Prodigy Pictures is moving forward on its series Lost Girl, following a 13 x 60 order from Showcase. The cable channel has okayed the supernatural drama, saying Thursday it will go to air sometime in 2010.

The series will likely shoot in Toronto or elsewhere in southern Ontario, says Prodigy chief and exec producer Jay Firestone (Relic Hunter). Prodigy (XIII) shot the pilot in nearby Hamilton, ON. Pilot director John Fawcett is expected to return, joined by others.

The show stars Anna Silk (Breakfast with Scot) as a succubus — in layman’s terms, a she-demon who feeds on the energy of human sex partners — ‘with a heart.’ Raised by humans and cut off from her own kind, she tries to find her way in the modern world while resisting the urge to kill.

The concept, an otherworldly mix of fantasy and action, was initially aimed at the twentysomething demo that fuelled the success of shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, says Firestone, though it appears to be playing well with the 30-plus crowd, too, including women.

‘Everybody kept saying it’s very hard to find a show that appeals to young audiences these days,’ he tells Playback Daily. ‘When I did Relic Hunter people called it an older Buffy, and everybody said I should either do a younger Relic Hunter or an older Buffy. So I found something in the middle.’

Firestone agrees that the show appears to line up, at least in part, with the slightly older female viewers oft-referenced Twilight Moms who have contributed to that franchise’s success.

He is also pushing for cross-platform appeal, and plans to announce partners on a video game, comic book and website shortly. Prodigy will also distribute.

The series comes from creator Michelle Lovretta, who also writes with Peter Mohan. Both also share executive producer credit with Paul Rapovksi, Plato Fountidakis and Firestone. It is produced by Wanda Chaffey.

Lovretta, who has written for Relic Hunter, Mutant X, Instant Star and others, is ambivalent about the comparisons to Buffy, though she is a fan of the Joss Whedon series and its powerful female hero. She hopes to bring a similar third-wave feminist sensibility to Lost Girl, with some added and positive exploration of sexuality.

‘Let’s be honest, you look at that one-liner and everybody’s going to have the impression that this is a T&A fest,’ she says, noting that the lead character is also bisexual. ‘But I’m not too fond of anything too prurient… In our case, the character is empowered by sex, but it’s also dangerous for her.’

Lost Girl also stars includes Kristen Holden-Reid (The Tudors) as a love/hate interest, Ksenia Solo (Renegadepress.com) in the best friend role, and Rick Howland (Bon Cop, Bad Cop).