A Netflix series with strong ties to Simcoe County, Ont., is heading back to the ice.
Finding Her Edge, an ice dancing drama filmed across several Simcoe County communities, has officially been renewed for a second season. Netflix confirmed the pickup on Tuesday following the show’s strong debut in late January.
Season 1 took to screens on Jan. 22 and quickly found a global audience, debuting in Netflix’s English TV Top 10 and climbing as high #3 this week.
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According to the press release, the series has reached the top 10 in 81 countries and has already racked up more than 12 million views worldwide.
While the eight-episode series has gone global, its roots remain local. The production was filmed in parts of Simcoe County last year, with scenes shot in Orillia, Barrie and Wasaga Beach.
Locations included Mississauga Street East in downtown Orillia, the Orillia Public Library, the Orillia Museum of Art and History, Georgian College in Barrie, Eastview Arena, Shannon Street near St. Vincent Street and the Wasaga Stars Arena.
Based on the novel by Jennifer Iacopelli, Finding Her Edge follows the three Russo sisters as they take on the pressures of their family’s struggling figure-skating dynasty. At the centre of the story is 17-year-old Adriana Russo, played by Madelyn Keys, who is training for the World Championships with a new partner while still having feelings for her former skating partner and first love.
The drama intensifies when Adriana and her new partner, Braydon Elliot, played by Cale Ambrozic and described as the “bad boy of figure skating,” pretend to be a couple off the ice to secure a sponsorship that could save their family rink.
“I set out to make a show about love, featuring characters navigating a particularly difficult path in their lives and in their sport. It’s a true gift to be able to work with such a talented cast to extend these characters’ journeys in Season 2, with the support of Netflix and WildBrain,” says Showrunner Jeff Norton.
“I’m certain fans will be delighted as we delve deeper into the two love triangles that anchor our show—the romantic one and the familial one,“ he said. ”There’s plenty of drama to come both on and off the ice.”
The show’s attraction has also boosted the original book. According to a publisher of Putnam Books for Young Readers, the paperback edition of Finding Her Edge has sold 500 per cent more copies in just eight weeks than the hardcover edition released in 2022.
Author Jennifer Iacopelli called the renewal a dream. “I am over the moon at the reception Finding Her Edge has received from viewers all over the world,” she said. “To see my book come to life and watch the world fall in love with my characters has been a dream come true, and now that dream gets to continue with a Season 2.”
To celebrate the premiere, the Town of Wasaga Beach is partnering with Skate Canada Wasaga Beach to host free, community viewing parties at the Wasaga Stars Arena lobby. Locals can join in on the fun this Thursday, Feb. 5 and Feb. 12. Watch parties run from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
