GoodShort releases One Last Temptation as first Canadian vertical drama series

Geoff Browne (left) and Sammie Astaneh

Singapore-based microdrama platform GoodShort has released its first vertical drama series produced out of Canada as the shortform genre continues to gain traction.

Sammie Astaneh’s Vancouver-based production outfit Service Street Pictures has made One Last Temptation Before I Say I Do for the platform, which was launched two years ago.

Directed by Brianne Nord-Stewart (I Was Octomom: The Natalie Suleman Story) and produced alongside Geoff Browne (Gboy, Call Me Shamsz), the shortform series features Matthew Stephen Smith from Netflix’s Too Hot to Handle.

One Last Temptation Before I Say I Do is set during a high-stakes dating reality show that involves eight contestants who explore different partners while staying at a luxurious villa.

The drama was shot in Vancouver and the cast also includes Georgia White, Evan Bacic and Vancouver-based Nic Westaway from the hit Australian series Home & Away.

It is executive produced by Ivy Yu from GoodShort and casting was by Monika Dalman (Othermor, Pitfall).

“Vertical dramas are more than a format shift, they’re a cultural bridge to a generation raised on mobile storytelling,” said Astaneh and Browne in a joint statement.

“It’s a chance to meet younger audiences where they are, in their hands, on their time, with stories that move as fast as they do.”

The release comes as the popularity of microdrama on both specialist streamers and social media platforms in the US and Europe continues to grow, having first taken hold in Asia, where many of the platforms that distribute them are based.

Characterised by fast-paced, concise, soapy storytelling, with videos usually one to two minutes long, microdramas have caught fire on platforms such as Chinese short video app Kuaishou and TikTok sibling app Douyin.

Streamers including ReelShort and Viddsee have recently told C21 about their strategies, which focus on low production costs and fast turnaround times.

Last month, UK scripted development exec Marcello Pautasso set up a digital studio to create shortform scripted shows and distribute them on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, while Colombian broadcaster Caracol Televisión partnered with ReelShort to launch its first micro telenovela shot in vertical format for viewing on mobile devices.