Netflix will reveal on Monday that it is backing the Canadian survival thriller "Between," which stars Jennette McCurdy ("iCarly," "Sam & Cat") and is directed by series creator Michael McGowan and Jon Cassar ("24," "The Kennedys").
The homegrown drama will debut simultaneously on City, the Canadian TV network that developed the six one-hour drama, and in all Netflix territories outside of Canada.
"Between" will initially stream on Shomi, a local market response by City-parent Rogers Communications and rival cable giant Shaw Communications to the domination of online video here by Netflix Canada.
Netflix Canada will then start offering the thriller a year after its initial premiere.
News of the first Canadian show for Netflix follows the U.S. video streaming giant recently clashing with the country's TV regulator on whether the U.S. digital player can be regulated as an Internet streamer.
VP for Global Independent Content at Netflix Eric Barmack brushed off the recent stand-off with the CRTC, insisting the U.S. streamer ordered "Between" because of its creative credentials.
"What you see is the ability of different groups to contribute to a great series. So you have a Canadian broadcaster, you have us and you have Canadian talent all coming together because we're all just excited about the show," Barmack said.
Between executive producer Don Carmody, an Oscar-winning movie producer ("Chicago") now shooting his first TV series, said landing Netflix complicated the deal-making, but also brought on board a creative powerhouse best known for original dramas like "House of Cards" and "Orange Is the New Black."
"They have been very helpful and supportive in letting the filmmakers make what they want. They haven't been crazy network executives in trying to micro-manage us," Carmody said.
