Ms. Kerry Appleyard reports

PARAMOUNT+ IN CANADA ADDS TWO PROJECTS TO ITS DEVELOPMENT SLATE FROM BOAT ROCKER

Two new Canadian original comedy titles have been added to Paramount+'s expanding development slate from Boat Rocker Media Inc. Bensen, created and written by Clara Altimas, and Elected, created and written by Michael McGowan, have been added to the growing list of Canadian content backed by the global streaming service. In June, Paramount+ in Canada revealed its first set of projects in the development stage consisting of Paramount+ original documentary, 500 Days in the Wild from Dianne Whelan and four other projects from a variety of Canadian creatives.

"We are thrilled to be developing two new fresh comedy series with one of the country's best production houses, Boat Rocker," said Doug Smith, senior vice-president, streaming and content licensing, Paramount Global, Canada. "Boat Rocker's reputation is synonymous with excellence, and we are excited to jump into the worlds being created by Clara Altimas for Bensen and by Michael McGowan for Elected."

"We're delighted to partner with Paramount+ on Bensen and Elected, two vastly different but equally compelling comedy series that are wonderfully unexpected and resonant," said Kerry Appleyard, senior vice-president, head of scripted Canada, Boat Rocker. "We're lucky to be working with such incredibly talented teams to bring a double whammy of heart and humour to the screen."

New titles in development

Bensen

A scripted dramedy about a struggling limo driver who tries to maintain fun dad status after the death of his wife and with the help of his dysfunctional family. Bensen is a story about the impossibility of grieving the right way. Created and written by Ms. Altimas.

For Boat Rocker, executive producers are: Ms. Altimas, David Fortier (Slip and Beacon 23), Ivan Schneeberg (Slip and Beacon 23) and Ms. Appleyard (Orphan Black: Echoes and Robyn Hood).

Elected

When an A-list actor unexpectedly has an opportunity to become the Prime Minister of Canada, he accepts what could turn out to be the worst decision he has ever made or, improbably, the role of a lifetime. A premium comedy series created by Mr. McGowan (All My Puny Sorrows and Still Mine), the creative consultant is Sherry White (Pretty Hard Cases and Rookie Blue).

For Boat Rocker, executive producers are: Mr. McGowan, Mr. Fortier, Mr. Schneeberg and Ms. Appleyard.

Additionally, Paramount+'s first original documentary, 500 Days in the Wild will premiere at the Whistler International Film Festival this Friday, Dec. 1. The project will have a limited theatrical run in early 2024, followed by its premiere on Paramount+. 500 Days in the Wild is produced by Betsy Carson with executive producers Christine Haebler and Dianne Whelan for Rebel Sisters Productions and distributed in Canada by Elevation Pictures.

Previously announced series in development with Paramount+ in Canada include: Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story from writer Anthony Q. Farrell (The Office U.S.) and award-winning producers New Metric Media (Letterkenny), Len & Cub from writer Lynne Kamm, and producers Muse Entertainment and Elliot Page's Page Boy Productions, Carpe Demon from award-winning showrunner Emily Andras (Wynonna Earp and Lost Girl) and producers December Films, Cineflix Studios, Gina Marcheschi and Jon Brown, and They Drive at Night written by Emmy award winner Craig Wallace (Murdoch Mysteries, Todd and The Book of Pure Evil) and producers Black Birds Entertainment.

About Boat Rocker Media Inc.

Boat Rocker (Toronto Stock Exchange: BRMI) is the home for creative visionaries. An independent, integrated global entertainment company, its purpose is to tell stories and build iconic brands across all genres and mediums. With offices around the world, Boat Rocker's creative and commercial capabilities include scripted, unscripted, and kids and family television production, distribution, brand and franchise management, a world-class animation studio, and talent management through Untitled Entertainment. A selection of Boat Rocker's projects includes: Invasion (Apple TV+), Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields (Hulu), Slip (Roku), Downey's Dream Cars (Max), Orphan Black (BBC America and CTV sci-fi channel), Dear ... (Apple TV+), Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry (Apple TV+), The Next Step (BBC, Corus and CBC), Daniel Spellbound (Netflix) and Dino Ranch (Disney+, Disney Junior and CBC).