TV, eh?

Rob Salem of the Toronto Star gives the lineup of new and returning shows this fall, with blurbs from Jim Bawden about Canadian content relegated to its own little listing ghetto within:

• Fall TV preview: Day-by-day
  “Rob Salem takes a day-by-day look at the U.S. television season.” Read more.

From the Toronto Star:

• ‘Mosque’ fails to win Gemini nomination
  “The hugely successful CTV sitcom Corner Gas will compete against Royal Canadian Air Farce and This Hour Has 22 Minutes at this year’s Gemini Awards, but the much-discussed Little Mosque on the Prairie failed to make the cut for best comedy series.” Read more.

From a media release:

The 22nd Annual Gemini Awards Nominees Announced

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television is pleased to announce the nominations for the 22nd annual Gemini Awards, recognizing the year’s best in Canadian English-language television. The Gemini Awards Gala will be presented in Regina for the first time at the Conexus Arts Centre on October 28th, 2007. CBC Television joins the Academy as the broadcaster to celebrate this year’s outstanding achievements. Global will kick off the evening with its signature red carpet pre-show in a special broadcast of ET Canada at The Gemini Awards.

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From Variety:

• Canada turns to cable for original TV
  “Now the channels are starting to make their mark with more edgy fare, like serial-killer skein “Durham County” and just-announced eight-part series “The Weight,” a drama from writers George F. Walker and Dani Romain about a pair of unhinged cops in Toronto. The other new series on the way is “ZOS: Zone of Separation,” a wild rock ‘n’ roll take on the life of Canadian peacekeepers in a fictional Sarajevo-like town somewhere in Europe. Skein shot in Bosnia earlier this summer and is now lensing in Toronto. It stars Colm Meaney, Lolita Davidovich and Michelle Nolden.” Read more.

From a media release (TV nominees only):

The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) announces the 2007 DGC Awards nominations. Funnyman Peter Keleghan returns as host of the event on Saturday, September 29, 2007 at the Carlu event theatre in Toronto.

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From an Astral media release:

Looking beyond the fall season to 2008, The Movie Network will debut two new Canadian original series: ZOS: Zone of Separation, an eight-part series from executive-producer Paul Gross, and George F. Walker’s The Weight, a series about two morally ambiguous cops. Also in 2008 the Gemini award-winning series ReGenesis will debut its fourth and final season.

Will Dixon at Uninflected Images Juxtaposed interviews the prolific and respected producer/creative consultant involved with The Smart Woman Survival Guide, Trailer Park Boys, Slings and Arrows, Rent a Goalie and many more:

• Me and Al(ly) Magee Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI
  “Can we get a one hour series that takes off the way our half hours like Corner Gas and Little Mosque can? Maybe, and maybe if the one-hours follow a similar route as the half hour hits – authentically Canadian, not pretending or aspiring to a US primetime aesthetic, and giving the audience something accessible that is not available on a network simulcast.”

Ilona Beiks of Playback talks about upcoming series from Movie Central/The Movie Network:

• MC and TMN shoot two new series
  “Movie Central and The Movie Network are touting a robust summer schedule of Canadian production, including two new drama series )ZOS: Zone of Separation and The Weight) and a fourth cycle of ReGenesis.”

From Stephanie Robbins of TV Week:

• ‘ReGenesis’ Brings HD to Syndication: Canadian Series Sold in Most of U.S.
  “Canadian television series ReGenesis is set to become the first syndicated original drama series offered in high definition when it airs in the United States this fall.”

Season three of ReGenesis concludes Sunday, June 17 AT 8 P.M. ET/7 P.M. PT on The Movie Network and Movie Central

• Victor Garber (Alias) guest stars as the enigmatic Olivier Roth -

A massive global conspiracy is revealed in the season finale of ReGenesis, airing Sunday, June 17 at 8 p.m. ET on The Movie Network (eastern Canada) and 7 p.m. PT on Movie Central (western Canada).

Season four of ReGenesis premieres in Spring 2008 on The Movie Network and Movie Central.

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From a media release:

PROGRAM PARTNERS CLEARS SHAFTESBURY FILMS’ REGENESIS IN OVER 75% OF U.S.

• Acclaimed HDTV Procedural Sold in 30 of the Top 40

Adding a new series to its growing portfolio of Canadian success stories in U.S. syndication, Program Partners has secured over 75% clearance for Shaftesbury Films’ ReGenesis, an award-winning procedural drama shot entirely in high-definition (HD). The series will launch in weekly barter syndication in fall 2007. Clearances include stations from the ABC, Belo, CBS, Granite, Fox, Hearst, Landmark, Lin, Tribune and Young groups. ReGenesis is set to become the first complete, original HDTV series offered for weekend syndication.

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From a media release:

Corus Entertainment’s Movie Central and Astral Media’s The Movie Network announced today that two new original drama series will start production this summer – ZOS: Zone of Separation and The Weight. In addition, a fourth season of the Gemini award-winning dramatic series ReGenesis will also resume production this summer.

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Tamsen Tillson of Playback points out that Canadian drama is alive and well … on channels not many Canadians get:

• Scripted Cancon alive and well on TMN
  “Of the series that have resulted – among them Slings & Arrows, G-Spot, Terminal City and ReGenesis – some have been more successful than others. The critics loved Slings & Arrows, which, in its third and final season, bagged three Geminis. ReGenesis airs in (count ‘em) 110 countries (and is the highest-rated series on France’s ARTE, according to Marion) and recently won an International Interactive Emmy for its online version. Their latest offering, Durham County, premiered in early May to enthusiastic reviews.”

From Worldscreen.com:

• Canada Dominates International Interactive Emmys
  Zimmer Twins and the ReGenesis Extended Reality Game tied in the Interactive Program category. BITE Television won the Interactive Channel category, while the Interactive TV Service category went to the U.K.’s BBCi.

From Blogcritics:

• TV Review: ReGenesis season three premiere

From Jim Bawden of the Toronto Star:

• ReGenesis regenerates: Wendy Crewson joins cast in show’s mini-makeover
  “About ReGenesis, the show about a team of scientists who tackle medical and ethical dilemmas of modern science, Crewson says, ‘It’s deliberately clever, not the usual science-fiction guff peddled on TV. The characters are believable, the set is as great as those on CSI. Everything we dramatize is about to happen – strange viruses, global warming. Actingwise, it’s a very competitive show – the young actors here are terrific –and I’m perfectly willing to cede centre stage to a guy as sexy as Peter Outerbridge. I get some great scenes, then I go home and don’t have to worry about carrying a show.’ “

From Playback:

• Return of ReGenesis
  “Season three of ReGenesis airs on The Movie Network and Movie Central on Sunday with back-to-back episodes, marking the debut of Wendy Crewson as a series regular.”

From Playback:

• Global discovers Canada
  “Gone are the bad old days of next-to-no Cancon and Train 48. Original scripted programming on the net for 2007 includes eight series. Count em: Eight. Hour-long preems are The Best Years, Painkiller Jane and Durham Country, new half-hours are Da Kink in My Hair and Love You to Death, and returns are Falcon Beach, The Jane Show and ReGenesis.”

From Movie Central/The Movie Network:

The Gemini Award-winning drama series returns Sunday, April 1 at 7 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET with two back-to-back episodes

• Wendy Crewson joins the cast as virologist Rachel Woods
• Victor Garber makes a special guest appearance in the season finale
• ReGenesis is now seen in 15 languages in 110 countries worldwide

Corus Entertainment’s Movie Central (western Canada) and Astral Media’s The Movie Network (eastern Canada) present season three of the Gemini Award-winning series ReGenesis with two back-to-back episodes premiering on Sunday, April 1 at 7 p.m. PT on Movie Central and 8 p.m. ET on The Movie Network.

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From Jim Bawden of the Toronto Star:

• Bawden’s best of ‘06