Showcase has greenlit the supernatural drama Lost Girl with a 13 x 60 order, saying Thursday it will go to air sometime in 2010. The show stars Anna Silk (Breakfast with Scot) as a succubus – in layman’s terms, a she-demon who feeds on the energy of human sex partners – ‘with a heart.’ Raised by humans and cut off from her own kind, she tries to find her way in the modern world while resisting the urge to kill. 

The series will likely shoot in Toronto or elsewhere in southern Ontario, says Prodigy Pictures chief and exec producer Jay Firestone (Relic Hunter). The concept, an otherworldly mix of fantasy and action, was initially aimed at the 20-something demo that fuelled the success of shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, says Firestone, though the pilot appears to be playing well with the 30-plus crowd too, including women.

‘Everybody kept saying it’s very hard to find a show that appeals to young audiences these days,’ he explains. ‘When I did Relic Hunter people called it an older Buffy, and everybody said I should either do a younger Relic Hunter or an older Buffy. So I found something in the middle.’

Firestone agrees that the show appears to line up, at least in part, with the audiences now being targeted by Dusk, the channel formerly known as Scream, and the oft-referenced Twilight Moms who have contributed to that franchise’s success.

He is also pushing for cross-platform appeal, and plans to announce partners on a videogame, comic book and website shortly. 

The series comes from creator Michelle Lovretta who also writes with Peter Mohan. Lovretta, who has written for Relic Hunter, Mutant X, Instant Star and others, is ambivalent about the comparisons to Buffy, though she is a fan of the Joss Whedon series and its powerful female hero. She hopes to bring a similar third-wave feminist sensibility to Lost Girl, with some added and positive exploration of sexuality.

‘Let’s be honest, you look at that one-liner and everybody’s going to have the impression that this is a T&A fest,’ she says, noting that the lead character is also bisexual. ‘But I’m not too fond of anything too prurient… In our case the character is empowered by sex, but it’s also dangerous for her.’

Lost Girl also stars includes Kristen Holden-Reid (The Tudors) as a love/hate interest, Ksenia Solo (Renegadepress.com) in the best friend role, and Rick Howland (Bon Cop, Bad Cop).

From Playback Daily