From our mailbag this week:
Wondering if you have any idea how or why Super Channel lost rights to so many shows last month. Rizzoli and Isles, Major Crimes, Fortitude, the Code, etc are all missing from their website. People are pretty steamed, since they were the first-run Canadian home of Rizzoli and Major Crimes. Part 2 – any idea where the rights went? Not sure how long it has been this way, but the Super Channel development fund is not accepting submissions, either.
Super Channel’s parent company Allarco is now in bankruptcy protection so they’ve terminated some licensing contracts — their acquisitions and original programming are both at risk. I haven’t heard about other networks picking up the shows they’ve dropped yet. This is a guess but since Canadian networks just did their US shopping sprees for new US shows — Canadian upfronts were this past week — they may not be eager to pick up Super Channel’s leftovers in addition to their recent purchases. I wonder if a streaming service like Netflix, Crave or Shomi might be more likely to get them.
Huh? No mention that this was a popular web series already?
Vice’s first scripted series, commissioned by Rogers, was announced as Nirvanna The Band The Show, launching this fall according to Now. Reading the media release offers no clue about its web series origins and it looks like the web version has been removed from official channels.
Now has more information on the source material versus TV version: “But even though much of the plot and dynamic remains from the original series, the trailer reveals that it’s wider in scope and has higher production value. Expect a trip to Sundance Film Festival and celebrity cameos from people like Kevin Smith and Strombo.”
I wonder when Vikings returns. It’s now my second favourite show on tv behind Orphan Black.
The Corus media release says “Season four continues later this year on HISTORY with a gripping new season coming in 2017.” Past history (yes, I worked for that pun, sorry) suggests it could premiere around February 2017 since past seasons have aired on History in that month. But don’t place any bets based on that speculation.
After 40 years we get told the day before it’s very last show?
Yup. Last Thursday, CTV sent a release saying the following day would be the last Canada AM after 43 years on the air. Whether you believe it was time to rethink the network’s mornings or not, that’s a cold way to treat the audience. On Monday the replacement was announced as Your Morning with hosts Ben Mulroney and Anne-Marie Mediwake, to launch this summer … leading Globe and Mail columnist John Doyle to ponder another question: “How much Ben Mulroney can Canada take?”
So we’ll get the second half of Season 4 of Vikings this year but I hope its sooner rather than later.