TV, eh?

Bill Harris of QMI Agency breaks down the fall premiere dates, including Canadian shows:

• Fall TV getting weird
  “Our official fall TV preview section will appear in a few weeks, as the majority of shows are set to debut or return toward the end of September. But a significant number of programs will burst out of the gate before that, some even before Labour Day.” Read more.

From a media release:

CBC TELEVISION CELEBRATES CANADIAN STARS, ICONS & HOMEGROWN HITS AT FALL 2010 SEASON PREVIEW

• Battle of the Blades is Back!
• Debbie Travis Comes to CBC Prime Time!
• Men With Brooms Brings Fresh Laughs for Fall! (pictured)

Kirstine Stewart, General Manager of CBC Television, previewed the network’s Fall 2010 schedule that features the highly anticipated new season of BATTLE OF THE BLADES, the debut of a brand-new format for ALL FOR ONE WITH DEBBIE TRAVIS on prime time television, a new half-hour comedy based on the popular Canadian movie MEN WITH BROOMS, and the return of several established CBC hits.

PAUL GROSS, DEBBIE TRAVIS, ERIN KARPLUK, RICK MERCER, PETER MANSBRIDGE, GEORGE STROUMBOULOPOULOS, DAVID SUZUKI, KURT BROWNING, DON CHERRY and RON MacLEAN, along with many other CBC celebrities, participated in the announcement for the Fall schedule that also includes THE RON JAMES SHOW, BEING ERICA, THE TUDORS, RICK MERCER REPORT, HEARTLAND, THE FIFTH ESTATE, DRAGONS’ DEN, the 50th season of THE NATURE OF THINGS, and CBC’s winning daytime lineup that includes STEVEN and CHRIS, BEST RECIPES EVER and KIDS’CBC.

(more…)

From Bill Brioux at TV Feeds My Family:

• 22 Minutes Down to 13 Amid CBC Cuts for Fall
  “The most dramatic cut could come at the expense of the network’s longest-running entertainment series, 22 Minutes. The Halifax-based comedy may be down to a half-season, with just 13 episodes ordered, down from 18 last season and 20 the season before that.” Read more.

From the WGC:

• Finalists Announced: The Writers Guild of Canada congratulates the 2010 Finalists

From BBM Canada:

• Top Programs – Total Canada
  #9 Heartland (1.166 million)
  #15 Air Farce New Year’s Eve (948,000)
  #26 Ron James New Year’s Eve (828,000)

From Bill Brioux at TV Feeds My Family:

• New Year’s Eve ratings
  “CBC’s traditional lineup of New Year’s Eve comedies took a hockey hit, with Air Farce averaging 948,000 at 8 and Ron James pulling another 828,000.” Read more.

From Bill Brioux in the Toronto Star:

• Comedian Ron James plans his second act
  “Ron James is tickled to be hosting a CBC New Year’s Eve special for the fifth year in a row. The stand-up comedian, who just wrapped up the first year of his CBC Friday night comedy series, hosts an hour-long comedy special Thursday at 9 p.m. called The Ron James Show: New Year’s Eve Edition. It follows the return of the Air Farce for its 17th annual New Year’s Eve special.” Read more.

From a media release:

BRING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH A LAUGH: THE RON JAMES SHOW: NEW YEAR’S EVE EDITION DEC. 31, AT 9 P.M., ON CBC TELEVISION

Canada’s favourite, critically acclaimed funny man, Ron James, continues his New Year’s Eve tradition of making the country laugh. Airing Thursday, Dec. 31, at 9 p.m., on CBC Television, THE RON JAMES SHOW: NEW YEAR’S EDITION has something for everybody.

Along with an extended version of James’s trademark standup comedy, the hour-long special also features two instalments of his popular ‘Lil Ronnie’ cartoons; a visit from that passive aggressive Cape Breton elder, ‘Aunt Vivian’; a struggling Bethlehem Innkeeper during ‘The Nativity’; a big city mayor at the mercy of a politically correct world; an homage to Boxing Day and those saccharine holiday seasonal musicals of the 1970’s; a historical look at a peculiar yuletide ‘feast’ during the ill fated Franklin expedition of 1846; and a couple of well-meaning buddies who almost scuffle Ron’s New Year’s Eve.

This year’s show features appearances from an all-star cast including Eric Peterson (Corner Gas), Peter Keleghan (The Newsroom, 18 to Life, Love Letters), Patrick McKenna (Traders, The Red Green Show), Linda Kash (Made in Canada), Christian Potenza (6Teen) and Daniel Kash (Guns).

From the Canadian Television Fund:

• Interactivity9 – Ron James, Cra$h & Burn

From Bill Brioux at TV Feeds My Family:

• TSN’s Grey Cup Beats Super Bowl, Oscars

From a media release:

THE RON JAMES SHOW SEASON FINALE: STARRING COMEDY LEGENDS RON JAMES, COLIN MOCHRIE, PATRICK McKENNA, PETER KELEGHAN AND DAN LETT

• FRIDAY, NOV. 27, AT 8 P.M., ON CBC-TV

This week, on THE RON JAMES SHOW, Ron James invites a star-studded cast of Gemini Award-winners to the show for his season finale, Friday, Nov. 27, at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT), on CBC-TV. Special guests include Colin Mochrie (This Hour Has 22 Minutes), Patrick McKenna (The Red Green Show), Peter Keleghan (Made In Canada) and Dan Lett (Made In Canada).

Viewers can join James as he sheds new light on shipboard life during the Franklin expedition, gets a lesson in locker room etiquette and has a perplexing shopping experience.

For viewers who can’t get enough of ‘Lil Ronnie James, clips of the segment are available on THE RON JAMES SHOW website.

From Bill Brioux at TV Feeds My Family:

• CBC News at 10 Fix: Paging Jack Bauer
  “Discovery steered another 739,000 toward Canada’s Worst Driver.” Read more.

From a media release:

COLIN MOCHRIE AND DEB MCGRATH GUEST STAR ON THE RON JAMES SHOW, ON CBC-TV

On Friday, Nov. 20, at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT), Ron James welcomes back two Canadian comedic heavyweights, Gemini award-winner Colin Mochrie (This Hour Has 22 Minutes) and Gemini award-nominee Deb McGrath (Little Mosque on the Prairie), on THE RON JAMES SHOW.

This week, James crosses into the twilight world of Newfoundland’s undead, demonstrates a childhood game for his co-workers and has a tough choice to make while stuck in a traffic jam.

For viewers who can’t get enough of ‘Lil Ronnie James, clips of the segment are available on THE RON JAMES SHOW website.

THE RON JAMES SHOW showcases the talents of renowned and much-beloved comedian Ron James, and his poetically charged observations about surviving life in the modern world.

From Bill Brioux at TV Feeds My Family:

• Millions Ignore Canadian TV Awards
  “Apparently there was some sort of Canadian TV awards show on Saturday night. It drew 303,000 viewers on Global according to BBM Canada overnight estimates. Word is it was held in Calgary. Another 50,000 caught it on Showcase.” Read more.

8 p.m. (8:30 NT)
James comes out on the wrong side of a customer satisfaction survey, gets in step with his co-workers and overcomes a personal challenge to interrogate a murder suspect.

From Bill Brioux of TV Feeds My Family:

• Hull of a Weekend for Canadian TV
  “Friday’s Flashpoint picked off 1,816,000 commercial on CTV (all figures BBM Canada overnight estimates). CBC’s Battle of the Blades was right behind Sunday night with 1,810,000 tuning in to see the final three skate off. Then, lookit this–CBC’s pony drama Heartland quietly rode off with 1,282,000 Sunday evening.” Read more.

Comedian Ron James checks out the dating scene in a small town; gets overwhelmed by new technology; and discovers there is another side to male bonding. Special guests Patrick McKenna & Tara Spencer-Nairn.

From Bill Brioux at TV Feeds My Family:

• Blades, Flash, Blades Top Weekend Draws
  “CTV’s Friday night winner Flashpoint picked off another 1,870,000 according to BBM Canada overnight estimates (“commercial” data). Battle of the Blades landed 1,618,000 Sunday night for CBC. CBC’s Sunday night family drama Heartland, featuring Amber Marshall and Spartan, left, had another near million night, drawing 932,000.” Read more.

From a media release:

CANADIAN COMEDIC LEGENDS ERIC PETERSON AND DEB MCGRATH GUEST STAR ON THE RON JAMES SHOW

This week on THE RON JAMES SHOW – Gemini Award-winner Eric Peterson (Corner Gas), Gemini Award-nominee Deb McGrath (Little Mosque on the Prairie) and the voice of television icon Gordon Pinsent. THE RON JAMES SHOW airs Fridays at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC-TV.

This episode, Ron overcomes a miscommunication with his elderly Dad, discovers nothing comes for free in love and marriage, and passes the torch of environmental responsibility over to his slacker son. Also, Lil Ronnie James discovers a surefire way to get the backyard pool all to himself.

THE RON JAMES SHOW showcases the talents of renowned and much-beloved comedian Ron James, and his poetically charged observations about surviving life in the modern world. Anchored by James’ hilarious and razor-sharp standup comedy, the show features an eclectic mix of in-studio sketches, field sketches and a weekly installment of L’il Ronnie, an animated look at James’ early childhood in Cape Breton.

From Judith Klassen of Movie Entertainment:

• Ron James Judecast
  “At the CBC Fall Launch, Jude and chick-kick, Robyn chat with funny man Ron James about his new show on the mothership, how he turned his financial spiraling in LA into his first hit stage show, Up and Down in Shaky Town, his continued healthy contempt for authority, and why he never takes his brilliant career for granted.” Listen here.