Epitome Pictures Inc. (later known as DHX Studios Toronto and WildBrain Studios) was a Canadian

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

and

television production company A production company, production house, production studio, or a production team is a studio that creates works in the fields of performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, comics, interactive arts, video games, websites, music, and vi ...

based in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

. Founded by Linda Schuyler and Stephen Stohn in 1992, the company is best known for producing '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' and '' Degrassi: Next Class'', the fourth and fifth respective entries of the '' Degrassi'' teen drama franchise, of which was co-created by Schuyler. Other television series produced by Epitome include '' Liberty Street,'' '' Riverdale'', and ''

The L.A. Complex ''The L.A. Complex'' (originally ''Highland Gardens'') is a Canadian drama television series that premiered on CTV on January 10, 2012, subsequently airing on MuchMusic. It also began airing in the United States on April 24, 2012, on The CW. Th ...

.'' In 2016, Epitome was absorbed into

DHX Media WildBrain Ltd. (formerly known as DHX Media, Ltd.) is a Canadian media, animation studio, production, and brand licensing company, mostly associated as an entertainment company. The company is known for owning the largest library of children ...

(later WildBrain) and the Epitome name and branding ceased.

History

Linda Schuyler and Stephen Stohn founded Epitome Pictures in 1992, and purchased its first studio building in 1995, to film ''Riverdale''. At the time, the studio was allegedly "in a sorry state, with snow melting on the leaking roof and cans catching the water". Its main headquarters were located on a 100,000 square-foot lot in Bartley Drive in

. In April 2014, the company and its library, including the '' Degrassi'' series produced before Epitome ('' The Kids of Degrassi Street'', ''

Degrassi Junior High ''Degrassi Junior High'' is a Canadian television series and the second series in the ''Degrassi'' franchise created by Kit Hood and Linda Schuyler. A successor but not a direct spin-off of ''The Kids of Degrassi Street'', it debuted on CBC o ...

'', '' Degrassi High'', and the non-fiction documentary series '' Degrassi Talks''), was acquired by fellow Canadian television producer

for $33 million. After the buyout, Epitome's assets were absorbed into DHX Media, and the studio was renamed DHX Media Toronto in 2016. On April 2, 2019, DHX announced plans to sell the Bartley Drive studio for $12 million, as part of their intentions to streamline its physical operations across Canada. In September that year, DHX Media was renamed WildBrain.

Playing With Time, Inc.

Playing With Time, Inc. was a Canadian

and

based in

, and the predecessor of Epitome Pictures. Founded by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1976, the company is best known for producing '' The Kids of Degrassi Street'', as well as ''

'' and '' Degrassi High'', the first, second, and third respective entries of the '' Degrassi'' franchise. Schuyler, a Grade 7 and Grade 8 media teacher at Earl Grey Senior Public School in Toronto in 1976, met Hood, then an editor for television commercials, when she needed help from an experienced editor to save the "muddled footage" of one of her projects. Hood and Schuyler found a balance; editor Hood was inexperienced in writing, and Schuyler was inexperienced in editing, leading to their creative partnership. The production offices were located on 935 Queen Street East, where the ''Degrassi Junior High'' and ''Degrassi High'' cast would routinely gather to be taken to the schools where the respective series were filmed. Epitome Pictures later owned the rights to the three previous ''Degrassi'' shows produced by Playing With Time.

Filmography

Playing With Time, Inc.

* ''Jimmy: Playing With Time'' (short film) * ''Our Cultural Fabric'' (1978, short film) * '' The Kids of Degrassi Street'' (1979–1986) * ''Growing Up with Sandy Offenheim'' (1980, five shorts) * ''Pearls in the Alphabet Soup'' (1980, short film) * ''Don't Call Me Stupid'' (1983, short film) * ''Advice on Lice'' (1985, short film) * '' OWL/TV'' (1985–1986) ("Real Kids" segments) * ''

'' (1987–1989) * '' Degrassi High'' (1989–1991) * '' Degrassi Talks'' (1992) * '' School's Out'' (1992)

Epitome Pictures

* ''X-Rated'' (1993, TV movie) * '' Liberty Street'' (1995) * '' Riverdale'' (1997–2000) * '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' (2001–2015) (co-production with Bell Media) * '' Instant Star'' (2004–2008) * '' Degrassi Goes Hollywood'' (2009, movie) * '' Degrassi Takes Manhattan'' (2010, movie) * ''

'' (2012) * '' Open Heart'' (2015) * '' Make It Pop'' (2015–2016) (co-production with Tom Lynch Company, N'Credible Entertainment, and Nickelodeon) * '' The Other Kingdom'' (2016) (co-production with Tom Lynch Company and Nickelodeon) * '' Degrassi: Next Class'' (2016–2017) * '' Letterkenny'' (2016–2019) * '' Massive Monster Mayhem'' (2017)

References

External links

Epitome Pictures Inc. archives
at the University of Toronto Media Commons {{Coord, 43, 43, 11, N, 79, 18, 58, W, display=title WildBrain Television production companies of Canada Companies based in Toronto