TORONTO — Kids’ and family entertainment broadcaster WildBrain Television announced today it has commissioned three new original productions from independent Canadian producers for its flagship network Family Channel.
The new content — two animated series and a live-action movie — will roll out on Family Channel beginning this fall and continuing into 2023.
First to premiere will be Slugterra: Ascension (above, top right), a series of 20 four-minute, CG-animated shorts produced in partnership with Epic Story Media. The series marks the return of Slugterra characters Eli Shane, Trixie Sting and the slugs for the first time in six years.
The new series was animated at Island of Misfits (IOM) in Halifax. Executive producers of the series include Epic Story Media’s Ken Faier, IOM’s Meaghan Clark, and WildBrain’s Josh Scherba, Stephanie Betts and Anne Loi. Nancy Lees is the showrunner, and IOM’s Don Urquhart is the director.
Slugterra: Ascension will premiere with a sneak peek on Sept. 5 at 2:50 p.m. ET on WildBrainTV, with new episodes beginning Sept. 18 at 11:45 a.m. ET on Family Channel, before rolling out globally across WildBrain Spark’s Slugterra YouTube channels.
On the live-action side, Life with Luca (above, left) is a 90-minute spinoff feature film of the Life with Derek series that ran from 2005-2009. Picking up 15 years later, Life with Luca follows Derek (Michael Seater) and Casey (Ashley Leggat) “as they each navigate parenthood and raise distinctly different teenagers,” reads a description in a press release.
The movie is produced by Shaftesbury with the participation of the Canada Media Fund and Shaw Rocket Fund, as an original commission by Family Channel. Life with Luca was created by Life with Derek series creator Daphne Ballon and Life with Derek writer Jeff Biederman. Ron Murphy (Jann, Trailer Park Boys) is the director. Executive producers include Shaftesbury’s Christina Jennings, Scott Garvie, Liz Levine and Jennifer McCann. Marek Posival and Alex House are producers.
Life with Luca recently completed filming in Southern Ontario and will premiere on Family Channel in February 2023.
Finally, Family Channel has commissioned five new half-hour episodes of Summer Memories (above, bottom right), an animated series that debuted on Family Channel this summer.
Summer Memories was created by animator/producer Adam Yaniv and produced in partnership with A&N Productions, Aircraft Pictures and Yeti Farm Creative, with the financial support of the Canada Media Fund and Shaw Rocket Fund. The new episodes of Summer Memories will start airing on Family Channel in 2023.
WildBrain has also acquired global distribution rights for all three productions announced today.
“We’re proud to further support Canadian independent producers with these original commissions,” said Deirdre Brennan, WildBrain’s chief operating officer, in the press release. “Family Channel, and WildBrain Television as a whole, play an integral role in our strategy to drive distinct Canadian content and stories that resonates globally. These shows have universal appeal, and we look forward to sharing them not only with our audience at home, but with kids and families worldwide.”
Photos provided by WildBrain Television.
