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.
Dark Matter, Featured, Killjoys, Podcast

TV, eh? podcast episode 189 – North of 45

Greg joins Diane and Anthony a bit late, but he has an excuse: he’s on a two-day junket to Parry Sound and Sudbury, Ont., visiting the set of Super Channel’s thriller drama Slasher and comedy What Would Sal Do? After placing bets on whether or not he’ll survive the night in a sketchy hotel room, the trio talk about the following:

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.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Cottage Life’s Brojects heads inside for spinoff

From a media release:

After two seasons battling blackflies, bears and the odd spring blizzard, Andrew and Kevin Buckles, the creative duo behind the Cottage Life series, Brojects, bring the cottage indoors with Brojects: In The House, a new 13-episode half-hour series featuring more of what the ‘bros’ do best — turning traditional home and cottage projects on their head. This time, the real-life brothers transform a former Masonic Lodge into the ultimate escape destination, complete with an indoor outhouse, a bike bar and a retractable sleeping platform — just to mention a few of the projects they have planned.

Among the one-of-a-kind concepts currently under construction at the former Lodge is an indoor skatepark, which features two quarter-pipes at the opposite ends of the living room area that can be turned upside down, creating a domed sleeping area below and a top bunk above.

Now in its third season, Brojects has been an unqualified success for Cottage Life and its distribution arm, Blue Ant International. Scripps Networks Interactive Inc. recently announced that the series will make its U.S. television premiere this fall on Great American Country as Lake Guys.

Brojects: In The House launches Spring 2016 on Cottage Life. Principal photography began June 29, 2015 in Great Village, Nova Scotia.

Brojects: In The House is produced by Farmhouse Productions Inc. The series was created by Kent Sobey and Andrew Buckles; producers are Kent Sobey, Andrew Buckles, Howard Ng and Kevin Buckles. Farmhouse Productions Ltd. is a film, television and digital media production company based in Toronto, Ontario. Productions include Brojects, SOS: Save Our Skins, Papillon, The Time Traveler and Air Guitar in Oulu.

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Industry News

DHX Media licenses two series to U.S., Asia and Latin America

From a media release:

DHX Media (“DHX” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: DHXM; TSX: DHX.A, DHX.B), a key player internationally in the creation of content for families and children, has signed broadcast deals with Disney XD channels for two series recently commissioned by DHX TV to air originally on its Family CHRGD channel. DHX Media licensed the new 50×11′ animated fantasy series, Fangbone! to Disney XD channels in the US, Latin America, South East Asia and Taiwan. In a further deal, it also licensed the innovative original series Gaming Show (In My Parents’ Garage) to Disney XD in the US where it will premiere Wednesday, September 9 (9:30 p.m., ET/PT).

Fangbone! is a Radical Sheep Production. DHX Television commissioned the series for Canada where it will air on the wacky, wild and energy-filled Family CHRGD network, entering the market in early 2016. The series is aimed at 8–12 year olds and follows the quest of the titular character, a young barbarian from Skullbania, as he travels through a magical portal into the suburbs of our world with a most dangerous burden. His mission is to protect the blackened and slightly jam-smelling big toe of Venomous Drool from being reunited with its master – the evilest sorcerer in all the planes of existence! Fangbone becomes the best friend of Bill – a kid whose weirdness is his ultimate weapon – and who helps Fangbone survive in a world of spelling tests and waffles.

Together, Fangbone and Bill battle Drool’s monsterish creations, along with fat-fingered foot finders, independent magical contractors, and even the thieving Shadowsteppers – keeping the toe safe from any who would use its evil powers. Fangbone! is a tale of epic comedy, epic action and epic epicness! The series is based on the books by New York Times bestselling author Michael Rex.

Gaming Show is an innovative TV show that takes kids and tweens into the world of gaming in a new and exciting way. It’s a fun, authentic, comedic, and informative, semi-scripted gamer magazine series, “un-hosted” by three original, young and passionate gamers. The series is produced by Banger Films’ kids division, B-Minors and created by Jesse Shamata. Twenty-five new 30-minute episodes of the Canadian Screen Award-nominated, live-action show are in production for DHX Television’s Family Channel and Family CHRGD.

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Children's Programming, Featured

Nick Cannon’s Make It Pop dances onto YTV

K-pop is invading Canada. The South Korean musical genre that celebrates a riot of visuals set to an addictive beat grabs the spotlight in YTV’s Make It Pop.

Debuting Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET/PT with two back-to-back episodes, DHX Media’s fast-paced tween series follows four freshman at Mackendrick Preparatory who are determined to win spots in the art school’s musical. There’s Sun Hi (Megan Lee), a sometimes overconfident gal who records every move she makes for her fans; Jodi (Louriza Tronco), a gifted choreographer; Corki (Erika Tham) a home-schooled bookworm who values her privacy; and Caleb (Dale Whibley), a clumsy but lovable dude and brilliant musician. Co-created by Nick Cannon and Thomas Lynch, Make It Pop already launched in the U.S. in Nickelodeon last summer; the sophomore go-round of the Canadian-American co-production is filming now.

“I’ve had the opportunity to work with some K-pop artists in the past in Korea and that’s how I was introduced to the world,” Cannon tells us from the Degrassi set where Make It Pop is filmed. “I’ve been working in youth television for awhile and said, ‘This would make interesting television.’ I got with my mentor, my guide, Tommy Lynch who has been doing this for many moons and we started to discuss this.”

Make_It_Pop1

Wednesday’s debut is jammed with dance and musical performances—during the opening assembly for the new school year and when Sun Hi goes back to the dorm room to retrieve her cell phone—and laughs, from Caleb’s blissfully bombastic creation of beats to Mr. Stark, Mackendrick’s over-the-top theatre teacher played by Matt Baram, from Sun’s unbreakable positivity to Jodi’s biting sarcasm.

“Everyone is wild around me and then I have the one sarcastic line that brings everything to a halt,” Vancouver’s Tronco says with a laugh.

But make no mistake, Make It Pop has a message for its young viewers: follow your dreams. A veteran of kid’s programming via such projects as The Nick Cannon Show, All That, Star Camp and Incredible Crew, Cannon may have a laid-back air about him while slouching in a chair and sporting sunglasses, but he’s dead serious about his responsibilities to young TV viewers.

“We grow up on shows like Degrassi or my stuff from my Nickelodeon days, that’s when content and entertainment mean the most,” he says. “That’s when you’re the most inspired and informed by things. It more important to you because that’s all you have. Adults use entertainment to escape, but when you’re a teen or tween it’s helping shape you.”

Make It Pop airs Wednesdays at 7 p.m. ET/PT on YTV.

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Lost Girl

Link: ‘Lost Girl’ Talk: Michael Grassi on “44 Minutes to Save the World”

From Emily Gagne of Cinefilles:

‘Lost Girl’ Talk: Michael Grassi on “44 Minutes to Save the World”
“Interesting you bring this up because it was a big conversation in our story room. Hades is many things, but we don’t think he’s a liar. Of course, everything he says can be open to interpretation. His idea of “make things better” might be different than yours or mine.” Continue reading.

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