''Backstage'' is a Canadian

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

television series about a

performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. P ...

high school created by Jennifer Pertsch and Lara Azzopardi. The series aired in Canada on Family Channel from March 18 to December 9, 2016, and in the United States on

Disney Channel Disney Channel is an American pay television television channel, channel that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company ...

from March 25 to September 30, 2016. The series was also released on

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

in early 2017, with season two premiering on the streaming service on September 30, 2017. The series' ensemble cast includes Devyn Nekoda, Alyssa Trask, Josh Bogert, Aviva Mongillo, Matthew Isen, and Julia Tomasone.

Premise

The trials and tribulations of the students at Keaton School of the Arts, which includes dancers, singers, musicians, and artists. The characters frequently break the fourth wall, talking to the viewers in so-called "confessionals".

Episodes

Cast

* Devyn Nekoda as Vanessa * Alyssa Trask as Carly * Josh Bogert as Miles * Aviva Mongillo as Alya * Matthew Isen as Jax * Julia Tomasone as Bianca * Adrianna Di Liello as Jenna * Colin Petierre as Sasha * Mckenzie Small as Scarlett * Romy Weltman as Kit * Isiah Hall as Denzel (season 1) * Kyal Legend as Julie * Chris Hoffman as Park * Jane Moffat as Helsweel * Thomas L. Colford as Beckett (season 2)

Production

Actors in the series are all real dancers and musicians embodying the true spirit of the performing arts. Directors for the series include top music video directors such as RT!, Director X, Wendy Morgan, and Warren P. Sonoda as well as Mario Azzopardi and Lara Azzopardi. The first season production order consisted of 30 episodes. On May 10, 2016, it was announced that ''Backstage'' was renewed for a 30-episode second season for a 2017 broadcast on Family Channel in Canada. On September 30, 2017, the show's cast revealed on social media that the entire second season had been picked up by Netflix.

Broadcast

The series premiered on Family Channel in Canada on March 18, 2016, and on

in the United States on March 25, 2016.

secured the license for the series in several countries in Europe, Africa, and the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

. It premiered on

in the United Kingdom and Ireland on May 9, 2016, and on

in Australia and New Zealand on October 28, 2016. The second season had its world premiere on July 28, 2017, in the UK and Ireland. The entire second season was released in Australia on the

ABC Me ABC Entertains is an Australian free-to-air television channel owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It was launched on 4 December 2009 as a children's channel called ABC3. It was rebranded on 19 September 2016 to ABC ME. It rebra ...

app and on the

ABC iview ABC iview is a video on demand and catch-up TV service run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Currently iview video content can only be viewed by users in Australia. As of 2016, ABC iview attracts around 50 million plays monthly and a ...

on-demand service from September 15 to October 15, 2017. In the United States, the second season was released on

on September 30, 2017.

Reception

Critical

''Backstage'' has received positive, albeit lukewarm reviews from critics.

Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an American nonprofit organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.

gave the series three out of five stars, saying that while it "doesn't really break new ground", it "does touch on many issues that are worthwhile for kids".

U.S. ratings

Music

* The primary source for performers and writers is the end credits of episodes.

Season 1

Season 2

References

External links

Backstage
at Family Channel (Canada)
Backstage
at Disney Channel (U.S.) * {{Family Channel original series 2010s Canadian drama television series 2010s Canadian high school television series 2010s Canadian teen drama television series 2016 Canadian television series debuts 2017 Canadian television series endings Canadian English-language television shows Family Channel (Canadian TV network) original programming Television series by WildBrain Television series by Fresh TV