TV, eh?

From Stephanie Earp of TV Squad:

• Canada Makes Bargain-Basement Shows
  “Half-hearted denials aside, we know it’s true, don’t we? We know the only way networks like CBS (‘The Bridge’, ‘Flashpoint’), NBC (‘The Listener’) and ABC (‘Rookie Blue’) would agree to co-finance a show for their airwaves is if the setting was generic enough to pass for a U.S. locale. They’ve got the best of both worlds – if the show is good, they can send out press releases about what wonderful new programming they are creating with their Canadian partners, but if the show is bad, they can shrug their shoulders and say they had nothing to do with the creative, they were just the bank.” Read more.

Episode 4: Listen or download here or subscribe via iTunes or with any other program via the TV, Eh? feed

Anthony and I mock Global’s upcoming show Canada Sings, the producers of The Bridge for thinking CBS is still on board, Degrassi ratings information, and each other. I praise The Movie Network/Movie Central/HBO Canada and Call Me Fitz but we mock their “terrible branding problem” and the vagueness of The Yard‘s premise.

We don’t mock Flashpoint but discuss the season three premiere, and I talk to Enrico Colantoni about his role as Greg Parker and how Flashpoint is a great example of Canadian storytelling. As we say during the podcast, the interview doesn’t have great sound quality and strict spoilerphobes should beware.

Your links

• Canada Sings – I am excited at how much Anthony is going to hate this Glee-like reality show, even if I’m not excited about the show itself
• The Bridge is cancelled on CBS, despite what the producers want to believe
• Flashpoint season 3 premieres August 6
• Degrassi is doing well. I think. If I’m parsing the media release correctly.
• Haven and The Pillars of The Earth are in our rotation
• The Movie Network/Movie Central/HBO Canada schedule
• Enrico Colantoni is a very cool dude
• For information on specific shows, check out the sidebar of TV, eh? under Categories, or search for the show title in that little search box

Your hosts

• Anthony can be found at Dyscultured and lovehatethings, and on Twitter here and here.
• Diane can be found here at TV, eh? and here, and on Twitter here and here.

From the Canadian Press:

• CBS pulls ‘The Bridge’ from summer lineup
  “CBS has pulled the Canadian cop drama “The Bridge” from its summer schedule after airing just three episodes, but producers are hopeful that this isn’t the end of the road for the series in the U.S.” Read more.

From Alex Beam of the Boston Globe:

• Copping out in Canada
  “Violent police dramas from our peaceful neighbors to the north keep the US market in mind.” Read more“.

From Brian Stelter of the New York Times:

It’s a Canadian Summer for U.S. Television

Listen or download here or subscribe via iTunes or with any other program via the TV, Eh? feed

Co-hosts Anthony Marco and Diane Wild talk about the renewal of Rookie Blue, a new Flashpoint coming up, The Bridge tanking in the US, and the CTV lineup.

Plus, an interview with Paula Brancati, who plays Jane Vaughn on Degrassi: The Next Generation and Jenny on Being Erica. She’s featured in Friday’s Degrassi Takes Manhattan movie. The 10th season starts Monday – will she be back?

Your links

• Rookie Blue renewed
• New Flashpoint episode airs July 16
• The Bridge averages 3.2 million in US
• Diane will be a guest judge for the Vancouver audition callbacks for Wipeout Canada. Will she be a Paula Abdul or a Simon Cowell?
• The Hilarious House of Frightenstein
• Paula Brancati of Degrassi and Being Erica
• CTV’s fall season
• The Emmy nominations – everyone and Canadians
• For information on specific shows, check out the sidebar of TV, eh? under Categories, or search for the show title in that little search box

Your hosts

• Anthony can be found at Dyscultured and lovehatethings, and on Twitter here and here.
• Diane can be found here at TV, eh? and here, and on Twitter here and here.

From TV Series Finale:

• The Bridge: New CBS Police Drama; Cancel or Keep It?
  “What do you think? Had you even heard of it? If so, is The Bridge worth watching? Would you cancel or keep it?” Read more.

From Bill Gorman of TV By The Numbers:

• TV Ratings Saturday: ‘The Bridge’ Premiere Flops, Straining US/Canadian TV Relations
  “The CBS premiere of Canadian import The Bridge was nearly unwatched on Saturday, drawing just a 0.5 adults 18-49 rating for both its episodes and straining US/Canadian TV diplomacy in the process.” Read more.

From Mike Hale of the New York Times:

• A Cop Fights Crimes in and Out of the Station
  “Among this summer’s crop of new crime dramas, “The Bridge” is the one to root for, if only because its heart is in the right place. A co-venture of CBS, where it begins with two episodes on Saturday night, and the Canadian network CTV, the series is in the NYPD Blue and Southland vein, trying for realism. It isn’t in those shows’ league, but it’s a welcome change from the glossy triviality of other summer filler like Rookie Blue or The Good Guys.” Read more.

From Tom Conroy of Media Life Magazine:

• ‘The Bridge,’ dark journey to our north
  “Most Americans think of Canadians as being good citizens with gentle temperaments and a clear sense of right and wrong. This can be a problem with the many crime dramas that are filmed there. Once a Canadian pronunciation sneaks into a villain’s dialogue, he is immediately 50 percent less menacing.” Read more.

From the DGC website – nominations include Being Erica, Flashpoint, Sanctuary, The Bridge, Death Comes to Town, G-Spot, Less Than Kind, Little Mosque on the Prairie, Degrassi, Heartland, How to be Indie, Overruled:

• The Directors Guild of Canada Announces the 2010 DGC Awards Nominees “The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) announces the 2010 DGC Awards nominations. Comedian Dave Foley will host the annual gala on Saturday, September 25, 2010 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto. The Guild will celebrate the career of acclaimed director Sidney Furie (The Ipcress File, Lady Sings the Blues) and the extraordinary contributions of Don McCutcheon and Paul Bronfman to the DGC and the Canadian film and television industry.” Read more.

From Alan Sepinwall of HitFix:

• Review: CBS’ ‘The Bridge’
  “I’m not so sure about the prospects for “The Bridge,” though. It has an unusual premise and a strong lead performance by Aaron Douglas, but not all the execution is great, and it feels like it’s on the wrong network, on the wrong night.” Read more.

From Kate O’Hare of Zap2It:

• ‘The Bridge’ links both sides of badge
  “Being a police officer may be a calling for some, but it is also a job — a union job. And where there are unions, there are the bosses and the rank and file; there are negotiations and disputes and sometimes a strike.” Read more.

From John Doyle of the Globe and Mail:

• Some home truths about Canadian TV
  “Promotion matters more than anything. CTV knows this and has benefited enormously. It has promoted the hell out of Hiccups and Dan For Mayor. It made sure that every Canadian knew about Flashpoint and The Bridge. Maybe this was a lesson learned from the launch and success of Corner Gas, but the presence of Canadian shows on CTV is inescapable.” Read more.

From Alex Strachan of Canwest News Service:

• What’s wrong with the Canadian TV dramas on the networks this fall . . . and what’s right about the comedies.
  “Canadians are watching Hiccups and Dan For Mayor, in other words, because there isn’t a same-but-better version on NBC or CBS.” Read more.

CTV Announces Industry-Leading 2010-2011 Canadian Television Package

• CTV renews entire scripted slate: more FLASHPOINT, more THE BRIDGE, more HICCUPS, more DAN FOR MAYOR, more THE LISTENER
• CTV announces new daytime series THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW, debuting this fall
• Season 3 of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE CANADA to premiere August 15
• New international co-production drama THE BORGIAS joins CTV and Bravo! in 2011
• COMEDY NOW! is back for Season 13, ETALK returns for Season and W5 marks Season 45
• THE JUNO AWARDS, THE GILLER PRIZE and WE DAY all return

Following one of its most successful seasons ever for original Canadian programming, CTV unveiled today its 2010-2011 Canadian television package. The network has renewed its entire scripted slate of five original series, ordered a new daytime series, and confirmed the premiere date for its award-winning Top 20 hit dance competition series. Delivering more viewers to Canadian programming than any other network, the roster of original programming totals nearly 100 hours of prime-time Canadian programming on CTV alone during the 2010-2011 season.

With the majority of the original productions due to go into production this summer, CTV’s original series will premiere throughout the network’s 52-week schedule in 2010/2011. However, CTV confirmed today THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW, a new daytime series starring Gemini Award-winner and CHUM FM personality Marilyn Denis, premieres this fall. The series airs daily at 10 a.m. following LIVE! WITH REGIS AND KELLY and prior to THE VIEW, providing an uninterrupted flow of live programming on CTV each day from 6 a.m. – 1 p.m.

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From a CTV media release:

For the 2009-10 season, CTV had:

• the most-watched Canadian drama, FLASHPOINT (1.5 million viewers);
• the #1 new Canadian drama, THE BRIDGE (1 million viewers);
• the #1 new comedy programs (Canadian or American) of the year, HICCUPS (972,000) and DAN FOR MAYOR (913,000);

10 p.m. – THE BRIDGE – “Chain of Fools” – SEASON FINALE
Frank (Aaron Douglas) and the other close members of his team are brutally attacked in a burst of seemingly random acts of violence.

From a media release:

Frank Risks It All During the Heart-Pounding Season Finale of THE BRIDGE, May 21 on CTV

• Averaging more than one million viewers each week, THE BRIDGE is the #1 new Canadian drama of the season

The #1 new Canadian drama of the year locks things up in the season finale of THE BRIDGE this Friday, May 21 at 10 p.m. ET on CTV following the season finales of GHOST WHISPERER at 8 p.m. ET and MEDIUM at 9 p.m. ET (visit CTV.ca to confirm local broadcast times). With union leader Frank Leo (Aaron Douglas) and his team under siege by mysterious attackers, he ultimately decides to do whatever it takes to bring them down and protect those around him. The season finale guest stars well-known Canadian actress Wendy Crewson (24) as Mayor Kennedy.

Before the finale, viewers can catch up with previous episodes of THE BRIDGE on the CTV Video Player at CTV.ca. The full season of THE BRIDGE will be available on the CTV Video Player through the summer.

Aaron Douglas stars as Frank Leo during the season finale of THE BRIDGE

After premiering just following the conclusion of the 2010 Winter Games, THE BRIDGE quickly became a fan favourite, making it the #1 new Canadian drama of the season. With an average audience of more than one million viewers since its series premiere (1.01 million), THE BRIDGE consistently wins its 10 p.m. timeslot Friday night on CTV. THE BRIDGE has also found an online audience with almost 350,000 video views each month.

In the season finale, entitled “Chain of Fools” (Friday, May 21 at 10 p.m. ET), Frank (Aaron Douglas) and his team find themselves mysteriously under siege by a team of faceless attackers, leading Frank to quickly set up a war room at Rabbi’s bar to keep his friends safe. After devising a plan to strike back, and a life and death car chase, Frank must decide who to trust – the Chief (Michael Murphy), the Mayor (guest star Wendy Crewson), or the Russian Mob boss whose son Frank put in prison. Ultimately, Frank realizes that the enemies coming after him are part of a much wider, more deadly conspiracy, and he makes a deal with the devil to bring them down. The episode culminates in an unforgettable sequence between Frank Leo and unknown assailants, which is inspired by Steve McQueen’s famous car chase in the 1968 feature film Bullitt.

10 p.m. – THE BRIDGE – “Voices Carry” – NEW EPISODE
Frank (Aaron Douglas) fights to clear a female cop accused of spying on her fellow officers for a notorious street gang.

10 p.m. – THE BRIDGE – “The Blame Game” – NEW EPISODE
After a roadside ambush kills his partner, an officer sets out to take revenge. Before he destroys his life and career, Frank (Aaron Douglas) must stop him.

10 p.m. – THE BRIDGE – “Never Let Me Down Again” – NEW EPISODE

Frank (Aaron Douglas) has to deal with an explosive situation between two cops when one of them abandons the other in a dangerous ambush.