SCTV alum Dave Thomas has teamed up with the actor and his son Harrison Thomas to develop the dark comedy. The Orange for CBC and BBC studios.
The father-son sitcom, produced by Canada’s Project 10 Productions, follows a family who witness a bombing and are placed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in a witness protection program in Rye, England. . Only when they arrive at their new home in the UK do the family realize that the mounted police have been leaving all their witnesses and informants in Rye, including Canada’s toughest criminals who are now their next-door neighbors.
Canadian comedian and actor Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis played SCTV‘sand Saturday Night Live’s beer-loving McKenzie brothers during the 1980s. Their act, which was launched to mock Canada’s government-mandated television content rules, became the cult sitcom of 1983. strange brew, and that year he also made the nocturnal transition in the United States to SNL.
Dave Thomas is also known for his starring role in grace under fire. Son Harrison has television credits that include House, Fringe, Criminal Minds, Silicon Valley, Lucifer and most recently playing Lyle in Better call Saul.
Besides The Orange, Project 10 Productions, which recently named Shonna Foster as director of development, has seven other scripted series in development with the broadcasters. That includes after skiing, an hour-long CBC drama about a family-owned private resort from creator Kathleen Robertson (beverly hills 90210) and executive producer Chris Cowles (blockers).
Project 10, based in Toronto under CEO Andrew Barnsley and specializing in scripted comedy, also produced Critch’s Son for the CBC and recently picked up by The CW for its summer schedule, and the kids in the hallway reboot in association with Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video for Amazon Prime.
