Canwest acquires 'Endgame'

[mtlguy]

Canwest acquires 'Endgame'
Production to start in Vancouver this summer, air in 2011

By Etan Vlessing

April 28, 2010, 05:14 PM ET
TORONTO -- Canadian broadcaster Canwest Global Communications Corp. has picked up the suspense crime drama "Endgame" from Thunderbird Films.

Canwest Global acquired 13 episodes of the homegrown drama for its Showcase cable channel from Vancouver-based Thunderbird, in association with Front Street Pictures.

The one-hour drama from creator and showrunner Avrum Jacobson ("Republic of Doyle") portrays a reclusive chess master who starts solving crimes after his fiancee is murdered. To end mysteries that baffle the police, the Russian-born genius imagines events, interviews the living and the dead, and runs conflicting scenarios, all in his head.

Production on "Endgame" is set to start in Vancouver this summer, and air in spring 2011.

Joe Broido, the Los Angeles-based president of Thunderbird USA, is producing. Thunderbird's Michael Shepard and Harvey Kahn of Front Street Productions share executive producer credits.

"The colorful characters and storylines will make for an unforgettable TV-viewing experience," Christine Shipton, senior vp of dramatic and factual content at Canwest Broadcasting, said of her latest drama acquisition.

Canwest Global's History Television cable channel has also partnered with the U.S. History Channel to co-produce with Muse Entertainment the eight-part scripted drama "The Kennedys," to bow in 2011 with Greg Kinnear as President John F. Kennedy, Katie Holmes as Jacqueline Kennedy, Tom Wilkinson as Joe Kennedy Sr. and Barry Pepper as Robert Kennedy.

Canwest Global will also launch the Global/ABC cop drama "Rookie Blue" on its Global Television network on June 24.

And Canwest Global's Showcase cable channel will start airing the Syfy Channel drama "Haven" on July 12, and the Callum Keith Rennie-starring cop drama "Shattered" later this year.

[TVViewer]

Great to see all the new original series Canwest has picked up for Showcase, Looking forward to watching Haven this summer and Shattered this fall!

BTW, here is the official release from Canwest:

CANWEST DECLARES CHECKMATE WITH ORIGINAL SERIES

Thunderbird Films produced series slated for Showcase Spring 2011

For Immediate Release

TORONTO, ON, April 29, 2010 – Canwest Broadcasting proudly announces the pick-up of Endgame, Thunderbird Film’s much-anticipated drama series in association with Front Street Pictures. The one hour, 13-episode series is set to premiere Spring 2011 on Showcase.

Endgame is an original drama series centering around a brilliant chess master. Using the skills that made him chess champion of the world, Arkady Balagan solves the crimes that mystify others. Traumatized by the murder of his fiancée, Balagan has become a prisoner in his luxury Vancouver hotel, terrified to step outside. To pay his bill, Balagan starts solving mysteries – using an unlikely band of hotel employees and chess fanatics to do his legwork. Arrogant, brilliant and charismatic, the Russian-born Balagan is able to envision his unknown opponent’s motives and moves. He imagines events, interviews the living and the dead, and runs conflicting scenarios – all in his head. And we get to watch right along with him as he solves crimes that baffle the police. In Endgame, we see genius at work.

“The drama and suspense of Endgame are sure to intrigue our audiences,” said Christine Shipton, SVP, Dramatic and Factual Content, Canwest Broadcasting. “The series is a great addition to our growing roster of Canwest Original dramas. The colourful characters and storylines will make for an unforgettable TV viewing experience.”