ABC Family buys CBC comedy Sophie
Last Updated: Tuesday, February 5, 2008 | 11:39 AM ET
CBC News

ABC Family, part of Disney-ABC Television Group, has bought the Canadian comedy series Sophie, CBC's new television program about a young talent agent whose life is going down the tubes.

The U.S. network signed on for 13 episodes of the show, which is currently in its first season, and has bought an option for the second season of the show.

"Sophie is a wonderful show for ABC Family," said Tom Zappala, a senior vice-president with ABC Family, in a release. "It's fresh and funny but with real heart and warmth. And Natalie Brown is such a wonderful star — beautiful but so relatable."

Brown plays Sophie, a young mother who lost her boyfriend to her former best friend and ends up a single mother. She's struggling through the worst year of her life with sassy humour.

Created by Montreal studio Sphère Média Plus, the show is an adaptation of the successful francophone series Les hauts et les bas de Sophie Paquin (The Highs and Lows of Sophie Paquin).

"I am particularly proud of this production, especially since Sophie is the product of a rewarding partnership between Canadian actors and Quebec creative talent," said producer Jocelyn Deschênes, president of Sphère Média Plus.

U.S. networks are showing increased interest in Canadian TV shows because the ongoing screenwriters strike has prevented the creation of new episodes of existing American series.
With files from the Canadian Press

NOTE: Since the ratings on ABC Family were poor, they didn't feel it necessary to continue and therefore most likely lost ownership of the series, hence its disappearance from the site.