CBC’s new original drama 21 THUNDER (8X60) premieres Monday, July 31 at 9 p.m. (9:30 NT). Set in Montreal, the series takes viewers inside the fiercely competitive and high-stakes world of the Thunder U21 soccer academy, following the team’s star players on and off the field. A new series trailer is now available at cbc.ca/21thunder.
In the cutthroat world of pro soccer, a club lives and dies by the stars on its under-21 team. They are the future and lifeblood of any franchise, but most will never make it. A story of love, crime, race, sex and athletic glory, at its core 21 THUNDER is about a group of players and coaches that unite as family in the whirlwind of life, one step away from the pros.
Helping to coach the team are Christy Cook (Stephanie Bennett; The Romeo Section, Descendants), an Olympic soccer hero forced on the team for PR reasons; and Davey Gunn (played by former Scottish footballer Ryan Pierce, who played as Ryan O'Leary), an international soccer superstar who is on the run from both the paparazzi and his past. The team consists of striker and former gang-member Nolan Gallard (RJ Fetherstonhaugh; Wayward Pines); Ivory Coast midfielder and brilliant new arrival Junior Lolo (Emmanuel Kabongo; Hemlock Grove); and team captain, goalie and academic prodigy Alex el Haddadi (Andres Joseph; The Flash). Together they strive under notorious coach Albert Rocas (Conrad Pla; 19-2) to win games for the club, and a future for themselves.
The cast is joined by acclaimed film and television actor Colm Feore (House of Cards, Bon Cop, Bad Cop, The Borgias, Bon Cop, Bad Cop 2) who guest stars as Declan Gallard, a powerful, big-city crime boss now imprisoned for life. His attempt to reconcile with Nolan, his long-estranged son, brings tragic consequences for all.
A CBC original series, 21 THUNDER is produced by PMA Productions and Generic Productions, and executive produced by Kenneth Hirsch (Extraordinary Canadians, Outbreak: Anatomy of a Plague), Michael Levine (Republic of Doyle), Adrian Wills (The Surrogacy Trap, All Together Now), Riley Adams (Crossing the Rubicon: The Journey, Flashpoint) and Malcolm MacRury (Republic of Doyle, Saving Hope), who also serves as showrunner. Adams is co-creator along with Hirsch and Wills.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
Twitter: twitter.com/21ThunderShow
Instagram: instagram.com/21thundershow
Facebook: facebook.com/21ThunderShow
About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. We are Canada’s trusted source of news, information and Canadian entertainment. Deeply rooted in communities all across the country, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also provide international news and information from a uniquely Canadian perspective. In 2017, CBC/Radio-Canada will be at the heart of the celebrations and conversations with special 2017-themed multiplatform programming and events across Canada.
About PMA Productions
Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, PMA Productions Inc. was founded in 2004 by Kenneth Hirsch, and has since gained an international reputation for the production of prestigious film, television, and digital media content. PMA Productions is currently in production on two series for CBC television: the first season of 21 Thunder, an 8 x 1 hour serial drama, and the second season of Extraordinary Canadians, which will launch in the summer of 2017 as part of Canada 150 celebrations. PMA releases include the documentary Superstitious Minds, which premiered on CBC’s prestigious Doc Zone strand, grabbing arts headlines and critical acclaim across the country, the first season of the biography series Extraordinary Canadians, which garnered two Canadian Screen Award nominations and multiple nominations at the Yorkton Film Festival, and feature length docudrama Outbreak: Anatomy of a Plague for Discovery Television and Radio-Canada. Scripted offerings from PMA include the animated films Moose of La Mancha and The Three Wishes, and live-actions shorts Vengeance and Day Before Yesterday.
About Generic Productions
Generic Productions Inc. is a Toronto-based production company, helmed by Michael A. Levine. Levine and Generic have executive produced and co-produced dozens of iconic productions, among which The Terry Fox Story, first made for HBO film, the 12-part PBS television series The Struggle for Democracy with Patrick Watson, Hollywoodism with Associated Producers, the television adaptation of Mordecai Richler’s acclaimed novel St. Urbain’s Horseman with Galafilm Inc., and Empire of the Bay (John McGreevy).
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For further information and press materials, please contact:
Elizabeth Reid, publicist, CBC
elizabeth.reid@cbc.ca
416.205.2665
Ingrid Hamilton, publicist, GAT PR
ingrid@gat.ca
416-731-3034
Jen Gorman, publicist, GAT PR
jen@gat.ca
647-390-0884
