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.
Industry News

Brightlight Pictures and Pier 21 Films in development on Fort Puleyne

From a media release:

Brightlight Pictures, a leading Canadian film and television production company, announced today the development of a new comedy series called Fort Puleyne. Toronto-based production company, Pier 21 Films, will join Brightlight in the development process, along with writer Evany Rosen (New Eden) and Bell Media.

Written and created by Thomas Middleditch (Silicon Valley, B Positive) and Humphrey Ker (Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet), Fort Puleyne follows the foppishly optimistic young officer, Major Fitzwilliam “Fitz” Gower, as he leaves behind the life he knows for Upper Canada to lead the most misfit militia that ever served in the British Army during the War of 1812. With the help of his men (or more often in spite of them), Fitz must find a way to survive in this backwater garrison, earn his stripes, and finally gain the respect of his superiors – who have all but forgotten they stationed him there in the first place.

Middleditch, who just finished a six-season run on Silicon Valley and is currently starring in Chuck Lorre’s B Positive, is repped by WME and Kirsten Ames Management. Humphrey Ker, who is writing and appearing on season 2 of Mythic Quest is repped by ICM Partners and Kirsten Ames Management.

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Letterkenny

Seeins’ it’s traditions, Letterkenny Season 9 streams Christmas Day on Crave

From a media release:

It’s pertnear the most wondrous time of the year, even with everyone stuck inside. Season 9 of Crave’s acclaimed original comedy series, LETTERKENNY, starts streaming Christmas Day, with seven all-new episodes dropping at once. Click here to check out the trailer for an all-new season.

Created by and starring Jared Keeso, and produced by New Metric Media, in partnership with WildBrain and Play Fun Games, Season 9 of LETTERKENNY kicks off with the Hicks, Skids, and Hockey Players attending an American Buck and Doe following the fight with Dierks (Tyler Hynes). Katy takes her scorched earth dating strategy back to Letterkenny and Gail (Lisa Codrington) gets some action of her own. Meanwhile, the Hockey Players learn about Judaism and the whole town gets really into sleepover activities like movies, board games, and girl talk. Then, a “breastaurant” opens in Letterkenny and Tanis (Tiio Horn) starts her own energy drink.

The acclaimed Canadian series has been a hit with Canadian and U.S. media alike, and has received high praise from Hollywood heavyweights, including Academy Award® winner Brad Pitt and Golden Globe® winner Edward Norton, who called the series “brilliant,” and “a Canadian national treasure.”

Viewers looking to get into the yuletide mood before the big day can catch A LETTERKENNY CHRISTMAS: THE THREE WISE MEN, currently streaming on Crave, along with the first eight seasons, special episodes like “The Haunting of MoDean’s II,” “St. Perfect’s Day,” “Super Hard Easter,” and “Valentimes Day,” and the original web series, Letterkenny Problems.

The award-winning half-hour comedy revolves around the dustups Wayne (Keeso) and his buds Daryl (Nathan Dales) and Dan (K Trevor Wilson), as well as Wayne’s free-spirited younger sister Katy (Michelle Mylett), get into with their small-town rivals. Dylan Playfair and Andrew Herr reprise their roles as hotshot Hockey Players “Jonesy” and “Reilly”. Tyler Johnston and Evan Stern return as Skids Stewart and Roald. Mark Forward returns as the temperamental Coach. Jacob Tierney returns to direct all episodes and reprise his role as fan-favourite Christian leader, Glen. Tiio Horn returns as The Natives’ badass leader, Tanis, and Clark Backo is back as Wayne’s love interest, Rosie. Dan Petronijevic, Melanie Scrofano, and Kamilla Kowal return as McMurray, Mrs. McMurray, and Bonnie McMurray.

LETTERKENNY is produced by New Metric Media, in partnership with WildBrain and Playfun Games in association with Bell Media, with the participation of Canadian Media Fund, OMDC Tax Credits, and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, and is distributed by WildBrain. Jared Keeso is executive producer, co-writer, star, and creator. Jacob Tierney is executive producer, director, and co-writer. Mark Montefiore is executive producer for New Metric Media.

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Bitten, Industry News, Orphan Black

Will Pascoe announced as showrunner in residence for the Pacific Screenwriting Program’s 2021 Scripted Series Lab

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From a media release:

The Pacific Screenwriting Program (PSP) is excited to announce that award-winning Writer/Producer/Director Will Pascoe will serve as Showrunner-in-Residence for the 2021 Scripted Series Lab. Pascoe will mentor six up-and-coming BC-based screenwriters selected to participate in the program. He will lead the Writer’s Room as they develop his original series in the PSP’s flagship training program starting in January.

Going into its third year, the lab will implement a hybrid-style Writer’s Room combining in-person and virtual meetings that reflect the current production protocols due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants will still get the full PSP experience including mentoring on their original pilot, additional workshops and information sessions with other industry leaders to equip them with the skills, experience and connections necessary to help establish a sustainable career in the province’s dynamic screen industry. The Pacific Screenwriting Program is a collaboration between Netflix, CMPA, the Writer’s Guild of Canada and Creative BC.

Will Pascoe most recently wrapped Showrunning the third season of Amazon’s hit series, Absentia. Previous to that, he wrote for Fox’s The Finder, Bell/SyFy Channel’s, Bitten; NBC’s drama series Chicago Med; BBC Worldwide/Starz’s Da Vinci’s Demons and Hulu’s Shut Eye starring Jeffrey Donovan and Isabella Rossellini. While working as writer and co-producer on Bell/BBC America’s Orphan Black, his episode “Variations Under Domestication” earned Pascoe a Canadian Writer’s Guild Award and nominations for an Edgar Allan Poe Award and a Hugo Award. A graduate of the Writer’s Guild of America’s prestigious Showrunner Training Program, Will has also developed television series for Twentieth-Century Fox, Playtone, and Universal Studios.

The Scripted Series Lab is a 15-week intensive training program providing support and career-advancement opportunities for active and aspiring screenwriters from across British Columbia, where they receive the necessary support to expand their portfolio and pursue opportunities in the evolving TV marketplace. Throughout the program, participants hone their craft, strengthen their collaboration and presentation skills, and obtain a deeper understanding of the global television industry and how to market themselves within it. As the Scripted Series Lab showrunner, Pascoe will mentor the six selected participants within a real-world story room over 10 weeks, breaking stories and writing scripts for the original project he brings to the room and will subsequently be pitching to streamers and networks around the world.

For more information, please visit the Pacific Screenwriting Program website.

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Industry News

New production company Big Time Decent Productions launches in Vancouver

From a media release:

Producer and director Matt Shewchuk has launched a new Vancouver-based production company, Big Time Decent Productions, which will focus on developing and producing unscripted and scripted series, feature films and digital content. The company is in development on a number of new projects with Corus Entertainment, has partnered with finance executive Pricilla Hui to run business affairs, and has brought industry veteran René Brar on board as Head of Development.

Big Time Decent Production’s first series, Backroad Truckers, produced in partnership with Mayhem Entertainment and distributed by Corus Studios, will premiere on HISTORY® in Winter 2021. The unscripted series follows the crazy world of “hot-shot truckers” as they tackle some of the most harrowing roads and dangerous off-road locations in northern British Columbia in their custom ‘monster’ trucks.

Rene Brar

The company has also secured strategic partnerships including post-production services with producer and editor Bridget Durnford (Chicago Med, Fargo), a development deal with showrunner Tommy Blacha (Metalocalypse) for a new half-hour animated comedy series, as well as a talent deal with social media sensation Larry Enticer. They are currently in development on a new series featuring the much-loved internet star.

Company founder, Matt Shewchuk, is Executive Producer for the hit factual series Rust Valley Restorers, which airs domestically on HISTORY and internationally on Netflix as one of the streaming service’s most viewed car shows. Shewchuk recently produced the OUTtv series Dog Dudes which is distributed internationally by Cineflix and directed the hit Discovery Channel series Highway Thru Hell and Heavy Rescue: 401. He was also a producer on the romantic comedy feature film, Three Night Stand, starring Meaghan Rath and Emmanuelle Chriqui.

Larry Enticer

Bringing 20 years of scripted and unscripted experience to the team, Head of Development René Brar was formerly an independent producer with Soshefeigh Media, where he co-created and executive produced The Algorithm (TV3 Ireland) and Battle Cats (Blue Ant & Channel 4 UK), and was previously a development executive for director Ridley Scott on feature films such as Hannibal and Black Hawk Down. He also developed a range of unscripted docs and formats for Stone & Company Entertainment, including Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style (Bravo) and The Mole (ABC).

For more information on the company, visit bigtimedecent.com.

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