Canada's CBC Gives Six-Episode Order to 'Best Laid Plans' Drama

OTTAWA – Canada's CBC has given a six-episode mini-series order to Best Laid Plans, written by actor/writer Susan Coyne (Slings and Arrows) and screenwriter Jason Sherman (The Listener).

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Best Laid Plans is based on the novel by Terry Fallis, a former political strategist-turned-writer, and was put into development at the CBC by indie producer PDM Entertainment.

The CBC is understood to be looking to air the limited series ahead of its 2014 Winter Olympics coverage early next year.

The CBC also is understood to have chosen not to pick up the drama pilot for 19-2, a French-to-English TV adaptation of a popular Quebec cop drama from Sphere Media Plus and Echo Media.

Set in Montreal, 19-2 portrayed two career patrolmen thrust together against their will, one a veteran downtown cop recovering from the shooting of his partner, the other a small-town policeman trying to restart his life in the big city.

And the CBC is to reveal this week the fate of other projects in development, including the drama pilot Port Hope from Entertainment One Television, and The Khouries, a comedy pilot from Up All Night scribe Tim McAuliffe and DHX Media.

UPDATED: An earlier March 6 version of this story contained incorrect information about an expired blind pilot deal between the CBC and Canadian actor/writer Zaib Shaikh and his production shingle, Governor Films.

All statements about the writing pact are retracted, and the writer offers an unconditional apology for any distress or embarasment caused by the article.