It’s a great day for hay, eh? Bell Media announced today from Prime Time in Ottawa that CraveTVTM, in partnership with The Comedy Network, has commissioned its first original Canadian series. The six-part, half-hour comedy LETTERKENNY becomes the first original series commissioned for a Canadian SVOD service. In development at Bell Media since November 2013, LETTERKENNY is based on the internet sensation Letterkenny Problems, a five-part series of shorts which have garnered more than 8 million views and earned a Canadian Screen Award nomination in 2014 for Best Web Series. Click here to see the original Letterkenny Problems shorts.
LETTERKENNY is created by Listowel, Ontario native Jared Keeso, co-star of Bravo’s critically-acclaimed, original drama series 19-2. Hot off the heels of a Canadian Screen Award win for Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role, Keeso will star in LETTERKENNY, and also acts as executive producer and co-writer.Nathan Dales (KING & MAXWELL) stars as Wayne’s quick-tongued sidekick, Daryl. Produced by New Metric Media in partnership with DHX Media and in association with Four Peaks Media Group, Jacob Tierney (The Trotsky) is executive producer, director, and co-writer. Patrick O’Sullivan and Mark Montefiore are executive producers for New Metric Media. Production begins in Northern Ontario this summer.
LETTERKENNY is about Wayne (Keeso), a good-ol’ country boy in Letterkenny, Ontario trying to protect his homegrown way of life on the farm, against a world that is constantly evolving around him. The residents of Letterkenny belong to one of three groups: Hicks, Skids, and Hockey Players. The three groups are constantly feuding with each other over seemingly trivial matters; often ending with someone getting their @ss kicked.
“There’s talk of a TV show which is nice so long as there’s a firm handshake and no huggin’,” said Wayne, resident Letterkenny hick.
“LETTERKENNY is raw, authentic and unlike anything we’ve seen before,” said Mike Cosentino, Senior Vice-President, Programming, CTV Networks and CraveTV. “It’s a perfect first commission for the service and will no doubt be a standout in CraveTV’s popular Comedy Collection.”
“LETTERKENNY has enormous potential as a flagship series for The Comedy Network,” said Tracey Pearce, Senior Vice-President, Specialty and Pay, Bell Media. “We are thrilled to be working with Jared on another project, and delighted to join forces with New Metric Media and DHX Media on this one-of-a-kind series.”
“We are thrilled to be working with Bell Media, our partners at DHX and the creative LETTERKENNY dream team,” said Mark Montefiore, New Metric Media. “As both Patrick and I descend from a long line of Irish potato farmers and Italian patata farmers, respectively, it’s only fitting this is New Metric Media’s first series out of the gate.”
LETTERKENNY is produced by New Metric Media, in partnership with DHX Media and in association with Four Peaks Media Group, in association with Bell Media, with the participation of Canadian Media Fund, OMDC Tax Credits and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit. 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. Phil King is President, CTV, Sports, and Entertainment Programming.