Jean Béliveau Series Set for Historia

MONTREAL: Corus Entertainment's Historia has begun to develop the channel’s first drama series, about the career of Canadian hockey star Jean Béliveau.

The five-part sports drama will be produced by Pixcom, written by Jacques Savoie and directed by Patrice Sauvé. The series will be filmed next fall, and the network has slated broadcast for 2017. It will chronicle key moments in Béliveau’s career. The hour-long series will also be accompanied by a documentary about the athlete, who was nicknamed "Le Gros Bill."

Brigitte Vincent, the VP of programming at Historia, said: "We are very proud to launch the development of this fiction, an exceptional project for Historia, especially since it will shed light on the life of widely respected hockey player and leader, Jean Béliveau. It will be the major unveiling of a historic series like no other. In the same vein, Jacques Savoie is the ideal person to script this series about the former captain of the Montreal Canadiens, a man whose charisma extended far beyond hockey."

"I firmly believe this series will be successful,” added Mario Cecchini, the president of Corus Média. “Its unifying subject will delight our subscribers and honor the memory of this national hero. It is a unique, large-scale project that truly demonstrates our desire to invest in Quebec productions."

Plans for distribution will be revealed over the next few months.