MIPCOM Hot Pick: Cracked

Cracked is the latest high-profile Canadian police procedural hoping to follow in the footsteps on Rookie Blue and Flashpoint.

The show is produced by White Pine Pictures, the producer of long-running cop drama The Border, for public broadcaster CBC.

It stars Private Practice‘s David Sutcliffe as detective Aidan Black, a successful but troubled police officer, and NCIS’ Stefanie von Pfetten as Dr. Daniella Ridley, his psychiatrist partner. The pair have been teamed to solve a series of baffling and psychologically complex crimes.

Peter Raymont, president of White Pine Pictures and Cracked executive producer, explains that the series was created by Calum de Hartog, a Toronto Emergency Task Force officer and writer, and Tracey Forbes following a series of psychotic crimes in Canada’s largest city.

“The main character has emotional problems of his own; he shot two people in the line of duty. He’s a very skilled police officer, but he’s a bit cracked himself,” says Raymont. “It feels real, it doesn’t feel contrived.”

The show will be distributed internationally by German sales firm Beta Film, who had worked with White Pine Pictures on The Border in certain territories.

“Canadian shows have always done very well globally. A lot of producers came from a documentary background, which gives you a sensibility for what feels authentic and that’s important in drama series,” says Raymont. “It seems like there’s an unending appetite for police procedurals. We’ve already received interest from Germany and France.”

The producers also hope that the show can be the latest Canadian series to make it across the border to the United States. White Pine is working with Carrie Stein, formerly of 3 Arts and now working at Entertainment One, to sell it into the US.

“We already have one pre-sale offer and are waiting for others. The cable networks are very interested in Canadian shows; there’s much more openness and they get them at a good price,” adds Raymont.

The show: Cracked
The producer: White Pine Pictures
The distributor: Beta Film
Airing: CBC (Canada)
Concept: 13x1hour Canadian drama series about an unstable police officer partnered with a psychiatrist to solve crimes