Original scripted comedies aren’t just for the likes of HBO and Netflix. Vancouver-based national telecom giant TELUS has added its very first original scripted comedy to its on-demand library.
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“The robot workforce is here! R500 Robots are friendly, capable and ready for any situation… like helping humans deal with their awkward existential crises.”
The four-part series, Android Employed, which was filmed in Vancouver is the brainchild of filmmaker Jem Garrard who created, wrote and directed the show. The four-time Leo Award winner has also worked on Disney Channel’s Mech X4 and music videos for Linkin Park and Ringo Starr.
We did it! UNIT BRYAN is being funded by @storyhive with distribution on @telus Optik TV! Now we can #bringbryantolife!
— Jem Garrard (@Jemga) November 21, 2015
Her short film Unit Bryan was picked up by TELUS through the 2015 TELUS STORYHIVE program and became the basis for Android Employed.
Forget keeping up with the Joneses, keep up with the robots! Watch the Android Employed full series for free on https://t.co/iFCPW7gpWL pic.twitter.com/LRisL6K3eE
— STORYHIVE (@STORYHIVE) July 31, 2017
At the launch and series premiere event in Vancouver, the producers described the project as a labour of love and how it truly takes a village. The four producers behind Android Employed, Greg Crompton, Jon Silverberg, Tony Cerciello and Beatrice King all wore multiple hats throughout production – they even served as extras.
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Garrard expressed her hopes and plans for a continuation of the series either in the current anthology format or spinning off from one of the initial four storylines. Each of the four episodes takes on a different story of a robot in workplace setting – and all the comical things that would happen:
- Episode 1 – Your average dysfunctional family are brought closer together by their newly acquired robot.
- Episode 2 – After a desperate accountant loses his job to a robot, he decides to kidnap it as payback.
- Episode 3 – Robots hired on a film production set end up in more creative roles than was intended.
- Episode 4 – The unique teaching style of the first robot to teach a kindergarten class looks promising until tragedy strikes.
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The series stars Ryan Beil from Vancouver-filmed iZombie, Sarah Canning (The Vampire Diaries), Andrea Bang from Toronto-filmed Kim’s Convenience, Sonja Bennett from Vancouver-filmed Supernatural, Kalyn Miles, Dave Collette, Peter Benson, Veena Sood, Victor Dolhai, and Trevor Devall as the dapper voice of the robot.
The comedy is a co-production between ARTABAN and Red Castle Films with the support of Telus Original. It can be watched through TELUS Optik TV on Demand and online at androidemployed.com.
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