YTV series to be combination

of Letterman, Beat the Clock

Producer Josh Morris is gearing up for production on a six-episode pilot for a new ytv series. It’s Alive will be, according to Morris, ‘a combination of Saturday Night Live, Letterman and Beat the Clock,’ mixing comedy sketches, live music, interviews, game show-like contests and live advertising (yes, like the dancing gum-packs of the fifties!). Fitting in a two-hour program block, It’s Alive will be ytv’s only ‘live audience’ production and will wrap around Saturday afternoon programming (including the popular Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers).

Morris hopes that if the pilot is successful, the series, a potential flagship program, will evolve to be live-to-air and interactive by the fall.

Before It’s Alive, Morris produced ytv’s The Hit List and a number of specials, including the award-winning Borderline High and Rights On. Script-wise, Morris, who wrote for the series You Can’t Do That On Television, is joined by writers Kevin Lund and Frank Young. Rick Watts will direct. The hosts and characters have been cast and production will begin in mid-April, with the first airdate set for May 7.

On the ball

don Young, formerly a documentary producer for cbc’s The Journal (where he won a Gemini in 1988 for his piece on the Bhopal disaster in India), has had a quiet but successful first year with Almadon Productions. His Ottawa-based production company has some interesting projects in store for the next few months.

The company has privately financed a documentary called Beirut United, which will air this summer on espn, the American sports network.

Young, who was working in Lebanon during the civil war, had wanted to do a program telling the stories of the people who lived through it. After reading an article about Lebanon’s newly reformed soccer team, Young came up with the idea of a social history through the stories of the team players.

Because of the sports angle, and the fact that the u.s. will host soccer’s World Cup this summer, he was able to pitch to the sports networks. espn came on board, followed shortly by broadcasters in France, Germany and Japan. Young will return to Beirut to shoot the program in April and May.

Also in the works is God Bless the Child, a documentary for cbc’s Witness series which will look at the rights of pregnant women in jail. Young will produce and direct the project, which should go into production in April and continue through June and July.

Virtual realities

michael Charbon of Mac Productions is making his mark in reality-based programming. The Toronto-based producer of WIC Western International Communications’ Battle Against Crime series is deep into development on two new projects: Emergency Medical Television and Today’s Horoscope.

He has just finished the pilot for Today’s Horoscope, an information/talk-show/exploration-of-things-unknown series hosted by Toronto Star horoscope columnist and author Eugenia Last. Charbon plans 130 half-hour episodes.

Emergency Medical Television would take ambulance-chasing to a new level, delving into the inner workings of emergency rooms across the country in 26 half-hour programs.

Having a friend for dinner?

canadian Film Centre resident Steven Westren has just finished shooting The Man in My Microwave, a half-hour romantic comedy for Global Television’s New Producers Series.

The project began two and a half years ago, when Westren produced a first version. It wasn’t perfect, but it was enough to catch Global’s attention, and after a few drafts, they gave Westren some development money. About a month away from shooting, however, the plug was pulled. Westren decided to take it calmly and not burn any bridges, and a few months later Global called and said it would go ahead with the project after all.

John Delmage of J.A. Delmage Productions is executive producing and ‘mentoring’ the project.

The story revolves around a young woman who escapes from a lackluster relationship through the pages of a romance novel. After spilling wine on the novel, she pops it into the microwave to dry it, and in a burst of flames, Lance Byron emerges. The swashbuckling paperback hero and her spurned boyfriend must do battle.

Westren says filming went beautifully and sings the praises of dop Michael Storey. There isn’t a definite airdate yet, but it will most likely be in August.

Jams’ sweet news

toronto’s Jams Productions had an interesting bite at natpe: its grandparent-targeted series, The Bubbie Break, caught the attention of l.a.-based World of Wonder Productions, which is putting together a six-part documentary series looking at the future of television. World of Wonder will use segments of Jams’ program in the documentary, which is being produced for Britain’s Channel 4, as an example of the type of niche programming that will be a large part of television’s future.

Make that Erlichman

my apologies to Shari Erlichman of recently launched Carol Reynolds Productions for the overly creative spelling of her last name in the Feb. 28 Ontario Scene. Erlichman has returned to Canada after working with Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment in Los Angeles to join ex-Paragon Productions president Carol Reynolds in her new enterprise.