Fireworks And Genesis Sell Heartland In US

Fireworks International has teamed with Genesis International Television & Film to sell Heartland, a weekly top-rated family drama based on a series of books, on stations covering more than 94% of the US for the 2010-11 season.
The CBS, Tribune, Sinclair, Hearst, Lin, Meredith, Nexstar and Belo station groups are among the major broadcasters acquiring the series, which will appear mostly in weekend primetime slots starting this fall, announced Fireworks International President Greg Phillips and Genesis President Wayne Lepoff.
Currently filming its fourth season, the primetime series leads in households and all key individual, female and male demos airing at 7pm Sundays on CBC Television (Canada's national broadcaster). With its strong appeal to young adult audiences, many top-market CW and MyNetworkTV affiliates, as well as independents, have targeted the syndicated drama for primetime in the US.
Lepoff said: "Heartland is an addictive and heart-warming family drama, akin to a modern-day Little House on the Prairie, set in the Rocky Mountains with rich production values and a first-rate, very popular cast. It fills a tremendous void in the marketplace. Stations are in need of quality scripted weekly first-run hours like this one, which is a proven performer that appeal equally to younger viewers and across all key demos."
Starring Amber Marshall (The Elizabeth Smart Story), Heartland is the struggle of a debt-ridden family of Rocky Mountain horse ranchers fighting to keep a dream alive against a backdrop of young love, conflict and intrigue. Veteran actor Shaun Johnston (Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee); Michelle Morgan (Stargate: Atlantis, The L Word) and Graham Wardle (In the Land of Women, Yesterday) also star.
Fireworks International President Greg Philips said: "The US is a major component of our global distribution strategy for this superb weekly drama and we are gratified to see so many stations committing such strong time periods to it. They see in Heartland all of the ingredients to become a successful franchise on American television, just as it has been throughout the world."
Dick Askin, CEO of Askin and Company, consulted for Fireworks on the project. Produced by SEVEN24 Films and Dynamo Films for CBC, the series is distributed internationally by Fireworks International, ContentFilm's international television and digital distribution division.
(KMcA)