Essential alum Fawcett sets off Fireworks

Former Essential Media Group exec Jesse Fawcett has launched a North America-based production company called Fireworks Media Group.

Jesse Fawcett

The company will develop and produce premium unscripted and scripted content, including a new original lifestyle series for HGTV Canada, Pamela Anderson’s Home Reno Project (working title), fronted by the former Baywatch star.

The Vancouver- and LA- based firm has also signed an exclusive first-look scripted development deal with TikTok star Kris Collins.

Other shows in production at Fireworks Media Group include new seasons of real-estate unscripted series Selling the Big Easy, for HGTV in the US, and Corus Studios’ Big Timber, which airs on History in Canada and is available Netflix in the US and internationally.

Fawcett was previously president of the North American arm of Australia-based Essential Media Group, until the company was sold to Kew Media in 2018. After the collapse of Kew Media last year, Fawcett and Essential’s CEO Greg Quail bought Essential back from the Toronto-based media conglomerate and relaunched it as EQ Media Group.

EQ Media Group produced shows such as Restored for Discovery+, paranormal reality series Ghost Loop for Travel Channel and Texas Flip N’Move for the DIY Network during Fawcett’s tenure.

Fawcett, CEO and executive producer at Fireworks Media Group, said: “Launching Fireworks will allow me to focus entirely on my US and Canadian-based productions, which is where my heart is. We’re hitting the ground running with an amazing slate of shows and an incredible production team. It’s an exciting time.”