From CBC News:
Link: Veteran Canadian comedian Bob Robertson dead at 71
Veteran Canadian comedian Bob Robertson has died at 71.
His wife and business partner, Linda Cullen, confirmed to CBC News he passed away in Nanaimo, B.C., on Sunday.
Robertson and Cullen had been called the funniest married couple in Canada after spending decades in the entertainment business together. Continue reading.
From Victoria Nelli of The TV Junkies:
Link: Bellevue: Jane Maggs and Adrienne Mitchell talk “How Do I Remember”
“She understands that in order to further this relationship, this person needs to feel like they have a relationship and that she trusts him. So, part of it is playing that side of things and part of it is the moments that I think she does kind of get lost in the relationship and in the nostalgia of this person from her childhood being back.” Continue reading.
From a media release:
The following changes have been made to CBC’s schedule. ANNE (1×120, 6×60) fans will no longer have to wait for the return of the acclaimed new series, with the air date for the second episode moving up from Sunday, April 2 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) to Sunday, March 26 at 8 p.m. (8:30NT). New episodes of ANNE will continue to air Sundays at 8 pm (8:30 NT).
As a result of that change, the premiere of new docu-drama series CANADA: STORY OF US (10 x 60) will move from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. (9:30 NT) on Sunday, March 26, with one episode airing instead of back-to-back episodes. Episode 102 will now air on Sunday, April 2 at 9 p.m. (9:30NT). New episodes of the series will continue to air Sundays at 9 p.m. (9:30NT).
Schedule changes:
Moved: Episode 102 of ANNE moves from Sunday, April 2 @ 8 p.m. to Sunday, March 26 @ 8 p.m. (8:30NT).
Moved: The premiere of CANADA: THE STORY OF US Episode 101 moves from Sunday, March 26 @ 8 p.m. to Sunday, March 26 @ 9 p.m. (9:30NT). Episode 102 will now air on Sunday, April 2 @ 9 p.m. (9:30NT).
Updated primetime schedule for Sunday, March 26 (NT time zone half-hour later for all times)
Updated 8 PM: ANNE – Episode 102 (“I am no bird, and no net ensnares me”)
Updated 9 PM: CANADA: THE STORY OF US – Series Premiere, Episode 101 (“Worlds Collide”)
Updated primetime schedule for Sunday, April 2 (NT time zone half-hour later for all times)
Updated 8 PM: ANNE – Episode 103 (“But what is so headstrong as youth?”)
9 PM: CANADA: THE STORY OF US – Episode 102 (“Hunting Treasures”)
Giddy up! CBC has made it official: Heartland has been renewed for Season 11. Star Amber Marshall made the announcement Tuesday morning in a video on the show’s official Facebook page.
“I wanted to thank you all for watching Season 10 of Heartland,” she says. “And I am so excited to tell you that Season 11 will be starting on CBC this fall.” The news comes just days in advance of the season finale, where it’s expected that Amy Fleming and Ty Borden will welcome the birth of their first child.
Here’s the episode synopsis for Sunday’s finale, “Great Expectations.”
Amy, Ty and the entire Heartland family are thrilled to welcome a new member into the fold. Meanwhile, the ghost horse returns and Amy disagrees with Georgie’s plan to capture and gentle him. Then, Lou changes her mind about a business deal but not before Mitch makes a surprising choice. And hoping to impress Cass’s parents, Caleb asks a reluctant Tim for a full-time job.
Check out images from Sunday’s episode!
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Look for our interview with Alisha Newton later this week on TV-Eh.com!
Have you got a message for the stars of Heartland? Pass them along in the comments section below!
Heartland airs Sundays at 7 p.m. on CBC.
Image courtesy of CBC.
“People still want Canada to have a late-night Tonight Show type broadcast, but I’m not interested in doing that,” Steve Patterson says. “I would be more interested in doing a show where you actually learn something while you’re watching.” He’s got it with The Smartass-ociates,
Patterson’s newest project currently streaming on CBC’s website.
Patterson has been told for years that he should be doing a  late-night program but balked. That’s understandable. Mike Bullard tried to do it a couple of times with a certain amount of success, but Canadians never really supported a homegrown take on the U.S. late-night model. It wasn’t until The Colbert Report came along that Patterson saw something that would work here: a show where he could interview somebody with something to say other than the entertainment project they’re working on. Enter The Smartass-ociates, a co-production with Mountain Road Productions—who worked with Patterson on I Wrecked My House—where experts in different areas are paired with a comic to sit down to discuss various topics with Patterson as host and moderator.
Filmed last year in Ottawa, Season 1 guests pull from a wide range of interests. Episode 1, for instance, features the Honourable Lisa Raitt and comedian DeAnne Smith discussing the U.S. election and the difference between Canadian and American politics. Episode 6 boasts Olympic speed skater—and gold medal winner—Ivanie Blondin and comic Dave Hemstad discussing misogyny in sports coverage of female Olympic athletes. Rather than debating topics—something Patterson has nailed on The Debaters—these are frank conversations that educate as much as entertain. Blondin, in particular, stood out to me for her thoughtful first-hand account of misogyny, and her humour.
“She turned out to be one of our best guests and was one of our last bookings,” Patterson says with a laugh. “She was so honest about everything. I wouldn’t make it a habit of telling the rival of a guest to go f–k themselves, but it came about very organically.”
With Season 1 currently available online, Patterson’s ultimate goal is to have The Smartass-
ociates become a weekly television series on CBC where he discusses current topics, similar to John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight. Ideally, he wants to do it within this calendar year.
“I want to get into the meat of news topics with people and introduce Canada to as many of my funny Canadian friends as possible,” he says. “Let’s learn something and let’s laugh while we’re learning. Let’s prove what comedians have to offer when they literally come to the table on some of these topics.”
Watch Season 1 of The Smartass-ociates on CBC’s website.
