sergeant Frankie Bateman, Karen Robinson (Schitt’s Creek, Echoes) as Inspector Vivienne Holness, K.C. Collins (The Cleaning Lady, White Dog) as Deputy Crown Attorney Theo Forrester, Nicola Correia-Damude (Shadowhunters, Resident Alien) as Forensic Pathologist Dr. Lucy Da Silva, and Araya Mengesha (Nobody, Anne with an E) as tech expert Mark Yohannes.
A psychological thriller wrapped in a criminal investigation, the Canadian adaptation follows two elite detectives from the Specialized Criminal Investigations unit as they investigate high-profile crimes and homicides in metro Toronto. Production on the 10 one-hour original episodes is underway in Toronto and is slated to air on Citytv in Spring 2024.
Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent, based on the classic series created by Dick Wolf for Universal Television, follows the Criminal Intent format the international brand is known for, showcasing original Canadian stories written, produced by and starring Canadians.
Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent is produced by Lark Productions and Cameron Pictures Inc. in association with Citytv and distributed by Universal Television. Tassie Cameron (Pretty Hard Cases, Mary Kills People, Rookie Blue) is the series Showrunner. Tassie, Erin Haskett, Amy Cameron, David Valleau, Alex Patrick and Holly Dale serve as Executive Producers. Tex Antonucci and Jillian Locke are Co-Executive Producers, Wanda Chaffey is Producer and Caledonia Brown is Co-Producer.
Award-winning filmmaker Holly Dale (Transplant, Mary Kills People, Law & Order SVU) directs the premiere episode, episode 103, and the finale. Additional directors tapped for this season are Peter Stebbings (102), David Wellington (104), Sudz Sutherland (105), Rachel Leiterman (106), Winnifred Jong (107), Sharon Lewis (108), and David Straiton (109).
Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent is produced under the jurisdiction of ACTRA and the WGC in Canada.
