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

History announces production on original docu-series Bud Dynasty

From a media release:

Green is the new gold. HISTORY, the #1 Specialty Entertainment Network*, announced today the start of production on the new Canadian original docu-series, Bud Dynasty (7×30). With filming underway today at the 4/20 event in Vancouver celebrating cannabis culture, the series follows intrepid entrepreneurs as they navigate Canada’s thriving and controversial marijuana industry at a time when the dubious plant is emerging from the shadows of prohibition and into the grow lights of legalization. Bud Dynasty is produced by Screen Siren Pictures Inc. and Henry Less (HL) Ontario Inc. in association with HISTORY. Broadcast details will be announced at a later date.

With the recent news of the federal government’s bill to legalize marijuana by July 2018, Canada may be the first industrialized nation to end pot prohibition. Canadians are experiencing a historic shift in the perspective on the product, and the potential impact of legalization is being deliberated across the country. In B.C. specifically, the marijuana industry is worth an estimated $2-7 billion annually, and produces 40% of all Canadian cannabis, making it some of the most valuable cash in the province.

Bud Dynasty chronicles this burgeoning green rush by following Canada’s most charismatic and uncompromising marijuana trailblazers who risk it all and bravely face serious obstacles in this uncharted territory. Pot pioneer Bob Kay is a burly biker and father of four who dreams of franchising on a massive scale, but also recognizes the volatility of the business. As Bob seeks out investment opportunities, he turns to Joe Le, a young entrepreneur and dispensary owner from Vancouver. Joe is making his mark on the cannabis industry and is intrigued by the possibilities of partnering with Bob and capitalizing on his grow license – which happens to be one of the largest in Canada.

However, the competition is fierce as franchise operators, large-scale growers, licensed producers, publicly traded companies, and other dispensaries each battle for a slice of the market and control over supply, distribution, and retail sales – all while facing local officials threatening to shut down all retail sales until regulations are in place. Bud Dynasty provides an all-access look into the frontier of the legalized pot business, its big players, the obstacles they face, and the epic journey of building a groundbreaking industry from the leaf up.

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Industry News

CTV unveils The Launch, a new six-part original music series and international TV format

From a media release:

Showcasing a mix of vibrant voices and mic drop moments during the creation of the next chart-topping song, CTV announced today from Canadian Music Week the new, six-part music television series, THE LAUNCH, premiering in 2018. The new international television format is the first TV project culminating from the previously announced partnership between Bell Media and world-renowned record executive Scott Borchetta (AMERICAN IDOL), founder, president, and CEO of the Big Machine Label Group, whose roster features international superstars like Taylor Swift, Reba McEntire, Florida Georgia Line, Rascal Flatts, and Thomas Rhett, among others. Reinventing the music competition genre, THE LAUNCH delivers an authentic behind-the-scenes look at the creation of a series of hit songs. Casting for the series is now open (see below), with production set to begin in Toronto this summer.

CTV also announced it has brought on board Eureka Productions’ acclaimed showrunner Paul Franklin, the creative mastermind behind the MASTERCHEF format, along with Canadian format pros Insight Productions (THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, BATTLE OF THE BLADES), one of Canada’s preeminent production companies. With an award-winning background in music television production, Insight CEO John Brunton and Insight’s Lindsay Cox (THE TRAGICALLY HIP: A NATIONAL CELEBRATION) are executive producers, along with Franklin and Borchetta.

Created for markets around the world, THE LAUNCH features a new and unique format: a group of unsigned musicians are mentored in the creation of a new original song by a panel of internationally renowned hit makers – including Borchetta.

Casting for the internationally renowned music mentors is underway. Additional program format information and special guests will be announced in the coming months.

CTV also confirmed today that casting for THE LAUNCH is now open. Aspiring megastars can prep their auditions for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with some of the biggest names in music. The deadline for submission is May 10 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 @TheLaunchTV on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Featured

Comments and queries for the week of April 21

Huh! Yet another Canadian show [Cold Water Cowboys] I’ve never heard of. And it’s been on three seasons already! Google Canadian TV shows wiki and you can find so many shows have been done that most Canadians have never heard of let alone ever seen. And many, if not most, were/are really good, so that’s a huge bonus too. Thanks for the article. —Stevie

[Saving Hope‘s] latest Alex splitting with Charlie because of a “pact with God to stay away,” is so utterly and completely ridiculous. Too bad such a great show is ending with such a contrived storyline. It would have done better to have Alex fade away and focus on the other great characters that are so much more interesting. I for one am rooting for Charlie to end up with someone new. I will endure Alex to the end of the show, but only because I love the other characters. (Oh, and the episode that tried to convince us that Alex was a ”badass” was so laughable, I almost gave up on the show then and there.). —Tammi

I hate that they have split up Charlie and Alex. Not the same feel to the show. I’ll watch to the end to see if it gets resolved but, I don’t like it at all. —Donna

Could we return to the former “solve a mystery” style of Murdoch Mysteries? I’m not really a fan of my lead characters being exposed to so much danger. I felt that the last episode was “dark”! I was happier when William, George and Julia were investigating and solving other people’s problems. You have a superb cast of characters here! —R. Green

 

Got a question or comment about Canadian TV? Email greg.david@tv-eh.com or via Twitter @tv_eh.

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Featured, Kim's Convenience

Writing an episode of Kim’s Convenience at the TSC

Hey CBC, you can go ahead and greenlight Season 3 of Kim’s Convenience because the folks in the WGC Writers Room Intensive at the Toronto Screenwriting Conference have got you covered.

Storylines featuring a pregnant Janet, a shirtless Jung, Nuit Blanche, speed dating, Feng Shui and, yes, more shirtless Jung, were outlined during an eight-hour session at Entertainment One’s downtown Toronto offices. Writers Amy Cole, Derek Robertson, Elize Morgan, Gillian Muller, Jennifer Siddle, Lisa Rose Snow, Marcia Johnson and Richard Clark were chosen to participate in the Writers Room Intensive and, led by Kim’s Convenience co-creators Kevin White and Ins Choi, broke ideas for a mock midseason episode of the hit CBC comedy.

Two groups of four, with White and Choi as the leaders on each—as they do when working on Kim’s Convenience—went off and brainstormed ideas for scenes. Nothing was ignored, but everything was analyzed in detail, plot holes plugged and then written down on sticky notes. Then the two groups assembled and the culling began. White, aiming for a “typical” episode of Kim’s, nixed a plethora of possible threads until two remained and two groups of four separated to beat out the scenes. It was fascinating not only to see how Choi and White

It was fascinating to see how Choi and White strip away ideas to figure out what would work and what wouldn’t. An added bonus? The pair taking threads, verbally running through them with the group and then with each other. There was a lot of laughing, especially when Choi adopted Appa Kim or Kimchee’s persona to recite dialogue.

What did the group settle on, and what story beats were nailed down? Make sure you attend In the Writing Room with Kim’s Convenience, taking place on Saturday, April 22, at 2:30 p.m. ET in the John Bassett Theatre at the Toronto Screenwriting Conference.

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Anne

Link: A ‘Breaking Bad’ writer and producer is behind a new Anne of Green Gables

1 Comment

From Erin Blakemore of Smithsonian.com:

Link: A ‘Breaking Bad’ writer and producer is behind a new Anne of Green Gables
“Anne is timeless, but she’s timely right now. I’m not influenced by what’s come before. I feel like Anne’s issues are incredibly relevant and topical right now. There’s so much conversation in the world about gender parity and feminism and prejudice and those who come from away. People who are other. All of these conversations are within L.M. Montgomery’s writing. It’s the perfect time to talk about it again.” Continue reading. 

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