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| Original Comedy Series Alice, I Think Begins Production for CTV and The Comedy Network |
| Posted
on Monday, September 12, 2005 - 01:50 PM |
Principal photography begins immediately on the 13-part, half-hour series, based on the internationally-acclaimed books by BC author Susan Juby. Produced by Slanted Wheel Entertainment and Omni Film Productions in association with CTV and The Comedy Network, filming continues through November 10 in Vancouver and Langley, BC.
McKillip, a 16-year-old Vancouver native, has been acting since she was a child. She was cast in the once-in-a-lifetime role after a nation-wide search to find the perfect Alice. Over 60 young actors from across the country auditioned for the role. As Alice MacLeod, McKillip plays a 15-year-old girl with an oddball family facing the trials and tribulations of teenagedom in the small town of Smithers, BC.
"When we first saw Carly, we knew immediately that she was our Alice," said creator Susin Nielsen. "Carly understood that Alice was a complex character from the get-go."
Alice, I Think revolves around the misadventures of Alice's unconventional family as they encounter life's ups, downs and occasional absurdities. Created for television by Susin Nielsen, the show is co-executive produced by Nielsen and Gary Harvey, who also acts as lead director, reuniting the creative team behind this year's critically-acclaimed CTV/Omni series Robson Arms.
Alice, I Think is the second of three new original scripted series slated for production for CTV's 2005/06 schedule. Together with dramatic comedy series Jeff Ltd. and the one-hour drama Whistler, Alice I Think joins CTV's award-winning stable of original scripted programming including Corner Gas (Canada's No. 1 Comedy), Degrassi: The Next Generation (Canada's No. 1 Drama for Teens and Adults) and Instant Star, now receiving rave reviews in the United States on The N.
As Alice, McKillip plays a maladjusted teenager with a bizarre fashion sense that is painfully out of touch. Alice starts high school after years of home-schooling on the hunt for a look, a social life, a job and a boyfriend. Her mother Diane (Rebecca Northan, The Joe Blow Show) is the new-aged family breadwinner while her father John (Dan Payne, Stargate: Atlantis) is an endearing house-husband. Little brother MacGregor (Connor Price, Cinderella Man) is the brains of the outfit.
Other residents of Smithers (pop. 5,124) include Finn (Haig Sutherland), John's gay best friend and band mate who runs a used sporting goods store; Geraldine (Lori Triolo), Diane's counter-culture best friend and fully-fledged "natural woman"; Linda (Taylor Hill), the 16-year-old town psychopath who has made Alice's life a living hell since first grade; and Marcus (Michael Eklund), John's other band mate who drives the only taxi in town and dates women half his age.
"We are thrilled to be in production with Slanted Wheel Entertainment and CTV on this exciting new series" says Producer Brian Hamilton, Vice-President of Vancouver-based Omni Film Productions. "The characters are fresh and unexpected. They're real and likeable with storylines that will appeal to people of all ages, bringing the wonderful characters from Susan Juby's books to a whole new audience."
"Alice, I Think doesn't pull any punches," said Executive Producer Jon Slan, President of Toronto-based Slanted Wheel Entertainment. "It's funny, but it's also honest. Viewers will relate to the oddities and irreverence of these larger-than-life small-town characters."
Alice, I Think is based on the series of novels by Nanaimo writer Susan Juby. Originally published in 2000, Alice, I Think was one of the rare books loved by both teenagers and adults. Books in Canada raved that Alice, I Think was a "dead-on, laugh-out-loud female coming of age story" while Canadian Literature described it as "a great, funny, romp of a book…completely unlike any other novel in this genre." The book was critically acclaimed and was nominated for the Amazon.com/Books in Canada First Novel Award. Juby's follow-up novel, Miss Smithers, published in April 2004, won a BC Book Prize and was nominated for the 2005 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. Earlier this year, the final book in the series, Alice MacLeod, Realist at Last hit store shelves. All three books are published by HarperCollins in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Carly McKillip decided she wanted to be an actor at the age of four. Her work as a professional began with a recurring role in the television series The Marshal, which led to guest spots on several series including The X-Files, Poltergeist: The Legacy, The Net and Life As We Know It. McKillip's film roles include Floating Away, Saving Silverman, Dr. Doolittle, John Tucker Must Die, and Stranger in Town, for which she was nominated by the 1998 Youth In Film Awards for Best Performance in a Television Movie/Pilot Series/Best Young Actress (Age 10 or Under). McKillip has also voiced animated characters in Sabrina The Movie, What About Mimi? and Card Captors.
Alice, I Think is produced by Brian Hamilton (Robson Arms) and executive produced by Jon Slan (Plague City: SARS in Toronto) and Gabriela Schonbach (StuntDawgs). Rachel Rafelman (Plague City: SARS in Toronto) co-produces. Louise Clark is CTV's Director, Western Independent Production. Brent Haynes is Director of Programming for The Comedy Network. Bill Mustos is Senior Vice-President, Dramatic Programming for CTV. Ed Robinson is Senior-Vice President, Comedy and Variety Programming, CTV Inc. Susanne Boyce is President, CTV Programming and Chair of the CTV Media Group.
Alice, I Think is a co-production between Slanted Wheel Entertainment Inc. and Omni Film Productions Limited. Alice, I Think was developed and produced in association with CTV and The Comedy Network, with the participation of the Canadian Television Fund, created by the Government of Canada and the Canadian cable industry, Telefilm Canada: Equity Investment Program, CTF: License Fee Program, the Province of British Columbia Film Incentive BC, Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit and the Shaw Rocket Fund.
Since being founded in 2002 by Jon Slan, President, and Lorne Weil, non-executive chairman, Slanted Wheel Entertainment has concentrated on the acquisition and adaptation of literary works for the big and small screens. Since its inception, Slanted Wheel has already completed production on two movies for CTV: Plague City: SARS in Toronto, which aired on May 29, 2005, winning its time slot; and A Friend of the Family, which will air this fall. The company also has many other movies for television, series and feature films in various stages of development.
Omni Film Productions Limited is one of Canada's most respected television production companies having recently celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 2004. Over the years, 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 the recent critically acclaimed Robson Arms (for CTV), Edgemont, The Odyssey, Champions of the Wild, Ancient Clues, Quiet Places, Healthy Home and Hi-Tech Culture. Currently Omni Film is producing a documentary about Terry Fox's legacy for CTV, the mini-series Dragon Boys, a pilot titled This Space for Rent, and two documentary series Make Some Noise and StuntDawgs.
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