Edgemont (TV series)
Edgemont is a Canadian television series that aired from 2001 to 2005. It revolved around the everyday dealings of teenagers in Edgemont, a fictitious suburb of Vancouver, British Columbia.[1][2] Edgemont debuted January 4, 2001 on CBC Television,[1] and aired its final episode on July 21, 2005. There were a total of 70 episodes during its five-season run; the fifth season was shown commercial-free on the CBC. The series was created by Ian Weir, who also served as executive producer along with Michael Chechik. It was shot in the basement of the CBC Studios in Downtown Vancouver.
| Edgemont | |
|---|---|
.png) Edgemont intertitle | |
| Created by | Ian Weir |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 70 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 31 Minutes |
| Production company(s) | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Omni Film Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBC Television |
| Original release | January 4, 2001 – July 21, 2005 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
The 30-minute show delved into the lives of students at McKinley High School. The plots contained romance, intrigue, jealousy, and all the other elements associated with the adolescent and secondary school scene. The series also explored various social issues, such as racism and homosexuality.
Plot
The first season's plot centres on the relationship, and subsequent breakup, of Jen and Mark. Mark begins to pursue Laurel, and they begin a relationship in the second season. The relationship is rocky due to the very different goals of the two. Mark and Laurel eventually break off the relationship but attempt to remain friends.
There are also many subplots, such as Anika's manipulation of her classmates and friends, resulting in her ordering one of her classmates to give her cousin's bully a humiliating wedgie in front of everyone, saying "He had my cousin by the underwear" and "higher" (in reference to the wedgie). Craig's various well-intentioned but ill-fated social projects, Shannon's sexuality crisis, the divorce of Mark, Travis, and Kat's parents, and the rise and fall of Chris's popularity. Many social issues, such as prejudice, divorce, sexuality, and teen pregnancy, are dealt with during the run of the series.
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | ||||
| 1 | 13 | January 4, 2001 | April 5, 2001 | ||
| 2 | 13 | October 5, 2001 | December 7, 2001 | ||
| 3 | 13 | September 19, 2002 | November 29, 2002 | ||
| 4 | 18 | October 16, 2003 | December 12, 2003 | ||
| 5 | 13 | April 28, 2005 | July 21, 2005 | ||
Cast
Main
- Dominic Zamprogna as Mark Deosdade
- Sarah Lind as Jen MacMahon
- Kristin Kreuk as Laurel Yeung
- P.J. Prinsloo as Chris Laidlaw
- Myles Ferguson as Scott Linton (season 1[Note 1])
- Micah Gardener as Craig Woodbridge
- Elana Nep as Erin Woodbridge
- Grace Park as Shannon Ng[Note 2]
- Vanessa King as Anika Nedeau
- Richard Kahan as Gil Kurvers (recurring, season 1; main, seasons 2–5)
- Meghan Black as Kat Deosdade (recurring, season 1; main, seasons 2–4)
- Daniella Evangelista as Tracey Antonelli (recurring, season 1; seasons 2–5)
- Chas Harrison as Kevin Michelsen (recurring, seasons 2–3; main, seasons 4–5)
- Chiara Zanni as Maggie Buckman (recurring, seasons 1–4; main, season 5)
- Jessica Lucas as Bekka Lawrence (recurring, seasons 2–3; main, seasons 4–5)
Recurring
- James Kirk as Travis Deosdade
- Chelan Simmons as Crystal (seasons 1–3)
- Nicole Leier as Kelsey Laidlaw (seasons 1–4)
- Andrew Robb as Wayne Litvack (seasons 3–5)
- John Henry Reardon as Josh Wyatt (seasons 3–5)
- Sarah Edmondson as Stevie (seasons 4–5)
- Adrian Petriw as Mitch Leckie (seasons 4–5)
- Britt Irvin as Paige Leckie (season 4)
- Vikki Krinsky as Shelby Derouche (season 4)
Reception
Ratings
According to show creator Peter Weir, when Edgemont premiered three-quarters of its audience was over the age of 18, and even in its second season approximately half of the audience remained over 18 years of age. Second season episodes averaged approximately 300,000 Canadian viewers.[3]
Critical
Edgemont received generally favorable reviews from The Globe and Mail critics John Doyle[1] and Grant McIntyre.[2]
Broadcast
Edgemont aired on CBC in Canada from 2001–2005. The program became moderately successful in Canada, including Quebec where the series was dubbed in French.
In the United States, the series originally aired on Fox Family Channel from 2001–2005, before moving to WAM! starting in June 2005.[4] Edgemont later aired on TeenNick from 2009 to 2012, and also aired in syndication On The Fox MyNetworkTV And The CW Affiliates and on Sunday mornings on Me-TV from 2012–2014 as part of the network's E/I-mandated programming. The series has been streamed online on Hulu.
Edgemont also aired in several other countries, including France.
Home media
A very limited release of the complete series on DVD was offered in 2005 on a cost recovery basis from the official website. It is estimated that between 200 and 300 copies were produced.[5] It was announced on the official website on May 25, 2006 that the DVDs have sold out.
Streaming
As of 2018 the series has begun streaming for free on Canada Media Fund's Encore+ YouTube channel.
See also
Notes
- Myles Ferguson died in a car accident shortly after the first season's filming was completed. The first episode of the second season was dedicated to his memory.
- Park was moved up in the cast order after Season 1, being listed after Prinsloo for Seasons 2–5.
References
Inline sources
- Doyle, John (December 30, 2000). "John Doyle's picks of the week". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
- McIntyre, Grant (March 10, 2001). "Children's Television – Edgemont". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
- McLaren, Leah (November 28, 2001). "The not-so-junior highs". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
According to the show's producer/creator Peter Weir, when Edgemont first went to air, 75 to 80 per cent of the viewing audience was over the target viewership age of 18. The number of post-18 viewers still hovers somewhere around 50 per cent of the show's total viewership (on average around 300,000 an episode).
- "High School Drama Comes to WAM! With the Acquisition of 'Edgemont'" (Press release). WAM!. March 23, 2005. Retrieved July 22, 2016 – via PR Newswire.
- Lacey, Gord (June 24, 2005). "Edgemont – Kristen Kreuk's Other show – Season 1–5 in a Very Limited Release". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on September 16, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
Other sources
- Howard, Cori (January 2, 2001). "New Show Fun to Hang Out With". National Post.