Everything about Industry News, eh?

Industry News

Uvagut TV Breaks Ground as Canada’s First Inuit-Language TV Channel

2 Comments

From a media release:

At 12:01 a.m. Monday, January 18, Nunavut Independent Television (NITV) makes history when it launches Canada’s first all-Inuit Inuktut TV channel.

Uvagut TV (“Our” TV) will broadcast 168 hours a week of Inuit-produced culture, arts, movies and information programming available nationally to more than 610,000* Shaw Direct customers as well as Arctic Co-ops Cable subscribers in Nunavut and NWT. Other satellite and cable systems will be added over the months ahead. Viewers around the world can stream Uvagut TV online 24/7 at uvagut.tv
(* Subscriber count current as of November 30, 2020)

Breaking ground as the first Indigenous–language channel and, with APTN, only the second Indigenous television service among 762 broadcasting in Canada, Uvagut TV increases total Indigenous-language television programming available to Canadian audiences by 500%.

Uvagut TV builds on the hard work of countless people over the past four decades who dreamed it was possible to deliver Inuktut television to Inuit audiences to preserve, promote and revitalize Inuit culture and language. The team behind Uvagut TV represented Canada at the 2019 Venice Biennale of Art, presenting the Inuit-language film One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk to mark the 2019 United Nations Year of Indigenous Languages.

“For me, Uvagut TV is a dream come true – to see Inuit culture and to hear our language full time on TV,” says Lucy Tulugarjuk, NITV Chair and Executive Director, and director of the Inuit-language children’s film, Tia and Piujuq. “As our elders pass away, we are fighting against time to keep Inuit culture and language alive for our children and grandchildren. TV in Inuktut all day every day is a powerful way to keep a living language for future generations.”

Filmmaker Dr. Zacharias Kunuk O.C., NITV co-founder and Head of Isuma, welcomes the historic breakthrough. “We’ve been independent from day one and after 35 years we finally have our own channel,” he says. “Our ancestors survived by the strength of their wits and their community. These new ways of storytelling can help Inuit survive for another thousand years. People who turn on Uvagut TV any time of day or night will see our own stories in our own language.”

Uvugat TV broadcasts five hours every day of Inuktut children’s programs including Inuit Broadcasting Corporation’s award-winning Takuginai series and programs by Inuvialuit Communications Society; shows by Isuma, Arnait Video, Artcirq, Kingulliit and Taqqut Productions; award-winning Inuktut movies like Atanarjuat The Fast Runner; classic series, documentaries and new programs like Silakut Live From the Floe Edge and Tunnganarnik broadcasting live from Nunavut communities and the remote arctic wilderness. Uvagut TV also will include live coverage of the upcoming Nunavut Impact Review Board Public Hearings into the controversial Baffinland Iron Mine Phase 2 expansion, bringing vital transparent coverage of this issue live to Inuit, national and global audiences.

About Uvagut TV & NITV
Uvagut TV is Canada’s first 24/7 Inuktut television channel created by Nunavut Independent Television Network (NITV) and IsumaTV with programs from Inuit Broadcasting Corporation and other Inuit independent producers hosted on www.isuma.tv. NITV is an Inuit-owned and controlled non-profit Northern Online Distributor and Eligible Broadcaster. Founded in 1991 in Igloolik, Nunavut, as a training centre for Inuit community filmmaking, NITV is dedicated to the enhancement and preservation of Inuktut and Inuit culture through the creation and exhibition of Inuit video art linking Nunavut communities through Internet television channels and local access internet-TV, media training and digital literacy initiatives, and the production and distribution of Inuktut video, film, and now broadcast television.

Uvagut TV gratefully acknowledges launch support provided by the Indigenous Screen Office.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Industry News

Pacific Screenwriting Program launches new Story Department Internship

From a media release:

The Pacific Screenwriting Program announced today that the new Story Department Internship, an initiative established to help writers in British Columbia committed to a career in scripted television, is now open for submissions.

Building on their commitment to provide support and career-advancement opportunities to BC-based television writers, the new Story Department Internship is designed for British Columbian writers already working in the film and television industry, and emerging writers who are seeking a focused professional development opportunity. The Story Department Internship is reimagined from the previous CMPA/Creative BC internship to include both production and development room roles, which gave rise to some amazing British Columbia writers including Sarah Dodd, Showrunner in Residence of the first Scripted Series Lab in 2019.

Writer/Interns may seek opportunities within productions or development rooms to be eligible to apply for the program. Applicants are responsible for contacting and arranging potential production companies and mentors ahead of the application process, and each internship will be evaluated on a first-come, first-served basis until the budget has been fully committed for the fiscal year. Potential interns may be requested to attend an interview. Full eligibility and submission details can be found here.

We will be hosting an Information Session on January 13, at 7 pm PST to answer any questions about the program and the submission process. To attend, please visit our RSVP page. You can also submit questions ahead of the session via email to info@pacificscreenwriting.com.

Learn more about the Pacific Screenwriting Story Department Internship and submit your application here: https://pacificscreenwriting.com/story-department-internship/

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Industry News

Join Rick Mercer to say goodbye to 2020 with CBC’s New Year’s Eve special

6 Comments

From a media release:

This New Year’s Eve, join CBC and Rick Mercer to (finally) ring in 2021 with a national celebration that Canadians can enjoy from home. CANADA’S NEW YEAR’S EVE – A COUNTDOWN TO 2021 will broadcast on CBC TV and the free CBC Gem streaming service on Thursday, December 31 at 11 p.m. in every time zone. 

Hosted by Rick Mercer, the all-Canadian lineup includes performances by multi-platinum recording artist Tyler Shaw joined by Simone Denny; alt-pop duo Neon Dreams from Halifax, NS; folk singer-songwriter William Prince from Winnipeg, MB; Alan Doyle and friends from around Newfoundland and Labrador; folk/rock group The Jerry Cans and special guests from Iqaluit, NU; pop icon Lights and producer Felix Cartal performing together in Vancouver, BC; country star Brett Kissel from Flat Lake, AB; hip-hop/electro trio Random Recipe from Montreal, QC; and the Maritime Bhangra Dancers from Halifax, NS.

The annual special will also include a look into some of the intimate celebrations Canadian families are having across the country this year.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Baroness von Sketch Show, Coroner, Featured, Frankie Drake Mysteries, Industry News, Kim's Convenience, Murdoch Mysteries, This Hour Has 22 Minutes

CBC Announces Winter 2021 Premiere Dates

6 Comments

From a media release:

CBC today announced broadcast and streaming premiere dates for its winter 2021 slate of original programming, including over 20 new and returning Canadian series reflecting a diverse range of storytelling and perspectives. The new winter primetime schedule launches Monday, January 4 on CBC TV and the free CBC Gem streaming service.

MONDAYS:
Mystery Mondays return on January 4 with new seasons of hit detective series MURDOCH MYSTERIES (Season 14) and FRANKIE DRAKE MYSTERIES (Season 4).

New weeknight primetime program CANADA TONIGHT WITH GINELLA MASSA launches Monday, January 11 at 8 p.m. on CBC News Network.

TUESDAYS:
CBC’s Tuesday night comedy lineup continues on January 5 with new episodes of THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES and BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW The Final Season: Bonus Episodes, featuring never-before-aired sketches, followed by irreverent new series HUMOUR RESOURCES, starring Jon Dore and featuring comedians including Sarah Silverman, Aisha Brown, Tom Green, Scott Thompson and Ronny Chieng.

KIM’S CONVENIENCE returns with Season 5 beginning January 19.

New seasons of WORKIN’ MOMS (Season 5) and TALLBOYZ (Season 2) debut on February 16.

WEDNESDAYS:
British drama QUIZ, based on the true story of a former British army major who was caught cheating on the game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? and starring Matthew Macfadyen (Succession), premieres January 13.

Season 3 of procedural crime drama CORONER starring Serinda Swan, followed by new buddy-cop drama series PRETTY HARD CASES (formerly Lady Dicks), starring Meredith MacNeill (Baroness von Sketch Show) and Adrienne C. Moore (Orange Is The New Black), premiere February 3.

THURSDAYS:
documentary Channel originals Fear of Dancing, Clydesdale: Saving the Greatest Horse and The Oslo Diaries premiere on CBC TV, January 7 through 21.

Beginning January 28, legal drama BURDEN OF TRUTH starring Kristin Kreuk returns with Season 4, and THE FIFTH ESTATE continues on a new night.

FRIDAYS:
MARKETPLACE continues on January 8, featuring an ongoing series, “Face Racism,” hosted by Asha Tomlinson, which follows people in search of justice in their communities, the marketplace and the workplace, often bringing them face-to-face with company executives and government officials.

The landmark 60th season of THE NATURE OF THINGS returns on January 8 with an ambitious archeological dig that peels away myths surrounding the last queen of Egypt in SEARCHING FOR CLEOPATRA, and the following week, a special five-part series, WILD CANADIAN WEATHER, showcasing a cinematic journey through Canada’s most extreme and spectacular weather.

New docuseries ANYONE’S GAME (formerly Orangeville Prep), offering an inside look at the competitive, high-pressure world of basketball’s most successful preparatory program at The Athlete Institute in Orangeville, Ontario, launches on January 15, with all episodes available that day to stream on CBC Gem.

New family-friendly series ARCTIC VETS, offering an up-close look at the wildlife that inhabits Canada’s north and the veterinarians at the Assiniboine Park Conservancy who work tirelessly to keep them safe, premieres February 26.

SUNDAYS:
Audience favourite HEARTLAND returns with a new season on January 10, followed by a four-week special event featuring back-to-back episodes of BBC’s acclaimed LES MISÉRABLES dramatic miniseries, starring Dominic West, David Oyelowo, Lily Collins and Olivia Colman.

Starting on Valentine’s Day, February 14, Season 4 of THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW welcomes a new batch of amateur bakers and two new hosts, Second City alumni Alan Shane Lewis and Ann Pornel, followed by the exclusive Canadian premiere of BELGRAVIA, highlighted in Vanity Fair’s Five New Juicy Costume Dramas to Add Glamour to Your Quarantine, centering on secrets and scandals amongst the upper echelon of London society in the 19th century.

CBC KIDS:
CBC Kids’ refreshed weekday lineup begins Monday, January 4 with new seasons of PJ MASKS, KIRI AND LOU, and TRUE AND THE RAINBOW KINGDOM. New CBC Kids and Radio-Canada original preschool animated series DINO RANCH, produced in partnership with Disney, premieres on Saturday, January 16, featuring the adventures of the Cassidy family as they tackle life in a fantastical, “pre-westoric” setting where dinosaurs still roam. CBC Kids original tween sci-fi drama ENDLINGS, produced in partnership with Hulu, returns for a second season, launching on CBC Gem Friday, January 15, with episodes released weekly.

SUNDAYS

7 PM – HEARTLAND Season 14 (10×60) premieres January 10

8 PM – LES MISÉRABLES (8×60) the BBC miniseries premieres January 10 with back-to-back episodes

8 PM – THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW Season 4 (8×60) premieres February 14

9 PM – BELGRAVIA (6×60) Julian Fellowes’ historical drama premieres February 14

10 PM – THE NATIONAL CBC News’ flagship program continues Sunday to Friday each week

MONDAYS

7 PM – CORONATION STREET continues weekdays at 7 p.m., Fridays at 7:30 p.m.

7:30 PM – FAMILY FEUD CANADA Season 2 (104×30) continues Mondays to Thursdays

8 PM – MURDOCH MYSTERIES Season 14 (11×60) begins January 4

9 PM – FRANKIE DRAKE MYSTERIES Season 4 (10×60) begins January 4

TUESDAYS

7 PM – CORONATION STREET continues weekdays at 7 p.m., Fridays at 7:30 p.m.

7:30 PM – FAMILY FEUD CANADA Season 2 (104×30) continues Mondays to Thursdays

8 PM – KIM’S CONVENIENCE Season 5 (13×30) premieres January 19

8:30 PM – THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES Season 28 (19×30) continues January 5

9 PM – BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW (5×30) The Final Season: Bonus Episodes featuring never-before-aired sketches premiere January 5

9 PM – WORKIN’ MOMS Season 5 (10×30) premieres February 16

9:30 PM – HUMOUR RESOURCES (6×30) a new irreverent comedy premieres January 5

9:30 PM – TALLBOYZ Season 2 (8×30) premieres February 16

WEDNESDAYS

7 PM – CORONATION STREET continues weekdays at 7 p.m., Fridays at 7:30 p.m.

7:30 PM – FAMILY FEUD CANADA Season 2 (104×30) Mondays to Thursdays

8 PM – CORONER Season 3 (10×60) premieres February 3

9 PM – QUIZ (3×60) the British drama starring Matthew Macfadyen (Succession) premieres January 13

9 PM – PRETTY HARD CASES (formerly Lady Dicks, 10×60) a new female-driven buddy-cop series premieres February 3

THURSDAYS

7 PM – CORONATION STREET continues weekdays at 7 p.m., Fridays at 7:30 p.m.

7:30 PM – FAMILY FEUD CANADA Season 2 (104×30) Mondays to Thursdays

8 PM – documentary Channel originals Fear of Dancing, Clydesdale: Saving the Greatest Horse and The Oslo Diaries premiere January 7 through 21

8 PM – BURDEN OF TRUTH Season 4 (8×60) premieres on January 28

9 PM – THE FIFTH ESTATE Season 46 (7×60) continues January 28 on a new night

FRIDAYS

7 PM – CORONATION STREET continues weekdays at 7 p.m., Fridays at 7:30 p.m.

7:30 PM – CORONATION STREET continues weekdays at 7 p.m., Fridays at 7:30 p.m.

8 PM – MARKETPLACE Season 48 (22×30) continues January 8

8:30 PM – ANYONE’S GAME (formerly Orangeville Prep, 6×30) a new factual series about basketball’s most successful preparatory program premieres January 15

8:30 PM – ARCTIC VETS (10×30) a new factual series featuring the wildlife of Canada’s north premieres February 26

9 PM – THE NATURE OF THINGS Season 60 (13×60) continues with an ambitious archeological dig in SEARCHING FOR CLEOPATRA on January 8

SATURDAYS

Afternoon – ROAD TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES Season 6 continues

6:30 PM – HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA begins January 16

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Industry News

New West Coast production company Tyson Media hires Head of Development and announces national call for submissions

From a media release:

Tyson Hepburn, well known for his work in producing and directing Canadian original, unscripted series, has launched a new production company in Vancouver. The company will focus on the development and production of factual, unscripted content and has announced that Holly Brace-Lavoie has joined as Head of Development.

Currently working on ramping up their development slate, Tyson is seeking unique, new unscripted series ideas through the company’s call for submissions that will close on January 15th. People coast-to-coast with an interesting new concept for an unscripted TV series can pitch the Tyson Media team online at tysonmedia.ca. The winning entry will receive $10,000 in resources and support from the Tyson Media team to develop their idea further.

“When I first started out in the entertainment industry, I was lucky enough to partner up with really great people who helped me develop ideas into successful TV series. Now is my chance to give that opportunity to someone else,” says Tyson Hepburn, Founder and Executive Producer, Tyson Media. “We are looking for fresh, exciting new ideas from across the country. We’ll provide years of industry experience and financial support in helping to further develop the winning entries.”

Tyson Media is currently in development on two new projects. They are developing an 8-part series about the Regional Animal Protection Society (RAPS) in Richmond, BC, and are in development on an occupational-series about the new gold rush in the Caribou Gold Fields and the scrappy characters staking a claim there.

“We’re focused on developing character-driven series in both the occupational and lifestyle spaces. We want to make shows that capture a viewership and keep growing with them,” says Holly Brace-Lavoie, Head of Development, Tyson Media. “Tyson is a bit of a legend in the Canadian factual landscape. I’m thrilled to be joining him on this new adventure.”

Tyson Hepburn is Co-Creator and Executive Producer of several successful docu-series including global phenomenon Rust Valley Restorers (Netflix International and HISTORY), as well as The Dog Dudes (Amazon Prime, Apple Plus). He began his career selling projects to established production companies, beginning with Pyros (Omnifilm Entertainment) and Jacked (Pixcom) before partnering with academy award winning producer David Paperny on the successful Discovery Channel hit series Cold Water Cowboys.

Holly Brace-Lavoie began a career in factual television at Montreal-based CMJ Productions, where she developed over 10 greenlit series. She then moved to Pixcom as Director of Development leading the company’s international creative team. She created and directed the comedic web-series The High Note and recently toured the festival circuit with her short film The Catch which premiered at the Berlinale.

For more information on the company and call for submissions, visit tysonmedia.ca.Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail