- Vancouver-based series created by GREY'S ANATOMY's James Parriott
and executive produced by DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES' Michael Edelstein -
- Featuring an international ensemble cast led by Ron Livingston and
Canadian Laura Harris -
-------------------------------------------------------------------------TORONTO, July 2 /CNW/ - DEFYING GRAVITY, a new CTV drama shot in
Vancouver, will also air on ABC in the U.S., CTV and production partners, Fox
Television Studios and Vancouver's Omni Film Productions Limited announced
today. Executive produced by series creator and award-winning writer/producer
James Parriott (GREY'S ANATOMY, UGLY BETTY) and Michael Edelstein (DESPERATE
HOUSWIVES), DEFYING GRAVITY follows the journey of eight astronauts, from five
countries, who embark on a mysterious mission through the solar system. The
series becomes the fourth Canadian dramatic series that CTV has been involved
in to be picked up by a major U.S. network in primetime in the last two years,
an unprecedented achievement. The U.S. pick up of co-venture DEFYING GRAVITY
by ABC joins CTV Original Series FLASHPOINT (CBS), THE LISTENER (NBC) and THE
BRIDGE (CBS).
DEFYING GRAVITY is a co-venture produced by Fox Television Studios and
Vancouver's Omni Film Productions Limited in association with CTV, the lead
broadcaster. Starring a diverse, international ensemble cast led by Ron
Livingston (Office Space) and Vancouver-native Laura Harris (24), the
hour-long, 13-episode series will also air on SPACE in Canada, the BBC in the
UK and on ProSieben in Germany.(xx) Media Note (xx) - Download all-new photos from DEFYING GRAVITY at
ctvmedia.ca."CTV is committed to being in business with the best creative talent. We
have been looking to partner with Jim and Michael, and DEFYING GRAVITY offered
the right opportunity," said Susanne Boyce, President, Creative, Content and
Channels, CTV Inc. "Out of the gate, we signed on as a production partner and
lead broadcaster and the experience has been terrific."
Executive Producer Michael Edelstein, said, "Working with CTV has been
such a gratifying experience for Jim Parriott and me. Susanne Boyce championed
the show from day one and without her vision and support, DEFYING GRAVITY may
not have happened. We are so grateful for the collaboration and look forward
to doing many more seasons together."
Inspired by the fictional BBC docudrama SPACE ODYSSEY: VOYAGE TO THE
PLANETS, and dubbed "GREY'S ANATOMY in space" by series creator James
Parriott, DEFYING GRAVITY is a sexy, provocative space thriller. It's set in
the very near future against the background of our solar system, in which
eight astronauts from five countries (four women and four men) undertake a
mysterious six-year international space mission covering eight billion miles.
Hurtling into the vast challenge of infinite space, the eight astronauts and
the ground personnel that support them are on a mission, which has a powerful
and awesome mystery at its core. The intimate relationships among the
astronauts and the ground crew, as well as their actions, from the past and
the present, on earth and in space, are all connected. Episodes are divided
between the present, as the Antares travels towards Venus, and the past, with
flashbacks to the earlier years when the astronauts were in the grueling
selection and training process.
The series' international ensemble cast is led by Ron Livingston (Office
Space) as Antares flight engineer Maddux Donner, Laura Harris (24) as ship's
geologist Zoe Barnes, Malik Yoba (NEW YORK UNDERCOVER) as Antares commander
Ted Shaw, Christina Cox (Blood Ties) as biologist Jen Crane, Florentine Lahme
(IMPACT) as pilot Nadia Schilling, Paula Garces (THE SHIELD) as pilot,
scientist and on-board documentary producer Paula Morales, Eyal Podell (24) as
psychiatrist and medical officer Evram Mintz, and Dylan Taylor (HOUSE PARTY)
as theoretical physicist Steve Wassenfelder. The cast on planet Earth is led
by Andrew Airlie (REAPER) as Mission Control Commander Mike Goss, Karen
LeBlanc (REGENESIS) as scientist Eve Shaw, Zahf Paroo (BATTLESTAR GALACTICA)
as grounded flight engineer Ajay Sharma, and Maxim Roy (MVP) as flight surgeon
Claire Dereux. Episodic Director Peter Howitt also plays the role of BBC
journalist Trevor Williams.
DEFYING GRAVITY was created by award-winning, Emmy-nominated
writer/producer James Parriott (executive producer on GREY'S ANATOMY and UGLY
BETTY). Parriott and Emmy-nominated producer Michael Edelstein (executive
producer on DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES) are executive producers, along with Omni's
Brian Hamilton and Michael Chechik. Ron French (BATTLESTAR GALACTICA) is the
producer. DEFYING GRAVITY is produced by Fox Television Studios and Omni Film
Productions (producers of CTV's critically-acclaimed series ROBSON ARMS) in
association with CTV and Germany's ProSieben. Fraser Robinson is Director of
Content for SPACE. Robert Hardy is Development Manager, Western Production for
CTV. Brett Burlock is Director, Program Development for CTV. Susanne Boyce is
President, Creative, Content and Channels, CTV Inc.ABOUT CTV
---------CTV, Canada's Olympic Network, is also Canada's largest private
broadcaster. Featuring a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and
entertainment programming, CTV is Canada's most-watched television network.
CTV Inc. also owns radio stations across the country and owns or has interests
in leading national specialty channels, featuring news, sports, factual, arts,
entertainment, music, youth and fashion programming. CTV Inc. is owned by
CTVglobemedia Inc., Canada's premier multi-media company, which also owns
Canada's national newspaper, The Globe and Mail. CTV is the official
broadcaster of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and London 2012 Games
of the Olympiad. More information about CTV may be found on the company
website at www.ctv.ca.ABOUT FOX TELEVISION STUDIOS
----------------------------Fox Television Studios develops and produces scripted and non-scripted
programming for major U.S. broadcast and cable networks, and international
broadcasters. The studio's scripted programming slate includes THE SHIELD,
starring Emmy(R) award-winner Michael Chiklis; BURN NOTICE on USA Network;
SAVING GRACE on TNT, starring Academy Award(R)-winner and Emmy nominee Holly
Hunter; MENTAL, produced in conjunction with Fox International Channels, and
starring Chris Vance and Emmy award-winner Annabella Sciorra; and PERSONS
UNKNOWN, from Academy Award-winning writer Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual
Suspects) who is executive-producing with Heather McQuarrie, and Executive
Producer Remi Aubuchon. The series is produced in Mexico in conjunction with
the broadcaster Televisa. The studio's alternative roster includes the
late-night TALKSHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN, now in its third season on FOX; and
the hit reality show, THE GIRLS NEXT DOOR, on E!ABOUT OMNI FILM PRODUCTIONS LIMITED
-----------------------------------Omni Film Productions Limited is one of Canada's most respected
television production companies, producing top quality programming in a wide
variety of genres. Since 1979 Omni has produced over 175 hours of television
dramas, documentaries, factual and lifestyle series and children's programming
resulting in over 75 national and international awards. Omni's series include
ROBSON ARMS and ALICE, I THINK (both for CTV and The Comedy Network), ICE
PILOTS N.W.T., THIS SPACE FOR RENT, EDGEMONT, STUNTDAWGS, MAKE SOME NOISE, THE
ODYSSEY, CHAMPIONS OF THE WILD, ANCIENT CLUES, QUIET PLACES, HEALTHY HOME,
HI-TECH CULTURE and most recently the mini-series DRAGON BOYS.
For further information: Jim Quan, CTV Inc., (416) 384-5311 or
jim.quan@ctv.ca; Laura Heath Potter, CTV Inc., (416) 384-4633 or
laura.heathpotter@ctv.ca
