CURIOUSCAST AND WATERSIDE STUDIOS PARTNER WITH BLANCHARD HOUSE IN MULTI-PODCAST DEAL

The First Podcast, Black and Blue: Behind The Badge, Launches October 17 with Development for TV Drama Series Underway

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For Immediate Release

TORONTO, September 20, 2023 – Corus Entertainment’s Waterside Studios, an IP and production venture focused on bringing premium scripted Canadian content for youth and primetime audiences internationally, and Curiouscast, Corus’ award-winning podcast network, have partnered with international podcast producer Blanchard House to produce four podcasts, which will all be adapted for television.

The first podcast is the gripping story Black and Blue: Behind The Badge, a true crime podcast centering around the experiences of Black officers in what one of them calls “the biggest gang in America”: law enforcement. Hosted by Seren Jones, and launching on October 17 on Curiouscast, Black and Blue follows the story of Michael Morrison. After joining the police force to serve and protect, he faces racism, violence and hostility. Michael’s life in policing will make him question everything he thought he knew about justice, community, and himself.

This is a story about being torn in two. Torn between being a police officer and being Black. Can you ever really separate who you are from what you do?

“From the very beginning, our goal at Curiouscast has been to partner with and elevate exceptional creators and storytellers,” said Curiouscast Director of Streaming and Podcasting, Chris Duncombe. “We are thrilled to launch our new multi-platform partnership with Blanchard House and Waterside Studios, furthering that goal to bring compelling stories and unique perspectives to global listeners.”

Waterside Studios launched in 2022 to develop must-see scripted content for global audiences, with a focus on adapting IP for television. Its first production is the book-based, clean-teen series ‘Geek Girl’ for YTV in Canada and Netflix globally. Now, the studio continues to develop engaging IP for global audiences with this multi-podcast deal.

“It’s an exciting time to be partnering with the first-class team at Blanchard House, alongside the global platform Curiouscast, to develop four amazing podcasts for TV.” said Jeff Norton, Head of Waterside Studios. “The podcasts are utterly riveting, and I have no doubt that the TV adaptation will take the storytelling to new heights.”

“Black and Blue is such a timely and provocative story, but most importantly it’s a story about a group of people who are often talked about, but not spoken to. It’s extremely rare to hear the voices of Black police officers in the mainstream media and we’re thrilled to be able to bring their stories to light,” said Rosie Pye, Creative Director and Co-Founder of Blanchard House, “It’s been fantastic working with the team at Curiouscast and Waterside Studios to bring this story to listeners and set up this incredible story for development for international TV audiences.”

Black and Blue: Behind The Badge premieres on October 17. Tune in on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Amazon Music and wherever you find your favourite podcasts. Learn more at https://curiouscast.ca/.

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SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

X (Formerly known as Twitter): @Curiouscast @Blanchardtweets

Instagram: @blanchardhousestories @serentljones

Curiouscast is a Corus Entertainment Network.

About Corus Entertainment Inc.
Corus Entertainment Inc. (TSX: CJR.B) is a leading media and content company that develops and delivers high quality brands and content across platforms for audiences around the world. Engaging audiences since 1999, the company’s portfolio of multimedia offerings encompass 33 specialty television services, 39 radio stations, 15 conventional television stations, digital and streaming platforms, and technology and media services. Corus is an internationally-renowned content creator and distributor through Nelvana, a world class animation studio expert in all formats and Corus Studios, a globally recognized producer of hit scripted and unscripted content. The company also owns full-service social digital agency so.da, lifestyle entertainment company Kin Canada, and children’s book publishing house, Kids Can Press. Corus’ roster of premium brands includes Global Television, W Network, HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, Magnolia Network Canada, The HISTORY® Channel, Showcase, Adult Swim, National Geographic, Disney Channel Canada, YTV, Global News, Globalnews.ca, Q107, Country 105, and CFOX, along with streaming platforms STACKTV, TELETOON+, the Global TV App and Curiouscast. Corus is the domestic advertising representative and an original content partner for Pluto TV, a Paramount Company, which is the leading free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service. For more information visit www.corusent.com.

About Blanchard House
We created Blanchard House with a singular vision: to tell the most captivating, acoustically immersive non-fiction stories you’ll ever hear. We’re on a mission to revolutionize the US podcast market. We represent the very best storytelling, the most trusted journalism and the highest production values. Our series are truly cinematic in scale – with bold, original soundtracks and rich, arresting sound design.

We’ve hired award-winning audio producers from the world’s most creative and respected content producers, including the BBC and The Times of London. We’ve also invested in three brilliant in-house composers writing the most exciting scores in the podcast space. Blanchard House tells true stories with the power to endure. Good stories never die.

About Waterside Studios
Waterside Studios is an IP and production venture focused on bringing premium scripted content to Canadian and international audiences. Waterside Studios collaborates with independent producers as well as joining forces with Nelvana, a world-leading international producer, distributor and licensor of children’s animated and live-action content. Together with Nelvana, Waterside Studios brings a slate of live-action programming into Corus Entertainment’s overall content offering for global audiences. Waterside Studios is headed up by executive producer Jeff Norton, known for his work in bringing best-selling books to the screen. Waterside’s first production is ‘Geek Girl’ for YTV in Canada and Netflix globally.

About Seren Jones
Seren is a BAFTA nominated Welsh, Zimbabwean journalist shortlisted by the Radio Academy as one of their 30 Under 30 finalists in 2020. Seren was one of the founding producers of the BBC’s Beyond Today podcast before going on to produce the award-winning Newscast and launching R1Xtra’s If You Don’t Know podcast. Seren also co-founded the Black Swimming Association (the BSA), a charity set up to encourage more people from African, Caribbean and Asian communities to engage in aquatics.

 

For media inquiries, please contact:
Brittany Bell
Corus Entertainment
416.479.3384
brittany.bell@corusent.com

Vanessa Obeng
Corus Entertainment
(416) 479-6082
vanessa.obeng@corusent.com