Unscripted expert Sean Connolly sets up Original Content Lab development hub, teams exclusively with Great Pacific Media, Thunderbird Entertainment’s factual division

The partnership will see Great Pacific Media further strengthen its presence in Toronto and expansion into new premium unscripted genres

Great Pacific Media (GPM), the factual division of Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc. (TSXV: TBRD, OTCQX: THBRF) (Thunderbird or the Company), has entered into an exclusive, multi-year strategic partnership with Sean Connolly’s newly launched Original Content Lab (OCL), which is focused on developing unscripted primetime and kids series for the global market, that GPM will produce.

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Through the partnership, GPM is doubling down on its unscripted development efforts that have led to a significant growth in production volume, with eight series currently underway, including new productions Deadman’s Curse (History, Hulu), Gut Job and Styled (both HGTV, Hulu). Additionally, the deal further bolsters GPM’s development presence in Toronto.

“Sean has an exceptional expertise and background in the key genres audiences are hungry for — formats, competition, docudrama and kids,” says GPM President, David Way. “It’s our mission to attract top talent, and he’s one of the best factual producers and creative forces in the business. This long-term partnership will be invaluable in accelerating our development pipeline and our delivery of premium factual content to the international market.”

Connolly has more than two decades of experience across North America and Europe, successfully creating, developing and selling unscripted series in several genres, including competition, formats, docudramas and kids. He recently led development on hit competition series Blown Away (Netflix), premium documentary 9/11: Control the Skies (Bell Media, Nat Geo International), and paranormal franchises Haunted Hospitals and Paranormal 911 (both T+E, Discovery TRVL). He has also added kids content to his skillset, greenlighting Riley Rocket created by Mladen Alexander (Degrassi) and Matthew Gerard (Hannah Montana, High School Musical), while he served as Senior VP of Development at Canadian prodco BGM in early 2022.

“I’m very excited to be embarking on this new chapter, working closely with David and the incredibly talented development team at GPM, led by Ed de Rivaz, Senior VP of Development,” says Sean Connolly, OCL founder. “My goal with OCL is to work with best-in-class creators and to identify and develop next-level IP to take to the global market. This partnership, with GPM and OCL’s combined development and sales experience, ensures a clear path to the production of the highest-quality factual content out there.”

ABOUT GREAT PACIFIC MEDIA

Great Pacific Media (“GPM”) programs are seen in more than 170 countries, and the Thunderbird Entertainment Group division specializes in the financing, development, production and co-production of factual, documentary, and reality television. Current productions at GPM include the highly rated Discovery Canada series Highway Thru Hell and its two spin-offs Heavy Rescue: 401 and Mud Mountain Haulers, all of which are also broadcast on The Weather Channel in the US, with Heavy Rescue: 401 also on Netflix there. Recently announced new series include Deadman’s Curse (History, Hulu), Gut Job (HGTV, Hulu), Dr. Savannah: Wild Rose Vet (APTN, Cottage Life), Styled (HGTV, Hulu) and scripted series Reginald the Vampire (SyFy, Hulu, Amazon).

ABOUT ORIGINAL CONTENT LAB

Original Content Lab Inc (“OCL”) is a content-creation company launched by industry veteran Sean Connolly in May 2022. Based out of Toronto, with an international outlook, it focuses on originating and acquiring original IP and collaborating with first-in-class creatives, to develop and sell multiplatform content across all primetime unscripted genres, including specialist factual docs, documentary series, docudrama, factual-entertainment formats and lifestyle. The company also develops kids and family programming.

SOURCE Thunderbird Entertainment Inc.

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