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Featured, Satisfaction

Industry Update – The cast and creator of Satisfaction

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As Satisfaction was one of the two Canadian shows participating in the 2013 CTV Upfront Press Conference, I had the opportunity to speak to castmembers Luke Macfarlane, Leah Renee, and Ryan Belleville, plus showrunner/creator Tim McAuliffe:

How will Satisfaction differ from CTV’s previous series, Hiccups and Dan for Mayor?

Tim McAuliffe: Well, it’s funny. I wrote for Dan for Mayor for a brief period of time, and briefly for Corner Gas as well. We actually have Gabrielle Miller on our show. I think [Satisfaction] is different in that it’s skewing a little younger … This is a story about people living in the city, in their twenties.

How worried are you about ratings? Dan for Mayor and Hiccups both debuted to an audience of around two million viewers; the audiences dwindled to around half a million by the end of their second seasons.

McAuliffe: Worry about the ratings? Yeah, I’m super worried.

Leah Renee: I always worry about the ratings!

Ryan Belleville: Well, the sign of a good showrunner is, of course, he’s always worried about the ratings. He’s also worried about the paint fillers being used on his sets; he’s worried about new scripts. [McAuliffe] has non-stop worries going on. I mean, there’s really nothing you can do. It’s a really funny show, and I think people will like it. It’s nice to have an urban comedy about young people in Canada. It’s a really refreshing thing, I found. We just have to hope people will agree with us.

Renee: We all just got to see some cuts of the show. … We all saw two episodes just the other day and they were really funny, you guys. They were really funny. I was laughing out loud, and I was like, “I was a part of this, and I’m laughing!” I think we’re all a little worried, but at the same time, I’m not, really. I feel like [Satisfaction‘s] going to be good.

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Big Brother Canada, Featured, Top Chef Canada

The trend: Reality Show X Canada

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BBC

By Graeme Stewart

Shaw Media’s 2013/14 slates includes a robust line-up of both new and original Canadian series for the upcoming broadcast year. What’s become abundantly clear over the last few years is that Canadian television is embracing reality content in a big way. Obvious renewals for shows like Big Brother Canada and Top Chef Canada rounded out a list that also included several auction shows and some new scripted series. Bell has ordered Masterchef Canada. While it’s great to see a healthy amount of Canadian shows getting the green light, I can’t help feeling a little underwhelmed by the orders.

The slew of reality television set to hit Canadian airwaves this year is understandable – the selected shows are low-cost, high-reward concepts that can easily translate across international borders. The problem, however, is that this focus takes us away from where we should be as a country that prides itself on our culture. Furthermore, it compounds the Canadian television industry’s reputation as significantly risk-averse.

The merits of reality television have been debated in the North American media since Survivor, itself a Swedish import, debuted in 1997 on CBS. I can’t argue against the economic choice to develop a higher reality slate. Import or otherwise these programs have a proven ability to draw in audiences, advertising, and are cheaply produced. I can also see the narrative value inherent in a cross country collection of characters of ranging absurdity. It can be a pleasure to step out of your respective province and watch a young Montreal chef competing against the best of the country in Top Chef Canada, or a Calgary cowboy playing Godfather against a Nova Scotian schoolteacher and Toronto drag-queen in Big Brother Canada. The entertainment value is high, and we’ve proven that Canadian reality TV can be just as exciting and engaging as the content produced by our Southern neighbours.

These shows have proven themselves as guaranteed hits time and time again across all borders. The problem, then, lies in the lack of new ideas and concepts we see from our Canadian broadcasters. With international co-productions like Orphan Black and Vikings adding a heightened level of production value, writing, and acting to Canadian line-ups, is there anyone seriously asking for Storage Wars Canada?

Every show can’t be a hit. The bottled lightning combination of Orphan Black‘s international success, high-concept creativity, and critical acclaim, for instance, is rare and difficult to match. Shows like this should inspire confidence and the willingness to pursue a raised bar. They should stand in stark defiance of the easy to produce reality imports that are, at their worst, now serving as crutches to round out Canadian content.

The Golden Age of Television has largely bypassed the Canadian market, but unnecessarily so. I hope that with next year’s network slates the bar is raised a little higher than a collection of low-concept reality shows, and that the original content we can look forward to is slightly elevated beyond hospital, legal, and cop procedurals. It’s time we take ownership of the storytelling potential our nation holds in great reserves, and to translate that potential into shows that demand attention and can join the upper echelon of television production.

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Dramas and Comedies, Featured, Industry News, Package Deal, Seed

Industry Update – Rogers Media/City 2013 Upfront

MotherUp

Rogers Media’s 2013 upfront was held June 4, 2013, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Before the upfront, Rogers announced the renewal of Seed, as well as the rescheduling of Package Deal to fall 2013. This stuff you already know, so I won’t waste time typing about it.

The interviews started shortly after 2:30 PM ET. Surprisingly, five of the seven interview segments focused on Canadian shows. Seed and Package Deal featured cast interviews, though a majority of Seed‘s questions were answered by executive producer Mark Farrell and star Adam Korson. Eva Longoria was on hand for Mother Up! Also interviewed were the cast of OLN/City’s Storage Wars Canada, and Ray Zahab from OLN/City’s The Project: Guatemala. Rounding out the bill were James Wolk from The Crazy Ones, and Lauren Ash from Super Fun Night.

The Score, which joined the Sportsnet family as soon as the CRTC approved Rogers’ takeover of the channel, will become Sportsnet 360 on July 1. This doesn’t mean The Score is dead – the website and mobile businesses Score Digital owns still carry The Score’s lineage, and name.

Rogers promised Sportsnet 360 would retain The Score’s personality, and I hope Sportsnet 360 makes the cut. I just hope it doesn’t become a clearinghouse for Sportsnet 590 The Fan simulcasts. It’s nice Tim Micallef and Sid Seixeiro are back on The Score/Sportsnet 360, but the Tim and Sid simulcast is there for three hours of easy weekday CanCon.

The Rogers upfront presentation was typical of its kind: a rundown of Rogers’ properties, with a visible countdown displaying the number of minutes until free bar access. The most genuine surprise was two performances by Tegan and Sara, in service of City obtaining Canadian broadcast rights to the Grammy Awards. Professional wrestler Ron Killings (d/b/a WWE’s R-Truth) and IZOD IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe shepherded The Score into the Sportsnet family.

Rogers was especially interested in Mother Up!, showing unfinished and behind-the-scenes clips of the show during the upfront presentation. The clips were rough – backgrounds weren’t cleaned up and painted in. It struck me as odd to showcase Mother Up! in beta mode, yet it’s obvious Rogers has high hopes for it. Package Deal clips were also screened, while Breakfast Television formally announced a Montreal edition with a “surprising” host.

One notable thing about City’s 2013-14 fall schedule is the return of Great Canadian Movies, which will air Saturday at 9:00 PM ET, after an “encore presentation” of The Project: Guatemala. The Canadian movie block was temporarily retired in 2012-13, in favour of The Bachelor Canada, Less Than Kind and Murdoch Mysteries “encores”.

The Rogers upfront promoted OMNI’s Bollywood Star. Mohawk Girls, an APTN/OMNI series, wasn’t mentioned. It was a curious omission. CityNews Channel’s immediate termination last week was also ignored. Granted, upfronts deal in “happy news” moments, and don’t focus on the failures. I would have liked to see Rogers mention CityNews Channel; it was an integral part of Rogers’ 2011 upfront.

To promote Storage Wars Canada during the free bar, advertisers were handed “Rogers Cash”. The completion of activities – e.g., having a caricature drawn at the Mother Up! booth, playing a racing simulation and/or meeting R-Truth at the Sportsnet 360 booth, getting a Cityline beauty makeover – allowed participants to earn more “Rogers Cash”. It was a departure from standard protocol – Canadian television upfronts don’t usually have a gaming element. This was mainly for the advertisers’ amusement, but it was effective enough promotion.

In the end, Rogers Media had a relatively modest 2013 upfront, even though it was more lavish than the 2012 upfront. While not much actual news was offered, at least Rogers didn’t oversell itself. The countdown-to-free-bar display was a bit much, though.

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Featured, Industry News

An interview with CBC’s scripted exec Sally Catto

SallyCattoAt the CBC 2013/14 Season Preview in Vancouver, TV, eh?’s Rachel Langer had the chance to interview Sally Catto, CBC’s executive in charge of scripted programming. She had lots to say about CBC’s 2013/14 slate, what’s in store in the future, and how big a role ratings actually play.

OK, so let’s get the scary money question out of the way first. What role did the budget cuts play in the upcoming season?

In the big picture you will see that we have a lot of returning hits. That’s two-fold. We’re so lucky that we have these returning hits. I was just thinking about the fact that years ago, and I’m not just talking about the CBC but the entire industry, we just didn’t have this many Canadian hits. To me it’s a tremendous success that we have (Republic of ) Doyle going into its fifth season, Heartland going into its seventh season, etc.

At the same time you don’t see a lot of new additions and I would say that’s because we’ve had a lot of success, but we just do not have the money to add a lot of new series to our slate, particularly scripted series. I think it’s very much a strategy of building and holding on to our successes. Fortunately we have them, but the impact is in scripted that we can’t add a new series to the slate — we do not have the money to do that. We’ve added an acquisition to the slate, and that financially completely works for us and we love the show. That is the most obvious impact.

Crossing Lines is the acquisition, correct? Can you talk to me a little bit about that?

Crossing Lines is a French-German co-production. We do look for shows that are out there internationally; we are not trying to be an American network. Ironically, Crossing Lines will be airing on NBC, but I can honestly say our interest in Crossing Lines preceded interest in that deal happening. Our acquisitions team were looking at it before that happened. When that happened it didn’t change our interest in it. As you will see we’re not simulcasting it, we’re not changing our Canadian schedule, and we think it will really compliment our schedule.

We are really happy with it and we love that Donald Sutherland, a great Canadian star, is in it. We think that it’s something our audiences will really love and it’s on that global playing field.

The new shows that are coming to the slate are movies, miniseries, that sort of thing.

Yes, Best Laid Plans is based on Terry Fallis’ wonderful book [as well as Still Life, based on Louise Penny’s book]. I think you’ll see in terms of our strategy, we really like to use those movies and miniseries to showcase our Canadian culture in a different way. Our ongoing series do it in one way, but I think when you have a literary adaptation, that will speak to Canadians.

Do you see a possibility for projects like that to spin off into a series or a larger project than initially planned?

I think it’s always possible. Neither of those were developed with that in mind. Certainly there are a number of Louise Penny books and looking at and reading the scripts for Best Laid Plans I can see the potential, so it’s a juggling act for us. It comes down to how many slots do we have, what’s our breadth of programming, does it tell a story about Canadians that we don’t feel is being told by any of our other shows. So there are many variables that go into it, how does it do, how will it perform, so it’s early to say. There is the potential in both of those [to expand], unlike a biopic, but we do have a number of strong projects being developed so at this point it’s just hard to say.

We have a very strong cop show presence in Canada — do you see that trend continuing?

You know I think for us, we have Cracked and again, because we really want to represent the different programming — and we have Crossing Lines now — I wouldn’t prioritize another cop show. We have a great cop show. We have a couple of detective series, as you know, and I think our competitors also do it really well, so trying to differentiate ourselves we would be more interested in continuing to diversify.

Can you tell us anything about what you have in the development pipeline?

We have some really exciting projects in development. We have a project in development with Joseph Boyden, who is a Giller Prize winner, and a beautiful, beautiful writer. It’s an original series in development, so that is stunning and remarkable so I feel honored to be working with him. We have another wonderful project in development with Laurie Finstad who did Durham County – a beautiful period western. We have a sweeping story about the Klondike based on Pierre Berton’s book, written by Ted Mann. I hesitate to say because we have so many.

I don’t want anyone to feel like “oh you’ve left us out because we’re not a priority” so that’s why we generally don’t have those conversations, but at the same time I’m so proud of what we’re doing. We’re working with incredible writers. I could go on and on and on, so anyone I’ve left out, forgive me because we love you all.

We also have upcoming another adaptation of the Book of Negroes that Clement Virgo is doing with the book’s author Lawrence Hill, so that will be going into production later this year.

How important are ratings to the CBC?

It’s a really great question. Ratings are very important to us. Should they be? I think we should care very much about whether Canadians are watching our shows, because if they aren’t, we aren’t connecting, we aren’t reaching them. I personally believe audience is extremely important, however I believe that there should be a balance. Not every show should be held to the same bar and the decisions shouldn’t be based on “is this going to bring in the broadest audience.” As a public broadcaster I think it’s a factor and I think it should be weighed very heavily for some of our shows.

Do I think it should govern every decision? No, and I don’t think it does. However, I think that often when there are comments made about the CBC — are you doing what a public broadcaster should be doing? I would argue yes and I can give you all the reasons, but I think what people don’t always remember is that, especially with our cuts, we’re incredibly dependant on and grateful for the Canadian Media Fund.

55% percent of our envelope is determined by eyeballs on the screen, so we are actually held to the same standard as a private broadcaster. That makes it imperative for us to consider ratings. If we don’t, our envelope goes down. That’s just a fact. I have mixed feelings about that — I think that’s just the way it is, though. We absolutely have to be cognisant of that and we’ve struck an amazing balance of providing shows you wouldn’t see on other networks and still bringing in amazing audiences.

Can you talk to me about some of the digital components that you’ve been bringing in? Could you see the CBC focusing at all on original digital content or web content, or more additional content to accompany the scripted shows that you have?

In terms of original content, would we love to? Yes, but it’s a monetary issue. I find it fascinating to be at a modern public broadcaster at this time of incredible change, because it’s all just content, and how are we showcasing it? That seems to be changing every year.

I look at Republic of Doyle and we had a second screen app for that this year, and that was so amazing to do that. I do feel like we tend to lead the charge on the digital front. Our Facebook game for Heartland Ranch won the very coveted Social TV Award, and it was up against shows from the States, and big Warner Brothers shows. I feel very proud of that. I think now, our [digital] content is primarily tied into our original programming that you’ve seen on the network. Will that change in the future? I think it’s entirely possible, but financially it’s hard. Just the way it’s all evolving, we won’t even see the distinction.

What is your favorite part of working with the CBC?

I really believe in the public broadcaster. I really believe in telling Canadian stories. I love where it all starts with the talent, with the writers. That’s where it all starts. I think you all see the shows in front of you and I feel very lucky that I get to see what happens behind the scenes. It’s the writers. I love working with our actors, and that the CBC has built a true star system and that we get to work with these great stars, but I also love our unsung heroes — I’m a big fan of those writers.

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Featured, Less Than Kind

Less Than Kind’s Mark McKinney and Wendel Meldrum on season four and horseshoe proctology

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LessThanKind

In advance of Less Than Kind‘s fourth and final season premiere on HBO Canada this Sunday, TV, eh?‘s Martha Marcin interviewed actress Wendel Meldrum and showrunner Mark McKinney.

I just watched the first episode and it looks like an exciting final season. Sheldon, Miriam and Danny are coming of age, Anne is coping with the death of her husband in a rather unconventional fashion. Is there a theme to the season?

Meldrum: Cataclysm of new beginnings with the events changing and people have to catch up.

McKinney: Yeah, all of the themes overlap. For Sheldon we set it in August after he graduates high school, and everybody in the writers room had a story to tell about that weird time. Knowing that you’re not going back, your future beckons you, you have no idea what it is, the boundaries and structures are gone and you start running into your first adult problems. For Anne it has conjured up intense case of empty nest anxiety. For Josh it’s the end of his youth, and he still hasn’t found himself.

 The character of Josh is sporting a hair do and ‘stache reminiscent of 70s porn stars. Is this intentional and exactly how far would he go to fulfil his dream of “acting”?

McKinney and Meldrum: Oooooooooooohhhhh! (laugh)

McKinney: What is particularly satisfying is by the time we are airing our hour-long finale you’ll feel that we’ve ended not only the season but the series, and Josh has been in a protracted and violent struggle to find out who he is, thinking that he is meant for some kind of greater glory. He suffers a humiliating reversal that eventually beats him down so far that he actually finds his way in by the end, in a really really satisfying way.

Meldrum: The difference of who think you are and who you actually are, and it’s poetically gorgeous. I really like the character arc he has.

McKinney: And it airs on Bastille Day, another day of discovery, only in this case for an entire nation.

I’m marking my calendar right now. It’s the final season of Less Than Kind – can you elaborate on why there was a decision to end the series?

McKinney: I think the network was getting ready to do other programming, but at the same time it felt logical, really, given where the kids in particular were arriving in four seasons. We knew they were going to get out of high school. It just felt there was a perfect waypoint to tag in the ending.

Is there the chance of a spin-off for Sheldon, Miriam and Danny? Really their story is just beginning.

McKinney and Meldrum: Ahhhhhhhh! Well, yes it is (the beginning).

McKinney: We are in such an interesting and changeable time in television business where people are now watching shows on demand, six to seven episodes at a time. Shows that have garnered a following in a Kickstarterish fashion are starting to reappear. I’m talking, of course, about Arrested Development. I think that and Veronica Mars are just the tip of the iceberg. I’m hoping that the show is durable and sticky and continues to be discovered after it airs, and who knows maybe there will be a movie or a TV movie. Wendel’s fondest dream is to do a perennial Hanukkah movie.

Did you have a sense of how you wanted to end the series?

McKinney: No, but the threads that are its signal strength by the end of the fourth season were always there at the beginning. Because it involved the casting of Maury Chaykin and every thoroughbred actor that we could get to raise the quality and realism of the performances and confrontations, and we wound up with an absolutely amazing cast.

Did you have to make significant adjustments after the death of Maury?

Meldrum: He passed, we pushed (the season) back a month, and it was unanimous that it would be about the passing of the character. It was remarkable what happened that season, what was launched from the death of a friend and cast member. Really honouring Maury’s career and what he brought to the show.

Seems like Canadian comedy having a hard time staying on the air, for example the Gemini and WGC winners have all been cancelled. Is Canadian comedy in crisis?

Meldrum: Hmm what it feels like to me is that people took chances, things got successful, but they cancelled them, and it makes me wonder if they fell on the spear of their own creativity, and how it’s actually connecting with people.

McKinney: I think seven things. One…

Meldrum: (Laugh) I didn’t even think that last thing, never mind!

McKinney: First of all TV across the board in North America is in flux. Amazon is publishing half hour comedy, we’re moving to the internet and to cable, programming primetime is still very important but it’s fading and it’s only going to continue to fade. The House of Cards model is a game changer, so there is that aspect of the so-called “the crisis” which, I think, has really made executives at networks very nervous. It’s a shrinking piece of ice and that model is a polar bear. Geez, another Canadian metaphor …

Meldrum: I love that.

McKinney: I only started paying to attention to how regulation government and subsidies works. I do know one thing: that the industry is stuffed with talent now more than anything. The next Mad Men, the next Game of Thrones could easily come from Canada. I’m not sure if you’re going to be able to point the finger at some nimble government participation in that …

Meldrum: What an oxymoron: nimble government.

I’ve never heard those words together.

McKinney: The industry is treated slightly like the enemy and unfortunately the Canadian ability to produce great shows is here in every single way except where it needs to be reflected, which is at the higher levels of boardrooms and government committees. Not that I think the government should necessarily do it for us; I think it can happen despite them.

Meldrum: We’re hoping that the success of the show, people will look at the model that created it, which is giving the creatives the power and control. Supporting the creatives as opposed to micro-managing them according to market graphs.

McKinney: You can have a great relationship with a network executive, if that person understands the creative side of the business. We had it on Less than Kind. What HBO did when Maury passed away was to say, “Yeah you can stop, here’s some more money, go and write it in.” That never happens. We have a horseshoe up our butt.

Meldrum: Yeah, and that’s what it feels like. Ow!

McKinney: Ow!

You touched on video streaming services like Netflix as a game changer when it comes to unconventional comedy. For example Community was almost cancelled repeatedly until it found an audience on Netflix, and my butt is still asleep after my Arrested Development marathon on Sunday. Is there an audience for Canadian comedy on video streaming services?

McKinney: I don’t know where Less than Kind sits in the gigantic video library of the world when we’re done, but it will definitely be there in a way that would not have been possible 15 years ago. It can maintain a presence. And I think there is a chance that shows will emerge on merit in a way they haven’t before. I use Slings and Arrows as an example because it is more popular now than it ever has been.

Now that I’m reading it, my next question it sounds a bit morbid, but I’ll ask you anyway. What are your thoughts when you look back and reflect on your career as a whole?

McKinney: Morbid!?

Meldrum: (Laugh) Oh my god, do you mean morbid/hopeful?

McKinney: So you’re asking if I want to take a morbid look back at my career?

Oh that so did not come out right. You can ignore it.

Meldrum: Oh come on it’s adorable! You made people laugh!

McKinney: I think what you’re trying to say is, it ain’t over yet baby! So how is it going so far? I think I’ve had a miraculous and wonderful career. I always seem to find myself in some interesting creative proposition, and it’s not by design, I’m not a smart guy. I’m not kidding about the horseshoe.

Meldrum: Imagine what he thinks of me, if he doesn’t think he’s smart.

McKinney: Oh I’m talking to the dumb broad now? Learn to turn on your iPad and it might save you a minute.

Meldrum: I’m gonna get it, I’m gonna get it.

What’s next for you guys?

Meldrum: I have some things happening with my writing, but I’m available … call me up!

McKinney: It’s been an intense 5 years. I’ve got a few things in development, the Kids in the Hall conference call is heating up a little bit with maybe the possibility of doing something together. Don’t know what yet.

Do you ever make fun of Bruce McCullough for his brief appearance on Anne of Green Gables the Sequel?

McKinney: Oh we did at time — he was like a block of wood! We stopped, but I can revive it. It never goes out of style.

Is he a kindred spirit?

McKinney: McCullough? He’s my brother from another mother.

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