C21 Media Net – Friday 24th June, 2005

By Ed Waller

Shooting starts this week on Above & Beyond, a new drama that unites Pope Productions, Shaftesbury Films and CBC Television of Canada and UK co-financier/distributor Power.

Being filmed in Canada, the (2×90′) miniseries is due to air on CBC in November. It follows a daring WWII plan by newspaper tycoon Lord Beaverbrook to build bombers big enough to fly into Europe directly across the Atlantic from Newfoundland.

As well as Joss Ackland (K-19: The Widowmaker) and Richard E Grant (Withnail & I), the series stars Ken Welsh (The Aviator, Hound of the Baskervilles), Liane Balaban (New Waterford Girl, Seven Times Lucky), Jonathan Scarfe (ER) and Allan Hawco (The Eleventh Hour, Bliss).

Written by Lisa Porter and John W Doyle and directed by Sturla Gunnarsson, the show’s producers are Paul Pope and Scott Garvie and the executive producer for Power is Justin Bodle.

“This is a fresh and inspiring take on one of the most compelling events of the Second World War,” said Bodle. “It was little short of a miracle that more than 20,000 aircraft were successfully delivered to Churchill as a result of this plan. In this the 60th anniversary year marking the end of World War II we have a chance to bring to life one of the most thrilling and ingenious missions by Allied Forces.”