Fireworks Acquires New Drama

LONDON, November 20:
Fireworks has acquired the international rights to a new 22 x 1-hour drama
series called Blood Ties.

Blood Ties, produced by Toronto’s Kaleidoscope Entertainment
and Vancouver’s Insight Film Studios in association with CHUM Television, is
scheduled to air on CHUM Television in Canada and Lifetime Television in the
U.S. in 2007.

The series is created by
writer-producer Peter Mohan and developed in association with CHUM Television.
It is based on Tanya Huff’s Vicki
Nelson novels, known as the Blood series. Blood Ties follows the misadventures of Nelson, a feisty, attractive, 29-year old ex-cop
turned private investigator with a degenerative eye disorder who seems destined
to sit on the sidelines until fate intervenes, turning her life upside down.

This acquisition is one of
several Fireworks has completed since it was bought by ContentFilm. The buying
spree started with the quirky comedy The Jane Show, broadcast in primetime on the Global TV Network
in Canada. Then came Whistler,
the mystery drama which premiered in June on the N Channel in the U.S. and CTV
in Canada. Both have been renewed for second seasons. Next came Young
Dracula, a 14-part gothic comedy kids’ series produced by
CBBC, along with the new comedy and animated series from digital brand HEAVY Worldwide.

“When I first read the
Huff books I immediately thought TV series…our blending of romance and mystery
with a contemporary spin to the supernatural elements and dashes of humor to
lighten things up for a strong somewhat flawed female protagonist makes for
fun, early primetime entertainment that mirrors the original source material,”
says Kaleidoscope president Randall Zalken.

“We’re aiming for
edge-of-your-seat entertainment with the series, and we’re confident we’ve
succeeded,” adds Insight’s Kirk Shaw, who is among the show’s four executive
producers, along with Zalken, Marshall Kesten and Peter Mohan. “We’ve got a
stellar stable of writers, actors and crew onboard to ensure that every one of
the 22 episodes delivers high-quality entertainment that’ll keep viewers on the
edge of their seat.”

Greg Phillips,
president, Fireworks International, says, “We’re thrilled to have secured the
international rights to Blood Ties. We look forward to working with Kaleidoscope on what will
undoubtedly be a fun and commercially appealing series around the world.”