TV, eh?

From Brian Gorman of the Brantford Expositor:

• ‘Guard’ star had to conquer real-life fear of water
  “On “The Guard,” Zoie Palmer plays a character who tries to drown her demons. To play the role, the actress had to face demons that threatened to drown her.” Read more.

From Alex Strachan of Canwest News Service:

• The Guard is about what happens when the heroes get home
  “The Guard’s new season opens with a Coast Guard cutter happening on a seemingly abandoned fishing sloop in a coastal B.C. cove. The plot is something about a human trafficking operation and a leaky rust bucket that may have guns aboard — and quickly delves into the usual TV backstories of romantic entanglements and marriages on the rocks.” Read more.

From Randy Shore of Canada.com:

• The Guard returns with ’sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll’
  “It’s just a few miles from 21 Jump Street to Port Hallet, the fictional B.C. town at the centre of the action in the Canadian TV drama The Guard. But it took Steve Bacic 17 years to get from his guest-star role on the Vancouver set of the teen cop drama to Port Hallet, better known as Squamish, B.C.” Read more.

From a media release:

THE GUARD **SEASON PREMIERE**
Wednesday, October 29 – 10pm
“THE HOLD”

Following an extremely successful first season, this Canadian drama is set on the stunning backdrop of Port Hallet, B.C., and follows the lives of the Canadian Coast Guard team – both on the job and in their personal lives. In this premiere episode, Miro breaks the rules when he takes the MLB on a chase of a battered trawler that may have guns aboard and the crew ends up rescuing the victims of a human trafficking operation. Meanwhile, Andrew’s marriage is threatened when he comes clean to Amy about kissing Carly. Starring Steve Bacic, Jeremy Guilbaut, Zoie Palmer and Sonya Salomaa.

From Bill Harris of Sun Media:

• Get caught on Guard
  “The introduction page at Canadian actor Steve Bacic’s official website features the following description: ‘Killer. Lover. Father. Husband. Criminal. Hero. Human. Bug. Vampire. Soldier. Civilian. Past. Future. Serious. Funny.’” Read more.

From a media release:

“The Guard” – Global Television’s Hit Original Series Returns to Primetime

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29 – 10PM ET/PT

• ROGER CROSS (“24″) AND GEMINI NOMINEE SONYA SOLOMAA (“DURHAM COUNTY”) JOIN HIGH CALIBRE ENSEMBLE CAST
• CANADIAN DRAMA SERIES NOW SOLD IN OVER 30 TERRITORIES AND COUNTING

Following its impressive debut as the number one new Original drama series of last Spring*, Global’s The Guard makes its highly anticipated return to primetime with an all-new instalment of 15 episodes.
 
Premiering October 29 – 10pm ET/PT, The Guard completes the network’s already robust Wednesday night line-up of fan favourites Bones (8pm) and NCIS (9pm).

(more…)

From C21 Media:

• The Guard patrols global beat
  “Networks in Latin America, South Africa, Finland and Belgium have acquired Canadian drama series The Guard, ahead of season two’s debut in Canada later this month.” Read more.

From the Winnipeg Free Press:

• Dragons’ Den (Sept. 29, CBC)
• The Border (Sept. 29, CBC)
• The Rick Mercer Report (Sept. 30, CBC)
• The Tudors (Sept. 30, CBC)
• Little Mosque on the Prairie (Oct. 1, CBC)
• Sophie (Oct. 1, CBC)
• Heartland (Oct. 5, CBC)
• Corner Gas (Oct. 6, CTV)
• The Guard (Oct. 29, Global)

From a media release:

The Guard returns to Global with its second season on Wednesday, October 29 – 10pm ET/PT. The water-rescue drama resonated with fans earlier this year making it the No. 1 New Canadian Original drama during its spring run**, and it’s the first of many original productions soon to make their own waves within the television landscape.

** Source: BBM-NMR Meter Data, Adults 18-49 (Sep 10/07-May 25/08)

From a media release:

Canwest Announces Original Production Slate for 2008-2009

Global Television, E! & Specialty Channels Debut All-New Offerings:

THE LAST TEMPLAR, HOWIE DO IT, XIII,
INSTANT BEAUTY PAGEANT, PRODUCING PARKER,
CHEF ABROAD, OUTLAW BIKERS,
MAKE IT RIGHT: NEW ORLEANS, THE FOUNDATION, BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE

- AND –

Returning Hit Series Include:
THE GUARD, ‘DA KINK IN MY HAIR, THE BEST YEARS,
THE RE-INVENTORS, KENNY VS. SPENNY, SARAH’S HOUSE AND PROJECT RUNWAY CANADA

Canwest announced details of its original production slate today at their annual Fall Launch Presentation to advertisers and industry in Toronto.

In addition to unveiling an impressive roster of returning original programming across conventional and specialty networks, Canwest proudly revealed its line-up of new Canadian Original series for the 2008-2009 season, including a total of three NBC simulcasts: romantic adventure-drama, THE LAST TEMPLAR starring Oscar® winner Mira Sorvino (Mighty Aphrodite) and Canadian Victor Garber (Alias); comedy HOWIE DO IT starring comedian Howie Mandel (Deal or No Deal); and political thriller, XIII starring Stephen Dorff (Blade) and Val Kilmer (Wonderland, The Doors).  (more…)

From a media release (I’m including Canadian series only):

Key returning 2008 Canadian highlights include the #1 new drama series* THE GUARD; and #1 new Canadian comedy series ’DA KINK IN MY HAIR. (BBM-NMR National Meter Data, Adults 18-49, Sept 10/07-May 25/08)

GLOBAL PRIMETIME 2008 – DAY-AT-A-GLANCE
All times EST. SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

Wednesday
10pm The Guard (Season 2)

Saturday
7pm Global Currents (Season 3)
10pm Renagadepress.com
10:30pm Renagadepress.com

MID-SEASON: ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING (Global)

• THE ANIMATED ADVENTURES OF BOB AND DOUG MACKENZIE (30 minutes; animated)
• COLD BLOOD (10 x 1 hour; documentary)
• HOWIE DO IT (30 minutes; comedy)
• XIII (2 x 2 hour; drama)
• THE LAST TEMPLAR (2 x 2 hour; drama)
• PROJECT RUNWAY CANADA Season 2 (1 hour; reality)

MID-SEASON ORIGINAL SERIES (E!)

• PRODUCING PARKER (animation)

From a media release:

All nominees for the 10th Anniversary Leo Awards were announced today. In addition to the earlier announcement of select program categories included in the Leo Awards Film Festival, the list of nominees for the Leo Awards 2008 is now complete and can be viewed online at http://leoawards.com/nominees_2008.html.

(more…)

From a media release:

DHX Media Ltd., a leading independent international producer and distributor of television programming and interactive content is pleased to announce that Global Television, a Canwest Broadcasting network has commissioned a second season of the primetime original drama series, The Guard, which begins production in Vancouver, BC in June and is slated for broadcast in the 2008-09 season. The series is a co-production between DHX Media’s subsidiary, Halifax Film and Vancouver based Brightlight Pictures Inc, for Global Television.

The Guard is a one-hour character-driven, ensemble drama series that focuses on the lives of four imperfect, offbeat and sometimes difficult, but heroic Coast Guard rescue specialists looking for meaning in their own lives while enduring the daily dangers of life out on the Pacific Ocean. Audiences were captivated by these west coast heroes, as Season I of the series launched with over 800,000 viewers and The Guard was the #1 new Canadian Original in the key demo Adults 18-49.

Charles Bishop, President, Halifax Film said, “We are thrilled to partner once again with Global Television to produce a second season of The Guard. The additional season will continue to help us secure significant international sales.”

From Bill Brioux at TV Feeds My Family:

• Can Sophie Survive Survivor?
  “Did CBC jump the gun on that Sophie renewal? Ever since CBC announced they were picking up two of their four January starts, Sophie and The Border, the rookie comedy series, starring Mimi Kuzyk and Natalie Brown (right), has been sinking like a rock. This Wednesday it was down to 290,000 viewers.” Read more.

• Global Keeps its Guard Up
  “Global announced today that it is renewing three of its rookie shows: The Guard, ‘Da Kink In My Hair and the summer series The Best Years. Hey, the more Canadian shows the better, jobs are jobs and this news keeps people working in Vancouver and Toronto. But Global’s release suggests that these renewals are “based on solid statistics of the first seasons.” Perhaps, but in the case of ‘Da Kink at least, earning brownie points before the CRTC had to be a factor.” Read more.

From a media release:

Global Television announced today the renewal of three Canadian Original drama series – The Guard, ‘da Kink in my Hair and The Best Years for their sophomore year.

Slated for the network’s 2008-09 broadcast schedule, the entertaining, proven performers will be gearing up for production on their respective second seasons in the coming weeks, and based on solid statistics of the first seasons, fans nationwide are ready for more.

(more…)

From Global:

THE GUARD SEASON FINALE
Tuesday, March 4 at 10pm ET/PT
“THE BEACON”

When a retired lighthouse keeper with Alzheimer’s goes missing, it stirs up Carly’s guilt for abandoning her father. Ursula finds Tina in a compromising position in Miro’s hotel room and gives Miro the boot, landing him in Laura’s guest house. Carly finds Wendell camping out, about to revert back to drugs.

From Bill Brioux at TV Feeds My Family:

• Numbers Not There for MVP
  This week’s ratings for MVP: 258,000, Rick Mercer Report: 1,025,000, Robson Arms: 686,000, The Guard: 431,000, This Hour Has 22 Minutes: 639,000. Read more.

From BBM Canada:

• Feb. 4-10 — Corner Gas at #10 (1.4 million), Rick Mercer Report at #27 (970,000)
• Feb. 11-17 — Corner Gas at #7 (1.476 million)

From Bill Brioux at TV Feeds My Family:

• Global Shortage — ratings for Little Mosque (900,000), Sophie(538,000)
• MVP DOA; Viewers Went With Women — ratings for The Border (548,000), The Week The Women Went (929,000), Degrassi (426,000), Corner Gas (1.286 million), MVP (278,000), The Guard (504,000), Rick Mercer Report (856,000), This Hour Has 22 Minutes (748,000), Heartland (509,000)

Tuesday, February 26 at 10pm ET/PT

“JUST SAY NO”

A rescue becomes personal for Laura when she is called upon to save the life of Jen, an undercover cop, who is Tina’s biological mother. With tequila as incentive, Andrew and Carly study for the upcoming base inspection and accidentally share a passionate kiss. While attempting to repair Laura’s backyard shed, Miro enlists Tina’s help and ends up being a positive influence.

From Bill Brioux at TV Feeds My Family:

• MVP Needs Performance Enhancement
  “CBC’s sexy new hockey wives drama is simply not scoring with viewers. MVP’s second Tuesday outing netted just 221,000 viewers, down from last Tuesday and down from the sorry numbers in its original Friday night timeslot. … The numbers are also starting to tilt the wrong way on Monday nights for another new CBC drama, The Border, down to 494,000 this week, despite an incredibly timely episode about illegal organ harvesting. … The new CBC reality show The Week The Women Went drew 687,000 the same night, remarkable when you consider it has now officially become THE DULLEST TV SHOW EVER MADE. … Global’s The Guard held steady at 538,000 Tuesday.” Read more.