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Coming off the recent successes of “The Stoned Ages” for AETN History Channel (U.S) and “When Animals Adopt” for the acclaimed PBS / WNET “Nature” documentary strand, Summerhill is actively developing a fresh and innovative slate of factual content for broadcasters worldwide

The New Year will bring a slew of exciting format bending projects from their own in house development to projects with 3^rd party producers. Summerhill is focusing it’s energy into multi-platform projects for a variety of Canadian and International broadcasters and they look forward to producing and delivering the same genuine and entertaining content that has defined its nearly 30-year-run in the television business.

Ron Lillie, partner and executive producer “The Summerhill development team includes highly experienced and prolific writers, producers and directors and after an exciting 2011 production season Summerhill has a full slate of documentaries and series in preparation for 2012”.

Summerhill Television and creator Patricia Bush are in development on a new reality format and are looking for candidates among the general public. The format’s working title is How’s This For Reality?

Think you’d be a good subject for a television series? Now’s your chance to prove it.
  
How’s This For Reality?  gives people from all walks of life the chance to pitch themselves to producers as subjects worthy of their own reality series. In every episode, 8-10 subjects poor out heart and soul to an expert panel of TV executives and producers who decide which are worthy of filming a scene, or ”demo”. Some will be dumped in seconds, others will hold the ear of the panel long enough to make the cut and be granted a director, producer and crew to have a “scene” or “demo” about their lives shot and edited.

These “demos” are aired during the show but that’s just the beginning in this truly integrated and interactive TV/Web experience. When the broadcast is over, demos are posted online and onto  a mobile app, where the voting public helps decide which will get “greenlit” for a mini-series (3 eps). 

Both on air and online, there are no fixed numbers in this game – those the panel determines deserve a demo get one made jointly by the broadcaster and producers. And if the greatest focus group available to broadcasters – i.e. the voting viewing online public – show enough enthusiasm for a candidate to TV series, why wouldn’t the producers and broadcaster make one?
   
How’s This For Reality? IS NOT an elimination series. Every episode stands alone. Every potential realty star judged on their own merit. The payoff to viewers is in the demos and the many ways those can be watched, spread around virally and voted on at will by viewers. 
 
At the end of a season, a standalone special episode highlights the best and worst candidates and demos, culminating in an  announcement of which candidates lives are worthy of being “greenlit” and going to series. 

If you think your life has way more drama and intrigue than the various medical staff, loggers, realtors, designers, fishers, exterminators you see on TV, send a message to HTFR@summerhill.tv with your name, number and a brief description of why you think you’d make a great subject for a reality series.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Toronto-July 25, 2007- Crimes of Passion is now airing worldwide thanks to a recent deal with Zonemedia. Hosted by Gemini award winner Wendy Crewson, this show is unique in its exclusive access into groundbreaking trials, and exposes the true stories behind how love turns to murder.

This 16 x 30 series journeys into the moment when an otherwise non-violent mind snaps. “Driven by love, self- defense or the potential loss of love, Crimes of Passion will make you reconsider your notion of love, murder and the law,” says Adam Block, Head of Distribution.

With gripping reenactments and a dramatic style, it is no wonder Crimes of Passion has achieved so much success. “Zonemedia joins our growing family of broadcasters including WE, W and The History Channel UK. We are thrilled to reach viewers in over 130 countries and 24 languages.”

Source C21: Media

MIPCOM: Canadian factual producer Summerhill Television has swapped signatures with UK, US and Canadian broadcasters for its slate, including shows about women killers, munitions dumping and comic-book heroes.

The Toronto-based company, which produces 90 hours of original TV a year, has signed a deal with UK broadcaster Five for eight episodes of the company's series on women who kill for money, Pretty Dangerous (13x30'). The series will air in the UK under the title Women Who Kill.

Also in the UK, digital broadcaster UKTV has picked up the first season of Crash Addicts (13x30'), a real-life series on demolition derby contestants, "people with a passion for smashin'," according to Summerhill's head of distribution Adam Block. Canadian broadcaster OLN, home to the first series, has now commissioned series two.

OLN has also signed for Summerhill's new series Tow Biz (13x30'), another real-life series on the "men and women who risk life and limb cleaning up after road accidents." The series will air in Canada early next year, Block told C21.

In Canada, IFC has picked up Summerhill's still-in-production series INK: Alter Egos Exposed (10x30'), a pop culture show about superheroes and the real-world provenance of the battles they wage on the pages of popular comic books.

Also in production is Zombie Mania (1x60'), a one-off on the popularity of the horror film genre, featuring interviews with key players in the horror movie community.

These last two programmes highlight a move by Summerhill into new genres. "We've expanded our crime factual and gone into pop-culture series, as well as expanding our format development and docusoap business," said Block.

Block also unveiled two new projects Summerhill is looking to raise financing for while here in Cannes. Explosive Oceans (6x60') is a live-action/CGI series about how dangerous oceans have become after 70 years of the dumping of munitions by warring nations.

The series follows the men and women who risk death to recover live explosive devices as part of a process known as 'remediation.' Summerhill is on the look-out for coproduction partners for the series, which through CGI examines the science and engineering behind the recovery process.

Also pegged for production is 6x60' series Cold War Showdown, which examines and tests the weapons of the Cold War that were never used in combat. The series uses a combination of CGI and real demonstrations involving fighter jets, bombers and even submarines.

Finally, Summerhill's How Can They Do It? (working title) is a new series looking for finance partners that examines the seeming impossibilities of the natural world. "It's a series about the everyday mechanics of natural world phenomena that do not seem possible to humans, such as how an ant is able to carry 40 times its own weight," said Block.

Antony Reeve-Crook
8 Oct 2007
© C21 Media 2007