Shaftesbury, ShineReveille Ink Deal for The Listener

TORONTO, April
2: Shaftesbury Films and ShineReveille International have secured a worldwide
distribution deal for the new drama series The Listener, which is scheduled to air in the U.S.
on NBC and on Canada’s CTV.

Under the
agreement, ShineReveille will distribute the series in all markets outside of
North America, while Fox International retains the cable and satellite rights
to the show in Europe, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East. This marks
ShineReveille’s first international-distribution pact for a scripted network
series.

The Listener, set in Toronto, stars Craig Olejnik as
Toby Logan, a young paramedic with the power to hear people’s thoughts. Toby
must juggle life as a telepathic sleuth with the pressures of being an urban
20-something. The series is produced by Shaftesbury Films, in association with
CTV and NBC.

“We are
thrilled to have an opportunity to work with the teams at ShineReveille and
Fox,” said Christina
Jennings, the chairman and CEO of Shaftesbury Films. “They’ve got
incredible energy and an impressive track record; it’ll be great taking The
Listener to global
markets with them.”

“This deal
opens up a whole new horizon for Reveille," added John Pollak, the VP of
ShineReveille International. "We’re thrilled to break into the scripted
distribution business with a series as dynamic and captivating as The
Listener. By partnering
with such key strategic partners as Christina Jennings and her team at
Shaftesbury, as well as Sharon Tal and Jason Sims at Fox International, we are
confident that ShineReveille International will have an even greater
opportunity to distribute scripted content of this level."

“This project
is part of Fox International's new content strategy involving pre-buys and
co-productions in the U.S.,” said Sharon Tal, the VP of content for Fox
International Channels. “We strongly believe in The Listener and in Christina Jennings, who is
driving the show’s development and production. We are also very excited to know
that NBC is fully committed and behind it. ShineReveille is a wonderful partner
and I have no doubt that together we will make this show a big international
hit.”

—By
Kristin Brzoznowski