Canada’s Primitive buys into Essential 11

Canada-based Factual producer Primitive Entertainment has bought into fellow prodco Essential 11 as part of a joint push into the fact-ent genre.

Toronto-based Primitive becomes a shareholder in Essential 11 under the terms of the new partnership. Essential 11 is, in turn, a joint venture between 11 Television Canada and Australian Essential Entertainment.

“We continue to be excited by Toronto as a base for unscripted production for the North American and international markets,” commented Chris Hilton, CEO Essential 11 Media Group. “Adding the business and international production expertise of Michael McMahon, Kristina McLaughlin and the Primitive team to this Canadian controlled company provides a very solid foundation for its continuing success.”

Michael McMahon (pictured), president and executive producer of Primitive, added: “Joining Chris Hilton and the team at Essential 11 is the perfect opportunity for us to diversify our production genres as we have planned to do. The Essential 11 brand is very strong and we’re excited to be able to leverage the US and international relationships it gives us access to.”

Primitive makes factual shows including Spaceship Earth, a blue chip series exploring the causes, scale and solutions to the energy crisis and The Polar Sea a ten-hour series following an expedition through the Northwest Passage. With Essential 11 on board it will continue to work on current Canada-originated projects including Hell on Earth and Venom Hunters.

Essential 11 makes unscripted shows for cable nets including Panic Button, on TruTV in the US and Fools Gold, a comedy docu-soap for Discovery Canada and Animal Planet.