Everything about Amazing Race Canada, eh?

Golden Screen Awards recognize most-watched TV

From a media release:

Academy Announces First-ever Golden Screen Awards, Recognizing Canada’s Most-Watched TV Series

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television announces the creation of two new television awards: the Golden Screen Award for the most-watched Canadian Drama/Comedy Series and one for the country’s highest-rated Reality Series.

The Golden Screen Award for TV Drama / Comedy and the Golden Screen Award for TV Reality Show are Academy Special Awards which will be presented alongside the Golden Screen Award for Feature Film during the LIVE broadcast of the Canadian Screen Awards on CBC, March 1, 8pm nationwide (8:30 NT).

Based on data provided by Numeris (BBM Canada), these are the Top-Rated 5 programs in each genre for the 2013-2014 broadcast year. *

Golden Screen Award for TV Drama / Comedy Finalists
(in alpha order):

THE LISTENER | CTV (Bell Media) (Shaftesbury)
Using his intuitive powers and enhanced policing skills, telepath Toby Logan (Craig Olejnik) faces new professional and personal challenges as he helps solve crimes with the Integrated Investigative Bureau (IIB).

MOTIVE | CTV (Bell Media) (Foundation Features and Lark Productions)
Each episode of MOTIVE begins by revealing not only the victim, but the killer as well. It’s not a “whodunit,” it’s a “whydunit,”a question faced by spirited female Vancouver homicide detective Angie Flynn as she begins to piece together the clues from the crime.

MURDOCH MYSTERIES | CBC (CBC) (Shaftesbury)
Set in Toronto at the dawn of the 20th century during the age of invention, Murdoch Mysteries is a one-hour drama centred on Detective William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson), the methodical and dashing detective who pioneers innovative forensic techniques to solve gruesome murders.

ROOKIE BLUE | Global (Shaw Media) (Entertainment One Television International)
After the bullet wounds and trauma of last season, life at 15 Division goes on for young cops, Andy, Sam. Chloe and Nick. Andy and Sam reunite and she’s tasked with training a challenging new rookie, under the watchful eye of a tough inspector.

SAVING HOPE | CTV (Bell Media) (ICF Films and Entertainment One)
Pulse-pounding surgeries, adrenaline-fueled breakthroughs and sultry romances force the doctors of Hope Zion to navigate unchartered waters. Alex faces doubts over her abilities as a surgeon and the men in her life. Charlie discovers mind-challenging medical miracles and Joel battles his inner demons as he treats patients on the streets.

Golden Screen Award for TV Reality Show Finalists
(in alpha order):

THE AMAZING RACE CANADA | CTV (Bell Media) (Insight Production Company Ltd.)
THE AMAZING RACE CANADA is a skills-based competition show in which two-person teams, who have a pre-existing personal relationship, race against other teams. Competitors strive to arrive first at “pit stops” at the end of each leg. The first team to the final pit stop wins the grand prize.

BATTLE OF THE BLADES | CBC (CBC) (Insight Production Company Ltd.)
Battle of the Blades is an original Canadian series that pairs NHL hockey greats with elite female figure skaters for an elimination style weekly competition. The pairs compete in figure skating performances judged by an expert panel that offer comments and marks for each performance. These marks are combined with the television audience votes to determine the winner.

BIG BROTHER CANADA | Slice (Shaw Media) (Insight Production Company Ltd.)
BIG BROTHER CANADA follows a group of strangers who live together in a house that records their every move, 24 hours a day. Each week they compete in challenges and one by one, vote each other out. Last house guest that remains wins the grand prize as voted by a jury.

DRAGON’S DEN | CBC (CBC) (CBC)
Launching a business is no small task. No matter how big an idea you think you have, it still takes a lot of work and a ton of cash. Enter the Dragons’ Den, where aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their business concepts and products to a panel of Canadian business moguls who have the cash and the know-how to make it happen.

MASTERCHEF CANADA | CTV (Bell Media) (Proper Television)
Canada’s Top 50 home cooks begin their quest to become the first ever MASTERCHEF CANADA and win a $100,000.00 prize. The home cooks will have to show off their cooking skills in intense culinary challenges in order to impress the judges Michael Bonacini, Claudio Aprile, and Alvin Leung.

*Audience estimates provided by Numeris based on a list of all Canadian television programming provided by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. Analysis based on Total Canada, P2+, Average Minute Audience during the period of August 26, 2013-August 31, 2014, original airings (“live plus 7 days”) with 50% or more of the airings occurring during the 2013-14 broadcast season.

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Link: Best Canadian TV of 2014

From Chris Jancelewicz of Huffington Post Canada:

Best Canadian TV Of 2014: Shows And Moments That Ruled The Small Screen
Every Canadian knows it’s true: our homegrown TV has a horrible reputation, both here and abroad. The first things that pop into people’s minds are snow, period pieces, and low production values — hardly the stuff of legendary entertainment. But something has been happening over the past few years. Slowly, steadily, Canadian TV shows are getting better. Continue reading.

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Link: What we learned from reality TV this year

From Sonya Bell of Maclean’s Magazine:

10 things we learned from Canadian reality TV in 2014
From the Amazing Race Canada in the summer to The Bachelor Canada in the fall, we got our fill of homegrown reality drama in 2014. Here are 10 things we learned about our country and ourselves from their sophomore seasons, part of our Best of 2014 web series from a year in arts and culture. Continue reading.

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Insight Productions net No. 1 series for Canada

Jon Montgomeryresize

From a media release:

Insight Productions produced two of the biggest ratings hits of the year with CTV’s The Amazing Race Canada and Shaw Media’s Big Brother Canada.

With confirmed numbers now in, blockbuster hit The Amazing Race Canada is the most-watched Canadian program of the year with an average audience of 2.8 million viewers on CTV; the #1 Summer series overall; and the #2 television series in Canada behind only CTV’s The Big Bang Theory.* More than three million Canadians tuned in to see Mickey & Pete’s pantless victory lap in the season finale.

Shaw Media’s Big Brother Canada’s second season, which debuted last March, is the most-watched reality program across all specialty channels.** The show’s rabid fan base ensured that the Big Brother Canada finale outshone even hockey playoffs across specialty channels.*** Coming off the heels of a stellar second season, Big Brother Canada makes the move to Global for Season 3, debuting next year.

“Broadcasters and sponsors alike know that Insight shows deliver viewers week after week,” said John Brunton, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, and Executive Producer of both series. “That so many Canadians connected so passionately to these shows is a testament in part to Mark Lysakowski and Erin Brock’s phenomenal storytelling ability and exacting standards.”

As previously announced, casting for both Big Brother Canada and The Amazing Race Canada is now underway. For Big Brother Canada, visit www.bigbrothercanadacasting.ca. In person open casting calls begin on October 19 in Vancouver and Calgary, followed by stops in Regina, Halifax, St. John’s, Montréal, and Toronto.

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Link: Interview with Amazing Race Canada winners

From Nick Patch of the Canadian Press:

Q-and-A with winning ‘Amazing Race Canada’ team after Ottawa finale
The Golden Girls finally had to settle for silver. Heretofore unheralded Ontario buddies Mickey Henry and Pete Schmalz pulled out a shocking victory in “The Amazing Race Canada” finale on Sunday, preventing Olympic hockey stars Meaghan Mikkelson and Natalie Spooner from the top-of-podium finish that seemed their destiny during a memorably dominant run. Continue reading.

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