New live-action comedy Popularity Papers, premiering Monday, April 10 at 6 p.m. ET/PT on YTV and available to stream live and on demand with STACKTV, based on the best-selling middle-grade books of the same name by Amy Ignatow.
Adapted for the screen by Corus Entertainment’s Aircraft Pictures and WexWorks Media, the series follows two best friends as they set out to crack the code on how to become popular by conducting a variety of hilarious social experiments. Produced in association with BBC Studios Kids & Family, Popularity Papers is being distributed worldwide by BBC Studios.
“The Popularity Papers book franchise has captured the hearts of many around the world through relatable middle school woes and hilarious circumstances, and we’re excited to deliver the same sentimentality through the live action series here in Canada,” said Colin Bohm, EVP of Content & Corporate Strategy, Corus Entertainment. “As our first production in partnership with Aircraft Pictures, we know this highly anticipated series will be a hit with audiences worldwide as we continue to expand our global content offering”.
Popularity Papers follows middle-school besties Julie and Lydia as they seek to demystify one of life’s greatest questions: What makes someone popular? Every social experiment they test out comes with unexpected lessons about the value of friendship, kindness, and confidence, helping guide our characters through the struggles of middle school with humour and heart.
“Making this series has been an incredible experience, and being entrusted with bringing Amy Ignatow’s beloved books to life for the worldwide legions of fans of Julie and Lydia’s middle school adventures wouldn’t have been possible without our encouraging partners at YTV and BBC”, said Matt Wexler, Founder of WexWorks Media. Anthony Leo and Andrew Rosen, co-founders of Aircraft Pictures agree, adding “The driving themes of Popularity Papers are kindness, friendship and self-confidence – naturally mixed with a healthy dose of mischief and fun – and are more relevant today than ever. Working with our brilliant diverse cast, crew and writers, led by our amazing showrunner Vivian Lin, we are thrilled to bring these iconic characters and their zany antics to life on the screen“.
The new series stars Glee Dango (Julie Graham-Chang), Mia Bella (Lydia Goldblatt), Millie Davis (Addison), Jenna Weir (Sage), Callum Shoniker (Mike Cavalleri), Seth Murchison (Chuck Cavalleri), Lyla Elliott (Morgan), Keegan Hedley (Henry), Chris River (Spit Valve), Pierre Drivas (Dimitri) and Dave Barclay (Principal Larocque).
Popularity Papers is executive produced by Anthony Leo (Aircraft), Andrew Rosen (Aircraft), Matt Wexler (WexWorks), Henrietta Hurford-Jones (BBC Studios Kids & Family), and Amelia Johnson (BBC Studios Kids & Family). The adaptation is co-created by Amanda Brooke Perrin and Vivian Lin, with Lin serving as showrunner and executive producer. The series is also produced with the financial participation of the Canada Media Fund.
YTV can be streamed via STACKTV, available on Amazon Prime Video Channels, Rogers Ignite TV and Ignite SmartStream. The network is also available through all major TV distributors, including: Bell, Cogeco, Eastlink, Rogers, SaskTel, Shaw, Shaw Direct, Telus and Videotron.
