F/X: The Series is among the first of this season’s Canadian series to receive notice of cancellation after u.s. syndicator Rysher Entertainment did not renew its option. ctv, which broadcasts the Fireworks Entertainment-produced series, followed suit.

According to Fireworks president Jay Firestone, Rysher made the decision not to syndicate a third season because ratings showed the series skewed older, rather than picking up the eyeballs of the younger, prime spending consumer. Advertising revenues were short of anticipated targets.

Firestone adds there is a possibility that f/x could be resurrected at a later point in time as Rysher is investigating the potential of a cable sale for the series, which has 38 episodes and a two-hour pilot behind it.

In the meantime, a new project for Fireworks and Rysher is in the works. The two are in negotiations with a French coproducer to produce a new primetime series in 1998, The Raven, a $1.4-million per episode spin-off of The Highlander series.

Fireworks has numerous other irons in the fire, anticipating 1998 production budgets to ring in at $90 million, up from roughly $70 million last year.

In development with the USA Network is Karma Files, an hour-long series about a detective who gains access to a library of lost souls after a near-death experience and uses these spiritual connections to solve crimes. The program is a mainstream primetime series, says Firestone, and he plans to shop for a Canadian broadcaster for the $1.4-million per ep show. Karma Files is a joint venture with Seven Arts, an l.a.-based production company which Firestone has an interest in as well as holding the position of chairman.

The company is also developing a half-hour animated kids’ series for Fox Channel and has a pilot in the works with Grosso Jacobson for Lifetime Channel.

Fireworks is currently in production on Real Kids, Real Adventures for the American Discovery Channel’s new kids’ block launching this spring. The 13 half-hour action-adventure is based on true stories of heroic acts by children and scripted by Toronto writer Dick Oleckiak. Seven episodes have been shot and Firestone now plans to approach Canadian broadcasters.

Fireworks has just wrapped Girl Next Door, a $3-million tv movie for bbs directed by Eric Till and starring Henry Czerny, Simon McCorkindale, Alberta Watson and Gary Busey. It is the story of a small-town doctor’s affair with his young neighbor.

A tv movie based on the case of fugitive financier Albert Walker is being developed with u.k.’s Griffin Production as part of a three-project copro deal. McCorkindale is currently penning the second draft of the movie to air on bbs.

An expansion of Fireworks’ feature film division is in the works. To that effort, an l.a. office opened Jan. 1, headed by Meredith Metz, who, as vp of development, will work on initiating both Canadian and American projects. A joint venture with a film company in the u.k. is being sought, says Firestone.

Production is slated for this year on a us$30-million Patrick Swazye film, and the script Fever Blue is being developed with Fugitive director Andrew Davis.

Firestone is also involved in a joint venture with Imperial Bank in l.a., which finances 12 low-budget features per year.

La Femme Nikita for ctv and USA Network, and Pacific Blue, also for usa, are other current productions.