Soapbox Productions was formed in January 1990 when Nick Orchard returned from the UK after five years as Associate Producer for the popular serials “Eastenders” (BBC) and “Brookside” (Channel 4), as well as dramas “The Marksman” and “Jumping the Queue” (BBC). Nick brought to Soapbox an extensive background in drama and TV series production, and the company’s first project was four seasons of the acclaimed teen drama “Northwood”, an international co-production with the CBC and Sweden’s Sveriges Television. “Northwood” won numerous awards including the Silver Medal from the New York Festivals and the award of excellence from the Alliance for Children and Television.

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While retaining drama as its mainstay, Nick diversified the company with the addition of documentary and comedy production, producing and directing two seasons of the popular astronomy series “Cosmic Highway” for the Discovery Channel and three seasons of “Double Exposure” for CTV and the Comedy Network. This series was a multiple Gemini Award nominee and winner of the Golden Sheaf Award and the Gold Camera Award from the International Film and Television Festival. This was followed by “Cosmic Odyssey”, a documentary series for Discovery Channel narrated by William Shatner, and “The Great Race”, a reality series for CTV. MOW’s “The New Beachcombers” and “A Beachcombers Christmas” were produced as back-door pilots for the CBC, followed by the TV drama “Tales of an Urban Indian” for APTN.

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Soapbox Productions most recent series and specials include “Shakin’ All Over”, a history of Canadian rock for CBC, and the sequels “This Beat Goes On”, “Rise Up” and “Life is a Highway”, along with three seasons of “Head’s Up!” a children’s astronomy series for TVO featuring Bob McDonald. For CBC, Soapbox delivered a 3-hour history of the comedy group Second City, while producing three seasons of the series “On Screen”, for CHUM/Bravo, the travel series “Island Escapes”, “The Great Race” and “What Were They Thinking” for CTV, “In the Shadow of the Blues”, a biography of Long John Baldry for CHUM/CTV and the BBC. Most recently the company delivered “Magical Mystery Cures” and “Having Our Baby” for the CBC, the documentary “Chubby Cree” for Telus Originals and the drama series “Murder in a Small Town” for Fox, Global and ITV, starring Rossif Sutherland, Kristin Kreuk and James Cameron.

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In development is “Brothers McLean”, a mini-series from acclaimed writer and director Marie Clements, and “The Animated Beachcombers” with Slaphappy Cartoons and veteran animation executive Blair Peters  (Yvon of the Yukon, Being Ian, Kid Vs. Kat).