Animated series Mary and Flo: On the Go! brings two beloved Frankie Drake Mysteries characters into Shaftesbury’s family space 

Life with Luca picks up on family-favourite series Life with Derek 15 years later

 TORONTO, May 12, 2020 Shaftesbury, the award-winning production company behind the global hit TV series Murdoch Mysteries, is expanding the Shaftesbury Kids production and development slate to include four new series: Mary and Flo: On the Go!, Life With Luca, Miikshi and Stinky Science. This ambitious slate, led by Jennifer McCann, Executive Producer, Shaftesbury’s Kids and Family, has united key creatives from across Canada and established virtual writers’ rooms for each series. 

“It’s wonderful that 15 years later, we are working once again with Life with Derek writers Daphne Ballon and Jeff Biederman on a spin-off series Life with Luca.” said Christina Jennings, CEO and Chairman, Shaftesbury. “We are also delighted to be working with Rebecca Liddiard and Sharron Matthews (Frankie Drake Mysteries) and teaming up with Carmen Albano (Detention Adventure) in a fun new animated series that sees their characters travel the world. Think – History. Mystery. Sistery.” 

“It’s inspiring to see how creativity and collaboration have been driven to new levels despite the current restrictions,” said Jennifer McCann, Executive Producer, Shaftesbury Kids and Family. “Our strategy to create the most compelling Kids and Family programming for global audiences remains unchanged.” 

About the four new series: 

In development 

Life With Luca – (26 x half hrs) – Life With Luca is a live-action spin-off comedy series based on the long-running hit Life with Derek. The series picks up 15 years later, as Derek and his “Type A” personality daughter Skyler prepare to move in with aunt Casey and her extended family. What makes things complicated is that Derek’s daughter is way more like her aunt, and Casey’s “Type Z” personality son way more like his uncle. As Derek and Casey’s stepsibling dynamics are reignited, Skyler tries to adjust to her new life with an aunt she barely knows and FOUR cousins. But the biggest adjustment of all will be living with Luca, a charming yet rebellious prankster. 

The series is being developed with funding assistance from the Shaw Rocket Fund and the Canada Media Fund. 

In production 

Stinky Science (26 x 3 mins) – In pre-production. With animation from Smiley Guy Studios, this smart and gleefully gross series explores the science behind why things stink. Vibrant animation, loveable characters, smelly songs and stink-loads of comedy blend together in this magazine-style show, produced, performed and hosted by the characters from the acclaimed Stinky Science books written by Ed Kay with illustrations by Mike Shiell. The series is being produced with funding assistance from the Shaw Rocket Fund. 

Mary and Flo: On the Go! (9 x 7-mins) Inspired by Shaftesbury series Frankie Drake Mysteries, with animation by Smiley Guy Studios, this animated series is currently in production and follows beloved characters Mary and Flo as they travel the world encountering famous women and men of the 1920s. Part buddy caper, part history lesson, these two fearless heroines solve problems, resolve mysteries and help people everywhere with a healthy dose of girl-power to fuel their adventures. The series was co-created by its two stars Rebecca Liddiard (Mary) and Sharron Matthews (Flo) along with Carmen Albano (Detention Adventure). The series is being produced with funding assistance from the Shaw Rocket Fund and the Canada Media Fund. 

Miikshi – (10 x 7 mins) – In pre-production. From creators Lindsay and Justin Lee, Miikshi follows the adventures of a shy but genius sheep scientist who saves the world one day at a time… quietly. Using her quick, resourceful mind and scientific smarts, this live-action puppet series provides a strong and unique female role model for a generation of STEAM-loving kids. The series is brought to life through hand puppets and model miniature effects. The series is being produced with funding assistance of the Independent Production Fund and the Shaw Rocket Fund. 

Shaftesbury has released its full library of new and legacy kids programming on the Shaftesbury Kids YouTube channel, to provide families with free and easy access to entertaining and educational content. Some of these series are also available on CBC Gem and Citytv in Saskatchewan. The programming available includes The Solutioneers (released Monday, March 30, with new episodes every Monday, Wednesday and Friday), Life with Derek (all four seasons on CBC Gem) as well as the all-new series, ClearWaterKids Challenge, also launching on CBC Gem in May. 

About Shaftesbury 

Shaftesbury is an award-winning creator and producer of original content for television, film, and digital. Shaftesbury’s current slate includes 13 seasons of Murdoch Mysteries for CBC and UKTV, three seasons of detective drama Frankie Drake Mysteries for CBC and UKTV, three seasons of critically acclaimed horror series Slasher for Netflix, two seasons of Hudson & Rex for Citytv/Rogers Media, and several new primetime series including Departure for Global/Corus Entertainment and NBC Universal, Dead Still for RTÉ, Acorn TV, and Citytv/Rogers, and The 

Sounds for CBC, Acorn TV, and Sky NZ. Building on a rich slate of award-winning kids programs, Shaftesbury’s growing roster of Kids and Family co-viewing programming brings fresh content to a new generation of tween and young adult viewers across all platforms. Current shows include The Solutioneers, Miikshi, Stinky Science, Life with Luca, based on the Disney hit series Life with Derek and Mary and Flo on the Go! based on the characters from Frankie Drake Mysteries. Shaftesbury’s branded division produces original entertainment projects for brands, including the global phenomenon Carmilla for U by Kotex/Kimberly-Clark, Turning the Tables for göt2b®/Henkel, and Futurithmic for Nokia. Shaftesbury’s technology division works with leading healthcare institutions and researchers to explore and develop clinical applications for immersive media experiences including augmented and virtual reality, including a recent focus on children’s therapeutic support tools. www.shaftesbury.ca 

For more information, please contact: 

Jane Collins 

Executive, PR, Shaftesbury 

(647) 323-8874 

jcollins@shaftesbury.ca 

Iain Christiansen 

Manager, Publicity, Shaftesbury 

(647) 338-4590 

ichristiansen@shaftesbury.ca