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

Production begins on Season 2 of APTN’s Red River Gold

From a media release:

Saxon de Cocq, Hannah Hermanson and Ell McEachern of 3 Story Pictures are pleased to announce that filming has started on Season 2 of the 13x 30 min documentary series, Red River Gold. 
 
Production commenced on September 10, 2024, and will continue through to the end of October. The series will air on APTN (in English), APTN Languages (in Michif) and be available on APTN lumi in both English and Michif at a later date.
 
In 1870, a trove of gold coins worth $1,000,000 disappeared without a trace. The coins were on their way to fund a British military force marching across Canada to stop Louis Riel and the Métis during the Red River Resistance. The gold has never been recovered and the Royal Mint of England still considers it lost or stolen. And now, a group of Métis treasure seekers want to find it!
 
After returning from the bog, the team waits for the ice to thaw and mosquitos to reappear before heading to the very start of the Dawson Road, at the edge of the Northwest Angle. Here, they discover the evidence of an old Métis village, that was used as a trading and transportation hub. With rumors of the gold being hidden by an old building, this has the team excited to start digging, knowing full well there are other historical treasures to find.  
 
Red River Gold is directed by Saxon de Cocq (Treaty Road Season 1 & 2, Red River Gold Season 1, The Other Side), Berkley Brady (Dark Nature, The Secret History of: The Wild West), Sam Karney (Going Native, Nation Untamed) and Lisa Unrau (Staying Wild Seasons 1,2,3, Landing: Stories from the Cultural Divide), written by Saxon de Cocq, and is produced by Hannah Hermanson (Treaty Road Season 1 & 2, Red River Gold Season 1, Staying Wild Season 1,2 & 3, Zarqa Season 2), Ell McEachern (Treaty Road Season 1 & 2, Red River Gold Season 1, Staying Wild Season 1,2 & 3, Zarqa Season 2), Saxon de Cocq and Sam Karney. The series will be executive produced by Doug Cuthand (Guardians: Evolution, Van Life, Searchers, Big Bear).
  
Red River Gold will be filmed in rural Manitoba for the searching (Ste Anne, Richer, Falcon Lake, Northwest Angle, Lake of the Woods), as well as the Mint in Whales and at the Tower of London. Cinematography by Sam Karney and editing by Kolby Kostyniuk (Staying Wild, Treaty Road, Dirt Farmers). 
 
Red River Gold was commissioned by APTN and produced with additional financial support from Canada Media Fund and Creative Saskatchewan.  

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Children's Programming, Featured

CBC Kids and CBBC original series Gangnam Project returning for Season 2

From a media release:

Lights, camera, K-pop! Canadian prodcos Pillango Productions and Academy Award® and Emmy Award® nominated Aircraft Pictures announced today that the coming-of-age, original series GANGNAM PROJECT (10×30) is set to return for a second dynamic, high-stakes season. The series, co-commissioned by CBC Kids and CBBC, recently wrapped production on Season 2 in Hamilton, Ont. and Seoul, South Korea.

The 10-episode season follows the young stars from Season 1 as they transition from One Mile Entertainment trainees through the excitement and make-or-break journey of becoming professional K-pop idols. But while the highs are high, the lows can be even lower – it’s not easy suddenly being in the spotlight. With pressure from OME, expectations from the fans, and dealing with creative differences as a group, friendship and commitment are tested like never before.

Joining the cast this season is newcomer Ryan Jacob Kong as Young-Jae, alongside returning cast members Julia Kim Caldwell as Hannah, Taran Kim (“Rock of Ages”) as Leo, Brianna Kim (So Help Me Todd) as Chan-Mi, Joshua Lee (XO, Kitty) as Supreme, Angela Son as Sun Hee, Kylie Haasz (The Next Step) as Mina, Sean Baek (Reacher) as Ken Yoon, Paul Seungbin Lee as Auzzy, Zeboria Peters (The Haunted Museum) as Rook, and M.J. Kang (The Bequeathed) as Sandra.

Recording artist, songwriter, producer, and musician August Rigo returns with a fresh and infectious new original soundtrack for Season 2. Rigo has written songs for global K-pop sensations BTS (“Black Swan” and “On,” amassing over 1 billion views combined on YouTube), “U Smile” for Justin Bieber and “Gotta Be You” for One Direction.

GANGNAM PROJECT is co-commissioned by CBC Kids and CBBC and produced by Pillango Productions and Aircraft Pictures with the financial participation of Shaw Rocket Fund and the Canada Media Fund. Series creator Sarah Haasz serves as showrunner and executive producer alongside head writer Jennica Harper and Aircraft Pictures’ Anthony Leo and Andrew Rosen, with Justin Wu, Gloria Kim, and Samantha Wan directing.

Federation Kids & Family is handling worldwide sales, with Season 1 acquisitions thus far including France Télévisions (France), ABC (Australia), YLE (Finland), TV3 Group (Baltics) and NRK (Norway), to name a few.

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Featured, Industry News

Laura Jabalee Johnston joins Hitsby Entertainment as partner and executive producer

From a media release:

Hitsby Entertainment proudly announces the addition of seasoned media executive Laura Jabalee Johnston (pictured top left) as Partner and Executive Producer. Laura joins Founder Andrew Morris (pictured top right) at the Toronto-based independent production company, bringing her wealth of experience to an exciting new chapter for Hitsby.

Laura most recently served as General Manager of Find Your Fun, a Wizards of the Coast company, where she led the mobile-gaming studio and navigated the Canadian business unit through massive organizational change. Prior to that role, as Secret Location’sDirector of Business Affairs, Laura drove the Emmy award-winning studio’s integration into and subsequent spin off from its parent companies, eOne and Hasbro. Her leadership extends back to her time at Bizable Media, working alongside company founders and high-profile clients like ICF Films (Saving Hope, Burden of Truth), Halfire Entertainment (Alias Grace), and Redcloud Studios (Future History).

“I’m beyond excited to join Hitsby at such a dynamic time,” says Laura Jabalee Johnston. “Andrew and I are dedicated to telling bold, underrepresented stories and ensuring the creative process respects the needs of the storytellers. It’s about shaping the production process around the creators rather than asking them to bend to outdated industry norms. ‘That’s how it’s always been done’— my least favourite line in this business.”

“While Laura and I share the same production values, she’s also got a great storytelling sensibility,” says Andrew Morris. “With her joining the team, Hitsby strengthens its commitment to pushing boundaries and reimagining what Canadian content can be.”

Together, Andrew and Laura are developing a slate of scripted comedy and drama series, with announcements and talent reveals to come. Hitsby’s debut scripted comedy series, The Squeaky Wheel: Canada, aired on AMI-tv over the summer and is a finalist for the 2024 MIPCOM CANNES Diversify TV Awards for Representation of Disability in the scripted category.

About Hitsby Entertainment
Hitsby is a Toronto-based media company focused on producing bold, contemporary, and unapologetically premium content. The company partners with smart, cheeky new voices to develop unique properties for a global audience.

Laura Jabalee Johnston image courtesy of Sam Gaetz.

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Children's Programming, Featured

The new TVOKids original series Trading Skills introduces the skilled trades to Gen Alpha

From a media release:

Did you know that Canada is experiencing a growing labor shortage? In 2022, the Canadian federal government predicted that around 700,000 of the country’s skilled trade workers would retire by 2028, leaving important vacancies to fill*. The new live-action TVOkids Original series Trading Skills (13 x 11′) gives kids a sneak peek into the vibrant and rewarding world of skilled trade jobs that viewers could consider for their own future – and potentially very lucrative – careers. Stream Trading Skills across Canada starting Tues., Oct. 15 at 11 a.m. ET on TVOkids Digital platforms including TVOkids.com, TVOkids YouTube channel and Smart TV services. The series has its broadcast premiere on Tues., Oct. 15 at 4:05 p.m. ET on TVO.

From their special workshop, kid hosts Akeylah James and Brody Agmon introduce viewers to a new skilled trade in every episode. They dive into different trades, taking turns meeting passionate tradespeople and giving viewers an inside look at their expertise. Through one-on-one interviews and hands-on activities, each episode highlights a trade from the kid hosts’ unique perspectives—crafted specifically for young audiences.

The series features a range of skilled trade jobs including auto service technician, electrician, ironworker, goldsmith, baker-patissier, horticulturist, mining millwright, welder, dairy herdsperson, construction craft worker, chef, hairstylist, and an arborist.

The Trading Skills production team worked to intentionally feature a wide representation of tradespeople so that kids can see themselves on the screen and learn their stories. For example, auto service technician Nhu Nguyen is the only female in the world with a Porsche Classic certification and ironworker Jamie McMillan became an ironworker in 2002 when women only represented 2% of the trade workforce across Canada and the United States. Tammy Maki, a renowned Indigenous pastry chef, is also featured.

Riverbank Pictures filmed the series at locales across Ontario to shine a light on the province and its wonderfully diverse skilled tradespeople. Locations include the Greater Toronto Area, Vaughan, Hamilton, Waterdown, Sudbury, the Niagara region, the Caledon area, the Kitchener area, and Collingwood.

A Riverbank Pictures original production, Trading Skills is produced in association with TVOKids and is made with the financial participation of the Canada Media Fund. The series is produced by Francis Mitchell, David Mitchell, Johnny Mitchell and written and directed by Johnny Mitchell and Emma Fox.

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Acting Good, Featured

CTV Comedy Channel original series Acting Good returns for Season 3, beginning October 21

From a media release:

CTV Comedy Channel heads back to Grouse Lake First Nation as the hit original series ACTING GOOD returns for Season 3 beginning Oct. 21 with a two-episode premiere at 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on CTV Comedy, CTV.ca, and the CTV app, before moving into its regular timeslot of 10:30 p.m. ET/PT, beginning Oct. 28. Filmed on location in Winnipeg and Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, the 10-episode half-hour series brings humour as it shares the ups and downs of reserve life at Grouse Lake. ACTING GOOD returns as the #1 series among the key A25-54 demo for two years in a row on Canada’s most-watched English entertainment specialty network, CTV Comedy.

Kicking-off with a two-episode special premiere (Monday, Oct. 21 at 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on CTV Comedy, CTV.ca, and the CTV app), Season 3 follows Paul (Paul Rabliauskas) as he and his on-again off-again girlfriend, Rose (Cheyenna Sapp), navigate the possibility of parenthood. Meanwhile, Jo (Roseanne Supernault, THE DRIVE) juggles being Chief with raising her daughter, Chickadee (Avery Sutherland, STELLAR). Controlled chaos prevails as Dean (Gabriel Daniels, THE ICE ROAD) and Greg (Erik Athavale, BED REST) face the realities of running their new business and community store, Yeah Man.

In the season premiere, titled “The Keemootch Room” (Monday, Oct. 21 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV Comedy, CTV.ca, and the CTV app), Paul and Rose’s hopes to start a family are challenged due to their not-so-private room attached to Agnes’ (Tina Keeper, NORTH OF 60) house, and scheming elders haunting them about the pressures of parenthood. Meanwhile, Chief Jo finds herself at odds with Wastekeeper Willie (Ryan Black, ABERDEEN), when he takes offense at her lack of respect toward him, and Dean and Greg’s attempts to get their new co-op off the ground are hampered by Dean’s preoccupation with his new girlfriend, Gale (Ashley Callingbull).

In Episode 2, titled “Baby Daddy Games” (Monday, Oct. 21 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on CTV Comedy, CTV.ca, and the CTV app), when Paul finds out that his sperm count is shockingly low, he and Rose hold a contest to find their new baby daddy. After her attempts at dealing with the garbage strike fall flat, Chief Jo learns a lesson in serenity from her former boss, while Dean tries to liven things up at Yeah Man, with mixed results.

ACTING GOOD is co-created by Rabliauskas, Amber-Sekowan Daniels, Eric Toth, and Pat Thornton. The series stars Rabliauskas as Paul; Tina Keeper as Agnes; Roseanne Supernault as Jo; Michael Greyeyes (RUTHERFORD FALLS) as Cousin Leon; Billy Merasty (ELIJAH) as Roger Laughingstick; Gabriel Daniels as Dean; Avery Sutherland as Chickadee; Aqqalu Meekis (I STILL LOVE YOU) as Stephen Harper; Cheyenna Sapp as Rose; and Erik Athavale as Greg.

Guest stars featured in Season 3 of ACTING GOOD include Miss Universe 2015 and Miss Universe Canada 2024, Ashley Callingbull, Michelle Thrush (LITTLE BIRD), Kevin McDonald (THE KIDS IN THE HALL), Brandon Oakes (THE TRADES), Joel Montgrand (TRUE DETECTIVE), Meegwun Fairbrother (BURDEN OF TRUTH), and Paul Andrich (Sniper: Rogue Mission).

The first two seasons of ACTING GOOD are available on CTV.ca and the CTV app, with no subscription or sign-in required, and are streaming on Crave. New episodes of ACTING GOOD also stream Tuesdays on Crave, beginning Oct. 22.

ACTING GOOD is produced by CTV Comedy Channel, in association with Kistikan Pictures Inc. and Buffalo Gal Pictures Inc., with the participation of Canada Media Fund, APTN, and Manitoba Film & Music. Producers are Tina Keeper (Kistikan Pictures), Jennifer Beasley (Buffalo Gal Pictures), and Amber-Sekowan Daniels and Robin Cass, with Phyllis Laing (Buffalo Gal Pictures) as Executive Producer, and Jeff Peeler as Supervising Producer. Paul Rabliauskas and Jennifer Beasley, serve as Executive Producers, and Tim Fontaine and Eric Toth as Executive Producers, writers, and Co-Showrunners.

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