TV, eh?

It may not be official word from the network, but because I get asked so much … lead actress Charity Shea says The Best Years are over:

• Sad to Say It
  “I now have the official word and regret to inform everyone the show WAS picked up for season 2 scheduled to shot in April 2008, but due to the networks new vision they decided our show doesn’t speak to their new demographic. The Best Years season 2 was canceled before it even started, on December 5th 2007.” Read more.

Rob Salem of the Toronto Star reports on the latest Rick Mercer Report ratings:

• Hot Box, TV to talk about
  “The silver lining to the looming grey cloud of crap programming is what it could mean for Canada, particularly the CBC’s very promising mid-season lineup of new shows. And even the existing ones … the network happily reports its best-ever ratings yet for last Tuesday’s edition of The Rick Mercer Report, clocking in at an impressive 1,230,000 viewers.” Read more.

Tim Arsenault of the Halifax Chronicle Herald reviews the holiday episode of Little Mosque on the Prairie:

• Christmas Little Mosque-style
  “Obviously, most of the main characters in the Little Mosque sitcom don’t celebrate Christmas. The episode — cheekily titled Eid’s a Wonderful Life — revolves around the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha.” Read more.

Baber (Manoj Sood) tells the story of Eid with daughter Layla (Aliza Vellani) at the Eid dinner on CBC Television’s Little Mosque on the Prairie on Wednesday, December 12 at 8 p.m. in the special holiday episode called Eid’s a Wonderful Life.

Ben Westhoff of NY Magazine interviews Kenny Hotz and Spencer Rice:

• The Stars of Comedy Central’s ‘Kenny vs. Spenny’ Do Battle, Tell Fart Jokes
  “We’re pretty rocking in Canada. But there’s not much there for our demographic, or any demographic. A lot of shows in Canada are culturally motivated, whereas Kenny and I are profit-motivated, like American television.” Read more.

Jeff Keay, head of media relations for CBC, writes for the Tyee (a rebuttal of the interview with Chris Haddock they ran last week):

• CBC Fires Back at Haddock
  “We’re happy to see Chris remains a passionate supporter of his show, which we happen to think is pretty good. We’re disappointed he feels he’s not being adequately promoted (but at same time doubt there’s a producer in the history of show business who thinks their program HAS been adequately promoted).” Read more.

From Michael Wilson, writing for the Toronto Star:

• Ex-U.S. spy a fan of CBC series
  “How good is CBC’s crooks-and-spies drama Intelligence? Good enough that one of its biggest U.S. fans is a former American intel man turned TV producer. As the season-ending two-parter airs tomorrow night, Michael Wilson has penned a tribute in hopes he can get enough Canadians watching the low-rated show to rescue it from the cancellation expected by its creator, Chris Haddock.” Read more.

From Bill Sherman of Blogcritics:

• DVD Review: Da Vinci’s Inquest – Season One
  “Though billed on the Acorn set’s slipcase as a “mystery” series, DVI is as much a social drama as it is a police procedural: at least half of the episodes in the first season focus on issues (mercy killing, misuse of political power, mistreatment of the elderly, teen risk-taking) more than unexpected deaths.” Read more.

Intelligence TV remakes the Joe Higgs raggae hit Steppin’ Razor made famous by Peter Tosh (of The Wailers or The Wailing Wailers with Bob Marley). The music video includes footage of Chris Haddock’s sexy hit crime series ‘Intelligence’ with Ian Tracey (Da Vinci’s Inquest), Klea Scott (Collateral) and Matt Frewer (Max Headroom). Two Hour Finale of Intelligence Season 2 airs Monday Dec 10 on CBC at 8pm. Season 1 airs in 85 countries around the world. Sex, Drugs and Espionage; the conspiracy continues! www.intelligencetv.com

From a media release:

Citytv will premiere “Murdoch Mysteries”, a new one-hour weekly dramatic series based on Maureen Jennings’ critically-acclaimed mystery novels, Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008, on Citytv stations across Canada. The series stars Yannick Bisson (Sue Thomas, F. B. Eye) as Detective William Murdoch.

Broadcast Schedule as follows:

• Citytv Toronto: Tuesday, January 22nd – 8:00pm ET (repeats Saturdays at 8:00pm)
• Citytv Winnipeg: Sunday, January 27th – 8:00pm CT
• Citytv Calgary: Monday, January 21st – 8:00pm MT (repeats Saturdays at 8:00pm)
• Citytv Edmonton: Monday, January 21st – 8:00pm MT (repeats Saturdays at 8:00pm)
• Citytv Vancouver: Tuesday, January 22nd– 8:00pm PT (repeats Saturdays at 8:00pm)

(more…)

From CTV:

• ‘Corner Gas’ star Gabrielle Miller goes to Africa
  “Instead of shopping for Christmas gifts this year, Gabrielle Miller is headed to Mali, Africa with World Vision. Miller stars in CTV’s Corner Gas and Robson Arms.” Read more.

From Jesse Kohl of Media in Canada:

• Global unveils mid-season shows
  “The new Canadian original series on Global’s mid-season slate is The Guard, a Canadian original series set to hit the sked on Tuesday, Jan. 22 in the 10 pm ET/PT time slot – leading out of the big ratings winner House. The first on-air promo for the series will appear during the season finale of Survivor on Dec. 16. The $20-million show shot in BC stars David James Elliot (Jag).” Read more.

From BBM Canada, Rick Mercer Report at #26 (962,000):

• Top programs – Total Canada

From CBC:

• NHL requests peek at CBC hockey drama
  “‘While it certainly could be interpreted not to cast professional hockey players in the most positive light, I also understand that its fiction,’ NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly wrote in an e-mail to CBC.” Read more.

An interview with Trey Anthony of Da Kink in My Hair from the Toronto Star:

• When doors closed, she hired herself
  “For the creator and co-star of ‘Da Kink in My Hair, a TV series which premiered in October on Global, “‘growing up, I always had my humour to fall back on.”‘” Read more.

From a media release:

Mike Myers and Brent Butt delivered a double dose of holiday cheer to Canadians last night when Shrek The Halls and Corner Gas became the Top 2 entertainment programs on Canadian television. The Shrek The Halls/Corner Gas power hour bested [a rereun of] House (1.2 million, Global/FOX) by 58%.

At 8:30 p.m., an encore broadcast of the Merry Gasmas shenanigans of the residents of Dog River was the most-watched Corner Gas episode of the year on CTV with 1.7 million viewers. The No.2 entertainment program of the night last night, the Canadian Christmas classic will be rebroadcast Saturday, Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The Comedy Network and Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 8:30 p.m. ET on CTV.

Source: Preliminary overnight data, CTV Full and Global Full (BBM Nielsen Media Research).

A media release from Channel Canada:

• Project Runway Canada wraps up with a two-hour finale event at a special time
  “After 10 weeks of head-to-head competition, the winner of the inaugural season of Project Runway Canada will be crowned on Monday, December 17 at 9pm ET/PT in a dramatic two-hour finale special only on Slice™.” Read more.

From a media release:

… Finally, CTV also revealed today its slate of seven original Canadian movies and mini-series set to premiere in 2008, including the world premiere of Mayerthorpe, the intense dramatization of the 2005 RCMP tragedy. …

Also returning in 2008 with fresh, completed episodes are … Corner Gas, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Robson Arms and Instant
Star.

CTV also announced today its slate of Canadian movies and mini-series
scheduled to premiere in 2008. They include: Mayerthorpe, Elijah, She Drives Me Crazy, Sticks and Stones, The Terrorist Next Door, Who Named the Knife and the two-part, four-hour mini-series event Would Be Kings.

Additional scheduling details and premiere dates will be announced soon.

From CBC:

• TV rights sold for Giller winner Late Nights on Air
  “Shaftesbury Films, makers of ReGenesis and The Murdoch Mysteries, has bought the rights to Elizabeth Hay’s Giller Award-winning novel Late Nights on Air.” Read more.

From Marise Strauss of Playback:

• DHX closes gaming deal, puts The Guard on hiatus
  “The $20-million primetime series The Guard will take a three-month hiatus when production wraps on its eighth episode at the end of the month in Squamish, BC.” Read more.

This week on 22 Minutes …

This week it’s the 22 Minutes Christmas Show featuring a ‘Nickelback Christmas Special’ and ‘The Panic Room’ with Betty Hope (Cathy Jones).

This Hour Has 22 Minutes airs the last show of 2007 on CBC Television, Tuesday, December 04 at 8:30 pm ET/PT with audience favorites Cathy Jones, Gavin Crawford, Mark Critch, Shaun Majumder and Geri Hall. The cast and crew wishes everyone a safe and happy holiday. The show returns in the New Year on January 08.

This Hour Has 22 Minutes is produced by Halifax Film, a DHX Media company in association with CBC Television.