The TV Watercooler had the opportunity to speak with this year’s Glass Ceiling Award Honouree, Christina Jennings,at The Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Canada award ceremony on May 29, 2025, held at the Ritz-Carlton in Toronto.
Christina, who is the CEO of Shaftesbury (which produces hits like Hudson & Rex and The Murdoch Mysteries), shares exclusive insights into the Canada-Ireland co-production Irish Blood, starring Alicia Silverstone, describing it as a “fresh take” on a “glorious” story of mystery and discovery.
She also delves into the timely new series, The Border Line (formerly Underbelly), featuring Stephen Amell, Hamza Haq, and Minnie Driver, set to explore the complexities of the Canada-U.S. border.
Finally, Christina teases a reunion with Eric McCormack in the upcoming Hell Motel, a project that taps into her love for true crime and promises a compelling whodunit.
Shaftesbury has three new projects that will be coming out soon! The first one, which I’m very excited for, is Irish Blood with Alicia Silverstone. What can you tease about working on that one?
Well, that was a really cool Canada-Ireland co-production and I will say that I am extremely excited about it! I think it’s a very fresh take on this story. It’s Alicia’s character going back to Ireland to really give her, what she calls her, deadbeat dad, a piece of her mind – only to find out that he’s dead!
And was he killed? So, now she’s going to spend six episodes [trying to find out]. It’s glorious. Alicia is remarkable!
You’ve also got Underbelly [original title] with Stephen Amell, Hamza Haq, and Minnie Driver about the illegal Canada-U.S. drug trade, which is quite topical right now. What was producing that like?
It was wonderful. It was a script by a young Canadian writer named Graeme Stewart. We picked it up as a spec script. He’s a more junior writer and has awesome work. We attached Stephen Amell, Hamza Haq, Minnie Driver and the fabulous Tamara Podemski.
The idea for this particular [first season] is set in and around the 1,000 Islands, which is the border between Canada and the United States of America that we’ve heard so much about lately. For the potential second or third seasons, we might go to the Niagara River or go out west to do that land border.
We’re really proud [of this project] and it’ll now be called The Border Line, which is the new title of the series.
You’ve also got Hell Motel coming up which reunites you with Eric McCormack, who you worked with on Slasher. What can you tease about this series? Are you a true crime fan, which is what I’m hearing this series will tie into?
I am a true crime fan! This is sort of the sixth season of a series that I’ve worked with Aaron Martin and Ian Carpenter. Every season we’ve done is a nod to something and Hell Hotel is a bit of a nod to a whodunit. What happened in the past needs to be solved now, in the present.
We’re so thrilled to be back in business with Eric McCormack!
What was the last TV show that you enjoyed, or binge watched that wasn’t work related?
The Pitt! I absolutely loved The Pitt. Noah Wyle is extraordinary. It’s a remarkable piece of television.
Check out the rest of The TV Watercooler’s coverage from The Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Canada event here.
