Argos’ Admiral to Premiere Riderville Radio Sitcom in July

REGINA – Dacian Productions and Harvard Broadcasting are pleased to announce the launch of a new radio comedy series, The Riderville Radio Sitcom.

Each half-hour episode of the sitcom takes place during a famous game in the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ history, from 1928 to 2013. Stories will centre on a group of Rider fans, in CFL cities across the country, being forced to deal with any variety of commotion around them.

“Think of it as Corner Gas meets Bull Durham,” says Toronto-based series creator Jarrett Rusnak, of Dacian Productions. “Rider fans are known around the CFL for their passion, and that passion makes for great comedy – so basically, we’re taking real life, and cranking it up a few notches.”

The series’ demo features the Roughriders taking on the Blue Bombers in the 2007 Labour Day Classic – while in the stands, a young woman goes into labour. To her boyfriend’s chagrin, she refuses to leave because she wants to see how the game will end.

“The idea of tying actual moments in the Riders’ history to stuff we just fabricate, makes for a special kind of comedy,” said Rusnak – who hails from Regina. “After listening to the series’ demo, my friend joked that it could have been a documentary.”

Rusnak, who also writes for the Argos Admirals says that Toronto will be well represented in the series. “I love Toronto, and the Argos are my second favourite team in the CFL. The team and the city will be getting a lot of love over the course of ten episodes.”

Being the subject of a radio sitcom, is something the Roughriders find intriguing.

“We are very excited by this series, because it embraces our fan base while celebrating our colourful history,” said Gregg Sauter, the Riders VP of Business Development and Marketing. “The fact that this is a radio comedy, makes it even more special, because CKRM has been such a big part of how fans have experienced our games over the decades.”

The Riderville Radio Sitcom will premiere on 620 CKRM in July. It is a project that marks bold new territory for the station.

“These days, there’s a lot of Roughrider content out there – sports shows, blogs, etc. But this is something we can give our listeners, that no other station can offer,” said Jason Huschi, General Manager at Harvard Broadcasting. “It’s a throwback to the early days of the radio comedy, while at the same time, fitting perfectly into our 21st century lives. We can capture the imaginations of our listeners while paying homage to our past.”

The Riderville Radio Sitcom Kickstarter page offers CFL fans a unique opportunity to be part of the production. Nearly 60 characters will be created over 10 half-hour episodes, and fans can pay for the privilege of having some of these characters modelled after themselves (or someone they love).

“It’s a great way to honour a grandparent for an episode that takes place in 1948,” said Rusnak, “or you can put yourself in the stands in Toronto for the 1976 Grey Cup.” Fans will have until February 20th to take advantage of this offer.

Scripts, downloads of the series, and tickets to watch live recordings of the episodes, can also be purchased on the project’s Kickstarter page.

Visit www.preorderridervilleradiositcom.com for more information.