From Martin Chilton of the Telegraph:

Slings & Arrows: so good it gave David Simon writer-envy
There are certain TV box sets I would wholeheartedly recommend: The Sopranos, The Wire, Tremé, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Deadwood – and Slings & Arrows, which began filming a decade ago, has the same level of powerful writing, fine acting and creative originality. I stumbled on it by chance, after reading a quote from Wire creator David Simon, who said: “There’s a wonderful Canadian show called Slings & Arrows, about a Shakespearean theatre company, that was so clever it left me with pure, distilled writer-envy.” Continue reading.

From a media release:

MUSE ENTERTAINMENT BEGINS PRODUCTION ON BEING HUMAN SEASON 4

STARRING SAM WITWER, MEAGHAN RATH, SAM HUNTINGTON AND KRISTEN HAGER

Muse Entertainment has begun production in Montreal of the fourth season of the hit supernatural series Being Human. The 13-episode series about three paranormal roommates, stars Sam Witwer (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Smallville), Meaghan Rath (Flashpoint, Cyberbully), Sam Huntington (Fanboys, Superman Returns) and Kristen Hager (A Little Bit Zombie, Servitude). The brand new season of Being Human will air on Syfy in the US and SPACE in Canada.

In Being Human, vampire Aidan (Sam Witwer), ghost Sally (Meaghan Rath), and werewolves Josh (Sam Huntington) and Nora (Kristen Hager), share the creature comforts of their brownstone while struggling to keep their supernatural secrets from the outside world. Together they strive to resist the temptations of their true paranormal natures and live lives that are as near to “normal” as possible.

Season Four of Being Human opens with the roommates coping with Josh, who is permanently a wolf, although the full moon has a very different effect on him now, which drives Nora to extremes in order to get her husband back. Visitors from Aidan’s haunted past, including an elusive character bearing an uncanny likeness to his long lost wife Suzanna (Katharine Isabelle), as well as his maker Bishop (Mark Pellegrino), collide with the present and Aidan is forced to make impossible decisions affecting those closest to him. Sally finds herself trapped alone with the witch, Donna (Amy Aquino), but her newfound magical powers may be more than either of them bargained for.

Executive Producers on the series are Michael Prupas (The Kennedys, Pillars of the Earth), Writer/Showrunner Anna Fricke (Men in Trees, Everwood), Rob Pursey and Toby Whithouse. Stefan Pleszczynski (Motive, Flashpoint) is Supervising Producer and Irene Litinsky (Human Trafficking, The Phantom) is series Producer.

From a media release:

SEASON TWO OF COMEDY SERIES TINY PLASTIC MEN IN PRODUCTION

Hockey hero Georges Laraque, The Toxic Avenger creator Lloyd Kaufman, X-ray specs with real radiation, a homicidal robot, mechanized octopus arms, and an orgasmic cup and ball game: production has begun for Season 2 of Tiny Plastic Men, and this is just some of what will be featured in the new season of the award winning comedy series.

Airing on national premium pay TV network Super Channel and brought to you by Edmonton based production company Mosaic Entertainment, this season of Tiny Plastic Men is pushing the boundaries of Canadian television both on screen and off. The series follows a trio of misfit man-boy toy testers (Co-Creators, Writers, and Stars, Chris Craddock, Matt Alden and Mark Meer) and their absurd antics at the fictional Gottfried Brothers Toy and Train Company. The stories rise to a whole new level of insanity as each episode is punctuated by bizarre comedy sketches taking viewers into other worlds. This season, fans will see laser eye surgery gone horribly wrong, witness Super Stalin teaming up with Mighty Mao and Captain Cuba, join Werewolf Cop as he arrests classic and not so classic monsters, and find out what would happen to Canadians in a zombie apocalypse. Back by popular demand is the adorable yet deadly animated character, Kitten Assassin, who is not only featured in more sketches this season but has also crossed the broadcast line into video game world as he the star of his own mobile video game app for IOS and Android.

This season will be host to some unique guest stars, including the return of former NHL enforcer Georges Laraque reprising his role as openly gay linebacker and toy spokesperson Gaston LeBoeuf. And the Tiny Plastic Men family is excited to announce that Lloyd Kaufman, legendary independent filmmaker and President and Co-Founder of Troma Entertainment will be making an appearance this season in an episode paying homage to the (in)famously campy film The Toxic Avenger.

“Mr. Kaufman is a giant in the world of classic B cinema and he’s been an inspiration to us since childhood. It’s really a dream come true that the creator of The Toxic Avenger is going to be in our tribute to that movie.” Chris Craddock, Co-Creator and Star of Tiny Plastic Men.

Other returning members to Season 2 of Tiny Plastic Men include Animator and Contributing Writer Riley Beach, Director and Alberta Film and Television Award winner Francis Damberger, and stars John B. Lowe, Jesse Gervais, and Alberta Film and Television Award winner Belinda Cornish. Francis Damberger and Belinda Cornish have also both won Alberta Film and Television Awards and been nominated for Canadian Comedy Awards for their work in Season One. Tiny Plastic Men is produced by Mosaic Entertainment and Executive Producers, Camille Beaudoin, Eric Rebalkin, and Jesse Lipscombe.

Follow the folly @tinyplasticmen

From Kara Kovalchik of Mental Floss:

6 Classic Canadian Kids’ TV Shows
Did Bimbo the Birthday Clown ever read your name on TV? Did you keep your toys in a Tickle Trunk? If you grew up in Canada or a border city in the 1960s and 1970s, these TV series were probably as much a part of your morning as milk on your corn flakes. Continue reading.

From Gary Pearson:

The Friendly Giant and Mr.Dressup…and me
Let’s start at the beginning. When I was a little pre school kid, and later, if I was sick at home, one of the greatest pleasures I could have was to watch The Friendly Giant and Mr.Dressup. Friendly, I only discovered later, was a show about books and classical music! Mr.Dressup was a show about art, play acting and friendship. Those shows were slow by today’s standards and I often think today’s kids are missing something by not having gentle, inclusive entertainment like that. Continue reading.