Tag Archives: Lark Productions

Allegiance, Featured, Industry News

Supinder Wraich and Enrico Colantoni to star in the new CBC original drama Allegiance

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From a media release:

CBC and Lark Productions today announced casting and production details for Anar Ali’s (Transplant) character-driven police procedural ALLEGIANCE (10×60), now in production in Vancouver and BC’s lower mainland. A CBC Original series from the award-winning team at Lark Productions in association with Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group, the series features an ensemble cast led by Supinder Wraich (Sort Of), Enrico Colantoni (Station Eleven), Stephen Lobo (Continuum), Adolyn H. Dar (Superman & Lois), Brian Markinson (A Million Little Things) and David Cubitt (Virgin River); with showrunners Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern (Flashpoint, X Company) at the helm. Greenlit by CBC in early 2023, ALLEGIANCE will premiere on the free CBC Gem streaming service and CBC TV in winter 2024.

ALLEGIANCE focuses on identity and belonging, policing and politics, and finding truth within the heart of a flawed justice system. The drama stars Wraich as Sabrina Sohal, a star rookie police officer who must grapple with the limits of the justice system as she fights to exonerate her politician father Ajeet Sohal (Lobo). Sohal serves her diverse hometown of Surrey alongside Vince Brambilla (Colantoni), a veteran training officer who sees her potential but doesn’t always agree with her forward-thinking methods. ALLEGIANCE is the story of a young woman caught between her allegiance to her flag, to her badge, and to her family.

A CBC Original Series ALLEGIANCE is produced by Lark Productions in association with CBC, with NBCUniversal Global Distribution handling the distribution of the series globally. Showrunners Stephanie Morgenstern and Mark Ellis also serve as Executive Producers with Series Creator Anar Ali, alongside Lark Productions’ Erin Haskett, Nicole Mendes, David Valleau and Tex Antonucci.

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Featured, Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent

Casting announced for Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent coming to Citytv Spring 2024

From a media release:

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.

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Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent

Citytv announces greenlight of Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent from Lark Productions and Cameron Pictures Inc.

From a media release:

Citytv today announces the all-new, one-hour crime drama Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent, an adaptation of the legendary Law & Order brand, slated to air on Citytv in Spring 2024. Produced by Lark Productions and Cameron Pictures Inc., in association with Citytv, Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent consists of 10 one-hour episodes, with production taking place this fall in Toronto. Based on the classic series created by Dick Wolf for Universal Television, Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent will showcase original Canadian stories written and produced by, and starring Canadians. As a psychological thriller wrapped in a criminal investigation, Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent follows an elite squad of detectives who investigate high-profile crime and corruption in metro Toronto.

Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent is produced by Lark Productions and Cameron Pictures Inc. in association with Citytv with distribution by Universal Television.

About Lark Productions
Lark Productions is an award-winning television production company creating and producing exceptional scripted and unscripted content with the best Canadian talent. Lark enjoys a distribution and development deal with Universal International Studios.

Established in Vancouver in 2010, Lark is currently in production on the original crime drama Allegiance for CBC in association with Universal International Studios as well as Farming for Love for Bell Media based on Fremantle’s international hit format Farmer Wants a Wife. Lark’s productions include legal drama Family Law for Corus/ CW Network Entertainment and eOne, spy drama Fortunate Son for CBC in association with Universal International Studios, CSA-nominated Motive (CTV, USA Network), the hit formats The Real Housewives of Toronto and Vancouver (Slice), Paramedics: Life on the Line (Knowledge Network) and Emergency Room: Life + Death at VGH (Knowledge Network, Discovery Fit).

About Cameron Pictures Inc.
Cameron Pictures Inc. is an independent Canadian television production company with a focus on scripted content. Based in Toronto, Cameron Pictures is helmed by sisters Amy Cameron, a television executive, writer, and producer, and Tassie Cameron, an award-winning showrunner and executive producer. The company is managed by the Camerons along with executive producer Alex Patrick, who provides expertise in strategy and business & legal affairs. Among Cameron Pictures’ award-winning series are Mary Kills People (Global/Lifetime, co-produced with eOne) about an ER doctor who moonlights as an underground angel of death performing illegal assisted suicide; the comedy Little Dog (CBC, co-produced with Elemental Pictures) about a washed-up boxer trying to reclaim his life; and the comedic buddy cop drama Pretty Hard Cases (CBC/NBCU) starring Meredith MacNeill and Adrienne C. Moore.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: History’s Our War combines genealogy with war veteran stories

I’m a huge fan of genealogy series. Whether it’s Who Do You Think You Are? or Finding Your Roots, I can’t get enough of the tales of family from peoples’ pasts. I was excited to learn more about Lark Productions’ latest, Our War, which follows the descendants of Canadian war veterans as they learn what their family members did during the First and Second World Wars. Many stories have been forgotten; even more, have never been told.

Debuting Friday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on History Channel, the four-part Our War is a real-life genealogical investigation that reveals the past through a younger generation.

In the first installment, we follow Stephanie Watts, who is on a mission to learn more about her great-great-grandfather Samuel. Other than some scant information about him serving as an Army band member in the First World War and some photos, his life, and his role in the war are a blank. The quest begins in Calgary, where Stephanie, who is Caucasian, reflects on learning, as a child, that Samuel was Black. Then it’s off to learn more about a missing Memorial Plaque, also known as a “Death Penny,” in his name and given to families of those killed in the First World War. With help from Militaria Auctioneer Linda Baggaley and War Memorabilia dealer Marvin Taylor, Stephanie learns the story of the Death Penny and how rare they are.

Meanwhile, in Winnipeg, Chris Black is looking for some answers of his own. His grandfather, Edward Walter Drost, was injured in Anzio while fighting in Italy during the Second World War. One of Chris’ last conversations with his grandfather has led Chris on a quest to learn more about a word Edward uttered: Camino.

Then it’s back to Stephanie, who learns Samuel’s birthplace, and the circumstances he grew up in before coming to Canada on the promise of land in the Prairies from history teacher Christian Mbanza (above right, with Stephanie). It’s fascinating to learn about Canada circa 1907, when Samuel arrived in small-town Alberta, determined to make a go of it and to see Stephanie’s reaction when she’s presented with documents she’s never seen.

In the second episode, airing Friday at 10 p.m. ET/PT, a teenage descendant of legendary Onondaga runner Tom Longboat learns of his ancestor’s valiant, yet little-known, actions during the First World War.

Our War is an incredible, and exciting way, of telling the stories of these Canadian heroes. Fingers crossed there is another season of Our War to come next year.

Our War airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on History Channel.

Image courtesy of Lark Productions.

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Family Law

New Global original series Family Law begins production March 2

From a media release:

On the heels of the Nurses Season 2 start of production release, Global proudly announced today principal photography and casting for its latest scripted original series, new legal drama Family Law. With filming beginning March 2 in Vancouver, Family Law is produced by SEVEN24 Films (Heartland, Wynonna Earp) and Lark Productions (Motive, Fortunate Son), created by Canadian award-winning author Susin Nielsen (Robson Arms, Cedar Cove), with Jordan Canning (Nurses, Schitt’s Creek) directing the pilot episode.

Set to premiere on Global later this year, the 10-episode, one-hour drama follows a group of flawed family members who reluctantly work together at their father’s law firm in downtown Vancouver. The legal procedural stars a talented all-Canadian cast including: Jewel Staite (Firefly), as recovering alcoholic Abigail ‘Abby’ Bianchi; Victor Garber (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow) as Harry Svensson, Abby’s estranged father and head of the firm; Zach Smadu (The Expanse) as Daniel Svensson, Abby’s half-brother who is displeased to be working with Abby; and Genelle Williams (The Expanse) as Lucy Svensson, Abby’s half-sister and considered dad’s favourite child. Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

Set in Vancouver, Canada, Family Law follows lawyer and recovering alcoholic Abigail ‘Abby’ Bianchi (Staite) struggling to put her career and family back together after hitting rock bottom. As a condition of her probation, Abby is forced to work at her estranged father’s (Garber) firm, Svensson and Associates, and practice in family law for the first time while forging new relationships with the half-brother (Smadu) and half-sister (Williams) whom she’s never met. The result is a dysfunctional family law firm operating to help other families with their own dysfunctions.                 

Produced by SEVEN24 Films (Heartland, Fortunate Son) and Lark Productions (Motive, Fortunate Son), with Susin Nielsen (Robson Arms, Cedar Cove) serving as showrunner, Family Law is executive produced by SEVEN24′s Tom Cox and Jordy Randall, Lark’s Erin Haskett and Andy Mikita. eOne will handle distribution for the series outside of Canada.Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail