NBC TO CO-PRODUCE 12 EPISODES OF COMEDY "WORKING THE ENGELS"
Production From Halfire-CORE Entertainment and Shaw Media Stars Emmy- and Tony-Winning Comedienne Andrea Martin
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - Nov. 14, 2013 - NBC has entered a deal to co-produce 12 episodes of the half-hour singlecam comedy "Working the Engels" from producers Halfire-CORE Entertainment in partnership with Shaw Media.
"Working the Engels" marks the first time a U.S. and Canadian broadcaster have collaborated to produce a half-hour network comedy.
The series, created and written by Katie Ford and Jane Ford, centers on a family who must band together to keep their heads above water when their father and breadwinner passes away, leaving them a mountain of debt. The Engels must all go to work running Dad's storefront law firm, with one minor problem - daughter Jenna is the only one who is qualified to practice law.
"SCTV" legend and two-time Emmy Award winner Andrea Martin will play Ceil, the overly confident family matriarch. "Working the Engels" also stars Kacey Rohl ("Hannibal"), Azura Skye ("American Horror Story") and Benjamin Arthur ("Less Than Kind").
Martin, who also earned a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," most recently won a Tony Award, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Award for her performance in the Broadway revival of "Pippin."
Katie Ford, Jane Ford, Howard Busgang, Tom Nursall and Noreen Halpern serve as executive producers.
"We're over the moon thrilled to work with NBC and Shaw Media on this series," said Noreen Halpern, President, Halfire-CORE Entertainment. "Katie and Jane Ford have created a laugh-out-loud show and we're delighted to have a comedic legend in Andrea Martin, complemented by a trio of rising stars."
About Halfire-CORE Entertainment
Halfire-CORE Entertainment is a joint venture between Noreen Halpern's Halfire Entertainment and CORE Media Group, headed by Marc Graboff, to co-finance new scripted programming for the Canadian, U.S., and international marketplaces. By investing in content and partnerships, Halfire-CORE Entertainment is developing and producing exceptionally creative and commercial programming and employing non-traditional financing resulting in straight-to-series orders. The company has a robust development slate including "Billy the Kid" - a 10-hour limited series for Fox and a three-for-one deal at NBC. Kevin Smith's "Spoilers" is in pre-production for Bell Media and the half-hour single-camera series "Working the Engels" is in production for Shaw Media and NBC. Prior to Halfire, Halpern oversaw all scripted programming for Entertainment One, where she launched series including "Rookie Blue" (ABC, Global) and "Hell on Wheels" (AMC), among many others. Halfire-CORE Entertainment has offices in Toronto and Los Angeles.
About Shaw Communications Inc.?
Shaw is a diversified communications and media company, providing consumers with broadband cable television, High-Speed Internet, Home Phone, telecommunications services (through Shaw Business), satellite direct-to-home services (through Shaw Direct) and engaging programming content (through Shaw Media). Shaw serves 3.3 million customers, through a reliable and extensive fibre network. Shaw Media operates one of the largest conventional television networks in Canada, Global Television, and 19 specialty networks including HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, History and Showcase. Shaw is traded on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges and is included in the S&P/TSX 60 Index (Symbol: TSX - SJR.B, NYSE - SJR). For more information about Shaw, please visit www.shaw.ca.
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