New event series Departure, distributed by Red Arrow Studios International, has been nominated for a 2019 Content Innovation Award.
The show has been shortlisted for Best Debut Drama Series, and the awards will be presented during MIPCOM 2019, on October 13.
Organised by trade magazine TBI, the awards celebrate companies that are helping transform today’s global television industry.
Departure (6 x 1 hour) is a high-octane conspiracy series that follows the mystery of Flight 716 – a passenger plane that vanishes over the Atlantic Ocean. Following the mysterious crash, recently widowed, brilliant aviation investigator Kendra Malley, played by Emmy® Award-winner Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife), is called in to investigate by her former boss and mentor Howard Lawson, played by Oscar® winner Christopher Plummer (All The Money In The World). With the whole world watching, Kendra and her team race to pinpoint the missing aircraft and locate possible survivors. They must battle through a host of suspects and motives, from pilot suicide and terrorism, to politically motivated murder and systems failure to determine what really happened to Flight 716 – and to stop it from happening again.
Produced by Shaftesbury and Greenpoint Productions, in association with Corus Entertainment and Red Arrow Studios International, and co-financed by Starlings Television, the show is directed by Canadian Screen Award winner T.J. Scott (Orphan Black, Star Trek: Discovery) and created by Vincent Shiao (Ransom, Aftermath), with Malcolm MacRury as showrunner.
The show has sold to broadcasters including NBCUniversal International Networks, for UNIVERSAL TV in the UK, Africa and Germany, and 13TH STREET in France, Spain and Poland. The series is also set to premiere on commissioning broadcaster Corus’ Global Television in the coming months. The series premiered in the UK on July 10.
Archie Panjabi recently attended the Monte Carlo Television Festival to present the show to international journalists and media, and attended the UK screening of the show in London on July 3.
The all-star cast also includes Kris Holden-Ried (Vikings), Claire Forlani (Hawaii Five-O), Rebecca Liddiard (Frankie Drake Mysteries), Shazad Latif (Star Trek: Discovery), Tamara Duarte (Longmire), Peter Mensah (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Kristian Bruun (Orphan Black), Allan Hawco (Caught), Dougray Scott (Snatch), Sasha Roiz (Grimm), Mark Rendall (30 Days of Night), Dmitry Chepovetsky (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol) and Paris Jefferson (Sunset Contract).
Departure is executive produced by Christina Jennings, Scott Garvie, Malcolm MacRury, T.J. Scott, and Archie Panjabi. Creator Vincent Shiao is co-executive producer; Patrick Cassavetti, Tina Grewal are producers, with Julie Lacey serving as Shaftesbury’s producer. For Corus, Kathleen Meek is Production Executive; Rachel Nelson is Director, Original Content, Drama, Kids and Factual; Lisa Godfrey is Vice President of Original Content, Corus Entertainment. Chris Philip and Karine Martin are executive producers for Starlings Television; Henrik Pabst and Carlo Dusi are executive producers for Red Arrow Studios International. Episodes are written by showrunner Malcolm MacRury, Vincent Shiao, Ellen Vanstone, John Krizanc, and Stephanie Tracey. Departure is directed by T.J. Scott. David A. Stern and Matt Geller made the initial introduction of the project to Shaftesbury and have assisted in raising the financing for the production.
Departure is distributed worldwide by Red Arrow Studios International.