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.

Episode 3: 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 discuss the CBC fall schedule, including arguing about the merits of Battle of the Blades, deciding Rick Mercer and the gang at 22 Minutes should never have holidays so we can have a Daily Show/Colbert type show in Canada,cheering Being Erica‘s renewal, and cynically deciding CBC had nothing better in development. In other news, 18 to Life was picked up by The CW, Haven got decent ratings, Degrassi introduced a transgendered character, and The Pillars of the Earth premieres Friday on The Movie Network/Movie Central.

Plus, a 20-minute interview with Gordon Pinsent about his role in The Pillars of the Earth, his 80th birthday celebration at the opening of his new play, Due South, the new series he has in development with son-in-law Peter Keleghan, what progress he’s seen in the Canadian TV industry over the years, his relationship with Sarah Polley, and how he’s been in every Canadian TV show and movie ever made.

Your links

• The CW picks up CBC’s 18 to Life
• Haven hits 300,000 viewers
• Degrassi introduces a transgendered character – controversial or same old, same old?
• The Pillars of the Earth premieres Friday, July 23
• The incredible career of Gordon Pinsent
• The CBC fall schedule
• Is Battle of the Blades a case of Schadenfreude or cheesy fun? You decide. (But it’s totally cheesy fun.)
• The Christina Cox vampire show whose title I couldn’t remember is Blood Ties. Last week, I couldn’t remember the Chris Leavins movie The Hanging Garden. Next week, maybe I’ll forget the name of this podcast!
• 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 a media release:

2010 CANADIAN COMEDY AWARD NOMINEES ARE ANNOUNCED!

The race for the 2010 Canadian Comedy Awards is on! Canada’s finest comedians will go head to head for the coveted BEAVER statuette this October in Toronto, as The Canadian Comedy Awards Foundation in association with The Comedy Network today announced the nominees for the 2010 Canadian Comedy Awards. At a media conference held at Yuk Yuk’s in Toronto, emcees Deb McGrath and Colin Mochrie highlighted the nominees in all 21 categories.

Winners will be declared at The Comedy Network Presents the Canadian Comedy Awards & Festival Awards Show on Monday, October 18 to be held at the Isabel Bader Theatre.

To view a complete list of the 2010 Canadian Comedy Awards nominees and to access nominee bios, please go to www.canadiancomedy.ca.

(more…)

Condolences to his family and friends.

From the Montreal Gazette:

• Comedic sharpshooter Irwin Barker dies
  “One of the most intelligent, inventive and unique voices in Canadian comedy has been silenced. Comedian/writer Irwin Barker died early Monday in Toronto after a lengthy battle with leiomyosarcoma, a rare form of soft-tissue cancer.” Read 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 tonight’s 22 Minutes on CBC:

This week on 22 Minutes…

Mark Critch sits down with Finance Minister, Jim Flaherty for the finale of 22 Minutes, Season XVII. And ‘The Mom Show’ with Geri Hall and Cathy Jones.

22 Minutes with audience favorites Mark Critch, Gavin Crawford, Geri Hall and Cathy Jones airs on Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 8:30 pm on CBC Television.

Unfair and unbalanced. The news will never look the same. Armed with political satire, sketch comedy and parody in this 17th season beloved characters return and new characters emerge to share the spotlight.

From Bill Brioux at the Canadian Press:

• Is clock ticking on “22 Minutes”? Show appears to be on the bubble for renewal
  “The CBC sketch comedy series concludes its 17th season Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. on CBC. A dip in the ratings earlier this season had what used to be called “This Hour Has 22 Minutes” in “on the bubble” territory for renewal. The season before had been a strong ratings winner, thanks in no small part to all the comedy opportunities presented by the U.S. and Canadian elections.” Read more.

From tonight’s 22 Minutes:

This week on 22 Minutes … Mark Critch reports from the “Seal Meat Luncheon” on Parliament Hill. The Celtic Sisters (Cathy Jones, Geri Hall and Gavin Crawford) with a brand new album welcoming Immigrants to Canada. And Mark Critch also reports from the 2010 Brier in Halifax, NS.

22 Minutes with audience favorites Mark Critch, Gavin Crawford, Geri Hall and Cathy Jones airs on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 8:30 pm on CBC Television.

Unfair and unbalanced. The news will never look the same. Armed with political satire, sketch comedy and parody in this 17th season beloved characters return and new characters emerge to share the spotlight.

22 Minutes is produced by Halifax Film, a DHX Media company in association with CBC Television. www.cbc.ca/22minutes

To receive regular updates about the show become our fan on Facebook or follow us on Twitter

From Bill Brioux at TV Feeds My Family:

• This Week’s Podcast: 22 Minutes and More

From Bill Brioux at TV Feeds My Family:

• My 22 Hours with 22 Minutes
  “Getting to spend a Monday with Crawford, Mark Critch and Geri Hall, as well as executive producer Mark Farrell and the entire cast and crew, is like trying to join the last leg of a fairly brisk marathon. You can try to jog along, but everybody is focused on that night’s finish line.” Read more.

This week on 22 Minutes …

The Tonight Show returns with Jay Leno (Mark Critch). ‘Art Break – Olympic Blues’ with Bob Bobertson (Gavin Crawford). And Raj Binder (Shaun Majumder) reports from the Atlanta Motor Speedway NASCAR races.

22 Minutes with audience favorites Shaun Majumder, Mark Critch, Gavin Crawford, Geri Hall and Cathy Jones airs on Tuesday, March 09, 2010 at 8:30 pm on CBC Television. Unfair and unbalanced. The news will never look the same. Armed with political satire, sketch comedy and parody in this 17th season beloved characters return and new characters emerge to share the spotlight.

This week on 22 Minutes …

Shaun Majumder returns. Mark Critch has a post-surgery interview with the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, Danny Williams. And Correspondent Nathan Fielder successfully reports from the Washington CPAC Conference while actor Stephen Baldwin tries to punch him out.

22 Minutes with audience favorites Shaun Majumder, Mark Critch, Gavin Crawford, Geri Hall and special guest Susan Kent airs on Tuesday, March 02, 2010 at 8:30 pm on CBC Television.

Unfair and unbalanced. The news will never look the same. Armed with political satire, sketch comedy and parody in this 17th season beloved characters return and new characters emerge to share the spotlight.

From the WGC:

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

This week on 22 Minutes … Raj Binder (Shaun Majumder) covers the hype of the Super Bowl Media Day. And Newfoundland and Labrador falls apart without its Premier.

22 Minutes with audience favorites Mark Critch, Gavin Crawford, Geri Hall, Shaun Majumder and Cathy Jones airs on Tuesday, February 09, 2010 at 8:30 pm on CBC Television.

Unfair and unbalanced. The news will never look the same. Armed with political satire, sketch comedy and parody in this 17th season beloved characters return and new characters emerge to share the spotlight.

22 Minutes airs tonight on CBC:

This week on 22 Minutes…

This week on 22 Minutes … Geri Hall catches up with Canadian pop and country rock band Blue Rodeo, Dragon Kevin O’Leary makes a special guest appearance to introduce the ‘Quebec version of Dragon’s Den’ and a preview of the new Tonight Show with Jay Leno (Mark Critch).

22 Minutes with audience favorites Mark Critch, Gavin Crawford, Geri Hall and Cathy Jones airs on Tuesday, February 02, 2010 at 8:30 pm on CBC Television.

Unfair and unbalanced. The news will never look the same. Armed with political satire, sketch comedy and parody in this 17th season beloved characters return and new characters emerge to share the spotlight.