ABC taps Canadian pipeline for 'Copper'

ABC has ordered up the Canadian-produced police drama "Copper."

"Copper" comes from E1 Entertainment and will air in conjunction with Canwest Global in Canada.

The series focuses on five rookie cops entering the world of big city policing. ABC's rather florid release promises, "The series follows this group of new cops just out of the police academy, where they bonded together, fought together, drank together, worked together and slept together. And now they’re on the job together. They’re kids with guns, learning firsthand the hardest kind of policing there is. They’re first responders, and they’re about to learn that no amount of training prepares you for life."

"Copper" will begin production on its 13-episode first season in Toronto starting in June 2009. It was created by Morwyn Berbner, Ellen Vanstone and Tassie Cameron.

"When we initially commissioned the pilot and then the series, we knew that it was a high-calibre production and worthy of international audiences," says Barbara Williams, executive vice president, Content, Canwest broadcasting. "We could not be happier with the partnership and are confident that E1 will deliver a great show for Global and ABC to simulcast."

ABC is attempting to mine a Canadian co-production pipeline that has brought "Flashpoint" and the upcoming "The Bridge" to CBS. FOX is trying its own international trickery with this summer's Colombia-filmed "Mental," while NBC's "Merlin" and "The Philanthropist" have British backing.

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