Bell Media’s SPACE announced today at the start of Fan Expo Canada™ that it has ordered the new original scripted drama series BITTEN from Vancouver’s No Equal Entertainment and Hoodwink Entertainment, and Toronto’s Entertainment One (eOne). Based on the best-selling Women of the Otherworld novels by Canadian author Kelley Armstrong, thirteen episodes of the one-hour drama have been ordered, with production set to begin in Toronto next spring. Armstrong, and Executive Producer, J.B. Sugar, will be onsite at Fan Expo Canada™ this weekend, appearing on a SPACE panel on Sunday, Aug. 26 at 11 a.m. ET (Room 715) to discuss her novels and the new SPACE series.
Set in Toronto and upper New York State, BITTEN follows the adventures of 28-year-old Elena Michaels, the world’s only female werewolf. An orphan, Elena thought she finally found her “happily ever after” with her new love Clayton, until her life changed forever. With one small bite, the normal life she craved was taken away and she was left to survive life with the Pack. Today’s announcement follows SPACE’s order of new 13-episode drama series ORPHAN BLACK in June. eOne will handle worldwide distribution for the series.
“This sexy new series is the perfect mix of suspense, action and heart, with compelling storylines and a really strong female lead,” said Corrie Coe, Senior Vice-President, Independent Production, Bell Media. “We’re very excited to work with No Equal Entertainment, Hoodwink Entertainment, and eOne to bring this best-selling novel series to the screen.”
“I could not be more thrilled about this. A writer always hopes her stories will live on after the last word is written, and now Elena’s will, finding fresh life in a new form,” said Armstrong.
“Kelley Armstrong’s novels contain a rich world, compelling characters, and a deep mythology from which to build a dynamic television series,” said J.B. Sugar, Executive Producer/Director, No Equal Entertainment. “Together with Hoodwink Entertainment, eOne, and Bell Media, I look forward to producing a long-running series with world-wide appeal.”
“The excitement around BITTEN is infectious,” said Margaret O’Brien, eOne Television’s President, Canada & COO. “Kelley Armstrong’s characters have found a home with readers and are sure to resonate with TV viewers. We’re thrilled to be working for the first time with No Equal Entertainment and Hoodwink Entertainment on the next big hit for our supportive SAVING HOPE broadcast partners.”
Seeking refuge in Toronto, Elena constructs the façade of a normal life, working as a photographer and dating a new man. But when bodies turn up in the backwoods of Stonehaven, the rural mansion that has served as a werewolf sanctuary for generations, and the Pack is threatened by an unknown predator, they turn to Elena for help. Caught between two worlds and two loves, Elena returns to Stonehaven out of duty, but once back in the fold she realizes that when push comes to shove, like any true alpha female, she’ll stop at nothing to defend her family – including putting her own life on the line.
An erotically charged thriller, BITTEN examines the age-old battle between man and beast as human and inhuman forces come to a head in one small town and within one woman’s body.
BITTEN is based on the critically acclaimed series of novels from Kelley Armstrong, a Globe and Mail and New York Times bestselling author. Originally from Sudbury, ON, Armstrong’s first book, Bitten, was released in 2001 by Random House Canada. She has since written 12 additional books in the Women of the Otherworld series, with the final book, Thirteen, released on July 24, 2012. Armstrong still lives in Southwestern, Ontario with her husband, kids, and far too many pets.
