Deryck Roche

Breakthrough Entertainment is an award-winning producer and distributor of original, premium content for audiences around the world. It is one of Canada’s most established and respected production companies. Founded 35 years ago, it is the partnership of Executive Producers Ira Levy, Nat Abraham and Michael McGuigan. Breakthrough’s library now boasts 50-plus feature films and 3,000 television episodes which air on major networks and digital channels worldwide. It has been recognized with multiple international awards including numerous Geminis, Canadian Screen Awards and Canadian Comedy Awards. The entertainment studio’s operation encompasses multiple genres, but it is focused on prime-time scripted content and movies. Notable titles include the multi award winning comedy series Less Than Kind for HBO Canada and the Anne of Green Gables trilogy, starring Emmy award winner Martin Sheen. The Anne movies which sold worldwide, premiered on PBS in the United States. Breakthrough has also recently produced two seasons of the innovative hit crime drama Blood and Water shot in English, Mandarin and Cantonese. The company has partnered on co-productions with companies around the world including the U.K., France, Brazil, Philippines and New Zealand and has worked with renowned networks, broadcasters and distributors including NBC Universal, Nickelodeon, Discovery, Disney, Hallmark, National Geographic, Lifetime, Comedy Central, BBC, TF1 and Arte, among others. In Canada, Breakthrough has collaborated with CBC, Bell Media, Rogers Media, Corus Entertainment and TVOntario. Projects currently in development include a third season of Blood and Water and a feature film based on the novel “The Blue Castle” by Lucy Maud Montgomery.