CBC today announced the renewal of its acclaimed original all-female sketch comedy series Baroness Von Sketch Show (6 x 30), which made its debut in June. Baroness Von Sketch Show has been renewed for season 2 (7 x 30) and will begin production this fall.

Baroness Von Sketch Show is an all-female, single-camera sketch comedy series that takes a fresh look at the world’s narcissistic contemporary culture. Fast-paced and irreverent, the series celebrates the absurd, mines the embarrassing and satirizes daily lives. Drawing on 15 years of comedy experience and multiple collaborations, the award-winning, talented team of Carolyn Taylor, Meredith MacNeill, Aurora Browne and Jennifer Whalen are the writers, stars and executive producers.

Congratulations to the Still Standing team for bringing home the trophy for Best Factual Program or Series at the 2016 Canadian Screen Awards.

Congratulations to Frantic Films and the team on making Realscreen’s 2016 Global 100 list celebrating the best and most influential non-fiction programming from the 2015 season.

Frantic Films is thrilled to be honoured with 5 nominations for the 2016 CSA AWARDS!

Best Factual Program or Series
Still Standing CBC (CBC) (Frantic Films) Jamie Brown, Catherine Legge, Jeff Peeler

Best Lifestyle Program or Series
Buy It, Fix It, Sell It HGTV Canada (Shaw Media) (Frantic Films) Jamie Brown, Jeff Peeler, Catherine Legge

Best Picture Editing in a Factual Program or Series
Still Standing – Buxton CBC (CBC) Jorge Parra, Robert Kew, Tony Coleman

Best Writing in a Factual Program or Series
Still Standing – Buxton CBC (CBC) Jonny Harris, Chuck Byrn, Nile Seguin

Best Host in a Variety, Lifestyle, Reality/Competition, or Talk Program or Series Sponsor
Still Standing – Coleman CBC (CBC) Jonny Harris

CBC AND BANIJAY INTERNATIONAL SELECT FRANTIC FILMS’
ANYTHING BUT AVERAGE AS FORMAT INCUBATOR PILOT

December 17, 2015 –CBC and distributor Banijay International announce the commission of an original Canadian format as a result of the Format Incubator, an initiative launched at the 2015 Banff World Media Festival. Format Incubator is a collaborative venture between CBC, Banijay International and the independent production community in Canada aimed at boosting the creation of original exportable television formats.

Anything But Average (working title) is an original factual concept from Frantic Films and was selected jointly by CBC’s Unscripted Content team and Banijay International. The hour-long pilot is currently in production and will air in March 2016. The series is the ultimate nation-defining format for the nosy neighbour inside all of us. By exploring the lives of statistically average Canadians — who are the same on paper, but very different in reality — this entertaining, engaging and fact-filled format poses the question, what does it mean to be an “average” Canadian family in 2016?

Responding to Canadians’ love for comparisons, surveys and revealing statistics, Anything but Average uses data visualization to bring facts and figures about Canadian identity to life, layered over fly-on-the-wall footage of real families. The pilot episode, Modern Love, explores the nature of love, relationships, marriage and family dynamics and provides a surprising snapshot of modern Canadian life. Other potential episodes will focus on themes including money, diet, religion, leisure time and housing across the nation.

“Our goal with the Format Incubator was to harness the depth of creativity in our independent production community and create a format that would resonate with other countries, as well as the CBC audience,” said Jennifer Dettman, executive director, Unscripted Content, CBC. “We’re excited to work with Frantic Films and Banijay International to bring this unique concept to life.”

“We’re very pleased with the outcome of our collaboration with CBC,” said Emmanuelle Namiech, managing director, Banijay International. “Anything But Average is an engaging series which demonstrates that the average isn’t so common after all. We found this concept very relatable and we are looking forward to launching the format on the international market.”
“We are thrilled to have been selected to work with CBC and Banijay to create this innovative new program,” said Jamie Brown, CEO and executive producer, Frantic Films.  “It would be fantastic to see this new approach generate a hit series in Canada and a format that can be adapted around the world.”

About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight aboriginal languages.
A space for us all is CBC/Radio-Canada’s new strategy to modernize the public broadcaster and ensure that it continues to fulfill its mandate for Canadians and for future generations. Through to 2020, it will increase its investment in prime time television programming, and continue to create radio programs of the highest quality, while promoting the development of digital and mobile platforms and content.

About Banijay International
Banijay International is a global force in content distribution with exceptional vision and conviction. It is an extension of the major TV and multimedia content creator, Banijay Group, which in five years has grown into a worldwide entertainment powerhouse.

Banijay International is the owner of a wide portfolio of programming rights, originating both from within the Banijay Group companies as well as the very best third party properties from leading independents around the world. It is confident about its ability to exploit rights on a global scale and optimise the value of its programming operating with the nimble approach of a boutique distributor combined with the muscle of a large, cost effective group structure. Its portfolio is strong, relevant, bold and brash, spanning the genres of factual, compelling game shows, reality hybrids, serial dramas and finished programmes. Banijay International delivers content that’s fresh and innovative, with wide appeal.

About Banijay Group
The Banijay Group is a content creation company for television and multimedia platforms.  With leading production entities in more than a dozen territories, the Group is engaged in strategic partnerships with innovative creative talent around the world. Banijay formats and programming, as well as acquired third-party content, are sold around the world by its global distribution arm, Banijay International.

The Banijay Group currently comprises Banijay Productions France, H2O and Air Productions (France), Cuarzo and DLO Producciones (Spain), Brainpool (Germany), Banijay Ambra (Italy), Nordisk Film TV (Denmark, Norway, Sweden); Pineapple Entertainment (Denmark), Respirator (Denmark), Banijay Finland (Finland), Screentime (Australia, New Zealand), Banijay Studios North America; Stephen David Entertainment  and Bunim/Murray Productions (US).
About Frantic Films Corporation
Frantic Films is one of Canada’s leading producers of creative content. It is responsible for hundreds of hours of award-winning programs that have set ratings records and sold to over 130 countries around the world. With offices in Toronto and Winnipeg, Frantic has also been recognized for its contributions to the community, corporate leadership and innovation.

Frantic Films is pleased to announce that Meet the Family has been nominated for four Canadian Comedy Awards, including Best TV Show, Best Direction in a TV Series or Special, Best Writing in a TV Series or Special and Best Male Performance in a TV series.

Congratulations to all of our nominees and the hardworking team on Meet the Family!

Frantic Films has received a season two greenlight for 14 new 30 minute episodes of their HGTV Canada series Buy It, Fix It, Sell It. The series features a collection of top professional ‘fixers’ who battle for low cost hidden treasures at auctions, then transform them to try to sell them for big profits. Buy It, Fix It, Sell It is in production in the Toronto and Winnipeg areas and is set to air in spring 2015 on HGTV.

“Production is going extremely well for the second season of Buy It, Fix It, Sell It; with even cooler transformations this season,” says Jamie Brown, executive producer, Frantic Films. “We look forward to audiences seeing the amazing creations of our fixers when the series airs.”

Each episode of Buy It, Fix It, Sell It features a group of professional ‘fixers’ battling over items at auction before radically revamping each piece with amazing reveals. The series comes to life through the tense and confrontational relationships of the people working hard to make a buck in this punishing industry. Fixers Paul “Willy” Williamson, Mike and Joe Wolchuck (The Neon Brothers), Bob Krist, and Tiffany Pratt return for season two.

Buy It, Fix It, Sell It is produced by Frantic Films with Catherine Legge as series producer and Jamie Brown, Catherine Legge and Jeff Peeler as executive producers.

Frantic Films has wrapped principal photography on season one of the new CBC comedy series Still Standing. The quirky 13 x 30’ series – which was shot in 13 small towns across Canada earlier this year – features comedian Jonny Harris as he immerses himself in each town’s culture before performing an original stand-up routine for the locals. Still Standing will be coming soon to CBC. A leader in comedic television, Frantic Films has also received the greenlight from CBC for season six of their involvement in the Winnipeg Comedy Festival (5 x 60’) which will go into production spring 2015.

“Shooting Still Standing in small towns across Canada proved to be a real joy for everyone involved,” says Jeff Peeler, executive producer, Frantic Films. “We’re deep into post-production now and look forward to the Still Standing premiere. We also couldn’t be more thrilled with the greenlight for another run of the ‘Winnipeg Comedy Festival,’ which will bring even more of the very best comedians to Canadian audiences.”

Each episode of Still Standing follows comedian Jonny Harris in his search to find the funny where you might least expect it – Canada’s struggling small towns. In each place he visits, Jonny meets larger than life characters, follows them in their day-to-day lives and shares their experiences through an original stand-up routine based on his experiences there.

Still Standing is produced by Frantic Films with Catherine Legge as series producer, Jeff Peeler as producer and Jamie Brown, Jeff Peeler and Catherine Legge as executive producers. From CBC, Lesley Birchard is the executive in charge of programming for factual entertainment, Sandra Kleinfeld is the director of development, studio and unscripted programming and Jennifer Dettman is executive director of unscripted content.

The Winnipeg Comedy Festival presents the best of Canadian comedic talent in five one-hour gala events. Each episode revolves around a single theme as comedians poke fun at our collective obsessions with food, dating, and technology, among other subjects.

The Winnipeg Comedy Festival is produced by Frantic Films with Jeff Peeler as series producer, Dean Jenkinson and Michael Watt as producers and Jamie Brown as executive producer. From CBC, Greig Dymond is executive in charge of production for comedy and Michelle Daly is senior director for comedy.

Expanding their reach in North America, Frantic Films has hired Los Angeles based senior development consultant Graham Ludlow to build on Frantic’s strengths in comedy and scripted television.  Working alongside the executive team that has produced over $50 million in scripted production over the past 5 years, Ludlow’s role includes working the key creative talent, sourcing new scripted material, liaising with Canadian and American talent in Los Angeles, and advancing series through funded development.

“We’re so happy to have Graham on board to help build our relationships with key creatives,” says Jamie Brown, executive producer, Frantic Films. “His extensive experience as both an executive producer and screenwriter will no doubt add immense value to our creative team.”

“I’m excited to join Jamie and the rest of the Frantic team,” says Graham Ludlow. “And I look forward to finding and developing new scripted material in this incredibly receptive, writer-friendly environment.”

Ludlow is best known as a producer on the Lions Gate/WWE Films feature THE COMDEMNED. In television, he produced the highly-rated CBS television movie ANYA’S BELL. He executive produced EIGHT DAYS TO LIVE, IN GOD’S COUNTRY, and SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY, all for Lifetime/CTV. As a screenwriter, Ludlow’s adaptation of Jack London’s THE CALL OF THE WILD received critical acclaim. He also scripted the 2008 Lifetime movie STORM CELL, starring Mimi Rogers. Ludlow was born in England and grew up in Vancouver, BC. He currently resides in Los Angeles.

Production Commences on Season 2 of City’s Meet the Family

– Casting currently underway for participants in new relationships www.meetthefamily.ca 

 

TORONTO (May 23, 2014) City and Frantic Films announced today the start of production on the second season of Meet the Family. Based on a successful series from the U.K, (Meet the Parents), each episode of this original comedy series features one couple with one challenge: can a new love interest last an entire evening when he or she has to “meet the family”? Season 2 has an all-new cast, new locations, new couples, and new surprising situations. Meet the Family is slated to air on City later this year, with additional broadcast details to be announced at a later date.

 

Meet the Family turns a normally mundane encounter into an excruciating test of resolve and commitment as the new love interest becomes an unwitting participant in a totally fake and entirely outrageous family gathering. Unaware that they’ve been set-up by their partner, they enter the parents’ house filled with actors whose task it is to make their encounter as uncomfortable as possible, all while multiple hidden cameras record their every move.

Meet the Family is produced by Frantic Films with Derek Harvie as Series Producer. Derek Harvie, Jamie Brown and Jeff Peeler are Executive Producers. From Rogers Communications, Carol Commisso is Production Executive, Nataline Rodrigues is Director of Original Programming, and Hayden Mindell is Vice President of Television Programming and Content.

 

About City
City™ television stations in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Montreal and Saskatchewan offer viewers intensely-local, urban-oriented, culturally-diverse television programming. A distinct alternative to other conventional television stations, City engages its viewers with dynamic on-air personalities and delivers an entertaining mix of news, local-interactive formats such as: Breakfast Television and Cityline; as well as local Canadian and US acquired prime time entertainment programming. City is a part of Rogers Broadcasting Limited, a division of Rogers Communications Inc. (TSX: RCI and NYSE: RCI) which is a diversified Canadian communications and media company. For more information on City stations and programming, visit Citytv.com.