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Committed, Featured

CBC and BBC Northern Ireland greenlight new romantic comedy series Committed, starring Dustin Milligan and Diona Doherty

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From a media release:

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.

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X Company

Link: X Company’s Dustin Milligan on growing tension in the team

From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:

X Company’s Dustin Milligan on growing tension in the team
“Tom is trying to rally the troops and what he experienced with getting shot and heading back to camp for awhile is that ‘yes, things are hard, things are real now and it’s not just about these ideals we have.’ Tom has never been one who has wanted to pull the trigger, but he sees the reality in that and now he sees how he can play an integral role in this final mission, reminding the team of what’s really important here, ‘yes, we have our differences but ultimately there’s something much greater than us that needs our absolute focus and attention.’ Otherwise all could be lost.” Continue reading. Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

X Company

Link: Dustin Milligan on the connections between ‘X Company’ and ‘Schitt’s Creek’

From Bill Harris of Postmedia Network:

Dustin Milligan on the connections between ‘X Company’ and ‘Schitt’s Creek’
“What is worth fighting for? What are my values? Tom had to deal with the concept of taking lives to try to save his own, and the lives of others. So who would I become if faced with, ‘Kill or be killed?’ As an actor, it’s such a gift to be able to ask yourself these questions through a role.” Continue reading. Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

Featured, X Company

Dustin Milligan looks ahead to X Company’s second season

Dustin Milligan is taking over the CBC one TV show at a time. He laughs when that’s mentioned, but it sure seems to be happening. The Yellowknife native can be seen on Season 2 of Schitt’s Creek where he plays love-lorn veterinarian Ted Mullens, and the sophomore go-round of X Company, returning to the network on Wednesday at 9 p.m.

“It’s an odd thing to be doing two great shows on a network that was such a big part of my formative viewing years,” Milligan says. “I was influenced by it quite heavily. I grew up on the CBC.” Far from the wintry weather, Milligan was lined up at the Department of Motor Vehicles in Los Angeles when we called to get the scoop on what’s to come for Tom Cummings and his unit when the high-octane Second World War thriller returns. When we last left the team, the American ad man had been shot while secreting away a Holocaust witness, radio man Harry (Connor Price) fell in love with the wrong girl and Alfred (Jack Laskey) had been captured by the Nazis, who were prepping to take advantage of his synesthesia for every plan the Allies have in motion.

X_Company4

“The Season 1 cliffhanger had so much going on and revealed in the last-minute how quickly plans can fall apart,” he says. “The tone of Season 2 is that nothing is going to be easy anymore. What’s great about the first episode is that the proverbial shit is hitting the fan.” He’s right. Wednesday’s return, “Creon via London,” hits the ground running and never lets up. Gravely injured, Tom needs emergency medical attention and team leader Aurora (Evelyne Brochu) makes a decision that puts everyone in jeopardy. They’re all reeling emotionally—Aurora feels guilt over Alfred’s capture and Neil (Warren Brown) is shattered about killing the German soldier he bonded with—but have a mission to carry out and people depending on them in Germany and back in Canada at Camp X.

“Everything is darker and more real now,” Milligan says of Tom and the outfit. “Nothing is black and white—everything is shades of grey—and morally we’re all doing what we hope and believe is right in that moment. But we just don’t know.”

Series co-creator Stephanie Morgenstern revealed late last year the 10 upcoming storylines would be more serialized and the goal set for our heroes is to prepare for the ill-fated invasion of Dieppe. (On the morning of Aug. 19, 1942, Canadian forces suffered over 900 casualties and 2,000 were taken prisoner.) Production moved from Budapest, the show’s filming base, to Dieppe’s beaches for the two-part season finale.

“It was surreal because you get to the town itself and there are Canadian flags everywhere,” he recalls. “They remember Canada’s role so much, I get chills talking about it. It’s such a heartbreaking place because you look around at those pebbles and the cliffs and think, ‘How did they ever think that this was going to work?'”

X Company airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on CBC.Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail