Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) announced Tuesday its 2024-25 production slate for AMI-tv and free streaming service AMI+, which includes returning series, a new scripted comedy and several new docuseries including one for young viewers.
“Telling a wide range of authentic stories about Canadians in the disability community through positive portrayal, these new and returning projects promise to be favourites with viewers,” says an AMI press release.
“We are thrilled to offer over 100 hours of programming to Canadians of all abilities,” Cara Nye, director of content development and production at AMI, said in the release. “The upcoming broadcast season sees the expansion of our scripted stable of shows and provides, for the very first time, a children’s series to our schedule.”
AMI says it is currently in production on new projects from Canadian production companies Big Time Decent Productions, Canadian Content Studios, Flow Video, Summerhill Media Inc., Border2Border Entertainment, Prairie Cat Productions, Bone Vault Inc. and Catapult Pictures.
The new children’s docuseries Collar of Duty Kids (8 episodes x 30 minutes) “takes young viewers into the lives of amazing kids who’ve been matched with extraordinary service animals,” reads a description in the press release. The series is produced by Summerhill Media (There’s Something You Should Know, Collar of Duty) in association with Fifth Ground Entertainment.
New scripted comedy Low Vision Moments (working title, 6 x 30 mins) is based on the life of Jennie Bovard, the candid host of the AMI podcast Low Vision Moments. “[V]iewers are in for a blurry ride, as Jennie fumbles and finds her way through everyday life as a person with albinism and low vision — work, friendship, love, and waving at mailboxes,” according to a synopsis. The comedy is produced by Bovard, Jonathan Torrens’s Canadian Content Studios (Vollies, Roll With It), Flow Video (DarkVision, Accessing Pleasure) and Club Red Productions (Who’s Yer Father?, A Small Fortune).
New docuseries currently in production include: After Dark (working title, 8 x 30 mins), a digital series exploring sex, love, dating and relationships relevant to people with disabilities, produced by Border2Border Entertainment (Womb Envy, Avocado Toast, Drag Heals); The Crip Trip (6 x 60 mins), “a punk-rock, gonzo, road trip comedy following the misadventures of artist, filmmaker, and quadruple amputee Daniel Ennett and his producer/friend/caregiver Frederick Kroetsch as they drive from Edmonton to Toronto”, produced by Catapult Pictures (The Secret Society, Blind Ambition: The Wop May Story); and Underdog Inc. (8 x 60 mins), which “follows Dale Kristensen (Backroad Truckers), a Little Person, as he navigates life in a mountain town, juggles the ups-and-downs of fatherhood and runs a small business with his sister”, produced by Big Time Decent Productions (Rust Valley Restorers, Backroad Truckers).
Another new docuseries announced is Get Hooked (7 x 30 mins), produced in partnership with OUTtv by Heidi Lynch of Bone Vault Inc. (Avocado Toast, Finding Green), with support from the Bell Fund, Ontario Creates and CAMH. “Get Hooked is a fresh take on how members of the queer, Black, Indigenous and disability community turn the mental health benefits of fishing into pure joy,” reads a description. The docuseries will feature British disability advocate and comedian Rosie Jones along with other diverse nature lovers.
We Were Broncos (6 x 30 mins) is a new docuseries that tells the story of Ryan Straschnitzki’s life beyond the horrific Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018. “As an athlete, Ryan wanted to be a professional hockey player. But after the crash, he had to adapt to a new athletic goal of becoming a Paralympic sledge hockey player while completely changing his lifestyle,” a synopsis says. About perseverance in life and adaptive sport, We Were Broncos is produced by Prairie Cat Productions (Humboldt: The New Season, Talent).
Series returning to AMI-tv include season two of Access Tech Live, season nine of Our Community, season three of Disrupt, season three of Healthy at Home, season five of Dish with Mary, season four of Mind Your Own Business, season six of Postcards From…, and a brand new All Access Comedy special.
All AMI-tv originals are available after their linear broadcast on demand at AMI+.
