Ira Levy and Peter Williamson, Executive Producers at Breakthrough Film and Television, and Phyllis Laing, Executive Producer at Buffalo Gal Pictures, are pleased to announce that their multi award-winning comedy series, LESS THAN KIND, has been picked up for a third season by HBO Canada, which airs on Astral Media’s The Movie Network (Eastern Canada) and Corus Entertainment’s Movie Central (Western Canada).
Breakthrough and Buffalo Gal will begin production on thirteen half hour episodes later this year.
Returning for the new season will be Maury Chaykin as Sam Blecher, Jesse Camacho as Sheldon Blecher, CCA Award-winner Wendel Meldrum as Anne Blecher, 2009 Leo winner and 2009 Gemini nominee Benjamin Arthur as Josh Blecher, Nancy Sorel as Aunt Clara, 2009 Gemini-nominee Brooke Palsson as Miriam Goldstein as well as Ross McMillian as Mr. Lubbe, Tyler Johnston as Danny Lubbe and Mike O’Brien as Mr. Goldstein.
Last year, LESS THAN KIND received rave reviews and was nominated for an outstanding number of awards, including: ten Gemini nominations; four Writers’ Guild of Canada noms; two from the Canadian Comedy Awards; and one Leo. The wins were: Benjamin Arthur for a Leo – Best Supporting Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series; Kelly Makin for a Gemini – Best Direction in a Comedy Program or Series; Garry Campbell for the Canadian Writers’ Guild – Best Episodic Writing; and the Canadian Comedy Awards went to Wendel Meldrum – Best Performance by a Female on Television, and Best Performance by an Ensemble,.
LESS THAN KIND is an edgy and witty comedy series that follows the Blecher family: a reckless, self-destructive driving instructor father, his pyromaniac wife, and his two sons – one a teenage genius, the other an egotistical actor. They are forced to find ways to revive the failing family business: Blecher’s Driving School. They’re obliged to love each other but they don’t have to be nice about it.
The series is produced by Breakthrough Films & Television and Buffalo Gal Pictures and is helmed by executive producer, writer and show runner Mark McKinney. The series is also written and Executive Produced by former Winnipegger Marvin Kaye and Vancouver-born Chris Sheasgreen, who created the series based on Kaye’s semi-autobiographical one-act play, THEY HAVE MAYONNAISE IN MONTREAL.
Executive producers also include Peter Williamson and Ira Levy for Breakthrough Films & Television and Phyllis Laing for Buffalo Gal Pictures. Paula J. Smith is producer and Rob Sheridan is consulting producer. In addition to McKinney, the second season of the series was written by Garry Campbell, Marvin Kaye, Chris Sheasgreen, Jenn Engels and Jennifer Beasley.
