Asian-Canadian cop drama series “Blood And Water” has been green-lighted for a second season, while the first shows are still on the air. Shot in English, Mandarin and Cantonese, and directed by veteran Canadian director John L’Ecuyer, the first 8 episodes of the series play in the prime time Sunday night slot on Rogers Media’s OMNI Television in Canada.
Breakthrough Entertainment, Rogers Media, and the Canadian Media Fund have now completed financing for the second season. Shooting is expected to start in Spring, 2016. Producer and distributor Breakthrough Entertainment will pitch the second series this week at the Asian Television Forum, part of the Singapore Media Festival.
The Vancouver-set series give a dramatic voice to the Chinese diaspora in North America and speaks authentically about their experiences as new immigrants and as Asian Americans in North America. The story follows a female cop who probes the murder of a wealthy Chinese businessman.
The procedural elements, however, are largely secondary to a deeper examination of character, making the crime story essentially a framework for a look at family values and what it means to be Asian in contemporary society. The detective discovers the corrosive effect of the murder not only on the man’s relatives, but also on her own assumptions about family and heritage.
The cast is headed by Malaysian-born, Canadian actress Steph Song (“Dragon Boys,” “Everything’s Gone Green”,) Peter Outerbridge (“Nikita,” “Orphan Black”,) and Osric Chau (“Supernatural,” “2012”.)
“I’m ecstatic to be involved in a series that showcases Asians in North America,” Song told Variety. “But really this is story-telling at its best, regardless of ethnicities involved.”
Song had her twin acting breaks in Australian feature film “The Long Lunch” and in Singapore TV series “Achar,” from MediaCorp. Since moving to Canada she has been nominated for five Gemini and Leo awards.
