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.

Link: ‘Continuum’ Creator Simon Barry Developing Mob Boss Miniseries

From Etan Vlessing of The Hollywood Reporter:

‘Continuum’ Creator Simon Barry Developing Mob Boss Miniseries
Simon Barry, the creator of Syfy’s Continuum drama, is developing and show running a mini-series based on a book about true-life Sicilian mob boss Vito Rizzuto.

Barry and Michael Konyves will turn the non-fiction book Business or Blood: Mafia Boss Vito Rizzuto’s Last War into Bad Blood, into a six-part original miniseries for Canada’s City network. Rizzuto, imprisoned in 2006 for his role in a decades-old Brooklyn triple murder, controlled a piece of the U.S. drug market from his base in Montreal before his death in December 2013. Continue reading.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

Link: Asian-Canadian Cop Series ‘Blood And Water’ Renewed for Second Season

From Patrick Frater of Variety:

Asian-Canadian Cop Series ‘Blood And Water’ Renewed for Second Season
Asian-Canadian cop drama series “Blood And Water” has been green-lighted for a second season, while the first shows are still on the air.

Shot in English, Mandarin and Cantonese, and directed by veteran Canadian director John L’Ecuyer, the first 8 episodes of the series play in the prime time Sunday night slot on Rogers Media’s OMNI Television in Canada. Continue reading.

 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

TV, eh? podcast episode 194 – Fighting My Cats for the Friskies

Diane, Anthony and Greg look at the results of our year-end Favourite Canadian TV Shows of 2015 poll so far (cast your votes here), followed by a look at some of the shows ending their seasons and series in December.

After a side-conversation about our favourite holiday TV shows and films, we get back on track and cover the casting news surrounding Cardinal, some cool guest casting in Season 2 of Schitt’s Creek and co-production Houdini & Doyle filming their final two Season 1 episodes in Southern Ontario.

Want to contribute to the discussion? Post links and discussion topics on our Reddit page.

Listen or download below, or subscribe via iTunes or any other podcast catcher with the TV, eh? podcast feed.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

Link: Women Behind Canadian TV: Stephanie Morgenstern

From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:

Women Behind Canadian TV: Stephanie Morgenstern
“We don’t set out with a quota, it just in a very basic and fundamental way feels wrong if there aren’t a lot of females in the company. It just makes no sense. As a creative person, it’s a no-brainer to me that the ideal writing room has a balance between men and women. As an employer–that’s a hat that’s still pretty new to me–I’m seeing this isn’t so simple. The reality that keeps colliding with the ideal is that the available talent pool is rarely a 50-50 split. Same goes for lots of behind the scenes jobs as well, like directing. So what do you do when about five times more résumés or scripts come from men than from women?” Continue reading.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

Billy Campbell and Karine Vanasse cast in CTV’s Cardinal

From a media release:

CTV, alongside producers Sienna Films and Entertainment One (eOne), announced today that Golden Globe® nominee Billy Campbell and the multiple Genie Award-winning actress Karine Vanasse have been cast as series leads in CARDINAL (working title), the network’s recently announced serialized, six-part, one-hour drama. The cinematic murder mystery series stars Campbell (THE KILLING) as the intelligent, reflective, and dogged detective named John Cardinal, from the northern city of Algonquin Bay, who is burdened by a wrong he committed years ago. Quebec native Vanasse (REVENGE) is confirmed to play Cardinal’s partner Lise Delorme, a shrewd, tough, imaginative, and gifted investigator from the town’s French Canadian community. CARDINAL is a gripping, character driven drama set to premiere as part of CTV’s 2016/17 schedule, with production set to begin in February 2016.

Most recently,well-known actor Billy Campbell starred in AMC’s hit series THE KILLING as Seattle City Councilman, and eventually mayor, Darren Richmond. Campbell is also known for his role as Rick Sammler on the beloved ABC drama ONCE AND AGAIN, which he received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Dramatic Series and won a People’s Choice Award for Favourite Male Performer in a New Television Series for his performance. He is also known for his roles in THE 4400, and National Geographic Channel’s docudrama KILLING LINCOLN. Campbell’s most notable films include:  the cult classic The Rocketeer, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and Enough.

Karine Vanasse is an award-winning Canadian actress. Her recent television credits include ABC’s PAN AM and REVENGE, and the upcoming French series BLUE MOON. Over the course of her career she has had lead roles in over a dozen films, including the 2009 Canadian film Polytechnique, for which she earned a Genie Award for Best Female Performance. Vanasse also served as co-producer on the film and was the driving force behind the film, which was awarded eight other Genie Awards in 2010, including Best Picture. Vanasse was also nominated for an ACTRA Award for Outstanding Female Performance in 2006 for the mini-series October 1970 and in 2010 for her performance in Polytechnique.

CARDINAL is adapted from the award-winning novel Forty Words for Sorrow, the first of the John Cardinal Mysteries series, a series of six bestselling crime novels written by Ontario native and award-winning author Giles Blunt. The series begins with the discovery of Katie Pine, a missing 13-year-old whose body is discovered in the shaft-head of an abandoned mine. CARDINAL follows detective John Cardinal (Campbell) as he attempts to uncover the mystery of what happened to the young girl. At the same time, unbeknownst to Cardinal, he comes under investigation by his new partner, Lise Delorme (Vanasse), a tough investigator in her own right.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail