Everything about Dramas and Comedies, eh?

TV, eh? Interview: Ron E. Scott of Blackstone

Blackstone's Ron E Scott with Michelle Thrush

By Diane Wild of TV, eh?

Touching on topics such as missing women, tainted water on reserves, and how parenting issues have a devastating ripple effect on a community, no one could accuse APTN’s Blackstone of being a guilty pleasure. But executive producer, writer and director Ron E. Scott aims for it to be a pleasure all the same.

“Our primary goal is to entertain, not educate,” he said in a recent interview. “There’s always value in wanting to speak to issues. Any great television series out there, whether it’s in Canada or the US, always has something to say. We never want to come across as comfort food. I like to call it a big steak – there’s a lot to eat, a lot to take in. Everything’s not going to be wrapped up in a pretty bow at the end of your 60 minutes.”

A member of the Métis Nation of Alberta, Scott draws on his own experiences “growing up in a fairly dysfunctional part native, part white world,” and on current affairs, to keep the show relevant. But he’s particularly interested in developing an ensemble of rich characters that keep an audience, native and non-native alike, tuning in week to week.

“As a content creator, as someone who wants to tell stories, it’s important the series is accessible to everyone,” he said.

He also sees the value of accessibility from an economic standpoint – a factor that resonates given that former broadcasting partner Showcase is not airing Blackstone’s second season (or much other original programming.) “This is a business, and for that business to continue you have to penetrate certain markets.”

Michelle Thrush’s Gemini win as Best Actress in a Drama helped. “It did open the eyes of the non-native audience, because the native audience has already embraced it.”

The series has sold to New Zealand, has a US distributor, and “other deals are pending,” said Scott, but in the meantime Canadian audiences can watch season two on APTN Wednesdays, or catch up on the show at APTN.ca .

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New tonight: Bomb Girls, Dragons’ Den, Republic of Doyle, Blackstone, Gastown Gamble

Bomb Girls, Global – “Armistice”
Lorna struggles with her feelings for Marco. Meanwhile, a confrontation over infidelity between Gladys and James comes to a head.

Dragons’ Den, CBC
A group of entrepreneurs are putting up their own barriers in the Den; a shakable pancake powder mixes things up; and a clean pitch gets a little messy. Plus a specialty clothing line tries to net a Dragon deal.

Republic of Doyle, CBC – “Rusted Steele”
Novelist Garrison Steele returns, hiring the Doyles to track down the love of his life. On the homefront, the Doyles get a new houseguest who’s not planning on leaving any time soon. Jake dodges his ex-wife Nikki while wooing his ex-girlfriend Leslie – who’ll have none of it. Guest stars: Victor Garber, Peter Keleghan, Hélène Joy, and Raoul Bhaneja.

Blackstone, APTN
Intense, compelling and confrontational, Season 2 continues to delve into the tumultuous lives of Blackstone’s residents as they deal with issues of toxic water and foster care.

Gastown Gamble, OWN Canada – “When Pigs Fly”
The butcher shop gets a major overhaul, Football Mike prepares for his first grandchild, and Mark finally sees pigs fly.

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New tonight: Rick Mercer Report, 22 Minutes, Arctic Air, The LA Complex, Saw Dogs

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Rick Mercer Report, CBC
In tonight’s all-new show Rick is in Summerside, PEI at Holland College’s Atlantic Police Academy where he submits to a lie detector test and does weapons training and then he’s in Toronto with Canada’s champion Olympic Trampoline Team.

22 Minutes, CBC
We get involved in the NDP leadership debate in Halifax, and take a look at “Corporation Nightmares” with celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay (Mark Critch).

Arctic Air, CBC – “All The Vital Things”
Bobby (Adam Beach) lies to gain the trust of a Dene elder and friend of his father, but when tragedy strikes, Bobby must trust the elder with his own life.

The LA Complex, MuchMusic (pictured)
Alicia’s video with Rick may not be the career-booster he promised, Connor’s acting coach makes his first appearance and Nick and Abby are going through dumpsters. What the heck goes on in LA?

Saw Dogs, OLN – “Monster Wine”
Steve envisions an enormous wine tasting bar for an exclusive winery with a lake monster motif, but the team goes against his wishes and adds an extra head. To make matters worse, guest carvers Paul Frenette and Pete Ryan can’t seem to get on the same page with the design. The carving team struggles to resolve a host of stylistic issues as they try to complete the commission.

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TV, eh? Interview: Martin Gero of The LA Complex

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By Diane Wild of TV, eh?

The LA Complex creator Martin Gero might have found early success in Canadian film (Young People Fucking), Vancouver-shot television (the Stargate franchise), and a New York-based HBO series (Bored To Death), but even he knows how it feels to be a displaced Canadian in Los Angeles.

“Whether you’re a writer, dancer or actor, being out of your element is a universal. Everyone in LA is out of their element. Very few people are born and raised in LA. And the ones that are, are kind of weird,” joked the writer/director. “But being out of your element is something people feel as a universal in life.”

A blend of sexy, smart, funny and wildly dramatic, MuchMusic’s The LA Complex features a group of photogenic twenty-somethings, including Degrassi’s Cassie Steele and Firefly’s Jewel Staite, as a group of struggling performers trying to make it in Hollywood.

Continue reading TV, eh? Interview: Martin Gero of The LA Complex

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David Winning directs Lost Girl

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From Eric Volmers of the Calgary Herald:

  • Calgary’s David Winning directs Lost Girl episode
    Winning, a veteran helmsman of sci-fi TV shows such as Earth: Final Conflict, Andromeda and Stargate: Alliance, directed Sunday’s episode of the Showcase hit Lost Girl. To get the job, however, he had to convince producers that he was on familiar ground. Winning thought he had his bases covered. But they were fairly specific. Vampires? Yes. Zombies? You bet. Killer wasps? They’re on the resume. But sex-starved demons who dress in leather? Read more.
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