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.

From a media release:

Cineflix Productions has begun development on a gripping new crime series based on the Vancouver-born author Sam Wiebe’s critically acclaimed Wakeland Novels—Invisible Dead, Cut You Down, and Hell and Gone.

The rain and blood-soaked mysteries feature Wakeland, a 29-year-old ex-cop turned P.I. as a modern-day Marlowe, fighting for justice, his clients, and the soul of Vancouver.

“Sam is one of the most exciting writers in Canada, and the Vancouver-noir world he’s created is an incredible foundation for an original series. I believe Wakeland and the gritty world he inhabits is primed for a global audience,” said Jeff Vanderwal, Executive Producer, Cineflix Productions.

“Sam’s fast-paced novels are cinematic in scope with complex stories driven by strong characters whose deep flaws only make them more seductive. We’ve been fans of Sam’s work for years,” said Lisa Baylin, Director of Development, Cineflix Productions.

“I’m thrilled to partner with Cineflix Productions and I’m excited to bring my characters to the screen while also shining a light on one of the most dynamic cities in the world,” said Sam Wiebe.

Cineflix Productions’ slate of scripted crime content continues to expand with the recent addition of movies Stolen By Their Father with Sarah Drew and Left for Dead: The Ashley Reeves Story starring Jennie Garth and Anwen O’Driscoll, along with the critically acclaimed, award-winning Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey and I Was Lorena Bobbitt.

Cineflix Productions brokered the TV rights deal with Michael Levine at Westwood Creative Artists for Chris Casuccio.

Awards, Featured, Sort Of

Nominations announced for the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards

February 15, 2022 Greg David

From a media release:

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television (the Canadian Academy) announced today the nominees for the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards in 145 film, television, and digital media categories. The awards will be presented over six days during Canadian Screen Week, including the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards show, which will be broadcast on CBC and CBC Gem on Sunday, April 10 at 8:00 PM (9:00 PM AT / 9:30 PM NT).

The inaugural season of the CBC series Sort Of leads both television and overall 2022 Canadian Screen Award nominations with 13, followed by CBC’s Pretty Hard Cases and CTV Sci-Fi Channel’s Wynonna Earp with 11, and CBC’s Coroner and Kim’s Convenience with 10.

In film, Shasha Nakhai and Rich Williamson’s Scarborough and Danis Goulet’s Night Raiders top nominations with 11 per film, while Michael McGowan’s All My Puny Sorrows sees eight and both Bretten Hannam’s Wildhood and Ivan Grbovic’s Drunken Birds | Les oiseaux ivres receive six.

21 Black Futures and For the Record both lead digital media nominations with eight, followed by The Communist’s Daughter with six.

With hosts and live acceptance speeches, the majority of the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards will be presented in a nine-part series of genre-based virtual shows throughout Canadian Screen Week 2022, all streamed live on Academy.ca — as well as the Canadian Academy Twitter and YouTube channels — from Monday, April 4, 2022, to Friday, April 8, 2022.

The week will culminate in the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards show on CBC and CBC Gem. With a selection of prominent categories and tributes to this year’s Special Award recipients, the show will be a star-powered, creatively curated treat for fans of our homegrown entertainment, highlighting Canadian content and its notable moments that made us laugh, cry, and reflect over the past year. Featuring the talents of the multi-award-winning sketch comedy troupe TallBoyz (Guled Abdi, Vance Banzo, Tim Blair, and Franco Nguyen), this promises to be an award show like you’ve never seen before, with an eclectic variety of artists coming together for the love of storytelling and a deep appreciation for the power of our film, television, and digital media — and everyone who enjoys it.

The full schedule for the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards is as follows:

Monday, April 4
7:00 PM ET – The Broadcast News Awards

8:30 PM ET – The Documentary & Factual Awards

Tuesday, April 5
7:00 PM ET – The Sports Programming Awards, presented by CTV

8:30 PM ET – The Digital & Immersive Awards

Wednesday, April 6
7:00 PM ET – The Children’s & Animation Awards, presented by Shaw Rocket Fund, supported by 9 Story Media Group

8:30 PM ET – The Lifestyle & Reality Awards, presented by CTV

Thursday, April 7
7:00 PM ET – The Drama & Comedy Crafts Awards

8:30 PM ET – The Scripted Programs & Performance Awards, presented by CTV

Friday, April 8
8:30 PM ET – The Cinematic Arts Awards, presented by Telefilm Canada, supported by Cineplex

Sunday, April 10
8:00 PM (9:00 PM AT / 9:30 PM NT) – 2022 Canadian Screen Awards on CBC and CBC Gem

The 2022 Canadian Screen Awards will also pay tribute to the 2022 Special Award recipients, a group of eight Canadians who have had a tremendous impact on our media industry. Honourees include Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Bob Cole, Gordon Sinclair Award for Broadcast Journalism recipient Rassi Nashalik, Radius Award (presented by MADE | NOUS) recipient Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and the inaugural recipients of the Changemaker Award: Kayla Grey, Kathleen Newman-Bremang, and Amanda Parris.

The 2022 nominations were chosen by voting members of the Canadian Academy and by nominating juries, conducted virtually with representatives from the film, television, and digital media industries. The membership will now cast their votes between Tuesday, February 15, 2022, and Friday, March 4, 2022, to determine the winners.

For the full list of 2022 Canadian Screen Awards nominees, please visit Academy.ca/nominees; view the full schedule for Canadian Screen Week 2022 at Academy.ca/schedule.

Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: CBC Gem goes small with Best in Miniature

February 12, 2022 Greg David 2 Comments

We have a dollhouse in our home. It’s an antique passed down to my girlfriend from family before her. Delicate, its walls have threadbare patterns, curtains are a little worse for wear and I’m afraid to touch it for fear something will crumble. Still, it’s cool to look at and admire the skill that went into building it and the wee furniture held within.

The history of dollhouses, and the ingenuity behind them and their creators, are on display in Best in Miniature.

Available now on CBC Gem, marblemedia’s latest creation—they’re the production company behind the ingenious Blown Away, Race Against the Tide and Landscape Artist of the Year—pits 11 artists against one another as they create the ultimate miniature house. Hosted by Aba Amuquandoh and judged by Emma Waddell and Michael Lambie, Best in Miniature showcases something that may not be appreciated, or known, by many.

In the debut episode, “Open House,” Amuquandoh introduces the competitors, as well as judges Waddell, who is recognized as the “world’s only interior designer for miniature houses,” and Lambie, a design artist. Then it’s right to work as the participants have just hours to create a miniature home from scratch. Competitors like Tom, Phillip and Susette make an immediate impression with their designs, vision and confidence. Others? Well, let’s just say time management becomes an issue.

Subsequent episodes track the dwindling pool of participants as they fill the bath, living, dining and bedrooms of their homes with furniture while competing in side projects that showcase their ingenuity.

Like Blown Away (glass blowing), Race Against the Tide (sand sculptures) and Landscape Artist of the Year, Best in Miniature pulls back the (little) curtain on a unique art form and celebrates it.

Season 1 of Best in Miniature is available on CBC Gem.

Image courtesy of CBC.

Awards

The Canadian Academy announces the return of the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards on CBC

February 7, 2022 Greg David

From a media release:

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television (the Canadian Academy) announced today the return of the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards show, which will broadcast on CBC and CBC Gem on Sunday, April 10 at 8:00 PM (9:00 PM AT / 9:30 PM NT), and the continuation of virtual events for the remainder of Canadian Screen Week 2022, taking place from Monday, April 4, 2022, to Sunday, April 10, 2022. The nominees for the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards will be announced on Tuesday, February 15 at 7:00 AM ET.

For the past ten years, the Canadian Screen Awards have brought together Canada’s best and brightest film, television, and digital media talents to honour achievements in their crafts, and the 2022 edition is sure to be the most exciting and innovative yet. Featuring a selection of prominent categories and tributes to this year’s Special Award recipients, the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards broadcast show will be a star-powered, creatively curated treat for fans of our homegrown entertainment, highlighting Canadian content and its notable moments that made us laugh, cry, and reflect over the past year.

In collaboration with powerhouse creative producers Makers, the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards broadcast show will be an hour-long pre-taped studio production featuring the talents of the multi-award-winning sketch comedy troupe TallBoyz (Guled Abdi, Vance Banzo, Tim Blair, and Franco Nguyen). This promises to be an award show like you’ve never seen before: a true celebration of all things Canadian entertainment, with an eclectic variety of artists coming together for the love of storytelling and a deep appreciation for the power of our film, television, and digital media and everyone who enjoys it.

In an effort to prioritize the health and safety of all nominees, attendees, and Canadian Academy staff, the remainder of the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards will be presented virtually during Canadian Screen Week 2022 due to pandemic-related uncertainties. Split by genre, each of these nine virtual shows will feature a host and live acceptance speeches, allowing us to once again hear directly from the week’s big winners. Nominees and their peers are encouraged to tune in online via Academy.ca livestream — as well as the Canadian Academy Twitter and YouTube channels — to celebrate the momentous accomplishments of our Canadian creators from Monday, April 4, 2022 through Friday, April 8, 2022.

The full schedule for the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards is as follows:

Monday, April 4
7:00 PM ET – The Broadcast News Awards

8:30 PM ET – The Documentary & Factual Awards

Tuesday, April 5
7:00 PM ET – The Sports Programming Awards, presented by CTV

8:30 PM ET – The Digital & Immersive Awards

Wednesday, April 6
7:00 PM ET – The Children’s & Animation Awards, presented by Shaw Rocket Fund, supported by 9 Story Media Group

8:30 PM ET – The Lifestyle & Reality Awards, presented by CTV

Thursday, April 7
7:00 PM ET – The Drama & Comedy Crafts Awards

8:30 PM ET – The Scripted Programs & Performance Awards, presented by CTV

Friday, April 8
8:30 PM ET – The Cinematic Arts Awards, presented by Telefilm Canada, supported by Cineplex

Sunday, April 10
8:00 PM (9:00 PM AT / 9:30 PM NT) – 2022 Canadian Screen Awards on CBC and CBC Gem

Tallboyz image courtesy of George Pimentel.

Children Ruin Everything

CTV announces second season order of new original comedy Children Ruin Everything

February 4, 2022 Greg David

From a media release:

CTV announced today live from Prime Time in Ottawa that it has ordered a second season of its new, original comedy CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING for the 2022/23 broadcast season. Production is set to begin this Spring in Toronto and Hamilton, Ont., with an increased episode order for Season 2 consisting of 16 half-hour episodes – double from its eight-episode first season. From award-winning New Metric Media, CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING is created by Emmy® and Golden Globe® Award-winner Kurt Smeaton (SCHITT’S CREEK, KIM’s CONVENIENCE).

CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING Season 1 joins the Roku Originals programming slate on the Roku Channel in the U.S. this year.

CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING follows parents, Astrid (Meaghan Rath, BEING HUMAN) and James (Aaron Abrams, BLINDSPOT), as they raise their two young children in the city and struggle to hold on to their pre-kid life – one conceded battle at a time. Season 1 of the CTV Original comedy, currently airing Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app, ranks as the biggest debut for a Canadian comedy among A25-54, since 2019 (CTV’s JANN). The series also currently ranks as CTV’s #1 new comedy of the 2021-22 broadcast season.

In addition to Rath and Abrams, the series also stars Ennis Esmer (BLINDSPOT, SCHITT’S CREEK); Nazneen Contractor (RANSOM, HEROES REBORN); Logan Nicholson (BLUES CLUES AND YOU) and Mikayla SwamiNathan; Dmitry Chepovetsky (KILLJOYS, DEPARTURE); Veena Sood (CORNER GAS ANIMATED, THE INDIAN DETECTIVE); Lisa Codrington (LETTERKENNY, ANNE WITH AN E); and Darius Rota.

CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING is from award-winning New Metric Media and is created and executive produced by Golden Globe® and Emmy® Award-winner Kurt Smeaton (SCHITT’S CREEK), and executive produced by one of television’s premier comedy writers Chuck Tatham (MODERN FAMILY, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT), multiple Canadian Screen Award-winner Mark Montefiore (LETTERKENNY, WHAT WOULD SAL DO?), and Meaghan Rath, with Beth Iley (KILLJOYS) serving as producer.