CBC AND ABC TEAM UP ON HALF-HOUR PRIMETIME COMEDY, A US NETWORK FIRST

July 2008, Los Angeles, Toronto and Montreal

ABC has acquired the US rights to 18 TO LIFE, the CBC’s new single-camera comedy pilot. US/UK distributor Alchemy Television brokered the deal, making this the first time a US and a Canadian network have teamed up for a half-hour primetime comedy. Montreal’s Galafilm developed and will produce the show under the aegis of Anton Leo, Creative Head of CBC TV Comedy.

18 TO LIFE is a domestic comedy about a couple who does the unthinkable: they get married at the tender age of 18. Their parents – next-door neighbors and polar opposites – are less than thrilled, and even their peers disapprove. What gives the series its heart is that young Tom and Jessie truly love each other. They’re the right couple…at the wrong time. As the two struggle to become man and wife in a world that views them as kids, the tension between their families adds a dose of biting humor to their sweet love story. 18 TO LIFE is one part aspirational romance and two parts cautionary tale, which should endear it to teens and parents alike.

“What’s so appealing about the show is that the kids are being subversive and rebellious, but they’re doing that by entering into the most conventional institution there is: marriage,” says Burrad Marsh, Alchemy’s Head of Series. “What really jumped out at us was the concept. Because these kids are 18, their marriage becomes public property – everyone has an opinion – and it gives the show a multi-generational appeal.”

18 TO LIFE is created, written, and executive produced by Derek Schreyer (The Murdoch Mysteries, Cold Squad, 15/Love) and former network exec and International Emmy Award-winning producer Karen Troubetzkoy (15/Love, The Magician’s House)and directed by Peter Wellington, an award-winning film and TV director best known for his work as sole director on The Movie Network’s comedy Slings and Arrows. ”This is the second series we’ve produced with Karen and Derek,” said Galafilm CEO Arnie Gelbart. “As in all their work, they bring to 18 TO LIFE passion, originality and unbounded creativity. I am enormously pleased that the show resonates with CBC, ABC, Alchemy and, we hope, a large audience.”

Cast includes Degrassi: The Next Generation’s Stacey Farber and Michael Seater (Life With Derek, The Zack Files) as the young lovers. Peter Keleghan (The Newsroom), Al Goulem (The Tournament, Stardom), Ellen David (Surviving My Mother, Mambo Italiano, Heist), Angela Asher (Degrassi: The Next Generation, Queer as Folk), Jesse Rath (Prom Wars, Dead Like Me), Tiio and Horn (Indian Summer: The Oka Crisis). Newcomers Tommie-Amber Pirie and Ariel Shirib also star, and Ian Whitehead produces.

While 18 TO LIFE’s concept and creative pedigree was attractive to the networks, the business proposition was also “a win-win-win,” says Alchemy CEO Carrie Stein, because all parties got involved early enough to contribute creatively to the final weeks of development, the crucial last stage between script and screen. Stein added, “Whenever a distributor can get involved in a project early on, and contribute creatively, there’s a much greater chance the show will be successful worldwide.”

For over 17 years, Emmy Award-winning Galafilm has been at the forefront of independent film and television production in Canada. Founded and helmed by Arnie Gelbart, the company is synonymous with high-quality production values, and boasts a catalogue of nearly 300 hours of award winning and commercially successful projects that have educated and entertained worldwide audiences. Galafilm’s diverse slate includes documentaries, youth programs, television dramas and feature films.

Known for big-budget event mini-series, Alchemy Television entered the series market this year with FLASHPOINT, a CBS series debuting in July, as its first US network show. The company currently has four new miniseries recently completed: BURN UP, starring Bradley Whitford; DIAMONDS, starring Judy Davis; IRON ROAD, starring Sam Neill; and COCO CHANEL, starring Shirley MacLaine. Production will begin on BEN HUR and THE BOUNTY later this year. Alchemy’s unscripted division, Alchemy Reality, has recently had two series commissioned by major European networks.