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

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television appoints Tammy Frick as CEO

From a media release:

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television (the Canadian Academy) announced today the appointment of Tammy Frick as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective Monday, October 31, 2022. Frick joins the organization following a search led by the Board of Directors of the Canadian Academy, succeeding Beth Janson who left the organization in April 2022.

With 27 years of experience as Executive Director of Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival, Frick will assume leadership for the largest non-profit professional media arts organization in Canada and will oversee both the National and Quebec branches of the Canadian Academy. Her dedication to innovation and the growth of the Canadian screen-based industries, along with her passion for developing creative works and opportunities for talent both in front of and behind the camera, will bring a unique perspective to the Canadian Academy’s ongoing mission to foster industry growth, knowledge, inclusion, and mentorship.

“After an extensive search, we are extremely confident that we have found a fantastic candidate to lead the Canadian Academy,” said John Young, Chair, Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. “Tammy’s experience and knowledge of the industry will be extremely beneficial to advancing our hard work towards developing, recognizing, celebrating and advocating for Canadian talent in Canada’s screen-based industry. On behalf of the Board of Directors and the entire organization, I’d like to offer a sincere thank you to Louis Calabro for guiding us through the last six months and leaving the Academy in a great place for Tammy to step in and continue to help us make impactful change.”

“I am honoured and thrilled to enter this chapter as the Canadian Academy’s next CEO. It is a privilege to be granted this opportunity to further develop my passion for the Canadian content industry as the leader of such an important organization,” said Frick, incoming CEO, Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. “While I will certainly miss my family at Cinéfest Sudbury and am incredibly proud of all that we have achieved, I am elated to bring my years of knowledge and experience, along with a fresh perspective, to this organization to help further develop our country’s world class industry.”

Frick has always been an integral part of the vibrant arts community in Northern Ontario and beyond. In addition to her  tenure as Executive Director of Cinéfest Sudbury,  she has served on the  board  of directors of several organizations, including as a founding member of Music and  Film in Motion (MFM), which transitioned to Cultural Industries Ontario North (CION) in 2014. A strong believer in the mission of the organization, which seeks to promote and foster the ongoing expansion of the media arts sector in Northern Ontario, Frick took on a secondary role as CION’s Associate Executive Director in addition to her responsibilities with Cinefest. Frick was honoured with a Crystal Award for Outstanding Achievement in Business by Women in Film & TV (WIFT-Toronto) in 2019.

With Frick’s appointment, effective October 31, 2022, Interim CEO, Louis Calabro, will resume his key leadership role at the Academy executive level.

About the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television
The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television is the largest non-profit professional arts organization in Canada. We are dedicated to recognizing, advocating for, and celebrating Canadian talent in the film, television, and digital media sectors. Our more than 4,000 members encompass industry icons and professionals, emerging artists, and students. Collectively, we deliver professional development programs and networking opportunities that foster industry growth, inclusion, and mentorship. The organization also produces the Canadian Screen Awards, bringing together the screen-based industries annually to celebrate the country’s top talent at Canadian Screen Week.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Industry News

Animated Beachcombers series in development on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast with industry veterans

1 Comment

From a media release:

As Canada’s beloved television series The Beachcombers marks its 50th anniversary, industry veterans Blair Peters and Nick Orchard have teamed up to bring an animated version to life. Created by L.S. Strange and Marc Strange, the CBC show was the most successful drama series in the history of Canadian television with 387 episodes over 18 seasons.

Peters, who lives on BC’s Sunshine Coast, and Orchard, who worked on the original series and brings over 30 years of experience to this new project, have inked a deal with the show’s original creators. The team is fleshing out designs and concepts in the coming months with a plan to pitch the series to Canadian, US and European broadcasters in Spring 2023.

The Beachcombers is one of the most successful Canadian television series of all time. The half-hour family adventure show ran on CBC Television for 387 episodes over 18 seasons, from 1972 to 1990, and is Canada’s second-longest-running scripted television series. An audience favourite, it was named one of Canada’s all-time best television series in a 2017 poll conducted by the Toronto International Film Festival.

Watched by more than 1 million Canadian viewers per episode in its prime, Beachcombers played a pivotal role in the development of film production in British Columbia and provided an early template for uniquely Canadian content on television. Ahead of its time, the series featured Indigenous characters and storylines, and often dealt with subject matter involving preservation of the land.

The original Beachcombers has been licensed to over 35 countries worldwide and versioned into numerous languages.

Blair Peters loved cartoons as a kid and was lucky enough to find his way to Sheridan College in Oakville, after completing high school at White Pines in Sault Ste. Marie. From there, he took his first job at Crawley Films in Ottawa before moving to Vancouver to start up Studio B Productions with his colleague, Chris Bartleman. The studio went on to produce over 1000 half hours that sold to over 100 countries worldwide on networks such as Disney, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Teletoon, YTV and the BBC. After 20 years in business that saw the Studio receive numerous awards, the pair sold the company to media giant DHX Media in 2007. Blair stayed with the company until 2011. He now consults for creators and develops series of his own.

Nick Orchard has been in the film and television business for over half a century, beginning as a child actor on stage, radio and TV, and later producing hits like “The Beachcombers” (CBC), “Eastenders” (BBC) and “Brookside” (Channel 4). For the past 30 plus years, as head of Soapbox Productions Inc., Nick has produced network series such as the popular teen drama “Northwood” and produced and directed award-winning documentaries and comedy series such as the iconic “Double Exposure” for CTV and the Comedy Network.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Moonshine

Links: Moonshine, Season 2

From Noel Ransome of The Canadian Press:

Link: ‘Moonshine’ star Jennifer Finnigan on embracing her chaotic CBC character
As an actress, Jennifer Finnigan, star of the CBC series “Moonshine,” embraces her assignment faithfully, but perhaps a bit too personally. Continue reading.

From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:

Link: Moonshine stars preview Season 2’s tumultuous relationship
Despite the fact that the weather is getting cooler and the days are getting shorter, it’s still the heart of summer in Nova Scotia when Season 2 of CBC’s Moonshine premieres this Sunday, October 2 at 9 p.m. Continue reading.

From Melissa G. of The Televixen:

Link: Return to the Moonshine with Jennifer Finnigan and Allan Hawco
“There are so many things going on with her. She now knows she’s here to stay. Season 1 was ‘Am I staying here? Am I going? I don’t know if this is right for me. This isn’t who I am anymore.'” Continue reading.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Featured, Podcast

TV, Eh? Podcast Episode 253: Pamela Anderson returns to her roots and Acting Good gets debut date

[Editor’s Note: My sincere apologies for the echoey sound of Greg’s voice in this episode. We’ll have it fixed for next time. Also, Greg apologizes; Moonshine is set in present-day and NOT in the 1960s, as he says during the podcast.]

It’s a jam-packed couple of weeks in Canadian TV! First, Greg and Amy go through debuts and returns on the Canadian TV calendar.

Then, we cover the latest Canadian TV news, including the death of Heartland star Robert Cormier, Pamela Anderson teaming with HGTV and Bell Media’s Acting Good landing a debut date.

This podcast brought to you by water and Starbucks Autumn Blend.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail