With no staff and no senior management, it seems as though Vancouver-based Sextant Entertainment Group Inc., co-producers of THE MR. HELL SHOW!, is no longer in business. A press release issued by Sextant announced that the company has been put into receivership after it was unable to come to an arrangement with creditors pursuant to the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) that Sextant had been granted in early June. Sextant had applied for credit protection believing it could restructure its debt load and be able to maintain production, visual effects and distribution operations in the short term. Among other projects, the company is currently in production on two 4-hour mini-series for partner Hallmark Entertainment. However, on June 17, Sextant laid off its entire staff, with the exception of senior management. The lay off included approximately 35 staff members from corporate, visual effects, distribution and production. The following day, the company suspended trading on the Canadian stock exchange and the remaining senior management and directors of the company all resigned. The Royal Bank of Canada has now appointed Deloitte & Touche as interim receiver and applied to the court and successfully set aside the stay of proceedings that had been granted to the company and its subsidiaries effective June 4, 2002. At time of this writing, no one at Sextant's offices could be reached for comment.
Jerry Beck reviews AAAGH! IT'S THE MR. HELL SHOW! and finds that this might be the closest thing to what Tex Avery would have done with today's tools, minuscule budgets and a modern sensibility.
