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Alice, I Think TV series (2005)
Vancouver, BC (September 12, 2005) - CTV and The Comedy Network
announced today that after a cross-country search, Vancouver actor Carly
McKillip has been cast in the title role for Alice, I Think, the newest
comedy series for CTV and The Comedy Network. Principal photography
begins immediately on the 13-part, half-hour series, based on the
internationally-acclaimed books by BC author Susan Juby. Produced by
Slanted Wheel Entertainment and Omni Film Productions in association
with CTV and The Comedy Network, filming continues through November 10
in Vancouver and Langley, BC.
McKillip, a 16-year-old Vancouver native, has been acting since she was
a child. She was cast in the once-in-a-lifetime role after a nation-wide
search to find the perfect Alice. Over 60 young actors from across the
country auditioned for the role. As Alice MacLeod, McKillip plays a
15-year-old girl with an oddball family facing the trials and
tribulations of teenagedom in the small town of Smithers, BC.
"When we first saw Carly, we knew immediately that she was our Alice,"
said creator Susin Nielsen. "Carly understood that Alice was a complex
character from the get-go."
Alice, I Think revolves around the misadventures of Alice's
unconventional family as they encounter life's ups, downs and occasional
absurdities. Created for television by Susin Nielsen, the show is
co-executive produced by Nielsen and Gary Harvey, who also acts as lead
director, reuniting the creative team behind this year's
critically-acclaimed CTV/Omni series Robson Arms.
Alice, I Think is the second of three new original scripted series
slated for production for CTV's 2005/06 schedule. Together with dramatic
comedy series Jeff Ltd. and the one-hour drama Whistler, Alice I Think
joins CTV's award-winning stable of original scripted programming
including Corner Gas (Canada's No. 1 Comedy), Degrassi: The Next
Generation (Canada's No. 1 Drama for Teens and Adults) and Instant Star,
now receiving rave reviews in the United States on The N.
As Alice, McKillip plays a maladjusted teenager with a bizarre fashion
sense that is painfully out of touch. Alice starts high school after
years of home-schooling on the hunt for a look, a social life, a job and
a boyfriend. Her mother Diane (Rebecca Northan, The Joe Blow Show) is
the new-aged family breadwinner while her father John (Dan Payne,
Stargate: Atlantis) is an endearing house-husband. Little brother
MacGregor (Connor Price, Cinderella
Man) is the brains of the outfit.
Other residents of Smithers (pop. 5,124) include Finn (Haig Sutherland),
John's gay best friend and band mate who runs a used sporting goods
store; Geraldine (Lori Triolo), Diane's counter-culture best friend and
fully-fledged "natural woman"; Linda (Taylor Hill), the 16-year-old town
psychopath who has made Alice's life a living hell since first grade;
and Marcus (Michael Eklund), John's other band mate who drives the only
taxi in town and dates women half his age.
"We are thrilled to be in production with Slanted Wheel Entertainment
and CTV on this exciting new series" says Producer Brian Hamilton,
Vice-President of Vancouver-based Omni Film Productions. "The characters
are fresh and unexpected. They're real and likeable with storylines that
will appeal to people of all ages, bringing the wonderful characters
from Susan Juby's books to a whole new audience."
"Alice, I Think doesn't pull any punches," said Executive Producer Jon
Slan, President of Toronto-based Slanted Wheel Entertainment. "It's
funny, but it's also honest. Viewers will relate to the oddities and
irreverence of these larger-than-life small-town characters."
Alice, I Think is based on the series of novels by Nanaimo writer Susan
Juby. Originally published in 2000, Alice, I Think was one of the rare
books loved by both teenagers and adults. Books in Canada raved that
Alice, I Think was a "dead-on, laugh-out-loud female coming of age
story" while Canadian Literature described it as "a great, funny, romp
of a book...completely unlike any other novel in this genre." The book
was critically acclaimed and was nominated for the Amazon.com/Books in
Canada First Novel Award. Juby's follow-up novel, Miss Smithers,
published in April 2004, won a BC Book Prize and was nominated for the
2005 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. Earlier this year, the final book
in the series, Alice MacLeod, Realist at Last hit store shelves. All
three books are published by HarperCollins in Canada, the United States,
the United Kingdom and Australia.
Carly McKillip decided she wanted to be an actor at the age of four. Her
work as a professional began with a recurring role in the television
series The Marshal, which led to guest spots on several series including
The X-Files, Poltergeist: The Legacy, The Net and Life As We Know It.
McKillip's film roles include Floating Away, Saving Silverman, Dr.
Doolittle, John Tucker Must Die, and Stranger in Town, for which she was
nominated by the 1998 Youth In Film Awards for Best Performance in a
Television Movie/Pilot Series/Best Young Actress (Age 10 or Under).
McKillip has also voiced animated characters in Sabrina The Movie, What
About Mimi? and Card Captors.
Alice, I Think is produced by Brian Hamilton (Robson Arms) and executive
produced by Jon Slan (Plague City: SARS in Toronto) and Gabriela
Schonbach (StuntDawgs). Rachel Rafelman (Plague City: SARS in Toronto)
co-produces. Louise Clark is CTV's Director, Western Independent
Production. Brent Haynes is Director of Programming for The Comedy
Network. Bill Mustos is Senior Vice-President, Dramatic Programming for
CTV. Ed Robinson is Senior-Vice President, Comedy and Variety
Programming, CTV Inc. Susanne Boyce is President, CTV Programming and
Chair of the CTV Media Group.
Alice, I Think is a co-production between Slanted Wheel Entertainment
Inc. and Omni Film Productions Limited. Alice, I Think was developed and
produced in association with CTV and The Comedy Network, with the
participation of the Canadian Television Fund, created by the Government
of Canada and the Canadian cable industry, Telefilm Canada: Equity
Investment Program, CTF: License Fee Program, the Province of British
Columbia Film Incentive BC, Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit
and the Shaw Rocket Fund.
announced today that after a cross-country search, Vancouver actor Carly
McKillip has been cast in the title role for Alice, I Think, the newest
comedy series for CTV and The Comedy Network. Principal photography
begins immediately on the 13-part, half-hour series, based on the
internationally-acclaimed books by BC author Susan Juby. Produced by
Slanted Wheel Entertainment and Omni Film Productions in association
with CTV and The Comedy Network, filming continues through November 10
in Vancouver and Langley, BC.
McKillip, a 16-year-old Vancouver native, has been acting since she was
a child. She was cast in the once-in-a-lifetime role after a nation-wide
search to find the perfect Alice. Over 60 young actors from across the
country auditioned for the role. As Alice MacLeod, McKillip plays a
15-year-old girl with an oddball family facing the trials and
tribulations of teenagedom in the small town of Smithers, BC.
"When we first saw Carly, we knew immediately that she was our Alice,"
said creator Susin Nielsen. "Carly understood that Alice was a complex
character from the get-go."
Alice, I Think revolves around the misadventures of Alice's
unconventional family as they encounter life's ups, downs and occasional
absurdities. Created for television by Susin Nielsen, the show is
co-executive produced by Nielsen and Gary Harvey, who also acts as lead
director, reuniting the creative team behind this year's
critically-acclaimed CTV/Omni series Robson Arms.
Alice, I Think is the second of three new original scripted series
slated for production for CTV's 2005/06 schedule. Together with dramatic
comedy series Jeff Ltd. and the one-hour drama Whistler, Alice I Think
joins CTV's award-winning stable of original scripted programming
including Corner Gas (Canada's No. 1 Comedy), Degrassi: The Next
Generation (Canada's No. 1 Drama for Teens and Adults) and Instant Star,
now receiving rave reviews in the United States on The N.
As Alice, McKillip plays a maladjusted teenager with a bizarre fashion
sense that is painfully out of touch. Alice starts high school after
years of home-schooling on the hunt for a look, a social life, a job and
a boyfriend. Her mother Diane (Rebecca Northan, The Joe Blow Show) is
the new-aged family breadwinner while her father John (Dan Payne,
Stargate: Atlantis) is an endearing house-husband. Little brother
MacGregor (Connor Price, Cinderella
Man) is the brains of the outfit.
Other residents of Smithers (pop. 5,124) include Finn (Haig Sutherland),
John's gay best friend and band mate who runs a used sporting goods
store; Geraldine (Lori Triolo), Diane's counter-culture best friend and
fully-fledged "natural woman"; Linda (Taylor Hill), the 16-year-old town
psychopath who has made Alice's life a living hell since first grade;
and Marcus (Michael Eklund), John's other band mate who drives the only
taxi in town and dates women half his age.
"We are thrilled to be in production with Slanted Wheel Entertainment
and CTV on this exciting new series" says Producer Brian Hamilton,
Vice-President of Vancouver-based Omni Film Productions. "The characters
are fresh and unexpected. They're real and likeable with storylines that
will appeal to people of all ages, bringing the wonderful characters
from Susan Juby's books to a whole new audience."
"Alice, I Think doesn't pull any punches," said Executive Producer Jon
Slan, President of Toronto-based Slanted Wheel Entertainment. "It's
funny, but it's also honest. Viewers will relate to the oddities and
irreverence of these larger-than-life small-town characters."
Alice, I Think is based on the series of novels by Nanaimo writer Susan
Juby. Originally published in 2000, Alice, I Think was one of the rare
books loved by both teenagers and adults. Books in Canada raved that
Alice, I Think was a "dead-on, laugh-out-loud female coming of age
story" while Canadian Literature described it as "a great, funny, romp
of a book...completely unlike any other novel in this genre." The book
was critically acclaimed and was nominated for the Amazon.com/Books in
Canada First Novel Award. Juby's follow-up novel, Miss Smithers,
published in April 2004, won a BC Book Prize and was nominated for the
2005 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. Earlier this year, the final book
in the series, Alice MacLeod, Realist at Last hit store shelves. All
three books are published by HarperCollins in Canada, the United States,
the United Kingdom and Australia.
Carly McKillip decided she wanted to be an actor at the age of four. Her
work as a professional began with a recurring role in the television
series The Marshal, which led to guest spots on several series including
The X-Files, Poltergeist: The Legacy, The Net and Life As We Know It.
McKillip's film roles include Floating Away, Saving Silverman, Dr.
Doolittle, John Tucker Must Die, and Stranger in Town, for which she was
nominated by the 1998 Youth In Film Awards for Best Performance in a
Television Movie/Pilot Series/Best Young Actress (Age 10 or Under).
McKillip has also voiced animated characters in Sabrina The Movie, What
About Mimi? and Card Captors.
Alice, I Think is produced by Brian Hamilton (Robson Arms) and executive
produced by Jon Slan (Plague City: SARS in Toronto) and Gabriela
Schonbach (StuntDawgs). Rachel Rafelman (Plague City: SARS in Toronto)
co-produces. Louise Clark is CTV's Director, Western Independent
Production. Brent Haynes is Director of Programming for The Comedy
Network. Bill Mustos is Senior Vice-President, Dramatic Programming for
CTV. Ed Robinson is Senior-Vice President, Comedy and Variety
Programming, CTV Inc. Susanne Boyce is President, CTV Programming and
Chair of the CTV Media Group.
Alice, I Think is a co-production between Slanted Wheel Entertainment
Inc. and Omni Film Productions Limited. Alice, I Think was developed and
produced in association with CTV and The Comedy Network, with the
participation of the Canadian Television Fund, created by the Government
of Canada and the Canadian cable industry, Telefilm Canada: Equity
Investment Program, CTF: License Fee Program, the Province of British
Columbia Film Incentive BC, Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit
and the Shaw Rocket Fund.
Submitted on September 13, 2005 in By David.
