PRODUCTION BIOGRAPHIES

ANDREW BARNSLEY – Executive Producer

Andrew Barnsley is a Gemini-nominated producer at Project 10 Productions Inc., an international award winning Production Company. Throughout his career Andrew has worked closely with Canadian broadcasters, live-event promoters/producers and high profile brands to develop and produce properties that appeal to broad audiences. He has produced television series across multiple genres (i.e. comedy, animation, puppetry, live-action, children’s), one-off documentaries, and a number of live concert specials.

Previously Andrew worked as the Development Director at an independent television production company, S&S Productions. While there he had a hand in producing international hits such as THE RED GREEN SHOW, JEFF LTD., HISTORY BITES, SONS OF BUTCHER and LISTEN MISSY.

His other works include, comedy series HOTBOX (Comedy Network) and documentary series WHICH WAY TO…(OLN/National Geographic International.) Andrew recently produced two feature-length documentaries Fingers of Fire and Hamlet (solo), the latter was nominated for a Gemini in the Best Performing Arts Program category.

A member of the CMPA, Andrew holds an M.A. in Communications and Culture from Ryerson and York Universities, a B.A.A. from Ryerson University’s Radio and Television Arts Program and a B.Ed from St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

BRIAN ROBERTS – Executive Producer/Director

Brian Roberts is a multi-award winning director, writer, producer and editor. He is credited with directing over 350 programs for US television and over 200 episodes of Canadian television.

Roberts has directed some of television’s most popular sitcoms on both sides of the border. While in LA he directed episodes of EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, THE DREW CAREY SHOW, SABRINA, THE TEENAGE WITCH, 2 GUYS A GIRL AND A PIZZA PLACE, THE HUGHLEYS, KING OF QUEENS, BOSTON COMMON, ACCORDING TO JIM, ONE ON ONE, ZOE, THE TONY DANZA SHOW, LIZZIE MCGUIRE, CLUELESS and MAD TV.

Roberts has just completed shooting Rocky Road, a movie of the week starring GLEE’s Mark Salling and set to debut in June 2014.

In 2012 he completed executive producing and directing the The Debaters, and was nominated as Best Comedy Program at the Banff 2012 Media Festival, nominated as Best Television Program for both the Canadian Comedy Awards and the Leo Awards. The Debaters was recently acquired by Craig Ferguson’s Green Mountain Productions and a US pilot has been shot in association with Embassy Row.

Working on both sides of the Canadian-US boarder since 2006, Roberts has directed Canadian original programming including, THE NEXT STEP, REALLY ME, Men With Brooms, LITTLE MOSQUE ON THE PRAIRIE (which garnered him a Directors Guild of Canada award as well as a two CSA Award nominations), G-SPOT, DA KINK IN MY HAIR, DAN FOR MAYOR, (for the last two he was recognized with a Canadian Comedy Award nomination), Under One Roof, ABOUT A GIRL, The Latest Buzz, NATURALLY SADIE, THE JANE SHOW, Sex Ed, and HOW TO BE INDIE.

Roberts is a two-time Emmy Award winner. He garnered his first Emmy Award in 1985 for directing Shattered Dreams, a poignant, half-hour documentary about teen alcohol abuse; and picked up another Emmy Award in 1988 for editing the hugely popular and innovative series, THE TRACEY ULLMAN SHOW. He was also nominated for an Emmy for his work on THE SIMPSONS and a second time for THE TRACEY ULLMAN SHOW.

Robert’s television writing credits include THE SIMPSONS, INSIDE OUT, as well as the pilots FLATEARTH E.R. HALFWAY and NIGHT SCHOOL. He has produced ABOUT A GIRL, CANDID CAMERA AND THE BEE GEES: GOING HOME (for which he won an Ace Award.

Additional editing credits include THE SIMPSONS (for which he won a Golden Reel Award), SUDDENLY SUSAN, The Drew Carey Show, Mad About You, RAGS TO RICHES, FLYING BLIND, and MAX HEADROOM.

Roberts resides with his wife and two children in Toronto.

JEFF BIEDERMAN – Executive Producer/Writer

Jeff Biederman is an award winning TV writer and produce After spending over a decade in the industry, Jeff has story edited over 160 live action comedy and has written episodes of: MY BABYSITTER’S A VAMPIRE, THE LATEST BUZZ, RADIO FREE ROSCOE, ACE LIGHTNING, MONSTER WARRIORS, DINOSAPIEN, STRANGE DAYS AT BLAKE HOLSEY HIGH AND THE FAMOUS JETT JACKSON.

While working as a writer and producer on LIFE WITH DEREK (Family Channel/Disney Channel) Jeff was honored for his writing and producing on the series with the Gemini Award for Best Youth Series, a Gemini Nomination for Best Youth Writing and a Canadian Screenwriting Award for Best Youth Writing.

He was recognized with another Gemini Award for Best Youth Series for tween comedy series OVERRULED! (Family Channel), in which he was both a co-creator and first-time show-runner.

Jeff made his directorial debut on two episodes of MUDPIT, a live action/animation series he executive produced for Teletoon. The show was recently nominated for Best Youth Series at the 2013 Canadian Screen Awards.

After honing his comedy writing/show running skills for teen TV, Jeff is thrilled to be one of the show-runners of SPUN OUT, a prime time sitcom he co-wrote and co-created for CTV.

Jeff resides in Toronto with his wife Dr. Abby Goldstein and his two children Seth and Lucy.

BRENT PIASKOSKI – Executive Producer/Writer

Brent Piaskoski has been a professional writer for 20 years. His first major gig was as a staff writer on the YTV Ryan Gosling starrer, Breaker High. From there, he went on to become one of the most prolific writers in the tween genre. He has produced over 160 episodes of television on such shows as RADIO FREE ROSCOE, NATURALLY SADIE, and THE LATEST BUZZ (Family Channel/Starz), a sitcom he also created. In this time, Brent has won a Gemini, three Canadian Screenwriting Awards, and has received three Writers Guild of Canada Awards. His American credits include ACCORDING TO JIM and THE CHIMP CHANNEL.

Although known for his work in the youth market, Brent has an extensive background in comedy, having been a working headliner in Canada and the US for a decade. Brent is also generous with his time and a friend and mentor to new talent in Canada. There are many writers who can thank him for being the first person to hire them, or even just take the time to go for a coffee and talk about the industry.

As a show-runner, Brent Piaskoski is one of the most respected in the industry. His time spent in US writers rooms and talking to show-runners like Phil Rosenthal (EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND) and Mike Royce (MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE), have given him a better understanding of what it takes to make a show successful. He has taken these lessons and implemented them into the rooms he runs, be it bringing in the city’s best stand-up comedians for punch-up, or making sure the actors give it their all at read-throughs. Brent has a passionate, enthusiastic style that results in hilarious, heartfelt, quality entertainment. SPUN OUT season one is proof of that commitment.

Brent splits his time between Toronto and Los Angeles where he lives with his wife and Jeff Biederman’s two children.

COLIN BRUNTON – Producer

Emerging from the punk music scene as a documentarian in the late 70's, Colin went on to build one of the most prolific careers in Canadian indie film and television. He won a Genie for best live action short, The Mysterious Moon Men of Canada, and went on to PM and produce for many of Canada's most well-known auteurs. His feature producing credits include the legendary films Roadkill, Highway 61 and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. As the original executive director of the Feature Film Project at the CFC, he executive produced some of the most successful projects to come out of that program including Rude and Cube. He went on to conquer the television world with several series under his belt, including: OUR HERO, AN AMERICAN IN CANADA, THE NEWSROOM, JEFF LTD., PUPPETS WHO KILL, HOW TO BE INDIE, LITTLE MOSQUE, ALMOST HEROES, and CONNOR UNDERCOVER. His filmmaking life has come full circle with the release of his own feature documentary on Toronto's punk history, The Last Pogo Jumps Again.