From Dillon Collins of The Newfoundland Herald:
Link: One-on-One with Joel Thomas Hynes: Part 1 of 2
“I’m very happy the show’s been so well received. You know, a second season of Little Dog is a welcomed development, but actually wasn’t something I had anticipated or was even considering, much less hoping for.” Continue reading.
From a media release:
The 39th annual Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) is proud to announce Emmy and Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth* (Trial & Error, Hairspray Live!) will host this year’s Rockie Awards Gala Ceremony featuring a star-studded line-up of award recipients. The night of celebration will take place on Tuesday June 12th at 7:00 p.m. at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta, Canada.Awards to be bestowed include:
Awards to be bestowed include:
2018 COMPANY OF DISTINCTION AWARD: NBCUniversal
NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.
The Company of Distinction Award recognizes a company demonstrating significant leadership in the world of screen-based entertainment. Past Honorees include: Disney | ABC, HBO, A&E, Lionsgate and CBS.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: Jeremy Podeswa (Here and Now, Game of Thrones, Six Feet Under)
A three-time Primetime Emmy nominee for Best Direction (Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, The Pacific) and with over 40 award nominations and wins since 1985, Jeremy Podeswa is one of the hottest directors in the golden age of TV. His body of episodic TV work includes directing ground-breaking cable television series and mini-series for HBO, Showtime, STARZ, AMC, F/X, and TNT and award-winning films including Fugitive Pieces (opening night, TIFF), The Five Senses (Directors Fortnight, Cannes Film Festival) and Eclipse (Berlin and Sundance Festivals). Â
The Award of Excellence acknowledges exceptional achievement through a body of work over an extended period of time. Â Past Honorees include:Â Kenny Ortega, Diane English, Norman Jewison, David E. Kelly.
A+E INCLUSION AWARD: Â Elizabeth Vargas (ABC News, A&E Investigates)
Elizabeth Vargas is an Emmy Award-winning journalist, and the first U.S. network evening news anchor of Puerto Rican and Irish-American Heritage. She is a brave storyteller and a trusted expert at bringing audiences closer to the heart of stories that have never been told in order to reveal genuine moments of truth. Vargas recently inked an overall production and first-look development deal with A+E Networks; she will also be the face of A&E Network’s new nonfiction journalistic banner, A&E Investigates. The initial project under the A&E Investigates banner is the limited series “Cults and Extreme Belief.â€
The A+E Inclusion Award recognizes an individual whose efforts and vision in media champion and reflect the diversity of the world in which we live. Past Honorees include: LeVar Burton, Jonathan Murray.
CANADIAN AWARD OF DISTINCTION: Sheila Hockin (The Handmaid’s Tale, Vikings)
Primetime Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Drama Series (The Handmaid’s Tale), Sheila Hockin is one of Canada’s foremost executive producers, helping bring to life global hits like  The Tudors, The Borgias, Vikings, Penny Dreadful and most recently, the global phenomenon that is The Handmaid’s Tale. Before striking out on her own, Hockin co-founded one of Canada’s highest-profile independent production companies, Temple Street Productions, where she spent a decade producing such hits as Queer as Folk, Canada’s Next Top Model, and How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? This award is presented to a Canadian whose body of work exemplifies outstanding achievement in the entertainment industry. Past Honorees include:  Just For Laughs, Eric McCormack, Kim Cattrall.
INNOVATIVE PRODUCER AWARD: New Metric Media (Letterkenny, Bad Blood)
New Metric Media is a film, television, and new-media production company that works with top creative talent to produce outstanding content for domestic and international markets. Past and present projects include the CraveTV hit original comedy Letterkenny as well as the half-hour CraveTV comedy What Would Sal Do? and the six-episode, one-hour CityTV/FX Canada limited series Bad Blood. Not content to rest on traditional marketing alone, New Metric has successfully transformed its hit property Letterkenny into a robust consumer brand, complete with its own craft brew and touring live show. The innovative approach has made a discernible impact on Canadian culture, with Letterkenny phrases a part of regular lexicon and ironic “Hard No†tees a regular sight on the street.
The Innovative Producer Award recognizes the entrepreneurial excellence and achievements of an independent producer in TV/digital media. Past Honorees include: Â Wolf + Rabbit, Don Carmody, marblemedia.
Additional awards to be presented at the 2018 Rockies Gala include: The Hollywood Reporter Impact Award, The Grand Jury Prize, and Program of the Year.
Host Kristin Chenoweth can next be seen in the upcoming second season of NBC’s “Trial & Error,†which premieres on July 19.
The Rockies are BANFF’s flagship awards program, taking place over two days and two events. Celebrated annually on the second day of the festival is the Rockie Awards Program Competition followed by the hors-concours (out-of competition) Rockie Awards Gala Ceremony which takes place on the third night of the festival honouring outstanding talent and executives from the industry. Over the years, the prestigious gala event has attracted some of the industry’s biggest names including Sir Laurence Olivier, Gregory Peck, Dinah Shore, Ricky Gervais, Chuck Lorre, Martin Short, James Burrows, John Cleese, David E. Kelly, Dick Wolf, Will Arnett, Christine Baranski, David Attenborough, Larry King, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, John Ridley, Jill Soloway, and Anthony Anderson, to a name a few.
Note: Unfortunately, something weird happened in the downloading of the files for Tara and my conversation. The result is some crosstalk that is, at times, super annoying. I sincerely apologize to my listeners and Tara for this.Â
Tara Spencer-Nairn returns as the deadpan police officer Karen Pelly in Corner Gas: Animated—airing Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on The Comedy Network—a role she played in the Gemini-winning, No. 1 rated CTV sitcom Corner Gas, earning a Gemini Award for Best Ensemble Performance in 2007 and two Gemini nominations in 2004 and 2006.
A graduate of the Vancouver Film School, her big breakthrough came in 1999 when she was cast in the highly acclaimed New Waterford Girl. The film screened at the Sundance Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival and received seven Genie Award nominations including Best Picture.
Spencer-Nairn appeared in the recurring role of Sandy in CTV’s hit drama The Listener. She has appeared in numerous other television productions including The Outer Limits, The Strain, Murdoch Mysteries, Waking Up Wally: The Walter Gretzky Story, Flashpoint Saving Hope and Degrassi. Most recently she could seen in the third season of Syfy/Space hit series Killjoys as a recurring guest star.
Spencer-Nairn was born in Montreal, raised in Vancouver and now calls Toronto home. The youngest of three siblings, the actor spent 12 years as a competitive gymnast. She is married and the mother of two young sons.
Listen or download below, or subscribe via iTunes or any other podcast catcher with the TV, eh? podcast feed.
Want to support TV, eh?’s work? Become a Patreon!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
From a media release:
The Writers Guild of Canada is pleased to announce that showrunner Dennis Heaton is the WGC’s new president, elected by WGC council to serve the 2,200 members of the Guild from May 1, 2018 to April 30, 2020. Dennis is an award-winning screenwriter based in Vancouver; currently showrunner of the upcoming Netflix show, The Order.
“We’re very excited to work with Dennis,†says WGC Executive Director Maureen Parker. “His showrunning experience will hold us in good stead as we go into Independent Production Agreement bargaining within the next year.â€
Dennis has been a member of the WGC since 2001 and has served on the Guild’s council since 2012. He was showrunner of the internationally renowned police procedural Motive (CTV/ABC seasons one and two), and has written for The Listener and Blood Ties, among other shows.
“It’s great to be the new WGC president,†says Heaton. “I’m looking forward to building on the Guild’s past successes, as well as facing the challenges ahead.â€
In addition to electing a new president, the Guild also has a new council, responsible for setting policies and overseeing Guild activities. The 2018-20 WGC council is made up of experienced screenwriter members from across the country: Vice President Andrew Wreggitt (Mayerthorpe), Treasurer Mark Ellis (X Company), Marsha Greene (Mary Kills People), Alex Levine (Orphan Black), Anne-Marie Perrotta (Max & Ruby), and Michael Amo (Pure).
The WGC’s new council, along with Executive Director Maureen Parker, is ready to move ahead in a time of industry flux, and to continue the Guild’s ongoing work on behalf of Canadian screenwriters.
From a media release:
Hot on the heels of a breakthrough inaugural season that delivered a series of consecutive #1 hit songs and amassing more than 12 million streams internationally to date – including one certified Platinum single – CTV announced today that casting for Season 2 of its hit original series THE LAUNCH IS NOW OPEN. Production of the CTV’s original series, a new format that garnered an exclusive worldwide distribution deal with Sony Pictures Television (SPT), is set to begin filming once again in Toronto this coming fall for the 2018/19 Season.
Aspiring megastars can prep their auditions for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with some of the biggest names in music and to record a new original song written by some of the best songwriters in the world. The deadline for submission is Monday, June 11 at 11:59 PM ET. For all casting details and updates, including instructions on how to apply, fans can visit CTV.ca/TheLaunch, the CTV Facebook Page, and follow @TheLaunchCTV on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.Among the 30 artists cast to appear in THE LAUNCH last season, the series’ six singles by chosen artists continue to hit the high notes with audiences across Canada and around the world:
Among the 30 artists cast to appear in THE LAUNCH last season, the series’ six singles by chosen artists continue to hit the high notes with audiences across Canada and around the world:• Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine’s “Ain’t Easy†was certified Platinum in Canada in early May and is still growing in popularity among listening audiences. The pop/jazz/hip-hop/R&B duo are slated to perform at the Sony Pictures Television Upfront event in Hollywood later this month.
• Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine’s “Ain’t Easy†was certified Platinum in Canada in early May and is still growing in popularity among listening audiences. The pop/jazz/hip-hop/R&B duo are slated to perform at the Sony Pictures Television Upfront event in Hollywood later this month.• The first four singles from THE LAUNCH chosen artists (POESY’s “Soldier of Loveâ€, Logan Staats “The Lucky Onesâ€, Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine’s “Ain’t Easyâ€, and The Static Shift’s “Wide Awakeâ€) soared to #1 on iTunes Canada immediately following
• The first four singles from THE LAUNCH chosen artists (POESY’s “Soldier of Loveâ€, Logan Staats “The Lucky Onesâ€, Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine’s “Ain’t Easyâ€, and The Static Shift’s “Wide Awakeâ€) soared to #1 on iTunes Canada immediately following release.• The sixth and final single “Giants†from 13-year-old Toronto resident Ethan Young vaulted into the Top 5 on iTunes’ pop chart and Top 10 in all genres
• The sixth and final single “Giants†from 13-year-old Toronto resident Ethan Young vaulted into the Top 5 on iTunes’ pop chart and Top 10 in all genres following release, while Jayd Ink’s “Codes†debuted at #7 on iTunes’ pop chart.• Breakout artists from Season 1 of THE LAUNCH have secured single representation deals with Big Machine Label Group, including Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine, The Static
• Breakout artists from Season 1 of THE LAUNCH have secured single representation deals with Big Machine Label Group, including Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine, The Static Shift , Logan Staats, POESY, and Ethan Young
• In addition, Episode 1 shortlisted aspiring artist Vivian Hicks was officially signed to a development deal with Big Machine Label Group in April 2018, with artist Zack Lane also optioned to a single deal.  • All songs released have surpassed close to 12 million streams internationally to date.
• All songs released have surpassed close to 12 million streams internationally to date.
Reinventing the music television series genre, in each stand-alone episode of THE LAUNCH, unsigned emerging artists audition for the opportunity to learn, record and perform their version of a new original song by a world famous songwriter/producer. The artists are mentored by a panel of internationally renowned music industry legends, who then decide which version of the song will be released across the country immediately following the broadcast of the episode each week.
A staggering roster of musical A-listers joined Borchetta as mentors in Season 1 of THE LAUNCH, including international musical icon and reigning “Queen of Country Pop†Shania Twain; Culture Club alumnus and Grammy® Award-winner Boy George; eight-time GRAMMY® Award-winning multi-platinum superstar Fergie; Canadian GRAMMY® Award-winning singer and songwriter and international pop sensation Alessia Cara; rock icon and founding member of legendary rock band Mötley Crüe Nikki Sixx; Grammy®-nominated Best New Artist of the Year Julia Michaels; and Grammy® Award-winner and co-founder of country-pop duo Sugarland Jennifer Nettles. Award-winning producers/songwriters cast alongside Borchetta in the breakout season of THE LAUNCH included OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder,
The inaugural edition of THE LAUNCH, created for CTV – Canada’s most-watched private broadcaster – premiered on the network January 11, 2018. Each weekly episode’s song was released immediately following broadcast, leveraging the multiple platforms and resources of Bell Media, Canada’s leading content company, including Bell Media Radio, Canada’s largest radio broadcaster, along with the iHeartRadio Canada app and Bell Media’s stable of leading digital and TV properties. Bell Media’s commitment to the chosen artists continued with major media and promotion the day after the episodes air on flagship Bell Media radio and television properties.
THE LAUNCH format was put into development in January 2016 and was co-developed by Randy Lennox and Bell Media in association with Scott Borchetta of Big Machine Label Group, and Paul Franklin of Eureka (MASTERCHEF, THE BIGGEST LOSER), in partnership with John Brunton and Lindsay Cox of Insight Productions (THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, CANADIAN IDOL, THE JUNO AWARDS). THE LAUNCH is executive produced by Scott Borchetta, Randy Lennox and John Brunton; Paul Franklin and Lindsay Cox are Executive Producers; Executive Producers for Bell Media are Robin Johnston and Corrie Coe, who is also Senior Vice-President, Original Programming, Bell Media.
THE LAUNCH is executive produced by Scott Borchetta, Randy Lennox and John Brunton; Paul Franklin and Lindsay Cox are Executive Producers; Executive Producers for Bell Media are Robin Johnston and Corrie Coe, who is also Senior Vice-President, Original Programming, Bell Media.
