The N Sets “The Best Years” Series Premiere
[via press release]
The N’s The New Teen On Campus With The Premiere Of The Best Years – The Network’s First College-Based Drama Beginning Friday, June 29 At 8:30 P.M. (ET)
The New, Hour-Long Series To Immediately Follow A New Episode Of Degrassi Premiering At 8:00 P.M. (ET)
The N To Commence Production In Toronto On Degrassi Season Seven With 24 New Episodes Set To Premiere Fall 2007
NEW YORK, June 11 – The N is university bound this summer as the nighttime network for teens trades in its high school ID for college life in the Northeast with the premiere of The Best Years, the network’s first one- hour collegiate drama. The 13-episode series from executive producer, creator and award-winning Degrassi writer Aaron Martin and Blueprint Entertainment delves into the world of new beginnings, new friends, new loves and a new world of problems. The series premieres on Friday, June 29 at 8:30 p.m. (ET) immediately following a new 30-minute episode of Degrassi: The Next Generation at 8:00 p.m. (ET). The Best Years will air regularly every Friday at 8:30 p.m. (ET) on The N.
The acclaimed hit teen series Degrassi has also begun production on season seven in Toronto, with 24 new original episodes scheduled to premiere Fall, 2007 on The N.
“We’ve had terrific success with award-winning high school dramas like Degrassi and South of Nowhere,” said Sarah Tomassi Lindman, Senior Vice President and General Manager, The N. “The Best Years is a great addition to our programming lineup which builds on that success as we continue to speak to our teen viewers and reach out to those young adults who are eager to reconnect with their inner teen,” said Lindman.
The Best Years follows orphaned and full-ride scholar, Samantha Best (Charity Shea, “Alpha Dog”) as she starts her freshman year at the prestigious Charles University in Massachusetts. Samantha has been shuffled through the foster care system her entire life and is finally looking forward to a future of new opportunities and friendships. She’ll have to contend with the ins and outs of college and mingle with a new world of ‘frenemies’ as she struggles to find her own identity. Along the way she will meet new roommate Kathryn Klarner, (Jennifer Miller) a rich socialite from one of the most prominent families in the mid-west, Dawn Vargas (Athena Karkanis) child actor who trades in Hollywood for college, and Devon Sylver, (Brandon Jay McLaren “Power Rangers S.P.D.”) a fellow scholarship recipient and star basketball player who has caught her eye. With her new dysfunctional family and a part-time job at Boston’s hot spot Colony, Samantha will find herself juggling a lot more than just academics.
In the June 29 episode of Degrassi, Paige’s college life collapses around her while she puts on a brave front and pretends that everything is perfect. Ex-girlfriend Alex comes to terms with a family financial crisis and puts her dignity and self respect on the line to make ends meet, while Emma may have a déjà vu moment when a life experience could mirror that of her mother and best friend.
The Best Years is created and executive produced by Aaron Martin. Blueprint Entertainment’s Halpern and John Morayniss also serve as executive producers on The Best Years.
Aaron Martin served as the head writer and show runner on The N’s acclaimed teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation during its first four seasons and was the 2004 recipient of the Canadian Screenwriting Award for his work on the series. He was also nominated for a 2003 Gemini Award for Best Writing in a Children’s or Youth Series and also in 2005 for Best Drama. He is a graduate of The Canadian Film Centre and Queen’s University.
Blueprint Entertainment is a leading television production company involved in the development, production, financing, packaging, distribution and exploitation of dynamic and innovative programming for the worldwide marketplace. Established in January of 2002, by its two principals, John Morayniss and Noreen Halpern, Blueprint Entertainment is a Canadian company with offices in Los Angeles and Toronto. Blueprint has an extensive development slate that encompasses a number of half-hour and one-hour prime- time and children’s series, movies, and miniseries targeted at a mix of broadcast and cable/satellite networks based in the US, Canada and the international marketplace. www.blueprint-corp.com.
The N, the nighttime network for teens, is a programming arm of MTV Networks and is currently available in 57 million households via cable, digital cable and satellite television. The N’s mission is to be the authentic voice for teens and help them figure out their lives with relevant, topical programming on-air and online at the network’s web site www.the-n.com. The N airs everyday from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. (ET). The N and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.