marblemedia and Mezo Entertainment find life on Mars withsci-fi adventure series,GENERATION MARS
Award-winning writer and producer Robert C. Cooper (Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, Stargate) joins as Showrunner
Power line-up of esteemed Mars experts are attached to consult, including space exploration non-profit, Explore Mars; NASA Mars mission operations specialist, Dr. Tanya Harrison; and twenty-one-year-old astronaut-in-training and STEM-influencer phenom,
Alyssa Carson
Los Angeles/Toronto/ Vancouver - (May 26, 2022) – marblemedia and Mezo Entertainment announced today they are in development on a live-action sci-fi adventure series, Generation Mars (10x60’). Helmed by creator Robert C. Cooper (Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, Stargate) the series is based on the popular books of the same name by Douglas D. Meredith.
Generation Mars chronicles humanity's perilous extraterrestrial endeavour from the unique point of view of an extraordinary family. It’s an optimistic heart-pounding thrill ride based on hard science that will inspire adventure-seekers of all ages.
Why would anyone have kids on a planet that always seems to be actively trying to kill them? Because the future may depend on it. The year is 2053 and twelve-year-old Cas is famous on two worlds. She’s a true Martian, the first human being born on Mars. Twenty years earlier the first settlers arrived from Earth, and now Cas is about to step outside and see the Martian sky with her own eyes for the first time.
marblemedia signed-on award-winning creator, and executive producer, Robert C. Cooper of Mezo Entertainment as the project’s showrunner. Known for show running the Stargate franchise through 3 series, spanning 17 seasons for MGM, he has since been the showrunner for the absurdly funny, hip and violent Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency for BBC America. He also produced and show ran the medical drama Unspeakable for Sundance channel, which was named on the Hollywood Reporter's and New York Times' Best Television of 2019 lists.
Explore Mars Inc., a not for profit whose mission is to achieve human exploration of Mars by the mid-2030s, have boarded the series. Bringing space stakeholders, policy makers, innovation professionals, international partners, and space enthusiasts together, Explore Mars led by CEO Chris Carberry and President Janet Ivey, will consult and work on outreach to authenticate and raise awareness for the series. Recently, they hosted their annual The Humans to Mars Summit in Washington D.C, where marblemedia’s VP Kids/Family Development, A.J. Trauth, and Robert Cooper spoke on the “STEM In Media” panel.
Bringing scientific credibility to help build a realistic story world, Dr. Tanya Harrison, a Ph.D. in Geology with a specialization in Planetary Science and Exploration, has boarded the project as a consultant. Dr. Harrison is a respected Mars expert who has worked as a geoscientist and mission operations specialists on multiple NASA Mars missions over the past 13 years. She currently works as the Director of Strategic Science Initiatives at Planet Labs and as a Fellow at the University of British Columbia’s Outer Space Institute.
Additionally, astronaut in training, Alyssa Carson, joins the series as a consultant. This 21-year-old pioneer is the youngest person to be accepted to and graduate from the Advanced Possum Academy, officially certifying her to travel to space as an astronaut trainee. In addition to this remarkable accomplishment, she is a global speaker, an author of ‘So You Want to be an Astronaut’, featured in the documentary The Mars Generation, and was recently selected as one of seven ambassadors representing Mars One, a mission to establish a human colony on Mars in 2030.
“We’re excited to announce our partnerships in bringing this ambitious four-quadrant hard science fiction series to the screen,” shared A.J. Trauth, VP of Kids/Family Development at marblemedia. “Doug (Meredith) wrote an edge-of-your-seat, thriller of a novel and we can’t wait to build out this story for TV audiences of all ages with Rob Cooper and the contribution of our impressive panel of experts.”
“Doug’s books are about three things. The importance of family, co-operation and science.” said Rob Cooper “For me, Generation Mars is about human resilience and forging a meaningful existence in the face of what life throws at you. I have three daughters and I’m excited to be part of something that will inspire the next generation of scientists, explorers and leaders. We need them badly.”
ABOUT marblemedia
marblemedia is a leading global entertainment company that develops, produces and distributes compelling TV, interactive and digital content for audiences of all ages.
Powered by reach with an international distribution company, Distribution360, marblemedia content divisions include Primetime Scripted, Unscripted, Kids & Family. and a successful CAVCO certified YouTube channel marbleKids, marblemedia is an expert in delivering premium content that meets the needs of an ever-changing media landscape.
Building on a library of award-winning programs, marblemedia has produced over 900 episodes of television content. Recent scripted series include the interconnected family comedies The Parker Andersons/Amelia Parker; family comedy Overlord and the Underwoods; teen series Open Heart. marblemedia’s unscripted series include Netflix Original series Blown Away, Netflix Original series Restaurants on the Edge, All-Round Champion, Race Against the Tide and Best in Miniature.
Founded in 2001 by co-CEOs Mark Bishop and Matt Hornburg with a vision of creativity, partnership and innovation, the company has offices in Toronto, Los Angeles and London, plus a 50-acre production facility located north of Toronto.
About Mezo Entertainment
Mezo Entertainment is Robert C. Cooper’s production company. Rob has been involved in the creation of over 400 episodes of television. He is known for showrunning the record-breaking 17 season STARGATE television franchise for MGM. He co-created STARGATE ATLANTIS and STARGATE UNIVERSE and served as executive producer, writer, and director of multiple episodes of all three series and two DTV movies. His latest series UNSPEAKABLE, produced by Mezo for CBC and AMC Studios/Sundance TV, chronicled the Canadian tainted blood tragedy. Prior to that, he served as showrunner on DIRK GENTLY’S HOLISTIC DETECTIVE AGENCY for BBCAmerica, Netflix and AMC Studios. Some accolades include two Hugo nominations, a Canadian Writer’s Guild award for best dramatic screenplay and an Outstanding Achievement Award for contribution to the British Columbia television industry.