All posts by Greg David

Prior to becoming a television critic and owner of TV, Eh?, Greg David was a critic for TV Guide Canada, the country's most trusted source for TV news. He has interviewed television actors, actresses and behind-the-scenes folks from hundreds of television series from Canada, the U.S. and internationally. He is a podcaster, public speaker, weekly radio guest and educator, and past member of the Television Critics Association.
Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: TVO pushes off for a leisurely cruise in Tripping the Bruce

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The first time I cruised along with Mitch Azaria was for his first non-stop boat excursion, Tripping the Rideau Canal. That was followed by Tripping the Niagara. Now comes the third.

Tripping the Bruce—airing Friday at 7 p.m. ET on TVO, TVO.org and TVO’s YouTube channel—sticks with his winning formula, inviting viewers to hop into a sailboat for a three-hour, non-stop 34-kilometre trek along the north shore of the Bruce Peninsula.

Kicking off with a stunning drone shot of rocky crags, deep blue water, green trees and the sound of surf and birds, viewers begin the journey in Wingfield Basin, Lake Huron. Once there—and as with the past two Tripping projects—on-screen facts about the basin are given before we hear the call for anchors to be pulled up and the trip to begin.

Part history lesson, part travelogue, Tripping the Bruce is fascinating not only for the natural spectacles in this rugged part of Ontario but the more than 1,000 shipwrecks festooned along the lake bottom. Engaging animation recalls the history of some of those ships—like the W.L. Wetmore, Sweepstakes and Niagara II—before heading below the waves to show what remains of them today.

The route north is studded with boulders strewn on its shores and a landscape with deep caves and tunnels carved by weather, swimmers and sunbathers at the famous Grotto, the beaches of Dunks Bay and Tobermory, where Canada’s most-visited shipwreck can be seen just below the waterline. The trip ends at Flowerpot Island and its famous sea stacks.

Tripping the Bruce is at its best when no one speaks, when the water, sails and birds are the soundtrack to the stunning visuals captured.

Tripping the Bruce airs Friday at 7 p.m. ET on TVO, TVO.org and TVO’s YouTube channel.

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Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Blue Ant Media commissions Hoarders: Canada, produced by Saloon Media

From a media release:

Saloon Media, a Blue Ant Media company, announced today that it has entered into an agreement with A+E Networks to produce the format of the critically acclaimed series, Hoarders, marking the first-ever format commission for the series outside the USA. Under the title Hoarders: Canada, the series has been greenlit by Blue Ant Media for its Canadian programming slate. Hoarders: Canada follows a team of experts as they tackle some of Canada’s most challenging hoards, giving viewers an in-depth look at the emotional stories of those dealing with compulsive hoarding behaviours. Produced by the award-winning Saloon Media, nationwide casting for Hoarders: Canada will begin this month.

Hoarders: Canada will explore the world of extreme hoarding and provide an in-depth look at real-life stories of those directly affected by compulsive hoarding. Each episode will introduce viewers to individuals from across Canada as a team of experts try to help clean out massive hoards and assist with setting these individuals up for future success. Leading Canadian psychologists will work in tandem with extreme cleanup experts in an effort to help these families deal with a hoarding crisis of epic magnitude. Hoarders: Canada will premiere on Blue Ant Media’s specialty channel Makeful in late 2022.

Hoarders: Canada joins a roster of original TV formats commissioned by Blue Ant Media for its Canadian specialty channels, including Makeful’s Landscape Artist of the Year: Canada and Cottage Life’s highest-rated original series, Life Below Zero: Canada, produced by Saloon Media and now in its second season. Casting for Hoarders: Canada is now open and is accepting applications nationwide via hoarderscanadacasting.com.

Hoarders: Canada is based on the critically acclaimed A+E Networks series Hoarders. Franklin Cumberbatch and Peter Tarshis serve as executive producers for A+E Networks. Hoarders: Canada is produced by Saloon Media, a Blue Ant Media company. Shannon McKinnon serves as the Series Producer and Deborah MacDonald is the Supervising Producer. Michael Kot, Betty Orr and Pam Mcnair serve as Executive Producers.

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Awards

Banff’s 2022 Rockie Awards International Program Competition nominees announced

From a media release:

The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) is pleased to announce the full list of nominees for the 2022 Rockie Awards International Program Competition, recognizing excellence in television and digital media from around the globe. Hosted by actress and comedian Rakhee Morzaria (Run the Burbs), the Rockies Program Competition ceremony will be held in-person as well as live-streamed on YouTube during this year’s Festival at 6:30 pm ET (4:30 pm MT) on Monday, June 13th.

The Rockie Awards International Program Competition is one of the largest awards programs of its kind, juried by an esteemed panel of 150 international industry professionals and covering all major genres. The Rockie Awards Grand Jury chooses the coveted Grand Jury Prize, selected from the top-scoring programs across the entire field of nominees. This year’s Grand Jury includes: Vanessa Brookman, Head of Kids EMEA, WarnerMedia; Trish Williams, Executive Director, Scripted Content, CBC; James Blue, Head, Smithsonian Channel & Senior VP, MTV News and Docs, ViacomCBS Entertainment & Youth Brands; Young-kyu Kim, Co-CEO, Studio Dragon; Caroline Hollick,  Head of Drama, Channel 4; Candice Wilson Cherry, Head of Development and Production, LOL and Monika Ille, Director, APTN.

“This year’s Rockie Awards are more international than ever before,” said Jenn Kuzmyk, Executive Director of the Banff World Media Festival. “The creative spirit and exceptional work across the nominees truly exemplify the very best of global content.  We can’t wait to share this year’s show and celebrate in-person with nominees and winners once again in Canada’s beautiful Rockie Mountains.”

In addition to the Grand Jury Prize, the $25,000 Rogers Prize for Excellence in Canadian Content, awarded to the top Canadian production and The Francophone Prize for the top French-language production will also be awarded in addition to other special awards. In total, 29 awards will be bestowed in the category streams of Documentary & Factual, Arts & Entertainment, Children & Youth, Scripted, and Podcast, in addition to the presentation of several Rockies Gala Awards to be announced soon.

Leading nominations by company are:

  • British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) – 23 nominations
  • National Geographic and Disney Branded Television – 9 nominations each
  • HBO – 7 nominations
  • Sky – 6 nominations
  • Warner Brothers – 5 nominations

Leading nominations by country are:

  • USA – 54 nominations
  • UK – 59 nominations
  • Canada – 30 nominations
  • Australia – 9 nominations
  • France – 6 nominations

Additional countries represented in the nominations are:

  • Argentina
  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Brazil
  • Canary Islands
  • China
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • Germany
  • India
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Mexico
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Qatar
  • Singapore
  • Sweden
  • Uruguay

FOR THE FULL LIST OF NOMINEES, PLEASE VISIT: https://rockies.playbackonline.ca/nominees

Now in its 43rd year, BANFF is the international conference and marketplace where new business partnerships are forged and new TV, film and digital media projects are ignited. With delegates from 50+ countries, the Festival attracts the world’s top creators, producers, showrunners, talent, networks, studios, streamers, press and media companies. In addition, BANFF continues to deliver important fellowships and initiatives including The BANFF Spark Accelerator for Women in the Business of Media, supported by the Government of Canada which empowers and trains Canadian women entrepreneurs to launch and grow their own sustainable businesses within the screen-based industries as well as the Netflix-BANFF Diversity of Voices Initiative, a program that jumpstarts and accelerates the careers of up to 100 Black, Indigenous and People of Colour producers and creators.

ABOUT RAKHEE MORZARIA

Rakhee Morzaria is an actress and comedian who produced, wrote, and starred in the Canadian Screen Award and Canadian Comedy Award-nominated web series, NOTE TO SELF about the daily adventures of an overconfident second-generation millennial.

Rakhee has performed at the Toronto Fringe Festival, Toronto Sketchfest, SheDot Festival, Hart House Theatre and Bad Dog Theatre. She is a graduate of Factory Theatre’s artistic training program, Second City’s Conservatory, the Second City Bob Curry Fellowship Program, and she has performed in various shows with the company. Her on-screen credits include Global TV’s PRIVATE EYES, FX’s WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, and HUDSON & REX.

Her comedy has been featured at the WIFT-T showcase, Atlantic Film Festival, and the National Screen Institute’s Film Festival.

Rakhee Morzaria is a writer and star in CBC’s original Comedy Run the Burbs, which will return to CBC and CBC Gem for season 2 in 2023.

Image courtesy of CBC.

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Bellevue, Bomb Girls, Coroner, Industry News

Cineflix Media partners with Adrienne Mitchell’s BentFrame Film & TV

From a media release:

Cineflix Media Inc. has announced it is partnering with celebrated showrunner, director, and producer Adrienne Mitchell and her newly launched production company BentFrame Film & TV.

The partnership gives Cineflix Media the first option to co-produce original content developed by Mitchell, while providing BentFrame with access to development support from Cineflix Studios. In addition, Cineflix Rights will retain exclusive first-look rights to distribute the shingle’s content internationally.

Based in Toronto, BentFrame will develop and produce ambitious, provocative, female-driven dramatic series and feature films for global audiences. The company already has several projects in development with broadcasters and international co-producers. Zach Marcovici, also previously of Back Alley Films, joins BentFrame as Director of Development and Production. The announcement follows Cineflix Media’s recent acquisition of Back Alley Film Productions Ltd.—co-founded by Adrienne Mitchell—along with its library of content IP.

“Adrienne has a powerful vision that aligns with Cineflix Media’s content strategy. We’re delighted to continue our support for Adrienne and Zach through a development and distribution agreement with Adrienne’s new company BentFrame,” said Peter Emerson, President, Cineflix Media.

“I’m thrilled to be working with Cineflix Media to tap into today’s exciting and thought-provoking story landscape. I’m inspired to tell stories with diverse and unique perspectives that shine a light on untold narratives. I look forward to a fruitful collaboration with Cineflix Media in creating landmark television and film that will resonate with Canadian and global audiences,” said Adrienne Mitchell, BentFrame Film &TV.

Adrienne Mitchell is an award-winning film and television director and showrunner who has been creating auteur-driven drama series, and helming them as lead director, for more than three decades. Mitchell’s many achievements include the critically acclaimed series Durham County; the mystery-thriller series Bellevue, starring Oscar®-winner Anna Paquin; and, the WWII-era series Bomb Girls, and the MOW Bomb Girls: Facing the Enemy. Mitchell is currently the Executive Producer and a Director on the fourth season of global hit series Coroner. In 2017, she was honoured with the Nell Shipman Award for directorial achievement and for advancing gender equity in the entertainment industry. Mitchell is also the recipient of the prestigious Excellence in Production Award from WIFT Toronto.

BentFrame Film & TV joins Cineflix Media’s growing community of talented creative partners including a recently launched joint venture with Morwyn Brebner and Andrew Akman’s Husk Media.

BentFrame Film & TV is represented by Great North Artists Management Inc.

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Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Adam Beach confirmed to host Discovery’s all-new Canadian original competition series A Cut Above

From a media release:

Discovery announced today that Golden Globe-nominated actor, Adam Beach, is confirmed to host Discovery’s all-new Canadian original woodcarving competition series, A CUT ABOVE. The 12 episode series shoots this spring in the heart of stunning Squamish, B.C., and is set to premiere later this year on Discovery.

Joining the cast is world-renowned Canadian chainsaw carver Ryan Cook and esteemed United Kingdom sculptor, Katharine Dowson, who bring their combined expertise and artistic prowess to serve as the competition judges.

A competition like no other, A CUT ABOVE puts 12 of the best chainsaw carvers from across the world to the ultimate test of creativity, strength, and skills, as they turn ordinary logs into extraordinary works of art. Each episode, the carvers compete in weekly Quick and Master Carve challenges, while racing against the clock, in hopes of avoiding elimination. At the end of the grueling competition, the carver who out carves the rest, wins a cash prize and will be named “A Cut Above”. Competitors to be announced at a later date.

About Adam Beach:
Adam Beach recently appeared opposite Benedict Cumberbatch and Jesse Plemons in the Academy Award-winning film The Power of the Dog. He earned a Golden Globe nomination for his role in My Heart at Wounded Knee and earned a Critics’ Choice nomination for his role in Flags of Our Fathers. Beach recently starred in SWAN SONG, JUANITA, and Crave’s Monkey Beach. He started his career starring in NORTH OF 60, and has since starred in ARCTIC AIR, and appeared in NANCY DREW, SUPERNATURAL, DRUNK HISTORY, and BIG LOVE.

About Ryan Cook:
Ryan Cook, who can be seen on CARVER KINGS, got his start in carving as an apprentice on the reality television series SAW DOGS. He has quickly become one of the world’s top carvers, and one of the most recognized names in the world of chainsaw carving.

About Katharine Dowson:
Katharine Dowson studied sculpture at the Royal College of Art, London. Her work is in numerous prestigious collections including The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Microsoft Museum Seattle USA, The Welcome Trust, Cultura Inglesa Art Collection Brazil, The Arts Council Collection England, and various national museums and universities.

A CUT ABOVE was created and produced by leading global entertainment company, marblemedia, in association with Bell Media for Discovery. For marblemedia, Matt Hornburg, Mark Bishop, and Diane Rankin are Executive Producers, Donna Luke and Carly Spencer are co-Executive Producers, Grant Greschuck is series producer, and series created by development producer Kelsey Epsensen.

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