Prime Video Announces the Greenlighting of Seven Canadian Originals Including Three Projects with Tom Green
TORONTO, Canada, Thursday, June 13 – Announced at the Amazon Connected Worlds event in Toronto, Prime Video unveiled seven new projects receiving green lights in Canada. The titles include three projects with Tom Green, with the comedy pioneer also serving as director and executive producer on the projects; two Canadian true crime docuseries from leading producers and directors in the genre; a northern Canadian survival show; and a heart-warming true story of love. Prime members in Canada enjoy savings, convenience, and entertainment, all in a single membership, for just $9.99/month or the best value of $99.99/year.
Since 2015, Amazon MGM Studios has commissioned over 40 Amazon Original series and films in Canada, confirming its commitment to Prime members in the country. Prime Video’s investment in the Canadian film and television production sector includes Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Believe, three seasons of LOL: Qui rira le dernier?, the upcoming maple syrup heist series, The Sticky, the upcoming docu-series The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal; and Canadian-shot Amazon Originals like The Boys, Gen V, Reacher, and The Expanse in Ontario; Upload and The Man in the High Castle in British Columbia; Tales from the Loop in Manitoba; as well as parts of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and The Voyeurs in Quebec.
“We are excited to continue to greenlight and commission to produce content from Canada that will join our growing slate of Canadian stories that include drama, comedy, unscripted reality, documentary in both English and French,” said Brent Haynes, Head of Originals, Canada at Amazon MGM Studios. “Following the success of Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make Believe, The Unsolved Murder of Beverly Lynn Smith, and our two hockey documentaries with NHL productions, today’s announcement is our largest number of unscripted titles to be greenlit”.
“We are thrilled to be working with so many of the best producers in Canada to bring these titles to our Canadian customers. From award-winning Canadian titles to must watch guilty pleasures we are offering even more content our audiences want to see from great Canadian talent,” said Shaun Alperin, head of content, Prime Video, Canada.
Titles announced today include:
Tom Green Country
In Tom Green Country the legendary comedian, Tom Green, pulls up stakes and relocates from the bright lights of Hollywood to a simpler life on his newly purchased country farm. Joined by his 1,500-pound mule, a donkey and six chickens the reality series gives a heartwarming glimpse into the hilarious life on the farm – as only Tom Green can. The unscripted reality series, Tom Green Country, is executive produced by Rory Rosegarten and Tom Green who also serves as the series director.
Untitled Tom Green Comedy Special
Tom Green’s newest comedy special captures the iconic comedian’s most recent 40+ city comedy tour across North America. From his hometown show in Ottawa, Canada, to stages across the US, Tom Green showcases his willingness to take risks, push boundaries and his ability to blend humor with heart. The project is executive produced by Rory Rosegarten and Tom Green who also serves as director.
Untitled Tom Green Documentary
One of the most impactful comedy talents in the last 30 years, the documentary follows Tom Green’s career as a trailblazing influence on comedy, film, television, and internet culture. With thousands of hours of digitalized personal footage, rare episodes, and unseen raw footage past series and film, the documentary captures the early days of his humble beginnings in Canada, to stardom in Hollywood, as he goes full circle and returns to his roots moving from his LA home to a rural farm in the country. Tom reveals the highs and lows of his journey including his creative process, his controversial antics, and unique brand of humor that has had a lasting impact on a generation of comedians. The documentary is produced by Jack Turner and Leah Culton Gonzalez from Matador Content, a Boat Rocker Company. The documentary is directed and executive produced by Tom Green and executive produced by Rory Rosegarten.
In Cold Water: The Shelter Bay Mystery
The riveting and chilling true crime docuseries tells the story of small-town Canadian school teacher Laura Letts-Beckett and former city councilor New Zealander Peter Beckett, and the drowning death of Laura one sunny day in 2008 on a lake in the wilderness of British Columbia, Canada. Was it a tragic accident, as Peter claims – or was her death a pre-mediated murder by a cold-blooded husband, as the police and prosecution assert? The documentary is a C3 Media and AJP Productions Inc. co-production with executive producers Pablo Salzman, Michael Kronish, Suze Hannagan, Thomas Robins, Kim Roberts, Benjamin Duffield, and directed by Trish Neufeld.
Hard North
Hard North follows a diverse group of young Canadians as they embark on a challenging four-season mission: to build a life in the vast and unforgiving Canadian wilderness. The series takes viewers on an adventure through some of the country’s most remote and rugged landscapes as these aspiring homesteaders face the harsh realities of living off the land, building shelter and foraging for food and water. The series is produced by Blue Ant Studios, in association with Prime Video, National Geographic, and APTN, with financing participation of Rogers Cable Network Fund and the Canada Media Fund. Paul Kilback is the creator and showrunner. Matthew Hornburg, Mark J.W. Bishop, Donna Luke and Tara Elwood are Executive Producers. Blue Ant Studios holds worldwide distribution rights for the series.
50k First Dates
When memory is destroyed and logic gone, is intuition enough to fall in love (again, and again, and again)? 50k First Dates and unscripted docuseries is the dramatic, almost unbelievable true story of Nesh Pillay, a 32-year-old woman who mysteriously lost the last 15 years of her memory, including recollection of her fiancé. The series is produced by Peacock Alley Entertainment. Carrie Mudd (Travelers, Tiny Pretty Things) and Brent Hodge (Pharma Bro, The Longest Third Date) serve as executive producers. Hodge will also serve as director.
Untitled True Crime Series
The true crime docuseries from Blink49 follows a currently unfolding case with never-before-seen footage, testimony and evidence of a shocking story affecting women across Canada’s largest metropolis, Toronto. The docuseries follows the real-life case with its greatest twists and turns still to come and the film-makers being pulled into the story as it happens. The project is directed by Henry Roosevelt (Take Care of Maya), executive produced by Toby Dormer, Allison Brough and producer Allyson Luchak (The Staircase).
The announced projects join the slate of Canadian Amazon Original series and films including TIFF 2023 People’s Choice Documentary Award and Canadian Screen Award-winner Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe, Luxe Listings: Toronto, LOL: Qui rira le dernier?, Pour un Soir Seulement, Nuit Blanche, L’ultime gala, Three Pines, Chosen One: Alexandre Daigle, Saving Sakic, All or Nothing: Toronto Maple Leafs, The Kids in the Hall, The Lake, LOL: Last One Laughing Canada, The Unsolved Murder of Beverly Lynn Smith and the upcoming series The Sticky, The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal, and Elisabeth Rioux: sans filtre.
These series will join Prime Monday Night Hockey, which will stream all national regular season Monday night NHL games in English for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 NHL seasons, and the thousands of TV shows and movies from Hollywood and around the world in the Prime Video catalogue, including award-winning and critically acclaimed Amazon Originals The Boys, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Fallout, Reacher, and the upcoming I Am: Celine Dion.
–ENDS–
Source
Prime Video