9 March, 2006
Fireworks International will launch the brand new one hour drama series Whistler at MIP-TV 2006. Produced by Blueprint Entertainment and Boardwatch Productions Inc, Whistler is set to premiere on The N in the US and Canada’s CTV later this year. Set against the backdrop of one of North America’s most exciting destinations for winter sports and future home of the 2010 Olympics, Whistler strips away the veneer of glitz and glamour of this ski resort city to expose the secrets that lie beneath the snow. Three families, the Varlands, epitomizing the wealth and power of Whistler, the McKayes, a middle class family running a Tavern for locals, and the Millers, two beautiful young sisters struggling to make ends meet, find their lives inextricably intertwined as they are thrust into a tangled web of sex, betrayal, blackmail and revenge after the mysterious death on the slopes of local Olympic snowboard champion, Beck McKaye. The series opens with Beck McKaye (David Paetkau of LAX, Final Destination 2) – our local hero – who is handsome, talented, a party boy, and by the end of the first episode, very dead. A recent snowboarding world champion and Olympic gold medalist, Beck’s superstar status ends abruptly when he is found dead on the slopes one night in what is deemed to be a snowboarding accident. Beck’s brother Quinn (Jesse Moss of Final Destination 3), secretly doubts his gold medalist brother would have made such a costly mistake on an easy downhill run, but is reluctant to tell anyone. In a quest to satisfy his own misgivings, Quinn uncovers dark secrets Beck has kept hidden, along with some shocking discoveries about his family and friends. Quinn soon discovers that the truth is never easy to find. In Whistler, it’s just about impossible. Whistler also stars Nick Lea (The X Files) as Ethan McKaye; Ingrid Kavelaars (Dreamcatcher) as Jen McKaye; Adam J. Harrington as Ryan McKaye; Chris Shyer as Adrien Varland; Amanda Crew as Carrie Miller, and Holly Dignard as Nicole Miller. At MIP-TV Fireworks International will also launch the brand new half-hour comedy series The Jane Show. Produced by Shaftesbury Films, The Jane Show is set to premiere on Global Television in the spring of 2006, and stars Teresa Pavlinek (History Bites, The Sean Cullen Show, As I was Saying) as Jane Black, a 30-something wannabe writer who foregoes her dream of becoming a novelist to join the ‘normal’ nine-to-five world – only to discover it’s anything but. The series also stars the UK’s Darren Boyd (Smack the Pony, Kiss Me Kate, Green Wing 2).
Notes to editors:
FIREWORKS INTERNATIONAL, a division of the UK’s ContentFilm plc, acquires and distributes an extensive slate of television programs and feature films throughout the world. Fireworks’ library of over 2000 hours of programming includes drama series Zoe Busiek: Wild Card, action/adventure series Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda, Mutant X, Relic Hunter, and The Collector; children’s programs Black Hole High, 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd, Caitlin’s Way and Streetsmartz, plus over 200 US network miniseries and TV movies of the week including Blonde for CBS and A Wrinkle in Time for ABC, along with some 100 feature films. BLUEPRINT ENTERTAINMENT is a television production company involved in the development, production, financing, packaging and exploitation of dynamic and innovative programming for the North American and International marketplace. Established in January of 2002, by its two principals, John Morayniss and Noreen Halpern, Blueprint Entertainment is a Canadian company with offices in Los Angeles and Toronto. BOARDWATCH PRODUCTIONS INC. was created for the sole purpose of developing and producing the television series Whistler. Boardwatch is comprised of three partners, Big Pictures Entertainment Inc., principals Janet York and Sam Feldman; Hoodwink Entertainment Inc., principals John Barbisan, Mindy Heslin, Patrick Banister and Susan James; and 293474 B.C. LTD, principal Danny Virtue. Established in 2002, Boardwatch is a Canadian company operating out of Vancouver.
For further information, please contact:
Clare Weatherill Fireworks International Tel: +44 (0)20 7851 6546
E-mail: [email protected]
Anna Salim Blueprint Entertainment Tel: (310) 358-3080
E-mail: [email protected]
Jane Muckle Boardwatch Productions Inc Tel: (604) 734-5945
E-mail: [email protected]
