Cameras are rolling in Toronto on creators Simu Liu and Nathalie Younglai’s time-jumping rom-com CBC Gem web series Hello (Again).

Produced by Teresa M. Ho (Frankie Drake Mysteries) under her banner 100 Dragons and executive produced by Liu (Kim’s Convenience), Younglai (Coroner) and Alex Mallari Jr. (Workin’ Moms), the series follows the complicated romance between chef Jayden and ER resident Avery, who get another chance at love after their unceremonious breakup when Jayden is hurled back in time.

The 9 x 10-minute series – a nod to Korean drama TV, known K-drama – was developed in association with CBC, with the financial backing of the Bell Fund and Ontario Creates. All creators and writers are Indigenous, Black or people of colour, as is the majority of the crew including producers, director and director of photography.

Hello (Again) was created by Younglai (pictured) and Liu. Directed by Melanie Chung, it stars Mallari Jr. and Rong Fu (Workin’ Moms, Hudson & Rex). 

Younglai, Liu and Ho are all outspoken advocates for Asian diversity. Younglai is founder of BIPOC TV & Film and Canadian Screen Award winner of the 2020 Humanitarian award. Liu has become an icon after his turn as Marvel’s first Asian superhero in this year’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Ho – who is co-chair of the DGC, ODC Diversity and Inclusion committee – has refocused her 100 Dragons prodco “to cultivate and gather diverse people and inclusive ideas to create innovative programming for the worldwide market place.”

Liu pitched the series to CBC three years ago.

“I was trying to carve out a path as a creator and craving a love story that was unapologetically Asian,” said Liu, in a statement. “They were totally on board.”

“When Simu approached me… I was all in,” added Younglai. “It was fun for Simu and I, along with writers Lief Ramsaran and Leonard Chan, to pen a John Hughes-inspired rom-com without the racist Asian tropes.”

Ho says she boarded the project in 2019 but Liu’s Marvel gig was announced just a few months later. The series was then scheduled to begin production in spring 2021.

“Two years and a pandemic later, it is thrilling to be starting principal photography on this project that brings Asian stories to the screen,” said Ho. “Asian love stories matter and I am inspired to be working on this collaboration.”

New Media Vision’s Todd Lituchy is handling international sales.