Everything about Featured, eh?

Big Brother Canada is a soul-crushing hit

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From Scott Stinson of the National Post:

Home groan: Big Brother Canada is a hit, but that doesn’t mean it’s good
One of Martin Short’s best moments as host of the Canadian Screen Awards last week came when he opened a segment by saying that the Canadian television industry has always been known for its brave originality, then promptly introduced as presenters cast members of The Bachelor Canada and Real Housewives of Vancouver. And, zing. Read more.

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Motive moves to Thursdays

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From a media release:

CTV Promotes MOTIVE to Thursdays at 10 p.m., Beginning March 14

It’s a dramatic one-two punch Thursdays on CTV as the network’s new original crime drama is promoted to the most-watched night on television. Beginning this week, MOTIVE moves to Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, joining the night’s stellar primetime lineup following fan-favourite GREY’S ANATOMY in most of the country. Averaging 1.04 million viewers each week and winning its previous Sunday night timeslot*, the #1 new Canadian series of the season with total viewers and all key demos settles into the former FLASHPOINT timeslot with an all-new episode this Thursday, March 14.

On the next episode of MOTIVE, entitled “Detour” (Thursday, March 14 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV), Detectives Flynn (Kristin Lehman) and Vega (Louis Ferreira) investigate the death of a mortgage broker who was found strangled in his office parking lot. Their initial examination of evidence leads them to a disgruntled ex-wife as well as a petty thief, but neither lead pans out. A composite police sketch and a stubborn refusal to follow orders leads Flynn to a man whose desire to make amends with his family, coupled with a lapse in sobriety, has led to tragic results. Guest stars include Aidan Devine (A History of Violence), Tammy Gillis (LESS THAN KIND), and Gemini Award-winner David Julian Hirsh (WEEDS).

An encore presentation of Thursday night’s episode will air Sunday, March 17 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, and on Monday, March 18 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV Two, with both episodes in simulcast on CTV Mobile. MOTIVE is also currently available on demand across CTV’s digital platforms: CTV.ca, the CTV App, and through video on demand partners.

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Producer Laszlo Barna pays tribute to Jack Layton

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By Diane Wild of TV, eh?

Laszlo Barna has produced biopics of some of Canada’s most colourful characters: Roméo Dallaire, Don Cherry, David Suzuki, Henry Morgentaler, Joyce Milgaard, Celine Dion. Sunday he adds Jack Layton to that list. Starring Rick Roberts and Sook-Yin Lee, the CBC movie Jack follows the story of the NDP leader’s last campaign and his relationship with wife Olivia Chow, from their first meeting until his death shortly after that election.

“I saw how the Canadian public reacted to Jack Layton’s death, not only NDP supporters but nationwide. I believe in making movies about people Canadians care about,” said Barna, the president of Pier 21 Films, in a recent interview. “You can’t take the NDP out of Jack Layton, but when you look at the historical view we remember people, we don’t remember political parties. The overwhelming memory is of someone who cared and worked for his country.”

The film entwines the political and personal, making the point explicit in an exchange between Chow and Layton that the political is personal to him.

Laszlo Barna“The biographies I’ve done are people with great determination and drive, and usually there’s a great story behind the person,” Barna explained. “David Suzuki was interned during the war and it helped shape who he was. Joyce Milgaard was a woman who started life as a party girl and ended up a warrior who helped get her son released.”

“What surprised me in the story of Jack was that the story of Olivia and Jack was so sweet and all-encompassing. We learn from it, we empathize with it and that makes a good biography.”

The movie was produced with the cooperation of Chow, who was approached about a month after her husband’s death. “She’s a very open and interesting person. She looked at the movies I’d done before, and she wanted his story told,” Barna said, dismissing concerns about going into production so soon after Layton’s death. “The legacy Jack left is of celebration and optimism, not of negativity and darkness. I think now’s the right time to do it because people recently lost him and the film is relevant.”

Barna has also produced television series such as Da Vinci’s Inquest, Call Me Fitz and Haven, among many others. But he sees the dearth of television movies in recent years as a loss to the Canadian industry and the Canadian public, though he’s pragmatic about the cause: “Networks like to promote series and invest in series. Promotion of a television movie is costly and a one-off. I don’t see there being a return to the old days.”

“It’s so sad. There used to be so many more television movies. My guess is that we’re not making a third of the movies we used to make,” he said. “The great loss is often you want to tell these stories that aren’t necessarily for an international marketplace. I make television shows that sell all over the world; Jack is a Canadian film. And it’s a great loss to Canadians that broadcasters are shying away from television movies because they’re a great thing for telling stories about ourselves.”

He knows he’s hit on a perfect television movie subject when he can tell a cab driver the name and get a nod of recognition. “It means we’ve hit on our common currency.”

With Jack in particular, he calls it “a great romance a positive image, and a very entertaining film. He lived well and he lived a very colourful life. It’s a tribute and a fun journey.”

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Almost Live at the Canadian Screen Awards

(photos by Derek Langer)

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I spent last Sunday night in the press room at the inaugural Canadian Screen Awards. It was quite the night for Canada. The Sony Centre in downtown Toronto was at capacity with Canadian celebs, writers, directors and producers. The two hour broadcast aired on CBC in staggered time slots across the country, with a half hour of red carpet hosted by Shaun Majumder.

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This was followed by an hour and a half of Martin Short singing show tunes and cracking one-liners. Oh yeah, I think we gave away a few awards in there too.

The biggest question surrounding the event has perhaps been what to nickname the actual award. While some felt that a nickname would present itself as Canadians talked over the event, others believed a nickname should be chosen and presented to the media as the “official nickname” of the awards. Twitter was ablaze with suggestions and theories over what the nickname should be. When I asked the winners and presenters I heard everything from the obvious “Screenie” to the more imaginative “Candy,” “Geminini,” “Ceesah,” “Huggy,” and “Awardy.” It’s safe to say that by the fifth broadcast one nickname will have broken ahead of the pack.

This was the first year that the film-based Genies and the TV-based Geminis merged into one meta-broadcast. While the ratings were up from last year’s Geminis by over 75%, there was some question about whether the separate ceremonies should have been combined at all.

With two industry galas preceding the main event, a plethora of the awards were given out earlier in the week, saving some of the audience favorites for the televised broadcast on Sunday night. While the members of the Academy worked hard to pare down the categories into a manageable amount, they didn’t quite cover everything. Writer/director Sarah Polley requested categories for crew contributors at next year’s event.

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On the subject of combining the two awards shows, Kevin O’Leary (Dragon’s Den) was all for it. He agreed that combining film and tv was the smartest thing to do, creating a wider audience, building ratings and  inspiring a higher level of awareness for Canadian productions.  Spoken like a true Dragon.

A show this big doesn’t happen without its fair share of controversy. This year’s malcontent came courtesy of several decisions that surprised the audience and ruffled a few feathers. The hot-button issue was CBC’s choice to stagger the broadcasts across different timezones. While this is a classic fight between coasts, staggering this event handcuffed media to one of two realities: hold off on live tweets, announcing the winners, and posting photos until the last broadcast was airing, or spoil the results for those further west. I didn’t see anyone doing the former, especially since audience members were offering digital congratulations during the awards.

Another piece of controversy arose when the award for Best Comedy Series was given in the off-air pre-show. Taken by Less Than Kind, the award was given out to an almost empty theatre, while the attendees snagged one last cocktail before the live broadcast. A compromise was made when a pre-taped segment of the Less Than Kind winners on stage was spliced into the broadcast (the same with Brian Williams who won for Best Sports Host).

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LTK showrunner Mark McKinney had positive words down in the press room. “I don’t hold it against the Academy, as they’ve done a lot of things right and done their job for year one. But next year, they won’t get away with the same thing.”

Despite the controversy, attendees of the awards were in high spirits. The red carpet was bustling with celebs and a wild scrum of photographers before the event. The post-show cocktail party was so popular that it continued until staff from the Sony Centre hustled everybody out to the after-party several blocks away.

The audience engaged with Martin Short, and the spirit of camaraderie was evident in the theatre as well as the press room where not only winners appeared, but nominees and attendees also showed up to hobnob with the media vultures and test out the press room food.

Martin Short proved not only to be a nominee and talented comedian but a true entertainer as well, when he busted out a song I’ve dubbed “Marty’s Night” about his chances at winning an award. When he lost in both categories, he kept his good humour, maintaining that his “rock bottom is everyone else’s dream.” Short wasn’t afraid to press a few buttons, poking fun at Cheryl Hickey’s pregnant “ice cream” belly, and critiquing the Housewives’ collective intelligence level. He also brought back some beloved characters from the past.

FatMartinShort_zps20d9b17aJiminy Glick (The Martin Short Show) joined Majumder during the red carpet broadcast, embodying Joan Rivers and bringing life to the pre-show. Some of the major presenters during the awards included Catherine O’Hara (SCTV), Adam Beach (Arctic Air), Kristin Lehman (Motive), Allan Hawco (Republic of Doyle), Allan Thicke (Growing Pains), Sarah Canning (Primeval: New World), Rick Mercer (Rick Mercer Report), Meg Tilley (Bomb Girls), Jody, Ronnie and Mary (The Real Housewives of Vancouver), Gerry Dee (Mr. D), Enrico Colantoni (Flashpoint) and many more.

The last award of the night was given out for Best Dramatic TV Series. Unsurprisingly the final award went to the team from Flashpoint, making them the big winners. This was undeniably a big honor after wrapping their fifth and final season by their own choosing. The series finale aired in December last year.

Flashpoint also took home awards for acting, writing, and the team was honoured for their achievements in television at the industry gala on Thursday night.

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The Five Best Things About the Canadian Screen Awards:

  1. Martin Short as a bagpipe.
  2. A professional, multi-camera broadcast with an elegant stage, celebrating Canadian achievements.
  3. The sheer volume of media interested in covering this event.
  4. The mini roast beef amuse-bouches served after the awards.
  5. Seeing a theatre filled with diverse Canadian talent, excited to celebrate each other and themselves.

The Top Five “Opportunities” for Improving the Canadian Screen Awards:

  1. One live broadcast, country wide (no spoilers!).
  2. A better balance between Film and TV at the Main Event.
  3. Better media information, press packages, and subtitles on the press room feed during the awards.
  4. A longer live broadcast, or at least some wiggle room at the end for overages. If the Oscars can close in on 4 hours we can at least manage 2 and a half.
  5. PICK A DAMN NICKNAME! Tell the press and market it or they’re going to end up being called The Pointies or similar.

And just for good measure, here’s my buddy Strombo looking steeped (yep, I’m bringing it back!):

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What were your favorite moments? What would you change? 

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Ice, Sweat and Tears – A Filmmaker Interview

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Photo of Aaron Hancox (Co-producer) and Judy Holm (Executive Producer) at the Canadian Screen Awards

(Photo by Derek Langer)

 Ice, Sweat and Tears, an hour-long figure skating documentary, is set to air on Thursday, March 7 on CBC’s Doc Zone. The film investigates the dedication, stamina and training that it takes to compete as a figure skater on the world stage, and serves as an introduction to the fiercely competitive and highly athletic world of figure skating.

Ice, Sweat and Tears takes a close look into the journeys of ice dance champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, the young pairs team Paige Lawrence and Rudi Swiegers, and the well known men’s competitor Patrick Chan, among others, with insights from seasoned veterans who’ve retired from the competitive scene, Kurt Browning and Elvis Stojko.

Spouses, family, and fans of other sports often misunderstand the world of the figure skating “super fan” and misjudge the complex sport of figure skating. Where hockey is a team effort with easily definable points, figure skating is intense athleticism hiding demurely under carefully chosen costuming. It is a solo effort with a complicated scoring system, where one athlete spends time in the spotlight performing. Ice, Sweat and Tears opens up the world of the super fan, enlightening others as to why they may hold their breath for 4 minutes and 30 seconds until the artistic performance is completed. The film gets people to understand the relational and personal nature of figure skating, and serves as a great intro to the sport for those who may not quite “get it”.

I had a chance to talk to husband and wife filmmaking team Michael McNamara (not pictured) and Judy Holm about making Ice, Sweat and Tears.

RL: What got you interested in Figure Skating in the first place?

JH: I’m a big fan – I have been for a long long time.

MM: And I live with a big fan.

JH: I would call Michael in to watch specific things, since I came from a dance background; I get really excited and totally “get” it when they do something spectacular.

RL: What was the most surprising thing you learned about skating through the course of the documentary?

MM: I really didn’t realize the level of athleticism that was involved – the speed and stamina that is required of these athletes.  As soon as I realized this, that became the goal, to get the viewers a little closer to the action. When you’re watching on TV you can’t tell how fast these kids are moving.

JH: I don’t think that I really really really understood the depth of the danger that accompanies this sport.

MM: We were able to strap cameras to their arms, chests and skates to give their point of view. A whole different perspective.

RL: How would you say that Canada’s teams and program differ from other world teams.

JH: Canada has always been up there in the top competitors ever since we started. There’s always been a Canadian skater from one or two of the disciplines [singles, pairs, ice dancers] at the top. The interesting thing that is happening lately is the expansion of the disciplines that we’re at the top in.

When Tessa and Scott won at the Olympics it was the first time a North American team had won ice dance – it’s been a category dominated primarily by the Russian teams. It’s a bit more global now as they’re trained by a former soviet star: less political blocks and more global.

RL: What sort of sense did you get from the “retired” skaters?

JH: Kurt Browning and Elvis Stojko are two guys who were fascinated by athleticism and speed. They were just guys out there. Kurt continues to skate with his shows. Elvis is an adrenaline junkie doing go-cart racing.

Competitively skating is a sport that has a limited life span. You’re not doing it by your mid 30s; amateur competition even more so. I’m sure there are all kinds of stories, good, bad, and in the middle. When you’re a champion, that  continues to be a part of you even after you’re done.

RL: What was the biggest challenge in making this documentary?

JH: Remembering to bring our long underwear.

MM: Even in the summer!

MM: I’d say maybe getting the skaters used to our presence. We wanted to be flies on the wall, to capture real honest responses. We were a small team, a small crew. They’re used to cameras but usually the scrutiny begins and ends at the competition. We had to gain their trust, and I think we did.

JH: It’s a fine balance between getting enough film, because they’re distracted and focused on their season. We worked a lot with Skate Canada and did a lot of planning with Barb McDonald to get everything we needed without taking away from the skaters’ focus.

RL: How do you feel this documentary will affect the Canadian public?

JH: I think they’re gonna love it!

Doc Zone and CBC have positioned it so it’s a lead-up to the Worlds. CBC has worked very well with Skate Canada.  We’ve got some preview clips to be shown at the lead-up events.

MM: People who are skating fans can be quite obsessive; they’re a different breed than other fans. When a skater is on the ice, they’re all alone. It’s a very different kind of sport than any other sport. It’s an enormous pressure. The super fans feel very invested in the athletes, like they have a relationship and it’s reciprocal. We hope the super fans will take something away from it, and for people who don’t know anything about it at all that it will make an impact.

JH: I want to convert [more fans]!

 RL: What is your next project, if you have one in the works?

 MM: We have a couple dramas in development at the moment as well as a BravoFACT project – Incident at Lesion Fields that we are co-directing starring Mary Walsh ,Tommy Lee Williams, and Janet Burker.

Thank you Mike and Judy for taking the time to talk to me about Ice, Sweat and Tears.

Ice, Sweat and Tears airs on CBC Television’s Doc Zone Thursday, March 7, 2013 at 9pm (9:30 NT) and repeats Saturday, March 9 at 11pm ET/PT on CBC News Network.

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