Above and Beyond, a $9-million CBC miniseries, will start shooting in the new year. Originally intended to be six hours, the story about one of Canada’s unsung contributions to World War II has been revamped as a four-hour mini. The story focuses on Newfoundland’s Gander Airport, then the largest airfield in the world, and the ‘suicide missions’ that left there to bring much-needed bombers and fighters to Great Britain across the stormy North Atlantic. Copro partners are Pope Productions and Shaftesbury Films.
In addition, CBC is backing the series Atlantic Sound, eight one-hours, which draw on the striking similarities between Newfoundland and Ireland. The dramatic series is about a small radio station in an island community and will start shooting at the end of 2005. Pope is producing with Ireland-based Grand Pictures. Pope’s daytime soap-opera pitch Changing Tides has also been selected as one of 12 finalists in CBC’s countrywide competition. Changing Tides is about a Toronto business that comes to rural Newfoundland set on making big profits.
