Epitome Pictures Inc. (later known as DHX Studios Toronto) was a Canadian film and television production company based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded by Linda Schuyler and Stephen Stohn in 1992, the company is best known for producing Degrassi: The Next Generation and Degrassi: Next Class, the fourth and fifth respective entries of the Degrassi teen drama franchise, of which was co-created by Schuyler. Other television series produced by Epitome include Liberty Street, Riverdale, and The L.A. Complex. In 2016, Epitome was absorbed into DHX Media and the Epitome name and branding ceased.
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| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film production Television production |
| Predecessor | Playing With Time, Inc. |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Defunct | April 2, 2019 |
| Fate | Absorbed into DHX Media, studios sold off |
| Successor | DHX Studios |
| Headquarters | 220 Bartley Drive, Toronto, Ontario , Canada |
Key people | Linda Schuyler (COO) Stephen Stohn (President) |
| Services | Production, distribution, broadcast, and licensing of entertainment content for children and families |
| Parent | DHX Media (2014–2019) |
 | |
| 1968 | FilmFair London is founded |
|---|---|
| 1971 | DIC Audiovisuel is founded |
| 1972 | Strawberry Shortcake brand is first developed |
| 1974 | CPLG is founded |
| 1976 | CINAR and Colossal Pictures are founded |
| 1982 | DIC Enterprises is founded |
| 1984 | Ragdoll Productions is founded |
| 1987 | DIC Audiovisuel closes |
| 1988 | Studio B Productions is founded |
| 1992 | Epitome Pictures is founded |
| 1993 | DIC Enterprises becomes DIC Entertainment |
| 1994 | Wild Brain is founded‚ and Red Rover Studios is founded, DIC Entertainment brands as The Incredible World of DIC |
| 1995 | Platinum Disc Corporation is founded |
| 1996 | CINAR buys FilmFair's library |
| 1997 | Decode Entertainment is founded |
| 1999 | Wild Brain acquires Colossal Pictures' employee base |
| 2002 | Nerd Corps Entertainment is founded |
| 2004 | Halifax Film Company is founded, CINAR rebrands as Cookie Jar Group |
| 2005 | Platinum Disc Corporation merge as Echo Bridge Home Entertainment |
| 2006 | Decode and Halifax Film merge as DHX Media, DIC acquires CPLG, and Ragdoll Worldwide is formed with BBC Worldwide |
| 2007 | DHX Media buys Studio B Productions and Wild Brain becomes Wildbrain Entertainment |
| 2008 | Cookie Jar Group absorbs DIC and House of Cool absorbs Red Rover Studios |
| 2010 | DHX Media buys Wildbrain Entertainment‚ and Peanuts Worldwide is founded |
| 2011 | Decode Entertainment and Red Rover Studios closes |
| 2012 | DHX Media buys Cookie Jar Group |
| 2013 | DHX Media acquires Ragdoll Worldwide’s back catalogue |
| 2014 | DHX Media buys Epitome Pictures, Nerd Corps, and Echo Bridge Home Entertainment's family content library, as well as Family, the English version of Disney Junior, the French version of Disney Junior and Disney XD; Cookie Jar Group is absorbed |
| 2016 | The WildBrain multi-channel network launches and Studio B and Nerd Corps merge as DHX Studios |
| 2017 | Wildbrain Entertainment closes; DHX Media buys Peanuts Worldwide and Strawberry Shortcake |
| 2018 | Halifax Film becomes Island of Misfits |
| 2019 | DHX Media rebrands as WildBrain, Epitome Pictures closes, and the WildBrain MCN becomes WildBrain Spark |
| 2020 | CPLG becomes WildBrain CPLG |
| 2021 | Echo Bridge folds into SP Distribution |
| 2023 | WildBrain acquires House of Cool |
| 2024 | WildBrain Spark merged into its parent company as WildBrain London |
History
editLinda Schuyler and Stephen Stohn founded Epitome Pictures in 1992,[1] and purchased its first studio building in 1995, to film Riverdale.[2] At the time, the studio was allegedly "in a sorry state, with snow melting on the leaking roof and cans catching the water".[2] Its main headquarters were located on a 100,000 square-foot lot in Bartley Drive in Toronto, Ontario.[3] In April 2014, the company and its library, including the Degrassi series produced before Epitome (The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, Degrassi High, and the non-fiction documentary series Degrassi Talks), was acquired by fellow Canadian television producer DHX Media for $33 million.[4][5]
After the buyout, Epitome's assets were absorbed into DHX Media, and the studio was renamed DHX Media Toronto in 2016. On April 2, 2019, DHX announced plans to sell the Bartley Drive studio for $12 million, as part of their intentions to streamline its physical operations across Canada.[6] In September that year, DHX Media was renamed WildBrain.[7]
Playing With Time, Inc.
editPlaying With Time, Inc. was a Canadian film and television production company based in Toronto, Ontario, and the predecessor of Epitome Pictures. Founded by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1976,[8] the company is best known for producing The Kids of Degrassi Street, as well as Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High, the first, second, and third respective entries of the Degrassi franchise. Schuyler, a Grade 7 and Grade 8 media teacher at Earl Grey Senior Public School in Toronto in 1976,[9] met Hood, then an editor for television commercials, when she needed help from an experienced editor to save the "muddled footage" of one of her projects.[10] Hood and Schuyler found a balance; editor Hood was inexperienced in writing, and Schuyler was inexperienced in editing, leading to their creative partnership.[10] The production offices were located on 935 Queen Street East,[11] where the Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High cast would routinely gather to be taken to the schools where the respective series were filmed.[12]
Epitome Pictures later owned the rights to the three previous Degrassi shows produced by Playing With Time.[4]
Filmography
editPlaying With Time, Inc.
edit- Jimmy: Playing With Time (short film)[10]
- Our Cultural Fabric (1978, short film)[10]
- The Kids of Degrassi Street (1979–1986)
- Growing Up with Sandy Offenheim (1980, five shorts)
- Pearls in the Alphabet Soup (1980, short film)
- Don't Call Me Stupid (1983, short film)
- Advice on Lice (1985, short film)
- OWL/TV (1985–1986) ("Real Kids" segments)
- Degrassi Junior High (1987–1989)
- Degrassi High (1989–1991)
- Degrassi Talks (1992)
- School's Out (1992)
Epitome Pictures
edit- X-Rated (1993, TV movie)
- Liberty Street (1995)
- Riverdale (1997–2000)
- Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001–2015) (co-production with Bell Media)
- Instant Star (2004–2008)
- Degrassi Goes Hollywood (2009, movie)
- Degrassi Takes Manhattan (2010, movie)
- The L.A. Complex (2012)
- Open Heart (2015)
- Make It Pop (2015–2016) (co-production with Tom Lynch Company, N'Credible Entertainment, and Nickelodeon)
- The Other Kingdom (2016) (co-production with Tom Lynch Company and Nickelodeon)
- Degrassi: Next Class (2016–2017)
- Letterkenny (2016–2019)
- Massive Monster Mayhem (2017)[13]
References
edit- ^ "Growing up Degrassi". Retrieved 2022-02-13.
- ^ a b Zekas, Rita (2013-10-04). "Degrassi their home away from home". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
- ^ Pinto, Jordan (April 2, 2019). "DHX to sell Toronto studio on Bartley Drive". Retrieved 2022-03-05.
- ^ a b "DHX Media Acquires 'Degrassi' Producer Epitome". www.dhxmedia.com. DHX Media. Archived from the original on April 14, 2015. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
- ^ Houpt, Simon (3 April 2014). "DHX Media Buys Degrassi TV Studio". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
- ^ "DHX Media selling building in Toronto for $12 million, proceeds to pay down debt | Globalnews.ca".
- ^ "DHX Media changing name to WildBrain, begins reorganizing company | CBC News".
- ^ "Kit Hood, Co-Creator Of Beloved Canadian TV Series 'Degrassi,' Dies". ET Canada. The Canadian. 25 January 2020. Archived from the original on 2 May 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
- ^ Ellis 2005, pp. 8
- ^ a b c d West, Linda (September 1979). "Introducing...Kit Hood and Linda Schuyler" (PDF). Cinema Canada.
- ^ "People want to name a Toronto laneway after Degrassi's co-creator". www.blogto.com. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
- ^ "Niki Kemeny Interview by Natalie Earl". 11 December 2007. Archived from the original on 11 December 2007. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
- ^ "Nick orders Knight Squad, goes for DHX's Mayhem". Kidscreen.com. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
Works cited
edit- Ellis, Kathryn (2005). The official 411 Degrassi generations. Fenn Pub. Co. ISBN 1-55168-278-8. OCLC 59136593.
External links
edit- Epitome Pictures Inc. archives at the University of Toronto Media Commons