TORONTO/NEW YORK (June 28, 2011) —  The International broadcast rights for Crash Canyon, the all-new original prime time animated series developed by The Simpsons’ co-executive producer Joel Cohen, and produced by Breakthrough Entertainment in association with Shaw Rocket Fund and TELETOON Canada, have been secured by MTV’s international  channels (excluding North America) for debut in 2012.  Deal was announced jointly by Ira Levy and Peter Williamson, principals of Breakthrough Entertainment, and David Booth, Senior Vice President, Programming & Content, Viacom International Media Networks.

In addition to Joel Cohen and Producer-Executive Story Editor Greg Lawrence (Kevin Spencer), other contributing Crash Canyon writers include Tim Long (The Simpsons) and Chuck Tatham (How I Met Your Mother, Arrested Development).

“We fell for Crash Canyon right from the very start.  Joel Cohen and Breakthrough have broken new animated comedy ground with this hilarious series that is certain to entertain MTV audiences,” said Booth.

“It’s been terrific working with Breakthrough and I am delighted to have now forged our international broadcast partnership with MTV.  Having Crash Canyon seen around the world through a brand like MTV is a dream come true, and it’s probably better this dream come true than that other one where Justin Bieber invited me to his prom.” said Cohen.

“MTV is the perfect international broadcast home for Crash Canyon and we could not be more proud and excited to join forces with this iconic global broadcaster that defines ‘hip’ and ‘fresh’ for audiences worldwide.   We also are thrilled to work alongside Joel Cohen and Greg Lawrence, who together have produced what we believe will be one of the most watched and talked-about new prime time animated series in television,” said Nat Abraham, Vice President of Distribution for Breakthrough Entertainment and Joan Lambur, Executive Producer for Breakthrough Entertainment.

Crash Canyon focuses on the Wendell family whose family vacation turns out to be a disaster — in fact, an actual disaster! After accidentally driving off a cliff, the Wendells plummet two miles straight down into a canyon.  When they stumble out of their van, they are alive and, as they also realize, not alone.  The exact same fate has befallen several others before them and the Wendells are now just the newest residents of a community of everyone that has driven, cycled, sky-dived or even crashed their NASA landing capsule into. Their new neighbors include an astronaut and his chimp companion, an old lady that has domesticated a bear, a has-been British punk rocker, a man in a perpetual coma, a ventriloquist and his dummy, and many more.  The Wendells and all these characters hope to escape, but until they do, these are the citizens of the impromptu, gravity-cursed community of “Crash Canyon”.

Chris Arrant

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