− All six episodes to debut at once, exclusively on CraveTV –
− World premiere of LETTERKENNY to screen at Canadian International Television Festival (CITF) November 20 −
− LETTERKENNY to premiere Spring 2016 on The Comedy Network −
To tweet this release: bmpr.ca/1SDsgm1
TORONTO, Nov. 9, 2015 /CNW/ - It really is a great day for hay. CraveTVTM announced today that its original comedy series everyone's been yappin' about, LETTERKENNY, will begin streaming on Sunday, Feb. 7, otherwise known as Super Bowl Sunday (pretty huge day for TV bud, so watch 'em all before kickoff). Commissioned by CraveTV, in partnership with The Comedy Network, the entire six-part, half-hour series launches exclusively on CraveTV a coupl'a weeks after the premium TV streaming service goes direct to consumers in January 2016, and will be followed by its specialty debut on Comedy in Spring 2016.
Created by hotshot Jared Keeso of Bravo's hit original drama 19-2, LETTERKENNY is based on the Internet sensation Letterkenny Problems, Keeso's series of shorts which have raked in more than 10 million views and landed a Canadian Screen Award nomination in 2014 for Best Web Series. LETTERKENNY is executive produced, directed, and co-written by Jacob Tierney (The Trotsky).
"With a distinctive voice and unmistakeable tone, we're very proud to feature LETTERKENNY as CraveTV's first original series," said Mike Cosentino, Senior Vice-President, Programming, CTV Networks and CraveTV. "LETTERKENNY is a brazen and exciting brand-builder for the service, so we thought it deserved to be launched on the juggernaut event day that is Super Bowl Sunday."
"After one look at Letterkenny Problems, we knew Keeso had created something special, and it spoke directly to Comedy's audience. It's unique, smart, and hilariously authentic," said Tracey Pearce, Senior Vice-President, Specialty and Pay, Bell Media. "A series this good deserves to be seen on as many platforms as possible, so we look forward to welcoming LETTERKENNY to The Comedy Network in the spring."
To get everyone cranked up about the new series CraveTV has acquired Letterkenny Problems and will begin streaming the shorts on Friday, Nov. 20, the same day LETTERKENNY receives its world premiere at the Canadian International Television Festival (CITF) at Toronto's TIFF Bell Lightbox. As a tribute to the fans that have made Letterkenny a cult hit, CITF will screen LETTERKENNY's debut episode "Ain't No Reason to Get Excited" as well as provide a panel discussion with creator, co-writer, star, and executive producer, Jared Keeso. Executive producers Mark Montefiore and Patrick O'Sullivan of New Metric Media will be on hand for panel discussion, but no chirpin' please and thanks. Click here for tickets to the event.
CraveTV also confirmed today that building on the success of Letterkenny Problems, six brand-new shorts will accompany each episode streamed on the service. Beauty.
LETTERKENNY revolves around the dustups Wayne (Keeso) and his buds get into with their small-town Ontario rivals. There's The Hicks, the Skids, and the Hockey Players, who get at each other about the darnedest things, often ending with someone getting their arse kicked. Wayne, his best bud Daryl (Nathan Dales, KING & MAXWELL), and Wayne's free-spirited younger sister Katy (Michelle Mylett, ASCENSION) are all Hicks. On the ready to take the piss outta Wayne and Daryl, Dylan Playfair (Mr Hockey: The Gordie Howe Story) and Andrew Herr (also, Mr Hockey: The Gordie Howe Story) reprise their roles as The Hockey Players, "Jonesy" and "Reilly," from Letterkenny Problems. Tyler Johnston (MOTIVE) stars as lead Skid, Stewart; Stewart's "sideskid" Devon is played by Alexander De Jordy (19-2); Lisa Codrington (COPPER) stars as Modeen's bartender, Gail; Jacob Tierney as the Christian Leader Glenn; and K Trevor Wilson stars as Wayne's buddy, Dan.
LETTERKENNY is produced by New Metric Media (What Would Sal Do?), in partnership with DHX Media in association with Bell Media, with the participation of Canadian Media Fund, OMDC Tax Credits and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund. Jacob Tierney (The Trotsky) is executive producer, director, and co-writer. Patrick O'Sullivan and Mark Montefiore (Cas & Dylan) are executive producers for New Metric Media. Sarah Fowlie is Director, Independent Production, Comedy, Bell Media. Executives for Bell Media are Kara Haflidson and Bill Lundy. Corrie Coe is Senior Vice-President, Independent Production, Bell Media. Tracey Pearce is Senior Vice-President, Specialty and Pay, Bell Media. Randy Lennox is President, Entertainment Production and Broadcasting, Bell Media.
About Bell Media Independent Production
Bell Media has commissioned some of Canada's most-watched and most-acclaimed original programming, working with the best Canadian independent producers in the country. Hit CTV series include ratings success stories SAVING HOPE, MOTIVE, the record-breaking THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, and MASTERCHEF CANADA. Among the scripted series on Bell Media pay and specialty channels are the internationally acclaimed ORPHAN BLACK, the smash-hit thriller BITTEN, Space's most-watched original series KILLJOYS, Bravo's most-watched original drama 19-2, award-winning dramedy SENSITIVE SKIN, and upcoming cult comedy, LETTERKENNY. Bell Media specialty channels are also home to hit factual series HIGHWAY THRU HELL, COLD WATER COWBOYS, and CANADA'S WORST DRIVER, among others.
About New Metric Media
New Metric Media is a film, television, and new media production company that works with top creative talent to produce outstanding film, television, and new media content to entertain the world over. New Metric Media's past and present projects include the upcoming series WHAT WOULD SAL DO?, LETTERKENNY, based on the digital series Letterkenny Problems, and the feature film Cas & Dylan, directed by Jason Priestley and starring Academy Award®-winner Richard Dreyfuss and Golden Globe®-nominee Tatiana Maslany. For more information visit www.newmetricmedia.com.
About DHX Media
DHX Media Ltd. (www.dhxmedia.com), a key player internationally in the creation of content for families and children, is recognized globally for such brands as YO GABBA GABBA!, CAILLOU, TELETUBBIES, IN THE NIGHT GARDEN, INSPECTOR GADGET, JOHNNY TEST, SLUGTERRA and the multiple award-winning DEGRASSI franchise. The Company is owner of the Family suite of channels, operated as DHX Television. DHX Media Ltd. markets and distributes its library of more than 11,000 half-hours of entertainment programming worldwide, and licenses its owned properties through its dedicated brand-management and consumer-products business, DHX Brands. DHX Media Ltd.'s full-service international licensing agency, Copyright Promotions Licensing Group Ltd. (CPLG), represents numerous entertainment, sport and design brands. With offices in 15 cities worldwide, including Toronto, Vancouver, Halifax, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Barcelona, Milan, Munich, Amsterdam and Beijing, DHX Media Ltd. is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol DHXM, and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbols DHX.A and DHX.B.
About CraveTV
Created for TV lovers and devoted to television, CraveTV is Canada's premium TV subscription on-demand video streaming service, providing the most robust lineup of superior television content in the country. From TV's most-acclaimed dramas and beloved comedies to documentaries, music, and factual programming, CraveTV features thousands of hours of premium non-kids TV programming, representing hundreds of unique titles including the entire off-air library of HBO's iconic programming catalogue and hundreds of hours of acclaimed SHOWTIME series and specials. CraveTV is currently available to customers of Eastlink, TELUS Optik TV, Bell Fibe TV, Bell Satellite TV, Bell Aliant FibreOP TV, Access Communications, Northwestel, SaskTel, Cable Cable, Nexicom, Hay Communications, Mitchell Seaforth Cable TV, Tuckersmith Communications, Wightman Telecom subscribers, NRTC Communications, WTC Communications, and Tbaytel. Available through traditional set-top boxes, mobile apps, the web, Apple TV, Chromecast, select Smart TVs and Microsoft Windows 8.1, CraveTV will soon be available via select game consoles. CraveTV is from Bell Media, Canada's premier multi-media company with more than a decade of leadership delivering Canada's most-watched and most-acclaimed television programming across the Pay, Specialty, Digital, and Network TV landscapes. For more on CraveTV, visit www.CraveTV.com.
About The Comedy Network
Canada's first specialty comedy service, The Comedy Network airs comedy of all kinds, 24-hours-a-day, across multiple platforms, including a revolutionary broadband service at thecomedynetwork.ca. Launched in October 1997, Comedy broadcasts, uncut and uncensored, an eclectic mix of scripted, stand-up, sketch, improv, and animated comedy – as well as topical comedy talk shows, game shows and classic situation comedies. Offering an unrivalled slate of original Canadian programming, Comedy reinvests nearly 50 per cent of its revenues into home-grown productions. Comedy is a division of Bell Media, which is owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company, and is available in nearly six million households across the country.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
The Comedy Network on Twitter
The Comedy Network on Facebook
CraveTV on Twitter
SOURCE CraveTV
Image with caption: "Wayne, Daryl, and the produce stand. You best be movin' along now. (CNW Group/CraveTV)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20151109_C7790_PHOTO_EN_539987.jpg
For LETTERKENNY: Andrea Allen, The Comedy Network, 416.384.5375 or [email protected]; Mary Costa, The Comedy Network, 416-384-7702 or [email protected]; For CraveTV: Eleni Tenuta, CraveTV, 416.384.3530, or [email protected]
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