New original series from Andrew Bush and Mark Little will premiere on CBC winter 2019
Temple Street, a division of Boat Rocker Studios, today announced that CBC has greenlit Cavendish, a new primetime half-hour original comedy series set to premiere on CBC in winter 2019. Cavendish will be the first Temple Street series to be represented internationally by Boat Rocker’s distribution arm, Boat Rocker Rights.
Cavendish is created by executive producers, showrunners, and leading Canadian comedians Andrew Bush and Mark Little; along with Garry Campbell. The eight-episode series is Temple Street’s first comedy series with CBC, and follows the company’s previous one-hour dramas X Company and Being Erica for Canada’s public broadcaster.
Bickering brothers Andy and Mark (played by Bush and Little, respectively) haven’t been to their hometown of Cavendish since their parents split up more than 30 years ago. Now, for the first time since childhood, they are returning to take care of their ailing father, and they're finding that Cavendish is...not like other towns. There may or may not be a "beast" that roams the surrounding woods, as well as possessed statues, dark covens and unbreakable family curses. Each week, Mark and Andy get embroiled in some new misadventure involving these local superstitions, and through it all, Mark remains the golden boy, buoyed by the adoration of family and strangers alike, while Andy remains the striver, desperate for the love and respect he knows he shall never receive. Rounding out the cast of characters is their father, Rollie, a grumbling malcontent who runs a museum of the fantastic; Rollie's partner Ruth, an absolute beacon of positivity; Bryn, Ruth's morose teenage niece; and the various townsfolk who weave in and out of their lives, generally unfazed by the unsettling goings-on.
Pre-production is due to start in July, with principal photography – shot on location in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island – later in the summer.
Kerry Appleyard, SVP Temple Street, said: “Andy Bush and Mark Little are a comedic force. Their chemistry as bickering brothers is at once hilarious and relatable, and their whip-smart writing with a spooky twist is a breath of fresh air. We’re thrilled to partner with the CBC, Boat Rocker Rights, and Andy and Mark to bring their outlandish vision to life.”
Showrunners Bush and Little added: “We’re super excited to be working with Temple Street and CBC on our new show Cavendish. To all those who have supported us, calling us ‘The greatest comedic duo in Canadian history, especially Mark,’ we can only say thank you. We promise to make you proud and we vow to recast Andy if someone better comes along.”
Sally Catto, general manager, programming, CBC, said: “We are so excited to share the hysterically funny Cavendish with Canadian viewers. Fundamentally, it’s about family – taking a deeper look at the layered and complex relationships between the brothers and their father. The series showcases a part of Canada that we haven’t yet explored through comedy and we can’t wait for audiences across the country to see it.”
Multiple Canadian Comedy Awards-winner Andrew Bush is a leading writer, actor and director whose credits include head writer for the International Emmy award-winning show Street Cents, writer/director for the Comedy Network show Picnicface, Will Ferrell’s Funny Or Die, and the feature film Roller Town, and director of Lionsgate comedy Dirty 30 and season two of The Beaverton for The Comedy Network.
Along with Bush one of the founders of the sketch comedy group Picnicface, Mark Little stars in the CBC sitcom Mr. D. Mark has won a combined 15 Canadian Comedy Awards, including Best Feature for Roller Town, and Canada's two most prestigious stand-up comedy competitions, the Yuk Yuk's Canadian Laugh Off and the JFL Homegrown Competition. He made his American television debut on Conan in 2015.
A CBC original series produced by Temple Street, Cavendish stars Andrew Bush and Mark Little. Executive Producers are David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg, Co-chairmen Boat Rocker Media; Kerry Appleyard, SVP Temple Street; and Andrew Bush and Mark Little. Co-Executive Producer is Kurt Smeaton (Kim’s Convenience); Co-Producer is Scott Montgomery (The Beaverton); Halifax-based Marc Almon is Producer; and the series is produced by Ginny Jones-Duzak (Pure, Haven). Programming executives for CBC are Sally Catto, General Manager, Programming; Michelle Daly, Senior Director, Comedy; and Sandra Picheca, Executive in Charge of Production, Comedy.
For further information contact:
For Temple Street
Valerie Taylor at Valerie Taylor PR Ltd
valerie@valerie-taylor.co.uk
+ 44 (0) 7889 666594
For CBC
Sarah Goddard, publicist, CBC
sarah.goddard@cbc.ca
416.205.2983
About Temple Street:
Temple Street is the premium scripted division of Boat Rocker Studios and produces a wide range of content including prime-time television dramas and comedies. Since 2005, Temple Street has been recognized with more than 120 awards and nominations, earning a global reputation for the quality of its programming. A selection of its productions includes Orphan Black (BBC America, Space), Killjoys (Syfy, Space), X Company (CBC, Ovation), Being Erica (CBC, SOAPnet), Billable Hours (Global, Showcase), and Queer as Folk (Showtime, Showcase).
About CBC/Radio-Canada:
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world. For more information including series synopses, press releases, hi-res images, video clips and bios, please visit the CBC Media Centre at cbc.ca/mediacentre.
