Thunderbird buys Canuck compatriot

Canada-based TV and film producer Thunderbird has acquired fellow Canadian firm Great Pacific Media as it pushes into unscripted television.

Great Pacific produces shows including Discovery Canada’s Highway Thru Hell (pictured) and the upcoming Airshow and Game of Homes.

Thunderbird is best known in TV circles for its Lionsgate Entertainment joint venture Sea To Sky Entertainment. Lionsgate founder Frank Giustra is a shareholder in the venture, which last year scored a development deal with Kevin Costner.

The company recently acquired London-based theatrical distributor Soda Pictures and Continuum prodco Reunion Pictures.

Thunderbird and Great Pacific will work together on a major push into unscripted TV.

“We admire their accurate, honest and compelling style of storytelling and look forward to working together to produce content that is attractive to our domestic and international broadcasters,” said Tim Gamble, CEO of Thunderbird.

“We have known and worked with Thunderbird for many years and have a shared vision to fuel our growth through the creation of world class content. This makes a lot of sense,” added Great Pacific CEO Mark Miller, who launched the firm with Blair Reekie in 2010.