In chess, the endgame comes when players have few pieces left on the board with which to convert advantage into a win.

And that sums up the position Michael Shepherd of Thunderbird Films finds himself in with Endgame, his homegrown drama about a crime-solving chess-master that’s scrambling to get to a second season after Showcase cancelled after its rookie run.

“We’re one deal from doing it. We’re optimistic. We don’t have it right now, but it feels like we’re almost there,” Shepherd told Playback Daily.

Thunderbird Films has new offers from Canadian broadcasters and is in negotiation for a second season of 22 episodes that could start production this winter.

Going for Shepherd is foreign partner Endemol guaranteeing a major slice of a projected $30 million second season budget through the participation of European broadcasters that apparently covet the Canadian procedural.

The reasoning from Endemol is the more episodes it has in hand, the better it can entice foreign broadcasters to acquire the Canadian drama.

So the endgame could be in sight for Shepherd, depending on which Canadian broadcaster he lands for a second season.

Some Canadian broadcasters have put offers on the table, others have passed, and still others are waiting on the sidelines to see if American interest in the Canadian thriller comes to fruition.

“It comes down to how much money [Canadian broadcasters] would be willing to put up for the second season,” Shepherd insisted.

Also in Thunderbird’s corner are Facebook and Twitter campaigns by fans in Canada and elsewhere internationally eager to see the series return for a second season.

Despite Showcase having no international subscribers, series fans from as far away as Brazil, Britain, France, Australia, Germany, Spain and Russia managed to download episodes of Endgame to view.

In a Canadian TV game where foreign penetration and audience loyalty are closely linked, Shepherd, Newfoundland-born actor and Endgame lead Shawn Doyle and Endemol are waiting to see whether a second season is truly in sight.

“At some point, you don’t want to chase something if it’s not possible. But the core team at Endgame feels like we have a shot,” Shepherd said.

“We’ll know in August. We don’t want to go to September. We’d have to call it,” he added.

 Photo:  Endgame, Episode102 / credit: Jeff Weddell