Everything about Industry News, eh?

HGTV Canada pays it forward with all-star cast in new Canadian original series Family Home Overhaul

From a media release:

HGTV Canada pays it forward with an all-star cast in the powerful, heartwarming new Corus Studios original series, Family Home Overhaul (8×60), premiering Sunday, April 26 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Viewers will get a first look at the series with a special sneak peek on April 19 during the season finale of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Hosted by ET Canada‘s Cheryl Hickey, the debut season will see 14 of the network’s top contractors and designers pair up in each episode to transform the homes of eight inspirational families nominated by their communities.

Whether it’s providing shelter to those in need, overcoming life-altering health issues, or donating all of their time and resources to support a cause close to their heart – these eight homeowners are always the first to give back to their communities, despite the personal hardships they encounter. With little time for the four walls around them, these families could use a major home renovation.

Together with Cheryl Hickey, HGTV Canada contractors and designers Kate Campbell, Sebastian Clovis, Dave Coleman, Joey Fletcher, Sarah Keenleyside, Dave Kenney, Brian McCourt, Scott McGillivray, Mia Parres, Tiffany Pratt, Samantha Pynn, Tommy Smythe, Kortney Wilson and Dave Wilson, work together to provide these selfless families with life-changing renovations.

Enlisting the help of friends and neighbours, each project is customized to perfectly reflect the unique needs of each family. While the renovation is underway, the family gets whisked away on a well-deserved one week vacation. Upon their return, the remarkable reveal of their newly renovated home is celebrated by the community and team that made it all happen.

Family Home Overhaul is produced by Proper Television in association with Corus Entertainment’s HGTV Canada.

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CBC and NBCUniversal International Studios partner on Cameron Pictures’ Lady Dicks

From a media release:

CBC and NBCUniversal International Studios, a division of NBCUniversal Content Studios, today announced new original drama series LADY DICKS (10×60, Cameron Pictures), starring Meredith MacNeill (Baroness von Sketch Show) and Adrienne C. Moore (Orange Is The New Black).

Co-created by Tassie Cameron (Mary Kills People, Ten Days in the Valley, Rookie Blue, The Robber Bride) and Sherry White (Little Dog, Frontier, Ten Days in the Valley, Rookie Blue), LADY DICKS is a fun and honest portrayal of two radically different female detectives in their early 40s. Critically-acclaimed director, Holly Dale (Batwoman, Mary Kills People) will direct the premiere episode. The series is currently in pre-production and will begin shooting in Ontario this spring.

The action-packed series follows Guns and Gangs detective, Samantha (MacNeill) and Narcotics detective, Kelly (Moore), who by day are true action heroes in their own particular way: skilled, tough, determined, and ruthless. But by night, they’re both grappling with loneliness, dysfunctional families, screwed-up love lives, and a sense that their professional ambitions may not be totally in line with their personal needs. Their friendship could help to balance each other out, if only they didn’t drive one another utterly insane.

A CBC Original Series, LADY DICKS is produced by Cameron Pictures in association with CBC and NBCUniversal International Studios. The series is created by Sherry White and Tassie Cameron, who also serve as Co-Showrunners. Sherry White, Tassie Cameron, Amy Cameron and Alex Patrick are Executive Producers.

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CTV announces new half-hour original comedy Children Ruin Everything

From a media release:

Canada’s leading television network, CTV, announced today from Prime Time in Ottawa its newest original series CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING. The new, half-hour MADE®-in-Canada comedy showcases one couple’s efforts to reclaim a piece of their old lives which are continually thwarted by their young children in surprising and absurd ways. But somewhere in the toy-filled, pee-stained wreckage of what they once had, they find a new life that’s pretty good, too.

The series has been in development at CTV since 2016 and is now set to begin production in Spring 2020 in and around Toronto. Casting is underway.

From award-winning L.A.- and Toronto-based producer New Metric Media, CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING is created by veteran comedy writer and producer Kurt Smeaton (SCHITT’S CREEK, KIM’S CONVENIENCE). Alongside Smeaton, one of television’s premier comedy writers, Chuck Tatham (MODERN FAMILY, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT) joins multiple Canadian Screen Award-winner Mark Montefiore (LETTERKENNY, WHAT WOULD SAL DO?) as executive producer, with Beth Iley (KILLJOYS) serving as producer.

“This is a hilarious series with broad, universal comedy at its heart, from an amazing creative team in Kurt and Chuck together with our talented partners at New Metric Media,” said Mike Cosentino, President, Content and Programming, Bell Media. “Commissioning this new series also provides the opportunity to deliver a hit series for CTV while simultaneously expanding the roster of titles for our Bell Media Distribution catalogue.”

Cosentino also confirmed that Bell Media Distribution has stepped up to become the series’ International Distributor, and has subsequently named New Metric Media as its exclusive Sales Agent for the program. CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING joins LETTERKENNY in New Metric Media’s growing comedy catalogue.

CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING is produced by New Metric Media in association with CTV and with the participation of the Canada Media Fund.

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Scott Brothers Entertainment partners with Sinking Ship Entertainment on animated pre-school series Builder Brothers’ Dream Factory

From a media release:

Sinking Ship Entertainment and Scott Brothers Entertainment are pleased to announce a deal to co-develop a new preschool animated series, Builder Brothers’ Dream Factory, based on HGTV stars and New York Times bestselling authors, Drew and Jonathan Scott, or as they are most commonly known, the Property Brothers. The series will be distributed by Sinking Ship Entertainment’s growing distribution arm.

Builder Brothers’ Dream Factory centers around 10-year-old twins, Drew and Jonathan. A pair of regular kids whose extraordinary imagination, creativity, grit and heart – coupled with a big dose of “twin-spiration” – help solve problems in their neighborhood by dreaming big…..really big…sometimes too big! Along with their dog Moose and best friends Mel, Cee-Cee and Aiden, the Builder Brothers navigate the highs and lows of trying to make the world a better place – one big dream at a time.

Though it’s a character-driven comedy series at heart, the series doesn’t shy away from real kids’ issues and what they go through in navigating life’s ups and downs. It encourages kids to share their ideas, dream big, and not to be disheartened. That element of resilience and problem-solving is what sets the show apart.

About Sinking Ship Entertainment Inc.
Sinking Ship Entertainment is an award-winning production, distribution and interactive company specializing in family and kids’ live action and CGI blended content. Since opening its doors in 2004, Sinking Ship has produced over 500 hours of content, and through their globally recognized in-house distribution division, has sold to over 200 countries internationally. In 2019 they set their sights on growth and launched a new animation series division. The company has rapidly earned a global reputation for high quality, ground-breaking original series and companion interactive experiences. Overall, Sinking Ship has won 17 Daytime Emmy® Awards and a variety of other international awards including Canadian Screen Awards, Youth Media Alliance Awards, Fan Chile Awards, Parents Choice Awards, the Shaw Rocket Prize, and the Prix Jeunesse International. In addition to production, Sinking Ship operates a cutting edge VFX and Interactive Studio, creating multi-platform digital experiences and interactive content for audiences around the world. The Toronto-based company is home to over 175 shipmates. www.sinkingship.ca.

About Scott Brothers Entertainment.
Scott Brothers Entertainment (SBE) is a multifaceted production company that strives to develop cutting-edge entertainment by combining years of experience in film, television, and digital media. Winner of the Most Innovative Producer of the Year Award at the 2019 Banff World Media Festival, SBE is the brainchild of co-founders Drew and Jonathan Scott and has evolved from start-up to competitive content creator with a laser-sharp focus on innovation, expansion, and working with like-minded partners. For more information, visit www.sbentertainment.com.

About Drew and Jonathan Scott
Entrepreneurs, authors and twin television personalities, Drew and Jonathan Scott are co-founders of Scott Brothers Global, which includes Scott Brothers Entertainment, the home furnishing company Scott Living, and the design-inspiration e-commerce platform, Casaza. Best known as the hosts of multiple top-rated HGTV series including the Emmy-nominated and Canadian Screen Awards-winning Property Brothers and Brother vs. Brother, among others, Drew and Jonathan’s shows are enjoyed by millions of viewers in over 160 countries. Dream Home, It Takes Two: Our Story, and their children’s lit series Builder Brothers are all New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers. In 2017, the brothers were named Habitat Humanitarians, the highest recognition offered by Habitat for Humanity. Most recently, they launched a top-rated mobile game, Property Brothers Home Design, and a quarterly lifestyle magazine, Reveal, published by Meredith Corporation. For more information, please visit thescottbrothers.com or follow @MrSilverScott and @MrDrewScott.

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