Netflix, Canadian pubcaster CBC commission young-adult comedy Fakes

Global streamer Netflix and Canadian pubcaster CBC have co-commissioned young-adult comedy series Fakes.

David Turko

The 10×30’ project is created by David Turko (Warrior Nun) and produced by Canadian production company Reality Distortion Field and New York-headquartered Jax Media.

It stars Canadian actors Emilija Baranac (To All the Boys I Loved Before, Riverdale), Richard Harmon (The 100) and Jennifer Tong (Grand Army, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow) and tells the story of two teenage best friends who accidentally built one of the largest fake ID empires in North America.

CBC commissioned the series for its streaming platform CBC Gem, which has first-window rights in Canada. Netflix has the second window in Canada and the first window internationally.

Filming is underway in Vancouver with production expected to wrap in December. Toronto-based director Jasmin Mozaffari (Firecrackers) is directing the pilot episode.

Turko serves as showrunner, with Reality Distortion Field’s Simon Barry (Warrior Nun, Van Helsing) and Stephen Hegyes (Warrior Nun, Fifty Dead Men Walking) serving as producers and executive producers. Vancouver-based Reality Distortion Field also produces Warrior Nun, which is currently in production on its second season, for Netflix. Chinese-Canadian screenwriter Tabia Lau is also a writer on the project.

Lilly Burns (Russian Doll, Emily in Paris) and Tony Hernandez (Russian Doll, Emily in Paris) of Jax Media are also executive producers on Fakes. Jax Media has produced projects including Broad City (Comedy Central), Difficult People (Hulu) and Inside Amy Schumer (Comedy Central).

Netflix and CBC have previously co-commissioned series such as Anne with an E and Northern Rescue.