WildBrain Television Unveils Upcoming Live-Action Slate

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WildBrain Television has revealed its upcoming live-action slate, beginning with the Life with Derek spin-off Life with Luca.

Life with Luca is set to debut exclusively on Family Channel on February 20. It picks up 18 years after the show ended, with both Casey and Derek dealing with their separate teenage children, who constantly test their limits.

The 90-minute spin-off film is produced by Shaftesbury with the participation of the Canada Media Fund and the Shaw Rocket Fund as an original commission for Family Channel. It was created by Life with Derek creator Daphne Ballon and Life with Derek writer Jeff Biederman. Ronny Murphy (Jann, Trailer Park Boys) directed.

Also on WildBrain’s upcoming slate is I Woke Up a Vampire, set to premiere on Family Channel this spring. When a girl wakes up on her 13th birthday to discover she suddenly has supernatural powers, she learns that she is a “vampling,” a half-human, half-vampire. Since she was adopted, she goes on a journey to discover who she is.

I Woke Up a Vampire comes from creator and showrunner Thomas W. Lynch and is produced by Family Channel in association with Netflix, which will stream the series later this year. It was created with the financial participation of the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit and Ontario Creates.

Home Sweet Rome will also be debuting on Family Channel in the spring. Based on a concept by Hannah Montana and That’s So Raven creator Michael Poryes, it centers on a 13-year-old who moves from the U.S. to Rome to start a new life with her dad and stepmom, who happens to be a famous Italian pop star.

The new series is written by Degrassi alums Matt Huether and Courtney Jane Walker, who also serve as showrunners. It is a Canadian-Italian co-production and was commissioned by Family Channel in Canada and Rai in Italy, with the support of the Shaw Rocket Fund. Executive producers are Pedro Citaristi of Red Monk Studio; Christina Piovesan of Canada’s First Generation Films; and Doug Schwalbe, Jérémie Fajner and Clément Calvet of Superprod Group, as well as Huether, Walker and Poryes.

“We’re delighted to continue to support best-in-class content by partnering with talented Canadian producers and creators, and we’re eager to share their incredible stories with audiences,” said Katie Wilson, VP of channels and global acquisitions at WildBrain Television. “These new live-action series are an exciting addition to the robust slate of both live-action and animated content on our WildBrain networks for Canadian families to discover and enjoy together.”

Other upcoming WildBrain Television programming includes Summer Memories on Family Channel; Saving Me on WildBrainTV; and Jungle Beat on Family Jr.