Life with Derek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Life with Derek |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Created by | Daphne Ballon |
| Developed by | Daphne Ballon Bernice Vanderlaan |
| Starring | Michael Seater Ashley Leggat Jordan Todosey Daniel Magder Ariel Waller Joy Tanner John Ralston |
| Theme music composer | Gary Koftinoff and Ron Proulx |
| Opening theme | "Livin' Life with Derek", sung by Cheyenne Twiner of Uncensored, performed by Gary Koftinoff |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 70 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Daphne Ballon Christina Jennings |
| Camera setup | Film; Single-camera |
| Running time | 24 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Shaftesbury Films Pope Productions (season 1) |
| Release | |
| Original network | Family Channel |
| Original release | September 18, 2005 – March 25, 2009 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Vacation with Derek (2010 TV movie) |
Life with Derek is a fun Canadian TV show, also known as a sitcom. It aired on Family Channel in Canada and Disney Channel in the United States. The show first aired on September 18, 2005. It ran for four seasons and ended on March 25, 2009.
The series stars Michael Seater and Ashley Leggat. They play the two oldest children in a new stepfamily. The show had 70 episodes. A TV movie called Vacation with Derek followed the series. It was filmed in 2009 and aired on June 25, 2010.
In 2020, the company Shaftesbury Films announced a new show. It is called Life with Luca. This new show takes place 15 years after the original series.
Contents
What the Show is About
The story of Life with Derek begins when two families combine. George Venturi (John Ralston) is a divorced dad. He has three children: Derek (Michael Seater), Edwin (Daniel Magder), and Marti (Ariel Waller).
George marries Nora McDonald (Joy Tanner). She is a divorced mom with two daughters: Casey (Ashley Leggat) and Lizzie (Jordan Todosey). Before this, Casey loved her life in Toronto. She was the oldest child living with just her mom and sister.
After George and Nora get married, the McDonald family moves in with the Venturis. They all live together in London, Ontario. Casey was not happy about moving from Toronto. It was a much bigger city. She also did not like Derek at first. But she soon accepted the move for her mom and George. She saw how much they cared for each other.
Meet the Characters
This show is all about the McDonald-Venturi family. Here are the main characters you'll meet:
The Kids
- Cassandra "Casey" McDonald (played by Ashley Leggat): Casey is the oldest daughter. She is very organized and loves to study. She always tries to get good grades. Casey often argues with Derek because they are very different. She loves to dance and sing. She also joins school musicals. Casey later gets into Queen's University with Derek. In the movie, she plans to study English and Economics.
- Derek Venturi (played by Michael Seater): Derek is the oldest son and the show's main character. He is more relaxed than Casey. He sometimes finds sneaky ways to get what he wants. Derek is a big sports fan and plays ice hockey. He also has a band called D-Rock where he plays guitar. He often plays pranks on Casey. Derek also gets into Queen's University.
- Elizabeth "Lizzie" McDonald (played by Jordan Todosey): Lizzie is Casey's younger sister. She is a bit of a tomboy. She often supports Casey. As a middle child, she also gets along with Edwin. Lizzie is patient and enjoys sports like soccer and gymnastics.
- Edwin Venturi (played by Daniel Magder): Edwin is Derek's younger brother. He looks up to Derek a lot. He often helps Derek with his plans. Sometimes he tries to stand up to Derek but usually gives in.
- Martina "Marti" Venturi (played by Ariel Waller): Marti is the youngest Venturi child. She loves getting attention from everyone. She can sometimes be swayed by either side in family arguments. But she can also be very independent.
- Simon McDonald Venturi: Simon is the youngest child in the family. He is the half-brother to all the other kids. Nora finds out she is pregnant with him at the end of the series. Simon only appears in the movie Vacation with Derek. He is the only child born to both Nora and George.
The Parents
- Nora McDonald Venturi (played by Joy Tanner): Nora is the mother of Casey, Lizzie, and Simon. She is the stepmother to Derek, Edwin, and Marti. She works with window decorations.
- George Venturi (played by John Ralston): George is the father of Derek, Edwin, Marti, and Simon. He is the stepfather to Casey and Lizzie. He works as a lawyer.
Other Important Characters
- Emily Davis (played by Shadia Simmons): Emily is Casey's best friend and next-door neighbor. She helps Casey with school and boy problems. Emily also had a crush on Derek and they dated for a while.
- Sam Richards (played by Kit Weyman): Sam is Derek's best friend. He was also Casey's first crush after she moved. Sam and Casey dated for a while but decided to stay friends.
- Max Miller (played by Robbie Amell): Max was the school's quarterback and Casey's boyfriend for some time.
- Sally (played by Kate Todd): Sally was Derek's co-worker. They started dating with some help from Casey and Nora. They broke up when Sally moved away for university.
- Truman French (played by Joe Dinicol): Truman was a new boy at school. Casey had a crush on him, and they dated for a while.
Episodes
To see a full list of all the episodes, check out the main article:
Awards and Nominations
Life with Derek won several awards and was nominated for many others. Here are some of its achievements:
- Directors Guild of Canada
- Nominated for Television Series - Family in 2009, 2007, and 2006.
- Gemini Awards
- Won Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series in 2009.
- Won Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series for Michael Seater in 2009.
- Nominated for Best Writing in a Children's or Youth Program or Series in 2009.
- Nominated for Best Original Music Score in 2008 and 2006.
- Nominated for Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series for Ashley Leggat in 2008.
- Writers Guild of Canada
- Won the Youth award in 2006.
- Young Artist Awards
- Nominated for Best Performance in a TV Series for Daniel Magder in 2008 and 2007.
- Nominated for Best Performance in a TV Series for Michael Seater and Ashley Leggat in 2007.
- Nominated for Best Performance in a TV Series for Ariel Waller in 2007.
- Nominated for Best Young Ensemble Performance in 2006.
See also
In Spanish: Life with Derek para niños
