CBC, BBC Northern Ireland co-commission Canada/UK copro comedy Committed

Dustin Milligan and Diona Doherty

Canada’s CBC and BBC Northern Ireland have teamed up to co-commission Committed, a fish-out-of-water comedy starring Dustin Milligan (Schitt’s Creek, Hot Frosty) and Diona Doherty (Derry Girls, Blue Lights).

The 10×30’ first season, which is filming now in County Down, Northern Ireland, is produced by Toronto-based Cameron Pictures and Belfast’s Fabel Productions, with Fox Entertainment Global handling international sales.

The project is structured as a UK/Canada treaty coproduction, with some scenes also set to shoot in Hamilton, Ontario. The show is described as a CBC original produced in association with BBC Northern Ireland.

Co-created by Keith Martin, Gerry Dee and Tim Loane, Committed follows a divorced Canadian accountant (Milligan) who falls head over heels for Northern Irish woman Julie Johnston (Doherty) after a whirlwind weekend in Toronto. He crosses the Atlantic to declare his love, only to discover he has landed in an old-fashioned and eccentric rural village that’s nothing like he imagined.

Executive producers include Amy Cameron, Tassie Cameron and Alex Patrick for Cameron Pictures and Keith Martin for Fabel Productions, as well as showrunner Loane, Dee, Molly McGlynn and Jessie Gabe.

McGlynn directs the pilot and four episodes, with Peter Huang directing the other five. The Canada Media Fund and Northern Ireland Screen also contributed to the financing.

Aside from Milligan and Doherty, the cast includes Ian McElhinney (Derry Girls, Game of Thrones), Dan Gordon (Blue Lights, Bloodlands), Muki Zubis (This is Going to Hurt), Seamus O’Hara (House of Guinness, Say Nothing), Patrick Buchanan (Blue Lights, Warrior), Chris McCurry (Belfast, Obituary), Athena Karkanis (Manifest, The Handmaid’s Tale) and Georgie Murphy (Stumble, GEN V).

“We know the show will connect with audiences in Canada and around the world thanks to its heart and authenticity and are excited to be partnering with BBC Northern Ireland alongside the outstanding teams at Cameron Pictures and Fabel Productions,” said Sally Catto, the CBC’s general manager of programming.

BBC Northern Ireland’s commissioning editor Jason Butler added it was “fantastic for BBC Northern Ireland to link up with CBC on this innovative project helping to further develop and support the creative industry here and to bring a flavour of our Northern Ireland humour to comedy fans further afield.”