Dennis Heaton is a Canadian screenwriter working in film and television. He formerly executive produced and show-ran The Order for Netflix. Other recent credits include executive producing and writing on Ghost Wars for SYFY and Netflix, executive producing and showrunning Motive on CTV/NBCU, Call Me Fitz (HBO Canada/Audience Network), The Listener (CTV/NBC), JPOD (CBC), Blood Ties (Lifetime/Space) and the feature film Fido.
Heaton received two 2014 Canadian Screen Awards Nominations for Best Dramatic Series for Motive and Best Comedy Series for Call Me Fitz, with Fitz winning the category. He has four prior Gemini Award nominations, four Canadian Screenwriting Award nominations, winning for his Yvon of the Yukon script "The Trouble With Mammoths", and eleven Leo Award nominations, winning for his Being Ian script "The Greatest Story Never Told" and his Call Me Fitz script "Fucking Memories". His web series, My Pal Satan, won Best Web Series and Theme Song at the New York Television Festival. His short film Head Shot premiered in competition at the Berlin International Film Festival, won best short film at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, and went on to play in film festivals and on television around the world.
He won two Leo Awards in 2015 - one for Best Dramatic Series for Motive and one for Best Screenwriting/ Animation Program or Series for Nerds and Monsters - "Are You Gonna Eat That?"
Dennis Heaton has served as the Pacific Region Councilor for the Writers Guild of Canada since 2012. In 2018, he was elected president of the WGC.
Filmography Film Title Year Credited as Notes Director Producer WriterLet's Chop Soo-E 1989 Short film; production supervisorAngel Square 1990 animation production managerPink Komkommer 1991 Short film; production supervisorDeadly Deposits 1993 Short filmHeadshot 2006 Short filmFido 2006 Funny Business 2011 Short film; story editor
Television The numbers in directing and writing credits refer to the number of episodes.
Title Year Credited as Network Notes Creator Director Writer ExecutiveProducer The Brothers Grunt 1994–1995 (8) MTV Also producerGary Larson's Tales from the Far Side 1994 CBS Television film; producerLife and Times 1997, 2002 (1) CBC Television Documentary; additional producer , writer Gary Larson's Tales From the Far Side II 1997 BBC Television film; producerMurder in Normandy 1999 History Television DocumentaryForced March to Freedom 2001 History Television DocumentaryKinK 2001–2002 (26) Showcase director , creative consultant ZeD 2002 (1) CBC Television segment "Cannibalism and Your Teen"Yvon of the Yukon 2002, 2004 (2) YTVAtomic Betty 2004 Teletoonunknown episodesBeing Ian 2005, 2008 (4) YTVLife with Derek 2005 (1) FamilyBlood Ties 2007 (5) Lifetime Also story editorWayside 2007 (1) TeletoonGeorge of the Jungle 2007 (2) TeletoonJibber Jabber 2007 (1) YTVjPod 2008 (3) CBC Television co-producer The Listener 2009 (2) CTV Co-producer Casper's Scare School 2009 YTV unknown episodesMy Pal Satan 2009 (6) web seriesKeep Your Head Up, Kid: The Don Cherry Story 2010 CBC miniseries; co-producerCall Me Fitz 2010–2012 (12) HBO Canada co-producer , co-executive producer Rated A for Awesome 2011 (1) YTVMotive 2013–2016 (13) CTVMotive Digital Series: The Dark Corner 2013 web seriesPrimeval: New World 2013 (1) SpaceNerds and Monsters 2014 (3) YTVOlympus 2014 (1) Super ChannelGhost Wars 2017–2018 (2) SyfyThe Order 2019–2020 (5) NetflixThe Imperfects 2022 NetflixMurder in a Small Town 2024–2025 (2) Global/Fox
Awards and nominations Awards 2015 Leo - Best Dramatic Series for Motive 2015 Leo - Best Screenwriting for an Animation Program or Series for Nerds and Monsters - Episode "Are You Gonna Eat That?" 2012 Leo - Best Screenwriting in a Music, Comedy, or Variety Program or Series - Call Me Fitz: "Fucking Memories" 2009 Best Web Series and Theme Song, New York Television Festival for My Pal Satan 2005 Leo - Best Animation Program or Series - Being Ian 2003 Writers Guild of Canada - Top 10 - Yvon of the Yukon Nominations 2015 Leo - Best Dramatic Series for Motive 2014 Leo - Best Dramatic Series for Motive 2012 Leo - Best Screenwriting in a Music, Comedy, or Variety Program or Series - Call Me Fitz: "Dysfunctional Family Circus" 2010 Leo - Best Web Series - My Pal Satan 2009 Writers Guild of Canada - Best Short Subject or Web Series - My Pal Satan 2008 Leo - Best Screenwriting in an Animation Program or Series - George of the Jungle 2008 Leo - Best Screenwriting in a Dramatic Series - jPod: "Betty & Veronica Syndrome" 2007 Leo - Best Screenwriting in a Feature Length Drama - Fido 2007 Leo - Best Screenwriting in a Short Drama - Head Shot 2007 Leo - Best Short Drama - Head Shot 2007 Writers Guild of Canada Award - Feature Film Fido 2006 Berlin Film Festival Best Short Film - Head Shot 2005 Leo - Best Animation Program or Series - Being Ian 2004 Writers Guild of Canada Award - Best Writing in Children's & Preschool - Yvon of the Yukon episode "Siamese Twits" 2002 Leo - Best Screenwriting Youth Or Children's Program Or Series - Yvon of the Yukon - "An ‘F’ In Friendship"
References
External links
An Interview with Dennis Heaton The Dennis Heaton Page An Interview with Dennis Heaton by Anthony Marco The Province - Motive’s Writers Have a Killer Job on CTV Series PlaybackOnline - In the Writers Room With Motive