SEASON TWO OF BBC AMERICA'S CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED ORIGINAL SERIES "ORPHAN BLACK" IS NOW IN PRODUCTION

Tatiana Maslany, Jordan Gavaris, Dylan Bruce and Maria Doyle Kennedy return for an all-new season

Toronto - September 25, 2013 - Start of production on the second season of BBC AMERICA's critically-acclaimed original series Orphan Black was announced today. The conspiracy clone thriller (10 x 60) from Temple Street Productions in association with Bell Media's Space stars Critics' Choice Award winner, Tatiana Maslany (Picture Day, Parks and Recreation) in the lead role of Sarah - an outsider and orphan whose life changes dramatically after discovering she is a clone. Reprising their roles are Jordan Gavaris (Degrassi) as the loveable Felix, Sarah's feisty foster brother, Dylan Bruce (Arrow) as Paul, an ex-army officer caught in the crosshairs of the secret clone world, and Maria Doyle Kennedy (Downton Abbey) as Mrs. S, Sarah and Felix's hard-nosed working class foster mother. The series is shooting on location and in studio in Toronto through February 2014.

"Season one of Orphan Black delivered an action packed, edge-of-your-seat thrill ride featuring a critically-acclaimed star turn by Tatiana Maslany," says Perry Simon, General Manager, BBC AMERICA. "The rabid fan base known as the 'Clone Club' is growing every day as audiences discover this unique show and gear up for an exciting second season that takes us further down the rabbit hole."

"We're truly amazed at the incredible response we received from TV critics and fans alike since the beginning of this series," commented David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg, Executive Producers and Co-Presidents, Temple Street Productions. "We're delighted to have the opportunity with our supportive partners BBC AMERICA and Space to continue on this amazing journey and to answering some of the impending questions fans were left with from the end of last season."

Season 2 hits the ground running with Sarah in a desperate race to find her missing daughter Kira (Skyler Wexler, Alphas). Her scorched earth tactics spark a war with pro-clone, Rachel (Maslany), dividing and imperiling all the clones. As Sarah discovers more about her past, mysterious newcomers appear, but can they be trusted?

More than five million viewers have tuned into the first-season of Orphan Black on BBC AMERICA.* Maslany, who to date has portrayed seven different characters (Sarah, Beth, Katja, Alison, Cosima, Helena, and Rachel) gained critical accolades for her roles including a Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series as well as a Television Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement in Drama.

Also returning this season is Kevin Hanchard (Republic of Doyle) as Art, a veteran detective and Michael Mando (The Killing) as Vic, Sarah's sporadically violent ex. Additional casting for the series will be announced in the coming weeks.

Orphan Black is produced by Temple Street Productions in association with BBC AMERICA and Bell Media's Space and is distributed internationally by BBC Worldwide. The series is co-created by Graeme Manson and John Fawcett, with Manson also serving as writer and Fawcett as director. The first season of Orphan Black is currently available on Blu-ray and DVD and is set to return in April 2014.

Season one of Orphan Black is currently airing Saturdays at 10:00pm ET on BBC AMERICA.

* Source: Nielsen Media Research

BBC AMERICA delivers U.S. audiences high-quality, innovative and intelligent programming. Established in 1998, it has been the launch pad for talent embraced by American mainstream pop culture, including Ricky Gervais, Gordon Ramsay, Graham Norton, and successful programming formats including ground-breaking non-scripted television like Top Gear and top-rated science-fiction like Doctor Who. Owned by BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, BBC AMERICA has attracted both critical acclaim and major awards including two Emmys(R), five Golden Globes(R) and eleven Peabody Awards. The channel attracts one of cable's most affluent and educated audiences and is available on cable and satellite TV in more than 80 million homes. It broadcasts in both standard and high-definition, with content available On Demand across all major digital platforms. Online, www.bbcamerica.com is the place to go to dig deeper into pop culture with a British twist.

About Temple Street Productions

Temple Street Productions is a leading producer of television, film and digital media content based in Toronto, Canada. A selection of Temple Street's past and present projects include ORPHAN BLACK (BBC AMERICA, Space), BEING ERICA (CBC, SOAPnet), THE NEXT STEP (Family Channel), WINGIN' IT (Family Channel), OVER THE RAINBOW (CBC), RECIPE TO RICHES (Food Network, Global), COVER ME CANADA (CBC), BILLABLE HOURS (Global, Showcase), CANADA'S NEXT TOP MODEL (CTV), HOW DO YOU SOLVE A PROBLEM LIKE MARIA? (CBC), QUEER AS FOLK (Showtime, Showcase), and DARCY'S WILD LIFE (NBC, Discovery Kids, Family Channel). For more company information www.templestreetproductions.com twitter @TempleStreet or connect with us on Facebook.