GOLD/L’OR

Premise: An international saga of gold fever, a small Quebec producer and rich Chinese investors and their impact on an isolated rural community.

Genre: Series

Demographic: Adult/family prime

Episodes: 10 x 60 minutes

Budget: Cdn$1 million (us$646,000) per ep

Delivery: Fall 2001

Prodco: La Fete, Montreal

Distributor: La Fete

What’s the skinny?

Iconic actress Marina Orsini (Dr. Lucille: The Lucille Teasdale Story) and Karl Pruner (Total Recall 2070) lead a strong cast in such locations as China, Vancouver, Montreal and Abitibi, Quebec. From an original concept. Presold to cbc (English version) and Radio-Canada (French version).

THE NEVERENDING STORY

Premise: Wonder-filled odyssey of a boy named Bastian who enters the book world of Fantasia and finds himself affecting the destiny of that world and the people within. Elaborate special effects and high-end budget define the fantastical look.

Genre: Series and tv movies

Demographic: Family

Episodes: 13 x 60 minutes or 26 x 30 minutes (series), 4 x 2 hours (movies)

Budget: Cdn$1.8 million (us$1.2 million) per ep (series); not revealed (movies)

Delivery: Late June 2001 (start of series deliveries)

Prodco: Coprod of Muse Entertainment, Montreal, and The Movie Factory, Munich

Distributor: Hallmark Entertainment (u.s., England, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia), u.s.; ach (rest of the world except France), Munich; Muse Distribution International (Canada and France), Montreal

What’s the skinny?

Based on the classic book of the same name, a narrative dramatic fantasy described by Muse as being ‘one of the largest Canadian content productions ever done…using the latest and best special-effects technology.’

RAVEL’S BRAIN

Premise: An investigation of French composer Maurice Ravel’s frustrations during the last years of his life, when a brain injury prevented him from writing down the music in his head.

Genre: Docudrama

Demographic: ‘More psychographic, with appeal to anyone interested in classical music,’ says Sheena Macdonald, president of Rhombus International.

Episodes: 1 x 60 minutes

Budget: Cdn$1.2 million (us$780,000)

Delivery: Immediate

Prodco: Coprod of Rhombus Media, Toronto, and Ideale Audience, Paris

Distributor: Rhombus International, Toronto

What’s the skinny?

Directed by award-winning Larry Weinstein. Worldwide appeal to music lovers. Premiere of never-before-heard Ravel music.

BLONDE

Premise: Blonde is Marilyn Monroe. A ‘visceral portrayal of a deeply troubled international icon. Not your typical u.s. glossy biopic,’ says Greg Phillips, president of Fireworks International.

Genre: Miniseries

Demographic: Adult prime

Episodes: 2 x 2 hours

Budget: us$20 million overall

Delivery: Spring 2001 for cbs sweeps week, airing May 13 and 16

Prodco: Robert Greenwald Productions, l.a.

Distributor: Fireworks International (worldwide except u.s.), London

What’s the skinny?

Based on the Joyce Carol Oates no-holds-barred book, a fictional account of the life of Norma Jean Baker. Stars Poppy Montgomery as Marilyn, Ann-Margret, Kirstie Alley.

WHEN BILLIE BEAT BOBBY

Premise: The battle of the sexes, as portrayed through the famous 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. The movie reveals how the contest and the media frenzy around it changed the lives of the combatants.

Genre: tv movie

Demographic: Teen/adult

Episodes: 1 x 2 hours

Budget: Not revealed

Delivery: Spring 2001

Prodco: Alliance Atlantis Communications, Toronto, in association with Cherry Alley Productions, l.a.

Distributor: Alliance Atlantis Communications

What’s the skinny?

Starring Holly Hunter as Billie Jean King and Ron Silver as Bobby Riggs, this film is described as ‘An engaging look at a seminal event.’ Airing on abc in the u.s. in April.

NOW & FOREVER

Premise: Two children, different by culture, form a powerful bond of love and friendship over the years, only to have it change dramatically after an incident alters the course of their lives forever.

Genre: Feature film

Demographic: Adult/teen 13+

Episodes: 1 x 100 minutes

Budget: Not revealed

Delivery: Available

Prodco: Edge Entertainment, Saskatoon, Canada

Distributor: Peace Arch Entertainment Group (worldwide except first-window licence to Global Television in Canada), Vancouver

What’s the skinny?

Directed by Bob Clark (A Christmas Story, Baby Geniuses), the film is based on an original screenplay by Bill Boyle and stars Mia Kirshner (Cowboys and Angels, Murder in the First), Theresa Russell (Wild Things), Adam Beach and Gordon Tootoosis. Sarah McLachlan prominent on soundtrack.

BLUE MURDER

Premise: New crime drama chronicles the complex and sometimes messy cases assigned to the Blue Murder team, a squad specializing in situations too hot to handle for your average investigator.

Genre: Series

Demographic: Teen/adult

Episodes: 26 x 1 hour

Budget: Cdn$1 million (us$646,000) per ep

Delivery: Fall 2001

Prodco: Coprod of Barna-Alper Productions, Toronto, and North Bend Film Company, Toronto

Distributor: Fireworks International (Europe, Africa, Middle East), London; Alliance Atlantis Communications (other territories worldwide), Toronto

What’s the skinny?

Inversion – cops report to high-ranking female officers. Starring Mimi Kuzyk (Hill Street Blues), Maria del Mar (The Practice), Joel Keller (The Hanging Garden) and Jeremy Ratchford (Unforgiven).

TRACKER

Premise: Following an alien jailbreak, intergalactic felons travel to Earth and immerse themselves among the citizens of a big city. The ‘Tracker’ alone can return them to justice. But he will need the help of a clever cub reporter, as she can help him track down his prey.

Genre: Series

Demographic: Teen/adult

Episodes: 22 x 1 hour

Budget: Approximately us$1 million per ep

Delivery: Fall 2001

Prodco: Lions Gate Television, l.a.

Distributor: Lions Gate Television International, Vancouver

What’s the skinny?

From an original concept developed by writer Gil Grant (also the writer on Relic Hunter), the series stars Adrian Paul (Highlander). Presold to Germany, cleared in u.s. syndication and may be coproduced with a European partner.

FOREIGN OBJECTS

Premise: The series follows documentary filmmaker George (Ken Finkleman) through a variety of situations in which classic moral situations are portrayed in the modern world.

Genre: Series

Demographic: Adult

Episodes: 6 x 28 minutes

Budget: Not revealed

Delivery: Fall 2001

Prodco: Rhombus Media, Toronto

Distributor: Rhombus International, Toronto

What’s the skinny?

Award-winning Ken Finkleman wrote, directed, executive produced and stars in this visually stunning series.

DICE

Premise: A dark, investigative series chronicling the murder of a young university student, the search for suspects and one charismatic man’s nefarious advocacy of ‘dicing’ to push conflicts aside.

Genre: Miniseries

Demographic: Adult prime

Episodes: 6 x 1 hour or 2 x 90 minutes

Budget: Not revealed

Delivery: November 2001

Prodco: Coprod of Cite-Amerique, Montreal, and Box tv, u.k.

Distributor: Cite-Amerique International, Montreal

What’s the skinny?

Based on a book.

SUPERFIRE

Premise: When major fires suddenly collide to create an atomic-strength ‘superfire,’ it threatens the very existence of a small town as an elite corps of firefighters does battle to save the townspeople from this rare and deadly phenomenon.

Genre: Miniseries

Demographic: Teen/adult prime

Episodes: 2 x 90 minutes for international, 3 x 1 hour for u.s.

Budget: us$15 million overall

Delivery: August 2001

Prodco: Lions Gate Television, l.a.

Distributor: Lions Gate Television International, Vancouver

What’s the skinny?

Big-budget ‘event’ miniseries, loaded with cgi and sfx, to air on abc in the u.s. The story reflects a natural phenomenon, the extraordinarily destructive power of multiple fires joining together as a giant inferno.

INSIDE OUT

Premise: Peer counselors help troubled teens express themselves and sort out their troubles through music, dance, new media, film- and video-making and visual art. ‘It’s a piece where Fame meets Rent in every episode,’ says executive producer Arnie Zipursky. Protagonists (counselors) are twentysomethings with checkered pasts of their own, a Mod Squad for the next generation.

Genre: Series

Demographic: 14+

Episodes: 13 x 30 minutes

Budget: Cdn$450,000 (us$291,000) per ep

Delivery: Not fixed

Prodco: Cambium Entertainment, Toronto

Distributor: Cambium Releasing, Toronto

What’s the skinny?

Edgy, tightly edited visuals set the tone for this narrative drama whose storylines will be tied to a Web property being developed by Eccentricarts of Toronto. Viewers can submit ideas for the teens to use in the show, such as poems or songs, and can download the show’s original music pieces. Looking for coprod partners at mip.

THE ASSOCIATES

Premise: It’s ambitions versus realities for five sharp yet naive twentysomething lawyers in the offices of a prestigious international law firm.

Genre: Series

Demographic: Adult

Episodes: 26 x 1 hour

Budget: Cdn$1 million (us$646,000) per ep

Delivery: Available

Prodco: Alliance Atlantis Communications, Toronto

Distributor: Alliance Atlantis Communications

What’s the skinny?

The Practice meets Traders and moves to Ontario. Skewed to the 18 to 34 crowd, The Associates was created from an original concept. The young lawyers are new to YBK, an immensely powerful firm peopled by former secretaries of state, presidents, prime ministers and other power brokers.

THE INVESTIGATION

Premise: Gritty, eye-opening account of how the local police and rcmp investigation of Canada’s most notorious serial killer, Clifford Olson, went very, very wrong. The mishandled investigation let Olson stay on the street and resulted in rapes and murders that should have been prevented.

Genre: mow

Demographic: Teen/adult prime

Episodes: 1 x 2 hours

Budget: Cdn$3.8 million (us$2.5 million) (projected)

Delivery: Fall 2001

Prodco: Coprod of Muse Entertainment, Montreal, and Indian Grove Productions, Toronto

Distributor: Muse Distribution International, Montreal

What’s the skinny?

Based on the book Where Shadows Lie, written by two investigating rcmp officers. Licensed to ctv in Canada.