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.

Frantic Films keeps the awards coming as our hit financial show Til Debt Do Us Part wins the SOCAN award for best Domestic Non-Animated Television Series. Congratulations!

Frantic Films is proud to welcome comedy producer, Pamela Thomas, to its development team. Thomas has a long history of successful projects with such networks as HBO, NBC, and VH1.

Frantic Films has names Brenda Greenberg as our new Executive Vice-President of Scripted Development. Greenberg comes to us with an extensive background in the television industry including credits on Being Erica, Kenny vs. Spenny, Side Effects, Street Legal, and As The World Turns. “We are thrilled to have someone of Brenda’s calibre join our team,” said CEO of Frantic Films, Jamie Brown.

We would like to welcome Brenda Greenberg to Frantic Films!

Pitchin’ In Season 4 has been nominated in the Lifestyle category at the Banff Rockie Awards 2013! Congratulations to director Meagan McAteer and executive producers Jamie Brown & Daniel Gelfant!

We are proud to announce that Verdict took home a Signature Award yesterday for Best Website along with Tactica Communications.

Congratulations to the hard working folk at Verdict!

Frantic Films is proud to announce it has received 11 nominations in the first annual Canadian Screen Awards! The Wrath of Grapes: The Don Cherry Story 2 earned 4 nominations, while Todd and The Book of Pure Evil earned 6 total nods. Pitchin’ In was also nominated for Best Lifestyle Program or Series. 
Congratulations to all of the nominees and we’ll see you March 3rd on CBC!