The bar is open as J. Troy Miller and Ashleigh Rains begin production on the comedy series With A Twist.

The 16 x 22-minute series (pictured) is directed by Miller, who co-wrote and coproduced the series under his Toronto banner Pendulum Entertainment alongside Rains of C’mon Mort Productions.

Filming takes place in Ontario regions including Hamilton, Prince Edward County, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ayr, Brantford, and Stratford until late September. Michael Baker, Brendan McNeil, Patrick White (Do Not Disturb), and Ari Taub serve as executive producers, with financing from Serendipity Media, which also holds Canadian distribution rights.

Hosted by DeAnne Smith (Last Comic Standing), the series will feature a comedian in every episode, who will perform stand-up and improv, and play games while drinking a cocktail. With A Twist will also feature a different Ontario distillery and restaurant every episode, according to a press release.

Guest stars include ​Just For Laughs stand-up acts D.J. Demers (Born in ’86), Courtney Gilmour (Humour Resources), Rob Bebenek (Laugh Out Loud), Christophe Davidson (Laugh Out Loud), Andrew Johnston (Roast Battle Canada), Yaw Attuah (Rhymes with Wow), Mike Rita (Birbiglia & Friends), Tamara Shevon (The Ethnic Rainbow), and Carol Zoccoli (Lugar de Mulher).

Miller started out as a cinematographer and director of music videos for musical acts like the Tragically Hip, Choclair, and William Prince. His production company creates branded content for the likes of the Canadian Football League, Nintendo, Microsoft, and WE Charity, among others.

Meanwhile, Rains is a British-Canadian producer and actress and the founder of C’mon Mort Productions. She’s produced Geordie Sabbagh’s 2019 film Canadian Strain, and Lauren Grant’s short film Things We Feel But Do Not Say. Rains is the festival director of Canadian Film Fest.

Image courtesy of Pendulum Entertainment; Pictured (L-R): DeAnne Smith and D.J. Demers