"Saving Me"
Sphere Media has announced a two season recommission of animated comedy adventure, Saving Me. US broadcaster BYUtv has invested in a third and fourth season of Saving Me, produced by Sphere Animation (formerly Oasis Animation).
The original 2D animated show, which was released in two 10 x 22 mins seasons, premiered in October 2022 on both BYUtv’s linear channel and app. The new seasons will pick up on the adventures Bennett Bramble, a grumpy 61-year-old tech billionaire and the world’s biggest jerk, who has royally screwed up not only his own life but the entire planet. In an effort to put things right, Bennett travels back in time and teams up with 11-year-old self to figure out how to be a better person.
The two new 10 x 20 mins series, again created by Aaron Johnston, will be completed in June 2026. The executive producers are Jeff Simpson, Andra Duke, Luke Johnston, for BYUtv along with Aaron Johnston, Kelly Loosli, Roddy McManus; and Bruno Dubé, Marlo Miazga for Sphere. The showrunner is Willem Wennekers and the head writer is Craig Martin.
The news comes swiftly on the back of two new fact ent commissions from Bell Media in Canada announced in its upfronts. Crave ordered a new 8-part series fronted by international drag superstar Priyanka entitled "Drag Brunch Saved My Life", billed as “a testament to the resilience of restaurants and the transformative power of drag”. A second new commission – "Mark McKinney Needs A Hobby" is the first result of the creative partnership between Sphere and its senior vice-president of development, Kim Bondi. Developed, hosted and exec produced by Kids In The Hall, SNL and Superstore Mark McKinney, the 10-part series follows the Canadian actor and comedian as he sets out to meet a variety of hobbyists, from the traditional — go-karters and crocheters, for example — to the weirder end of the hobby spectrum.
Marlo Miazga was appointed head of Sphere’s Kids and Family banner in April 2023 combining with her role as president of unscripted and documentaries, enabling the departments to collaborate more closely. Miazga said: “Achieving a greenlight under any circumstances is a buzz. To be able to announce three in succession across the group in today’s exceptionally challenging marketplace is a moment we’re grateful for and proud of. When we restructured our kids’, factual and animation units last year, our aim was to bring together Sphere’s creative teams to allow for a cross pollination of ideas, energy and resources. These new commissions are proof that the right corporate scaffolding not only makes business easier but can also unleash creativity. 'Saving Me' is bust-a-gut funny but it also delivers an important message to young people: loving relationships, not power and money, are the driving engine of life."