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.
This April, HGTV Canada showcases spectacular builds and designs inside and outside the home with two new Canadian original series featuring familiar and fresh personalities. Beginning April 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT with back-to-back episodes, savvy contractor Sebastian Clovis teams up with DIY designer Sabrina Smelko to rescue cash-strapped homeowners by delivering the renovation of their dreams on a budget in $ave My Reno. Starting April 6 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, also with back-to-back episodes, viewers are introduced to a new duo featuring contractor and design expert Brian McCourt and interior designer Sarah Keenleyside as they transform bland backyards into remarkable retreats with unique, one-of-a-kind structures in Backyard Builds.
In $ave My Reno (14x30min), cash-conscious homeowners don’t have to break the bank when Sebastian Clovis and Sabrina Smelko make homeowners’ dreams a reality with an outstanding renovation on a budget they can afford. Sebastian and Sabrina save by putting homeowners to work and hunting for salvaged goods to up-cycle into custom items. Sabrina is an award-winning designer and expert at finding restored pieces at great prices and Sebastian is a master at smart spends for breakout builds and custom surprises. Throughout the season, this duo tackles everything from tight layouts, unfinished renovations and outdated designs to transform spaces with open concept areas, storage solutions and custom repurposed furniture. After each episode of $ave My Reno, HGTV.cagives viewers a front row seat with stunning 360-degree room reveals.
When indoor space isn’t enough, Backyard Builds (8x30min) showcases the endless opportunities extended outdoor areas can provide. Starring contractor Brian McCourt and designer Sarah Keenleyside, the pair work with homeowners to maximize their backyard’s potential by creating tailored, one-of-a-kind structures and designs. Sarah is a creative, outgoing designer with a knack for unique projects while Brian is a renovation specialist with a well-rounded skill set. Throughout the season, whether it’s a converted shipping container, whimsical treehouse village, or roman-style outdoor theatre, this duo proves they can extend any outdoor space with a little imagination.
One of the mandates we set out for 2017 was to cover web series. It makes sense because they’ve become more popular over the past couple of years. The fact Natasha Negovanlis—star of the online series Carmilla—won the Fan’s Choice Award at the Canadian Screen Awards just cemented it for us: web series are here to stay.
Our timing couldn’t have been more perfect. The Independent Production Fund (IPF) has welcomed submissions for those looking to be awarded funding to bring content to the Internet or mobile platforms. Established in 1991 to provide financial support for dramatic television series, the IPF was expanded in 2010 to include financing drama series for the web. That mandate has been extended indefinitely. The result? Almost 70 trailers for potential projects have been posted on YouTube. Thanks to the Independent Web Creators of Canada, they’re all collected in one spot.
With the end of March approaching, creators are looking for support via views and comments about their potential projects before the IPF makes their decision; in 2016 they approved funding for 16 scripted series (nine English and seven French); five were renewals for past projects with the other 11 being new ones. (One of was Riftworld Chronicles, starring Erin Karpluk and Tahmoh Penikett.)
To kick off our online series coverage, we chose three projects that caught our eye and spoke to the creative folks behind them.
The Series: Earthling House Huntress
The Creator(s):Â Ivy Johnson and Jordan Himelfarb
The Idea: In a world where space travel is simple, aliens are coming to Earth in search of real estate with curb appeal and a great price. Enter Liz Klein (Laura Cilevitz in the teaser), who specializes in helping ETs find their fovever home.
The Inspiration: “We had already discussed a show about a real estate agent because I worked as a real estate agent’s assistant for about a year,” Ivy Johnson says. “We were buying a house in Toronto. That took a long time and we got to know our real estate agent and found that character so interesting. To be a really great agent, you have to spend a lot of time with people and make friends with anybody. We thought this character would be the perfect ambassador to Earth and is able to really be super-charming with the most bizarrely imaginable creatures.” Himelfarb and Johnson pitched the idea to CBC, who came on board and connected them with Sphere Media to produce Earthling House Huntress; this is Sphere’s first web series.
The Plan: Based on the HGTV concept, each seven-minute episode finds Liz Klein with a new client as she goes through three houses showing the client the homes. Each client being from another planet means very different needs from humans; the first couple needs a hot enough furnace to roast the egg sac containing their baby. “I think it’s rare to find someone for whom a web series is the end goal,” Johnson says. “Jordan and I have a 22-minute pilot episode in our minds. We’re waiting on that until the starting gun goes off [on funding]. For now, it could only ever be a web series and something we can keep going back to and have Canadian comedians come in and shine as great characters.”
The Series:Hit on Me
The Creator(s): Marvin Kaye
The Idea:Â After killing people for the last two decades, how does a middle-aged killer find love?
The Inspiration: “I was just trying to write something that was different from before,” says Kaye, who co-created Less Than Kind. “I had a crush on this girl in high school. My best friend went out with her for prom and it broke my heart and I wanted to kill him. That was my inspiration: how would a guy who kills people for a living react to being lovelorn.” The producers on Hit on Me are Lauren Corber and her LoCo Motion Pictures (the folks behind web series My 90-Year-Old Roommate), Kaye and Liz Whitmere.
The Plan: Eight episodes of up to 15 minutes each. Kaye says that while having Hit on Me be broadcast on television “would be like winning the lottery,” but he wants to concentrate on this shorter format where “eight assassinations leads to a relationship falling apart and a love triangle forming.”
“I just want to tell a great story in eight 15-minute blocks,” he says.
The Series:Free Space
The Creator(s): Matthew MacFadzean
The Idea:Â A black comedy about a family that runs a bingo hall at the end of the American empire.
The Inspiration: “I wandered into a bingo hall in Montreal in 1997,” MacFadzean recalls. “I sat down with some friends and the air was filled with smoke and shady characters. I wondered, ‘What if the revolution started here? What if the meek really do inherit the earth?'” The idea percolated for years until Donald Trump was elected president. Free Space deals with xenophobia and terrorism; an attack at a nearby bar puts focus on the bingo hall as the likely source of the violence. The son of the hall’s owners, Terry Buxton, is called on to protect the hall from scrutiny and uncovers a connection between the attack and his family.
The Plan: MacPhadzean is going at this process as if the funding is on the way for his proposed five episodes. In addition to the teaser, he and producer Chris Baker have posted two more short videos—a location scout and Free Space Initiative—designed not only to outline what Free Space is but drive eyeballs to the teaser. More content will be rolled out in the coming weeks. He’s also got an hour-long pilot in the can and first-season of hours mapped out; he can go forward with more seasons of Free Space online or expand and make the jump to television.
UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who bid on X Company items! Over $7,000 was pledged, with funds going to save and preserve the Camp X legacy. Winning bidders have been contacted; items will be sent out in the next week or so.
After three seasons, X Company is ending. We’ve travelled from Canada to Europe with Aurora, Neil, Alfred, Harry and Tom as they’ve gone deep behind enemy lines battling the Nazi regime and Franz Faber. There have been plenty of tears shed and memories cemented in our brains forever.
You can keep the memories even more alive with an item from the series! We’ve got signed scripts, clothing, props and other one-of-kind items any X Company fan would love to own.
Thanks to X Company‘s co-creators, Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern, for supplying the items. All funds raised will help save and preserve the CAMP X LEGACY.
The Oshawa Aeronautical Military & Industrial Museum is a not-for-profit organization that is overseeing the preservation of the last original Camp X building. The building will be fully restored and a permanent Camp X museum will be housed inside.
All donors will receive a thank you note from OAMIM and will be kept up to date on the project’s progress.
All donors will also receive a limited edition Alfred and Aurora postcard, with a personal thank you note from X Company creators Mark Ellis & Stephanie Morgenstern.
This auction uses simple bidding and ends Friday, March 17 at 11 a.m. ET. Payment will be due by end of day Wednesday, March 22, 2017. International bidders, please note that any additional taxes and duties charged by customs will be your responsibility.
A technical note: this auction doesn’t work on all cell phones or tablets. If you’re having issues bidding, use a laptop or desktop. Got a question or having problems? Email greg.david@tv-eh.com
Click on the direct links below for access to the auction pages and detailed images:
