[1]Entertainment One (eOne) and CTV [2] are proud to jointly announce that NBC has come on board as the U. S. broadcaster of Ilana C Frank Films’ new one-hour original drama series, Saving Hope. In November, CTV announced it had ordered 12 one-hour episodes of the series, joining a pilot shot last summer. Premiering this summer on CTV and NBC, principal photography is set to begin March 12 in Toronto.
In addition to acting as the deficit financier, eOne will also handle the international television distribution of the series in all media including all television, DVD/Blu-ray, VOD and digital exploitation.
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“With NBC now on board, this is another huge success for Bell Media’s independent production team and demonstrates yet again our commitment to producing high-calibre, engaging and compelling original programming,” said Phil King, President, CTV Programming & Sports. “This captivating new series is sure to resonate with Canadian viewers as well as viewers south of the border.”
[4]Starring Erica Durance (Smallville), Michael Shanks (Stargate Atlantis), (Daniel Gillies, The Vampire Diaries), Huse Madhavji (Combat Hospital, Star! Daily), Julia Taylor-Ross (Rookie Blue), and Kristopher Turner (Rookie Blue, The Listener), the series is from acclaimed Gemini award-winning producers Ilana Frank and David Wellington (The Eleventh Hour, Would Be Kings, Rookie Blue).
In Saving Hope, when charismatic Chief of Surgery Charlie Harris (Shanks) at Toronto’s Hope-Zion Hospital ends up in a coma, he leaves the hospital in chaos – and his fiancée and fellow surgeon, Alex Reid (Durance), in a state of shock. Along with newly-arrived star surgeon, Joel Goran (Daniel Gillies, The Vampire Diaries), Alex races to save Harris’ life. As the action unfolds, comatose Dr. Harris explores the hospital halls in “spirit” form, not sure if he’s a ghost or a figment of his own imagination. Reid, along with her fellow doctors, press on to save his life and those of their other patients, as they deal with the complicated and courageous decisions that are made in their daily struggle to keep hope alive.
Saving Hope is produced by Ilana C Frank Films (“ICFF”) with Entertainment One, in association with CTV and NBC. The series is executive produced by Ilana Frank and David Wellington for ICFF, John Morayniss (The Firm, Haven), for Entertainment One and Lesley Harrison. Executive Producers and Showrunners are Morwyn Brebner (Rookie Blue) and Aaron Martin (Being Erica). The series was created by Malcolm MacRury (Crash And Burn, Republic Of Doyle) and Morwyn Brebner. David Wellington directed the pilot.