Internet Sensation LETTERKENNY Becomes First Original Series Ordered by CraveTV

− Based on the internet hit with more than 8 million views, half-hour comedy becomes first Canadian series commissioned for a Canadian SVOD service –
− Created, starring, and executive produced by 19-2's Jared Keeso –

"…like TRAILER PARK BOYS and KIDS IN THE HALL knocked up a farm girl and made a beautiful hilarious baby with several genetic abnormalities." – Maxim

"If you haven't seen Letterkenny Problems, fix that right now." – Huffington Post Canada

To tweet this release: http://bmpr.ca/1KloOMC

OTTAWA, March 5, 2015 /CNW/ - It's a great day for hay, eh? Bell Media announced today from Prime Time in Ottawa that CraveTV^TM, in partnership with The Comedy Network, has commissioned its first original Canadian series. The six-part, half-hour comedy LETTERKENNY becomes the first original series commissioned for a Canadian SVOD service. In development at Bell Media since November 2013, LETTERKENNY is based on the internet sensation Letterkenny Problems, a five-part series of shorts which have garnered more than 8 million views and earned a Canadian Screen Award nomination in 2014 for Best Web Series. Click here to see the original Letterkenny Problems shorts.

LETTERKENNY is created by Listowel, Ontario native Jared Keeso, co-star of Bravo's critically-acclaimed, original drama series 19-2. Hot off the heels of a Canadian Screen Award win for Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role, Keeso will star in LETTERKENNY, and also acts as executive producer and co-writer. Nathan Dales (KING & MAXWELL) stars as Wayne's quick-tongued sidekick, Daryl. Produced by New Metric Media in partnership with DHX Media and in association with Four Peaks Media Group, Jacob Tierney (The Trotsky) is executive producer, director, and co-writer. Patrick O'Sullivan and Mark Montefiore are executive producers for New Metric Media. Production begins in Northern Ontario this summer.

LETTERKENNY is about Wayne (Keeso), a good-ol' country boy in Letterkenny, Ontario trying to protect his homegrown way of life on the farm, against a world that is constantly evolving around him. The residents of Letterkenny belong to one of three groups: Hicks, Skids, and Hockey Players. The three groups are constantly feuding with each other over seemingly trivial matters; often ending with someone getting their @ss kicked.

**Media Note** - Download photography for LETTERKENNY at bellmedia.ca/pr/

"There's talk of a TV show which is nice so long as there's a firm handshake and no huggin'," said Wayne, resident Letterkenny hick.

"LETTERKENNY is raw, authentic and unlike anything we've seen before," said Mike Cosentino, Senior Vice-President, Programming, CTV Networks and CraveTV. "It's a perfect first commission for the service and will no doubt be a standout in CraveTV's popular Comedy Collection."

"LETTERKENNY has enormous potential as a flagship series for The Comedy Network," said Tracey Pearce, Senior Vice-President, Specialty and Pay, Bell Media. "We are thrilled to be working with Jared on another project, and delighted to join forces with New Metric Media and DHX Media on this one-of-a-kind series."

"We are thrilled to be working with Bell Media, our partners at DHX and the creative LETTERKENNY dream team," said Mark Montefiore, New Metric Media. "As both Patrick and I descend from a long line of Irish potato farmers and Italian patata farmers, respectively, it's only fitting this is New Metric Media's first series out of the gate."

LETTERKENNY is produced by New Metric Media, in partnership with DHX Media and in association with Four Peaks Media Group, in association with Bell Media, with the participation of Canadian Media Fund, OMDC Tax Credits and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit. Sarah Fowlie is Director, Independent Production, Comedy, Bell Media. Executives for Bell Media are Kara Haflidson and Bill Lundy. Corrie Coe is Senior Vice-President, Independent Production, Bell Media. Tracey Pearce is Senior Vice-President, Specialty and Pay, Bell Media. Phil King is President, CTV, Sports, and Entertainment Programming.

About Bell Media Independent Production
Bell Media has commissioned some of Canada's most-watched and most-acclaimed original programming, working with the best Canadian independent producers in the country. Hit CTV series include ratings success stories SAVING HOPE, MOTIVE, the record-breaking THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, and MASTERCHEF CANADA. Among the scripted series on Bell Media pay and specialty channels are the three-time Emmy®-nominated hit DEGRASSI, the internationally acclaimed ORPHAN BLACK, the most-watched original series in Space history BITTEN, Bravo's most-watched new drama 19-2, TRANSPORTER – THE SERIES, dramedy SENSITIVE SKIN, and the upcoming KILLJOYS. Bell Media specialty channels are also home to hit factual series HIGHWAY THRU HELL, COLD WATER COWBOYS, and CANADA'S WORST DRIVER, among others.

About New Metric Media
New Metric Media is a film, television, and new media production company that works with top creative talent to produce outstanding film, television, and new media content to entertain the world over. New Metric Media's past and present projects include the upcoming series LETTERKENNY, based on the digital series Letterkenny Problems, and the feature film Cas & Dylan, directed by Jason Priestley and starring Academy Award^®-winner Richard Dreyfuss and Golden Globe^®-nominee Tatiana Maslany. For more information visit www.newmetricmedia.com.

About DHX Media
DHX Media Ltd. (www.dhxmedia.com), a key player internationally in the creation of content for families and children, is recognized globally for such brands as YO GABBA GABBA!, CAILLOU, TELETUBBIES, IN THE NIGHT GARDEN, INSPECTOR GADGET, JOHNNY TEST, SLUGTERRA and the multi-award winning DEGRASSI franchise. DHX Media Ltd. is the owner of Family Channel, the most-viewed children's television channel in Canada, as well as the channels Disney Junior (English & French) and Disney XD in Canada. The Company markets and distributes its library of more than 11,000 half-hours of entertainment programming worldwide, and licenses its owned properties through its dedicated consumer products business. DHX Media Ltd.'s full-service international licensing agency, Copyright Promotions Licensing Group Ltd. (CPLG), represents numerous entertainment, sport and design brands. DHX Media Ltd. has offices in Toronto, Vancouver, Halifax, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Barcelona, Milan, Munich and Amsterdam, and is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbols DHX.A and DHX.B.

About CraveTV
All you can watch, for $4/month. Created for TV lovers and devoted exclusively to television, CraveTV^TM is Canada's premium TV subscription on-demand video streaming service, providing the most robust lineup of superior television content in the country. From TV's most-acclaimed dramas and beloved comedies to documentaries, music, and factual programming, CraveTV features thousands of hours of premium non-kids TV programming, representing hundreds of unique titles. Designed to complement the traditional television ecosystem, and available to all TV providers, CraveTV is currently available to Eastlink, TELUS Optik TV, Bell Fibe TV, Bell Satellite TV, Bell Aliant FibreOP TV, Access Communications, Northwestel, Cable Cable, and Nexicom subscribers, and is coming soon to other television service providers. Available through traditional set-top boxes, the service will also be available via mobile apps, the web, game consoles, and smart TVs. CraveTV is from Bell Media, Canada's premier multi-media company with more than a decade of leadership delivering Canada's most-watched and most-acclaimed television programming across the Pay, Specialty, and Network TV landscapes. For more on CraveTV, visit www.CraveTV.ca.

About The Comedy Network
Canada's first specialty comedy service, The Comedy Network airs comedy of all kinds, 24-hours-a-day, across multiple platforms, including a revolutionary broadband service at thecomedynetwork.ca. Launched in October 1997, Comedy broadcasts, uncut and uncensored, an eclectic mix of scripted, stand-up, sketch, improv, and animated comedy – as well as topical comedy talk shows, game shows and classic situation comedies. Offering an unrivalled slate of original Canadian programming, Comedy reinvests nearly 50 per cent of its revenues into home-grown productions. Comedy is a division of Bell Media, which is owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company, and is available in nearly six million households across the country.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
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SOURCE Bell Media