Canadian film production company Brightlight Pictures announced today the launch of the sci-fi comedy series, ALIENATED. The first 11 episodes of this edgy new show features a cross-section of Canadian talent including writer and director Mark Sawers. ALIENATED will premiere Tuesday, July 8 at 9:30 pm (EST) and 6:30 pm (PST) on SPACE: The Imagination Station.

ALIENATED follows a Victoria, B.C. family trying to cope with the bizarre and often sexual side effects of their alien abductions. While the series arc chronicles how and why the aliens have tampered with the Blundells, individual episodes focus on the family as they struggle to lead normal lives in spite of this extreme predicament. ALIENATED is shot in an observational style that provides the intimate feel of a reality series.

“There have been a number of alien themes explored on film and TV,” says Stephen Hegyes, principal and co-producer, Brightlight Pictures. “But ALIENATED offers a fresh perspective. Not only because it is a comedy, but also because it’s about a family and the way an out-of-this-world event affects their already dysfunctional dynamic. And ultimately,” adds Hegyes, “I think it’s this family, portrayed by an exceptional cast of Canadian actors, that’s going to keep audiences coming back for more.”

Filmed on location in Victoria, ALIENATED is written and directed by Mark Sawers, who has directed a variety of films and TV series, including The Kids in the Hall. His short film, Shoes Off! won Best Short Film in the International Critics Week section of the 1999 Cannes Film Festival, and three of his earlier films garnered Genie nominations for Best Live Action Short Drama.

“July 8th marks an exciting time for myself and everyone involved in ALIENATED,” says Mark Sawers. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to explore some rather risky material in an unconventional manner. I think if people tune in and give the show a chance, they may be surprised by what they see.”

ALIENATED features Canadian actors: Sarah Jane Redmond (Smallville, Dark Angel); Jonathan Whittaker (Chicago, Virgin Suicides); Campbell Lane (3000 Miles To Graceland, Along Came A Spider); Iris Graham (Romeo, John Doe) and Andrew Robb (School of Life, Dreamcatcher). The series is produced by Cynthia Chapman, whose credits include product of the LEO award-winning historical documentary Guinea Pig Club which filmed in England and across Canada.

The Victoria Film Commission will mark the July 8th series premiere with a special public showing at its office. A half-hour program on the making of the series, ALIENATED: BEHIND THE SCENES, will also air at 9:00 pm (EST) on
SPACE: The Imagination Station immediately prior to the premiere, featuring exclusive interviews with the cast and crew.

The ALIENATED experience also extends online at www.spacecast.com/ALIENATED, where viewers can become members of the Alien Encounter Advocacy Group, follow characters’ journals and much more. The site was developed by Snap!Media with support from SPACE: The Imagination Station, Brightlight Pictures and the Bell New Media Fund.

The series was funded in part by CHUM Television stations SPACE: The Imagination Station and The New VI. The first season of ALIENATED will also air this fall in B.C. on the New VI (Cable 12) on Thursdays at 9:30 pm (PST). Brightlight was recently granted second season funding for ALIENATED. Filming for the second season’s 11 episodes is scheduled September through November 2003 in Victoria.