There is some good news for the west: ‘Broadcasters across the board are spending money again,’ says David Paperny of Paperny Films.

But he does warn that ‘there are fewer new slots to be filled, there is less money overall and broadcasters remain cautious.’

Paperny Films is in production on the 13 half-hour docusoap Dussault Inc., about a Vancouver fashion line family for Citytv and the Biography Channel, a 13-part Food Network series Eat St., examining the North American phenomena of high-end food carts, a fifth season of Glutton for Punishment also for Food Network, and making a feature length doc on singer Ron Sexsmith for TMN/MC.

The company is also completing a pilot for an HGTV decluttering series with the working title Ten Things I Can’t Live Without and a bridal transformation pilot for Slice Network called The Fairy Gownmother.

Meanwhile, Omni Film Productions is in production on a second season of its hit northern airline docu-series Ice Pilots for History Television. Omni exec producer Brian Hamilton says the company has eight scripted projects in funded development with broadcasters, including four shows with the CBC.

‘We are investing as much as ever in development to put our company in a strong position when the drought eases off,’ says Hamilton.

John Ritchie, executive producer and partner at Force Four Entertainment, also has a strong production and development slate.

‘There was a downturn in production in the province but we have come out of it and our company is really busy,’ he says.

Force Four is shooting the CBC 10×1 hour factual series Village on a Diet following 1,400 people in a small B.C. town who are collectively determined to lose two tonnes of weight. Also in production is the 8×60 documentary series Murder She Solved for W, which features professional female crime solvers, and the celebrity entertainment series Six Degrees of TV for TVtropolis.

‘We are in development on scripted series with CBC, TMN/MC and APTN and we’re developing a Lifetime movie,’ adds Ritchie.