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.
AMI and TVO’s Employable Me, the documentary Oscar Peterson: Black + White and CTV broadcaster Lisa LaFlamme were among the individuals and programs to win during Night 1 of 2022 Canadian Screen Awards Online Presentations.
The first portion of the live streaming celebration focused on Broadcast News, narrated by news personality Brandon Gonez, followed by the Documentary & Factual categories narrated by ET Canada’s Sangita Patel.
Here are the winners in Monday’s key categories:
Best News or Information Program The Fifth Estate: 15 Deadly Hours
Best News or Information Series APTN Investigates
Best News Anchor, Local Anita Bathe, CBC Vancouver News at 6
Best Local Newscast CTV News Toronto at 6
Best News Anchor, National Lisa LaFlamme, CTV National News with Lisa LaFlamme
Best National Newscast CBC News: The National
Best Social/Political Documentary Program Ghosts of Afghanistan
Best Short Documentary Nalujuk Night
Best Science or Nature Documentary Program or Series Borealis
Best History Documentary Program or Series How to Start a Revolution
Best Biography or Arts Documentary Program or Series Oscar Peterson: Black + White
Best Factual Series Employable Me
Best Documentary Program Catching a Serial Killer: Bruce McArthur
It would have been easy for the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to take the easier route to hand out this year’s pandemic restricted Canadian Screen Awards by doing it all virtually with pre-taped acceptance speeches. But that’s not the Academy’s style.
Though there is no live audience dressed to the nines in a ballroom or theatre, the Academy will be handing out a plethora of hardware over the next week, capped off by a gala on CBC and CBC Gem on Sunday night.
We spoke to Beth Janson, CEO of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, ahead of the festivities.
Beth, you announced that Catherine O’Hara, Tatiana Maslany, Arissa Cox, Andrew Phung, Ron MacLean and others are participating this week. Are you able to give any details on their roles? Beth Janson: We’re trying to think of the big show on CBC as a television show that has a cast. Those people are what we would consider our featured players or the people who are sort of making up the cast of this show. There’s a variety of ways that they’re involved. Some are presenting different categories. Some are a part of vignettes that we’re making around different sort of milestone moments. And some are animating the show in different ways.
Kudos to everybody on the team for being able to put out award shows in the first place, no matter what kind of form they’re in. BJ: That’s something that we don’t really talk about a lot, but our staff here at the Academy have been going through the same things that everyone in the world has been going through to different degrees and struggling with COVID, and mental health and family members that have to be cared for and that sort of thing.
We’re no different from other people, but we are also in the business of celebrating, so it takes that extra lift of emotional energy to put yourself in that mind frame when you feel like the world around you is crumbling. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the whole team for keeping it together. And really, I feel like our work is getting better and better each year in COVID, like nobody is just sitting back and being like, ‘Ah, I don’t have to do it as well because…’ It’s really been phenomenal and epic, I think.
Tallboyz couldn’t be better for being the hosts of Sunday’s gala. Are they the ring leaders of this whole thing? BJ: Yes, that’s a good way of putting it. We work in a very different context from something like the Oscars or the Emmys. I’m always excited when we can just take the talent that is doing really world-class work and give them a platform. That’s how I feel about Tallboyz. I think their brand of comedy is really unique. It’s very strong and hilarious. They just signed a deal with Fuse TV in the U.S. I hope that even more people will be able to discover them that way.
Beth Janson, CEO of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television
Canada has always really kind of punched above its weight when it comes to its films and its television shows. I feel like there’s never been more people around the world seeing Canadian TV than right now. BJ: That’s a really strong point. There is a big part that the streamers play because they have a very different business model. Network television has to market to a very specific demographic. They make lots of assumptions about what that demographic wants to see. And streamers are serving a much wider audience and you can go deep into a niche audience on a streamer. I think that’s been a huge game-changer for a lot of our creators that have really expanded their audiences.
You’ve got nine awards ceremonies that are going to be rolling out during Canadian Screen Week. Remind me of how that’s going to work? BJ: All of our winners will be accepting live, so they are nine live shows. We’ll have a host who’s in a studio in Etobicoke and we have done an insane amount of work sort of editing all of the nominee packs and those sorts of things, but ultimately, each winner will be able to accept live. It’s an enormous amount of computer superpower that goes on behind the scenes.
Let’s say we have 16 categories in one program. Let’s say you have an average of five nominees, so you basically have to set up 80 calls and coordinate all that per show. It is a huge amount of coordination and work. We have some amazing producers who have produced live off-air shows before and they transitioned to doing these on-air shows.
When people tune in and watch the broadcast, what do you want them to get out of it? A celebration of Canadian TV and Canadian film, and embracing it and getting out there and watching it? BJ: It is a celebration and I hope that people learn something too. Not everyone is familiar with our Canadian talent and actually what is being made here. So, I think there’s discovery, there’s a celebration and pride in being Canadian and in our industry because I think there is a lot to be proud of.
The series, which returns Monday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on YTV, leans into the supernatural for its sophomore season. Picking up six months after the events of Season 1, the 10 episodes follow Frank (Rohan Campbell) and Joe Hardy (Alexander Elliot) as they investigate a missing classmate and the odd circumstances surrounding it. Before long, Frank, Joe, Callie (Keana Lyn), Chet (Adam Swain), Phil (Cristian Perri) and Biff (Riley O’Donnell) are plunged into a case where no one can be trusted.
We spoke to Chris Pozzebon—who joined The Hardy Boys for its second season as co-showrunner and head writer—about what fans can expect.
This is your first season on The Hardy Boys. How did you end up on the show? Chris Pozzebon: They were looking for a head writer and co-showrunner. I had just moved back to Canada from Los Angeles when the pandemic was kind of ramping up and this kind of came about. And I guess it was a right fit for everybody.
It was pretty simple. I was available and interested, and they liked me. And I was able to pitch out a version of Season 2 that I think everybody responded to and that we all collaborated on with the networks. It was very fortuitous for me just to be in the conversation because I was such a huge fan of the books as a kid and just The Hardy Boys brand in general. So it was a very cool thing to start doing when a global pandemic hit.
What else excited you about the project? CP: I had been working on a show that I loved, Blindspot for NBC, and that show was massive. And you’re working with these FBI agents who are like these big adult heroes. The thing that Blindspot didn’t have was that element of magic, actual magic. I mean, the show was magic on its own, but when I found out that The Hardy Boys had a supernatural element to it that wasn’t in the books, I was like, ‘Oh, well, that’s really interesting to me.’ The Hardy Boy‘s brand was always mystery and adventure.
At first, seemingly, part of the mystery was always debunked. Right? That ghost howling in the wood was always like, oh, it was an owl. And it was screeching because bank robbers were out there. They figure it out.
What was appealing about this version of the show was that it actually could be a ghost in the woods this time. Season 1 was a slow burn towards that reveal. But once we established that, I was really excited. Just kind of going full force into the possibility of the supernatural, even if some things may not be what they seem.
On Monday’s return, Frank experiences dreams and visions. Was that something hammered out in the writer’s room organically? CP: It was part of the big Season 2 pitch. It was looking at where we ended last season and thinking about how to lean into that magic and mythology and the eye relic that they find as a central part of the show. It was about still keeping that mystery and that magic connected personally to our characters, not just starting fresh with a new adventure. It’s always with an eye towards the past and the backstory.
But at the same time, we did want to build in an actual new mystery. It’s not just the visions that Frank’s having and the supernatural stuff that stems from Season 1 that is going to be the throughline. There is a brand new mystery afoot.
I mentioned this to co-showrunner Jason Stone last year when we chatted. I love the 80s setting and all that entails. CP: That’s kind of the appeal for the people making the show too, is that you get to include these little nods to your own youth and you can separate yourself from the technology today and the way people would solve history today and focus on other avenues to solve a mystery. And it allows being in that time and helps our young folks and the heroes of the show pursue actual clues that aren’t just punched away on their cell phones.
In Episode 1, a fellow student goes missing. By the end, there are teases about the eye, as well as something going on in an abandoned mine. Is that all part of the A-story this season? CP: Everything is wrapped into each other. What’s going on with Dennis is the main focus. What’s going on with the eye plays into the main focus. Both of those things are kind of just the beginning. The story is going to take twists and turns that we don’t even allude to in Episode 1.
That said, those are the through lines and it is all deeply connected. And one of the things that we really wanted to do was just start building out the world. We are introduced to some shady characters and some people we can’t trust, maybe who are closer to us. That was just something that we felt we could push a little further in the second season.
Who else did you have in the writers’ room with you aside from yourself and Jason? CP: It was myself, Ramona Barckert, Laura Seaton, Madeleine Lambur, Sabrina Sherif, Heather Taylor, Nile Seguin and Michael Hanley.
What is your strength in the writing room? CP: I think finding a way to make an absolutely bonkers idea work would be my strength. You got to be good at everything, but, I mean, no, one’s going to pitch a crazier idea than me. That’s both a blessing and a curse.
The Hardy Boys airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on YTV.
Cineflix Media Inc. has announced the acquisition of Back Alley Film Productions Ltd., along with the company’s award-winning library of content IP. After a three-decade collaboration creating and producing internationally-acclaimed TV series for Canadian and American networks, Back Alley Films co-founders Adrienne Mitchell and Janis Lundman have decided to explore new opportunities.
Cineflix will absorb Back Alley Films’ operations and acquire its programming assets, including the company’s ownership interest in celebrated series Bellevue starring Oscar® award-winner Anna Paquin, WWII drama Bomb Girls, and the international award-winning Durham County.
The acquisition also includes Back Alley Films’ stake in global hit series Coroner—the highly-rated crime procedural’s fourth season launched on CBC in January. Back Alley Films and Muse Entertainment have co-produced the series with Cineflix Studios since 2019, and Cineflix Rights is the exclusive global distribution partner. A huge international success, Coroner airs in more than 150 territories on networks and platforms including The CW Network (US), NBCUniversal International Networks, Sky Witness (UK), Globo (Brazil), and Nine Network (Australia).
“It has been such a pleasure to collaborate with Janis and Adrienne over the past 20 years as they grew Back Alley Films. I’m such a huge fan of their work that we jumped at the opportunity to acquire the company’s IP and also to continue to support them in any new projects or endeavors,” said Peter Emerson, President, Cineflix Media.
A visionary producer with a track record for delivering award-winning dramatic content, Lundman was the recipient of the prestigious Excellence in Production Award from WIFT Toronto and currently serves as Chair of the National Cultural Human Resources Council (CHRC). Lundman will put her 30+ years of industry experience to work as she transitions to her new role as a consultant.
“I’ve been extremely fortunate to work with amazing creatives and network executives over the past three decades and I’m incredibly proud of all the shows Back Alley Films has produced. I can’t think of a better company than Cineflix to take the reins and shepherd in new possibilities for the Back Alley IP — there are plenty of exciting opportunities ahead for us all,” said Janis Lundman
Mitchell is an award-winning film and television producer and director/showrunner who has been creating auteur-driven drama series for over the last 30 years. She received the 2017 Nell Shipman Award for directorial achievement and for advancing gender equity in the entertainment industry as well as the prestigious Excellence in Production Award from WIFT Toronto. Mitchell has launched BentFrame Film & TV, a new production company that will develop and produce ambitious, provocative, and diverse female-driven dramatic series and feature films.
“I am incredibly proud of the body of work that came from my partnership with Janis Lundman under the Back Alley Films banner. Our goals were to push creative boundaries and tell diverse and authentic stories, making for thought-provoking and compelling film and television. I am thrilled that Cineflix Media, an industry powerhouse, has acquired our library and I feel they are the perfect fit to represent our stories for the global marketplace,” said Adrienne Mitchell.
Back Alley Films and BentFrame Film & TV are represented by Great North Artists Management Inc.
Bell Media and francophone executive producers Marie Ka and Richard Jean-Baptiste, and anglophone executive producers, Damon D’Oliveira and Clement Virgo, have teamed up to develop FESTIVALE, Canada’s first bilingual anthology series, by and about, Black Canadians. Produced for Bell Media’s Crave, FESTIVALE is a collaboration between Crave’s French and English development teams, and an answer to the lack of Black francophone stories on mainstream television.
This breakthrough series also serves as a pre-development incubator administered by the BSO, supporting creative teams who have not had the opportunity to produce content for a large network. This initiative aligns with BSO’s talent development mandate to build bridges between broadcasters and content creators; connect participants with resources; and foster relationships to cultivate strong pipelines of talent.
“FESTIVALE is a groundbreaking experience where Black Canadian writers, both French and English, get the chance to finally work together on the same project,” said executive producers, Marie Ka, Richard Jean-Baptiste, Damon D’Oliveira and Clement Virgo. “We can’t thank Bell Media enough for bridging the language gap, and lending their support to this timely creative journey. Our hope is that this project will be the starting point for future collaborations with Bell Media, for all our participants.”
“We are thrilled to provide support to this important initiative, and applaud Bell Media and Crave for its openness to engage in the work to accelerate system change,” says Joan Jenkinson, Executive Director, BSO. “The collaboration among this array of talented Black writers and producers is wonderful to see, and we look forward to the outcome.”
“As Bell Media continues to work on creating equitable creative space and opportunities, collaborations like this are vital to our collective success,” said Karine Moses, Senior Vice President, Content Development & News, Bell Media. “Thank you to this visionary executive production team, and the BSO, for bringing FESTIVALE to Bell Media, and partnering with us to help develop and champion incredible Black talent.”
The Incubator will also serve as a hybrid story room for writers to develop episodic ideas, with the assistance and experience of Showrunner, Adam Pettle. By the end of the process, the writing team will have completed six outlines for the proposed anthology series, and have the opportunity to pitch it to Bell Media network executives.
Along with Pettle, the writing room will be staffed with Black francophone writers, Kimberley Ann Surin, Josiane Blanc, along with writing team Kadidja Haïdara and Seydou Junior Haïdara; and three Black anglophone writers, Adeline Bird, Andrew Burrows Trotman, and Anika Jarrett.
Four Black francophone producers, Maeva Montemiglio, Malcom Odd, Sabrina Roc and Jephte Bastien; and two Black anglophone producers Mansa Chintoh and Jose Holder, are also involved in the incubator.
Comprised of six stand-alone episodes, FESTIVALE focuses on authentic new voices that evoke the Black Canadian experience. Set against the backdrop of a blistering Montréal heatwave, the series explores themes of appropriation, identity, belonging, and the transcendent nature of love, in all its many forms. Each episode follows complex characters grappling with situations that reveal their humanity, anchored through their journeys that cut through stereotypes, and resonate with authenticity. Episodes, whether in English or French, may also feature multilingual dialogue.
Now in pre-development, the anthology series is financed by Bell Media, with development funding from the Canadian Media Fund’s Pilot Project Racialized Communities (PPRC) fund. Incubator funding is supported by the BSO-TD Bank Mentorship Program.
