ITV Studios, Media Musketeers board CBC graphic novel-based drama Essex County

First Generation Films is producing Essex County for CBC

ITV Studios and European financier, producer and distributor Media Musketeers Studio have boarded the Canadian limited series Essex County and will begin shopping the show at Mipcom.

The 5×60’ series, produced by Toronto-based prodco First Generation Films for Canadian pubcaster CBC, is set to premiere in 2023.

Based on Jeff Lemire’s graphic novel of the same name, the show follows the intertwining lives of two families living in a rural community and explores how loss, betrayal and trauma can impact generations.

The cast is led by Molly Parker (House of Cards, Deadwood), Brian J Smith (Sense8), Stephen McHattie (Orphan Black), Finlay Wojtak-Hissong (The Kindness of Strangers) and Kevin Durand (Locke & Key).

Lemire adapted the novel for television alongside Eilis Kirwan (The Whistleblower, Nurses), with Andrew Cividino (Schitt’s Creek) directing the project. Lemire also serves as showrunner. Production wrapped in North Bay, Ontario, two weeks ago.

While CBC officially greenlit the series in the spring, the involvement of ITV Studios and Media Musketeers had not been announced until now.

CBC and ITV Studios are no strangers to one another, with ITV Studios handling international sales on the pubcaster’s Emmy-winning comedy Schitt’s Creek.

Essex County is commissioned by CBC and produced in association with ITV Studios and Media Musketeers Studios. Executive producers are Lemire, Kirwan, First Generation Films’ principal Christina Piovesan and Cividino.