Network: Global Television Network
Broadcast Run: 2006
Broadcast Medium: Television
The Jane Show was a 13-episode, half-hour original comedy which kicked off Global’s Summer ’06 primetime schedule.
Teresa Pavlinek (a Second City alumnus, plus History Bites, The Sean Cullen Show) starred as Jane Black, a thirty-something novelist who gave up her dream and joined the normal working world, only to discover it was anything but normal.
Jane had been trying to stay true to her artistic dreams, diligently working at writing a novel while also working for an eccentric author in order to pay her bills. When the writer suddenly died, Jane was left with no job, no money and a lot of regret. She decided it was time for some structure in her life, some stability, and decided a regular pay-cheque and a dental plan might just be the ticket. So she tossed her novel aside and got a “real job”, but quickly found it hard to navigate the new environment and rituals of office life as well as trying to lead a “conventional life”.
In the series premiere episode, entitled The End Is The Beginning, Jane got a reality check when she met her extremely dysfunctional co-workers, and got a taste of the working week ahead.
The Jane Show also starred Patricia Zentilli (Undressed, Lexx) as Jane’s best friend “Susan”; Darren Boyd (Smack the Pony, ReGenesis) as Walton the right-wing born again English ‘bloke’ in the office; Kate Trotter (Paradise Falls, Lives Of The Saints) as Stella, the company’s stylish but highly-strung sales manager; and a team of marginally dysfunctional co-workers played by Hardee T. Lineham (Puppets Who Kill, Storm Of The Century) as Cary, and Andrew Misle (Chasing Freedom, Honey, I Shrunk The Kids: The TV Show and lead singer for band Sugakane) as office slacker Iggy.
Creators: Teresa Pavlinek and Ralph Chapman
Executive producers: Christina Jennings (Life with Derek, ReGenesis, Terry) and Scott Garvie for Shaftesbury Films, Teresa Pavlinek and Ralph Chapman.
Show Producers: Adam Haight and Laurie McLarty for Shaftesbury Films and Sheri Elwood (15/Love, I Was A Sixth Grade Alien)
Executive Story Editor: Alex Pugsley (G-Spot, The Eleventh Hour).
Directors: George Bloomfield (Doc, Wild Card), Paul Fox (Dark Oracle, The Dark Hours), T.W. Peacocke (Canada Russia ’72), and Craig Pryce (Dark Oracle, The Zack Files) were among the first season’s directors, working with director of
photography, Malcolm Cross (Wild Card).
Production Company: Shaftesbury Films, in association with Global Television, a division of CanWest MediaWorks Inc.
Broadcast: 2006
Time slot: Thursdays, 9:30 pm
Running time: 30 minutes
Written by Joanne Ingrassia – May, 2006