Tag Archives: Second Jen

Second Jen

Second Jen returns for second season, beginning August 4 on OMNI Television

From a media release:

Second Jen, the groundbreaking original scripted comedy series following the adventures of two second-generation millennials and their friends, returns this summer with an all-new season featuring fan favourites and fresh faces, beginning Saturday, Aug. 4 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on OMNI Television (check local listings). Co-created, co-executive produced, and starring Filipino-Chinese-Canadian Amanda Joy as Jennifer “Mo” Monteloyola and Chinese-Canadian Samantha Wan as Jennifer “Jen” Wu, the six-part, 30-minute episode season is inspired by their real-life experiences, as they sort through commitment issues, career challenges, and the awkwardness of dating.

Older, saucier, and no longer relying on their over-protective families, Mo and Jen are now grappling with the world of ‘adulting,’ as their childhood friends begin to establish successful careers and get married. Season 2 features an all-female creative team, with Carly Heffernan (Nurse Redelle, Second City), showrunner and head writer, at the helm. Amanda Joy has written three out of six episodes this season, including “Like A Girl,” “The Book of Jenesis,” and “Wall Squirrelly,” while Samantha Wan co-directs “Like A Girl,” alongside series director Romeo Candido.

Joining Amanda Joy and Samantha Wan as season regulars are Nile Séguin (Alister, The Beaverton), Lily Gao (Karen, Blood and Water), and new cast member Lovell Adams-Gray (Marcus, Slasher). Rounding out the culturally diverse cast are Janet Lo (Bunny, Diary of the Dead), Timothy Lai (Eric, How to Be Indie, Degrassi: The Next Generation), Caroline Mangosing (Maryjun, How to Be Indie), Carly Heffernan (Nurse Redelle, Second City), Patrick Kwok-Choon (Harrison, Star Trek: Discovery, Cardinal), Ho Chow (Mr. Hsu, Bad Blood, The Strain) and new cast member Oscar Moreno (Diego,Shadowlands). Buzz-worthy headliners from Canada’s comedy scene make special guest appearances, including Mark Andrada, Jim Annan, Craig Lauzon, Gary Rideout Jr., Pat Thornton, and comedic actress Patrice Goodman.

OMNI will air the season’s previous episode at 8 p.m. ET/PT, followed by a new episode at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT. Audiences can catch-up on Season 1 on the OMNI Television website, www.OMNItv.ca, and on Rogers on Demand.

Second Jen is produced by Don Ferguson Productions (DFP) in association with Rogers Media. Executive Producers are Don Ferguson, Lucy Stewart, and Kevin Wallis. Amanda Joy and Samantha Wan are co-executive producers. Carly Heffernan and Romeo Candido are co-producers. From Rogers Media, Nataline Rodrigues is Director of Original Programming, Hayden Mindell is Vice President of Television Programming & Content, and Colette Watson is Senior Vice President of TV & Broadcast Operations.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Blood and Water, Second Jen

OMNI Regional Greenlights New Seasons of Critically Acclaimed Original Multicultural Series Blood and Water, Mangoes, and Second Jen

From a media release:

Following the successful launch of multilingual newscasts across the country, OMNI Regional is furthering its commitment to delivering premium multicultural Canadian content to communities across Canada by greenlighting brand-new seasons of original series Blood & Water, Mangoes, and Second Jen. Currently in various stages of development, the series are slated to air in 2018, with additional broadcast details to be announced at a later date.

With production scheduled to begin in November on eight new half-hour episodes, critically acclaimed and Canadian Screen Award-nominated OMNI original drama Blood & Water returns with a compelling new season. Jo Bradley (Steph Song) returns home from her dramatic departure to China at the end of Season 1 and, unable to face the reality of meeting her biological family, is back at work, living again with her former partner, and now estranged from her adopted mother, Colleen (Maria Ricossa). But it isn’t long before another murder brings Jo back into a web of lies and crime involving the Xie family dynasty.

Following an overwhelming response from South Asian audiences, the multilingual – featuring Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, and English – digital dramedy Mangoes joins the OMNI Regional programming lineup with six new half-hour episodes. From creators, stars, and brothers Adeel Suhrwardy and Khurram Suhrwardy, Mangoes is an invigorating tale of Canadian South Asian youth, capturing the optimism and potential of the younger generation living as ‘global citizens’ and intrepid individuals. New to Canada, Sami (Adeel Suhrwardy), Asha (Maha Warsi), and Rakey (Khurram Suhrwardy) are on a journey to explore, integrate, and contribute towards the building of their new home. Writing on the series is currently underway with production scheduled to begin in January.

And back with six all-new half-hour episodes is original comedy Second Jen, slated to air on both OMNI Regional and City in 2018. A diverse, female-driven comedy from creators and stars Amanda Joy and Samantha Wan, the series follows two second-generation Chinese and Filipino-Canadian millennials as they tackle even more “firsts” while branching out on their own in Toronto. Writing is currently underway with production scheduled to begin in January.

 

 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Second Jen

Link: If you like Broad City, you’ll love Canada’s Second Jen

From Jessica Robinson of Flare:

Link: If you like Broad City, you’ll love Canada’s Second Jen
One of the boons of the new golden age of television is the growing number of female and POC show runners. Samantha Wan and Amanda Joy, who are both just a casual 27 and 26 years old, respectively, are joining the ranks by creating and starring in their own comedy, Second Jen (premiering tonight on City). Continue reading. 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Blood and Water, Kim's Convenience, Second Jen

Link: Asian Canadian female stars tackle identity and invisibility on Canadian TV

From Craig Takeuchi of The Georgia Strait:

Link: Asian-Canadian female stars tackle identity and invisibility on Canadian TV
An auspicious event has occurred in Canadian TV: a virtual Asian Canadian Joy Luck Club has formed.

At the metaphorical mahjong table, in the seat of the South Wind is Blood and Water’s Steph Song, who plays gutsy Vancouver detective Jo Bradley. The ambitious cop headed up a case involving a powerful real-estate billionaire and his family in the first eight episodes of the multilingual OMNI Television crime drama. She delves even further into the investigation—as well as her own family history and her cancer treatment—in the next eight episodes, which start on November 13. Continue reading.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Second Jen

Links: Second Jen

From Brad Wheeler of The Globe and Mail:

Link: Second Jen: A Laverne & Shirley for the digital age
Twentysomethings Joy and Wan are the creators, writers and stars of Second Jen, an original City sitcom about two sparky second-generation Asian-Canadian millennial women coming of age in an era so economically challenging that Laverne and Shirley would be crying in their beers instead of merrily goofing off at the bottling plant. Continue reading. 

From The Suburban:

Second Jen series focuses on the Asian-Canadian experience
“It’s a story about 20-something women-of-colour, created by 20-something women-of-colour – which is unique in and of itself. The best comedy comes from writing from your own experience, and there are so many things that young women and people of colour uniquely experience.” Continue reading.

From Arti Patel of The Huffington Post Canada:

New Canadian series Second Jen isn’t just an “Asian show”
A new Canadian comedy series wants to make one thing clear: it isn’t just an “Asian show.”

“Second Jen” is about two second-generation millennial women growing up with immigrant families.

Starring 26-year-old Chinese-Canadian actress Samantha Wan and Filipino-Canadian actress Amanda Joy, the show is reflective not only of their own experiences, but of many Canadians who grew up in Asian households. Continue reading. 

From Brad Oswald of the Winnipeg Free Press:

Amusing autumn ahead
Sharp, funny, slightly cheeky and smartly in tune with this country’s diverse demographic mix, Second Jen has been touted in some quarters as groundbreaking because it features two young Asian-Canadians in its lead roles. Continue reading.

From Fannie Sunshine of the North York Mirror:

Shot and set in Toronto, Second Jen airs Thursdays on City
Like most young people, the path to adulthood might begin with finding an apartment with a friend, finding a job, and finding a significant other.

And if that’s not daunting enough, add in cultural and generational issues to boot. Continue reading.

 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail