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Amazon Prime Video and Left Bank Pictures begin production on the scripted Canadian Amazon original drama series Three Pines

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From a media release:

Amazon Prime Video and Left Bank Pictures today announced the start of production on the Canadian Amazon Original drama series, and second original scripted series, Three Pines. Filming in Montreal and rural Quebec, the series stars Alfred Molina and is based on Canadian author Louise Penny’s New York Times- and Globe and Mail-best-selling Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels. The eight, one hour episode drama will film from August to December and launch exclusively on Prime Video in Canada, U.S., UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Greenland. Sony Pictures Television will handle all other international sales.

The series follows Chief Inspector Armand Gamache (Alfred Molina) of the Sûreté du Québec, a man who sees things that others do not: the light between the cracks, the mythic in the mundane, and the evil in the seemingly ordinary. As he investigates a spate of murders in Three Pines, a seemingly idyllic village, he discovers long-buried secrets and faces a few of his own ghosts. Additional cast members include Rossif Sutherland, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Tantoo Cardinal, Clare Coulter, Sarah Booth, Anna Tierney, Julian Bailey, Frédéric-Antoine Guimond, Pierre Simpson, Tamara Brown, Marie-France Lambert, Frank Schorpion, Marcel Jeannin, Georgina Lynn Lightning, Crystle Lightning, Isabel Deroy-Olson, and Anna Lambe.

Louise Penny’s highly acclaimed, best-selling mystery series has won the CWA New Blood Dagger award, as well as multiple Agatha, Anthony, Dilys, and Arthur Ellis awards. In 2021, a reader survey conducted by The Washington Post ranked Chief Inspector Armand Gamache the most beloved fictional detective, beating out such characters as Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot.

Three Pines comes from Amazon Studios and is produced by Left Bank Pictures, the Sony Pictures Television-owned production company behind The Crown, with Canadian production company Muse Entertainment providing production services. The series is executive produced by Andy Harries, Sharon Hughff, and John Phillips for Left Bank Pictures. Additionally, Sam Donovan, Emilia di Girolamo, and Alfred Molina serve as executive producers. The series is written by Emilia di Girolamo, who adapts the novels as lead writer, and Catherine Tregenna will pen two additional episodes. Directors on the series are Sam Donovan, serving as lead director, Mohawk director Tracey Deer, and Daniel Grou. John Griffin will series produce. Tracey Deer also serves as Indigenous consultant, alongside Katsitsionni Melissa Fox. IllumiNative will also consult on the series.

The series is part of Prime Video’s continued investment in Canada, following the revival of the sketch comedy The Kids in the Hall, docuseries All or Nothing: Toronto Maple Leafs, comedy-variety series LOL: Last One Laughing Canada, scripted comedy The Lake, and special Rupi Kaur Live. Since 2015, Amazon Studios has filmed 24 Amazon Original series and films in Canada, including The Man in the High Castle and Upload in Vancouver, The Boys and The Expanse in Toronto, Tales from the Loop in Winnipeg, as well as parts of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and The Voyeurs in Montreal.

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Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary, Tribal, Trickster

APTN announces fall 2021 lineup

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From a media release:

This fall, APTN is bringing the heat with new and returning shows that celebrate the many sides of Indigenous lives. From Indigenous change makers and visionaries, to the rustic kitchens of global Indigenous chefs, to survivalists, supernatural encounters and the raw drama of daily life, APTN is here to deliver straight-up Indigenous excellence. You’re going to laugh, you’re going to cry, and you’re going to get hungry, so bust out the napkins and get ready to eat!

APTN continues to be committed to showcasing Indigenous languages and cultures while providing engaging educational content for television viewers. For those who consume programming online, the network’s growing Indigenous-focused streaming service, APTN lumi, will have lots of new binge-worthy content.

The new season will roll out on APTN from September to January and will include the following programs.

Mouthwatering entertainment

Every Tuesday night, tune in for a mouth-watering celebration of food. Learn about Indigenous cuisine on the fan favourite series, Moosemeat & Marmalade and on brand-new programs:

New: Wild Game – Season 1 (Premieres Sept. 7, 2021)
Chef Rich Francis is an advocate for decolonizing food and has one goal in life: to reinvent Indigenous cuisine. Rich visits First Nations across Canada to hunt and gather only the best ingredients nature has to offer. The result: imaginative, improvised, Indigenous cooking that combines traditional practices with modern methods, with the most creative and tasty results.

New: On Country Kitchen – Season 1 (Premieres Sept. 7, 2021)
Comic Derek Nannup and one-of a-kind Indigenous Chef Mark, tour around the beautiful South-West of Western Australia, seeking out some of the best local produce in the world, and meeting some characters along the way.

New: Easy Eats – Season 1 (Premieres Sept. 7, 2021)
A unique culinary experience featuring presenter, Hera Te Kurapa, as she creates a rustic, but delicious fine dining menu filled with mouth-watering dishes.

Thrilling docuseries

Returning: Skindigenous – Season 3 (Premieres Sept. 15, 2021)
Profiling some of the most talented Indigenous tattoo artists in the world, this season highlights more Canadian artists than ever before. The adventure once again takes us deep into various Indigenous communities from around the world using the art of tattoo as a lens.

New: Michif Country – Season 1 (Premieres Sept. 12, 2021)
This documentary series explores the unique landscape, culture and language of the Michif community of Saint Laurent, Man. In this series, Indigenous celebrities embark on traditional hunting, trapping and fishing expeditions with the locals. The result is a comedic, exhilarating and inspiring exchange of culture and knowledge. ​

New: Life Below Zero: Canada – Season 1 (Premieres Oct. 31, 2021)
From long, dark, frozen winters to sweltering, bug-infested summers, Life Below Zero: Canada captures the day-to-day trials of people living in unforgiving environments. Follow the cast as they survive in the coldest and most remote regions of Northern Canada.

French-language content

Returning: Sans Réserve – Season 3 (French Premiere Sept. 6, 2021)
In a cozy and conducive atmosphere, the host Charles Bender welcomes the secrets of his guests with warmth and concern. This French-language series lifts the veil on Indigenous and non-Indigenous personalities who have a profound social, political and cultural impact.

Exploring the supernatural

Returning: Spirit Talker – Season 2 (Premieres Sept. 15, 2021)
Follow Mi’kmaq medium Shawn Leonard as he travels from coast to coast using his psychic abilities to connect the living with the dead and bring hope, healing, and closure to Indigenous communities.

New: Trickster – Season 1 (Premieres Sept. 16, 2021)
Showcasing a vast amount of Indigenous talent, the show follows Jared who is a teenager in the town of Kitimat, B.C. Like his mom and dad, Jared uses drugs and alcohol to escape the daily grind of poverty, violence and abuse. Jared starts seeing weird things like talking ravens, doppelgängers and monsters. To his relief, and terror, he isn’t crazy: he’s inherited magical abilities from his mom and someone he didn’t know existed: his biological dad.

Returning: Red Earth Uncovered – Season 3 (Premieres Sept. 15, 2021)
Tom Jackson and Shayla Stonechild lead the investigation of archaeological discoveries and ancient myths to uncover how Indigenous Peoples may have played a role in historical events and legends.

Returning: The Other Side – Season 7 (Premieres Oct. 28, 2021)
Follow the talented trio helping spirits and their loved ones find peace under the guidance of an Indigenous Elder. Opening the door to the spirit world can have unexpected results. That’s why the team of The Other Side approach every investigation with respect. Intuitive Jeff Richards, researcher Erin Goodpipe and Spirit Guide Tom Charles know that they won’t escape unchanged – and neither will viewers. This year features an episode inside APTN’s head office in Winnipeg.

Big drama

New: Unsettled – Season 1 (Premieres Sept. 10, 2021)
When urban Indigenous power couple Darryl and Rayna Keetch uproot their family and abandon their affluent life in Toronto and move home to the rez, everything they’ve worked for is compromised, including their marriage.

Returning: Tribal – Season 2 (Premieres Oct. 21, 2021)
Tribal returns where interim Tribal Chief Samantha Woodburn (Jessica Matten) attempts to overcome political red tape and must also prove herself amongst the old-white-boys club of the Metro Police. She navigates politics and procedure as she clashes with her partner, Chuck “Buke” Bukansky (Brian Markinson), a seasoned but broken-down Metro Police detective.

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Industry News

BIPOC TV & FILM launch new Showrunner Training Bootcamp

From a media release:

BIPOC TV & FILM announces the launch of its first Showrunner Training Bootcamp, a workshop intensive for mid-to upper level Canadian writers and content creators. Led by writer and executive producer Anthony Q. Farrell, the bootcamp will include special guest instructors and panellists from the U.S. and Canada. The programme, co-designed by writer and producer, Jinder Oujla-Chalmers with support from BIPOC TV & FILM, will train up to 50 Canadian BIPOC writers on best practices in managing and staffing their writing rooms, managing production and post-production schedules, and managing relationships with stakeholders, including production companies and broadcasters. Participants will also be invited to observe Farrell showrun during one of his upcoming TV series writing rooms. The bootcamp will be open to writers who are Black, Indigenous or People of Colour who have or have had a TV or web series in development with a Canadian broadcaster or production company, a minimum of Co-Producer credit on a Canadian TV or web series, or a story editor credit on an animated series. Applications are currently being accepted through to September 19, 2021.

“A nice thing about the Canadian Entertainment industry right now is that more doors are opening for BIPOC creators. It’s a beautiful thing. What I’m noticing though, is that many of those creators are being thrown into showrunning without any real preparation or support,” said writer and showrunner Anthony Q. Farrell, lead facilitator of the bootcamp. “The goal of this program is to get mid and upper-level writers ready for the jump to showrunning, demystify elements of the role that are new to them, and to inspire them to take creative control of their series. We’ll go through the nuts and bolts of the job so they’re mostly ready for the opportunity if and when it arises.”

A 2021 report from the Writers Guild of Canada revealed that writers from marginalized and underrepresented communities were least likely to occupy leadership roles or senior credits on Canadian TV series. This disparity impacts compensation, hiring practices, and content.

“There are a growing number of excellent training programs geared for entry level BIPOC creatives, however none are focused on levelling up experienced writers,” says Kadon Douglas, Executive Director of BIPOC TV & FILM. “We are not only entry-level or emerging. We are also mid to senior level creatives who are ready to take the lead. Through this BIPOC TV & Film Showrunner Training Bootcamp, we are equipping our community with the knowledge and business acumen to hold their own and revolutionize Canadian content . Knowledge is power; an investment in career advancement for mid to senior level BIPOC creatives is key to transforming and modernizing the industry.”

“It was a painful experience creating my own television series, being given a greenlight, only to have the ‘showrunning’ position go to someone else. I’ve found throughout my writing journey no one ever talks about what the showrunners task really is. Like it’s a big secret that nobody is willing to reveal,” said writer and executive producer Jinder Oujla-Chalmers, co-designer of the boot camp curriculum. “The truth is, I believe anybody who creates their own show should be given the opportunity to see their vision through. Anthony and I created this showrunner program to give people the opportunity to hear from the experts so that they can learn and expand their knowledge of what it takes, and not be afraid to run their own shows.”

ABOUT ANTHONY Q. FARRELL
Anthony Q. Farrell is the Showrunner and Executive Producer of the sci-fi primetime comedy Overlord & The Underwoods. He has served as the showrunner for The Parker Andersons, Amelia Parker, and the BAFTA-winning CBBC series Secret Life of Boys, which he also created. In the past, he has written for NBC’s The Office, Canada’s international hit Little Mosque On The Prairie, and Nickelodeon’s The Thundermans. He is in active development on several other shows that he hopes to share in the near future. He lives in Toronto with his amazing family.

ABOUT JINDER OUJLA-CHALMERS
Jinder Oujla-Chalmers of Inner Vision Productions Inc. is an award-winning writer, producer, director and facilitator. For over 30 years, she has worked on diversity issues and was instrumental in the creation of the Writers’ Guild of Canada’s (WGC) Bell Media Screenwriters Diversity and the Bell Media Diverse Producers programs. Jinder was a founding board member of the Asian Heritage Film Society in Vancouver B.C. and is the former vice-president of the Female Eye Film Festival. She has also designed curricula and facilitated film and television writing programmes Kingston University (London, UK) and the British Columbia Institute of Technology’s school of journalism. The WGC Sondra Kelly Award-winner currently sits on the City of Toronto’s film, television and digital media board and on the WGC diversity committee.

ABOUT BIPOC TV & FILM
BIPOC TV & FILM is a national grassroots nonprofit organization advocating for racial equity and inclusion in Canada’s screen media industry. BIPOC TV & FILM provides career training, mentorship, job access and wellness support to creative professionals who are Black, Indigenous and/or Persons of Colour; and works in solidarity with its community and industry stakeholders to address and eliminate barriers to career entry and advancement. Through its HireBIPOC initiative, BIPOC TV & FILM provides direct access to above and below-the-line crew and content creators for hire. Launched in October 2020, HireBIPOC now hosts over 7,000 members and over 200 crew positions.

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Industry News

Production begins on the new Crave original series Pillow Talk

From a media release:

Crave, in association with KOTV Productions, announced today that production has begun in Montréal on the 10-part Crave Original series, PILLOW TALK. PILLOW TALK is an adaptation of Noovo’s hit French-language series ENTRE DEUX DRAPS, which is currently available on Crave.

Additionally, KOTV and Crave revealed today the full cast which consists of four, real-life couples who play fictionalized versions of themselves:

  • Nicola Correia-Damude (SHADOWHUNTERS, BURDEN OF PROOF) and Carlos Gonzalez-Vio (THE EXPANSE, ORPHAN BLACK);
  • Adam DiMarco (THE ORDER, THE MAGICIANS) and Sydney Scotia (LIMITED EDITION, REBOOT: THE GUARDIAN CODE);
  • Andrew Wheeler (SUPERNATURAL, Best in Show) and Sharon Crandall (The Kid Detective, Welcome to Marwen); and
  • Paolo Santalucia (KIM’S CONVENIENCE) and Gregory Prest (Angels in America).
  • Additional cast members who play a set of roommates include Chris Robinson (WORKIN’ MOMS, Odd Squad) and Kwasi Thomas (SNOWPIERCER, Altered Carbon).

PILLOW TALK is a 10-part comedy that takes place entirely in bedrooms. The series revolves around four couples, and one set of roommates, of varying ages and backgrounds. With a realistic tone, the dramatic comedy explores in a raw and unexpected way the drama and hilarity experienced by couples in the intimacy of the bedroom.

After a successful first season where it was one of the Top 10 performing series on Noovo, ENTRE DEUX DRAPS was renewed for a second season which premieres on Wednesday, Sept. 15 on Noovo and Noovo.ca.

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Industry News

Corus expands Canada’s #1 entertainment show with greenlight for ET Canada Weekend

From a media release:

Entertainment Tonight Canada, Canada’s #1 entertainment news series*, is expanding with the newly greenlit hour-long weekend edition of the show, ET Canada Weekend hosted by Sangita Patel. Airing Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. on Global, ET Canada Weekend premieres September 18th delivering in-depth celebrity interviews and exclusive features, while bringing Canadian audiences the biggest news stories of the week. The show will also stream live and on demand with the STACKTV or the Global TV App, in addition to full episodes of the weekday edition of ET Canada.

Since joining ET Canada in 2014, Sangita has been delivering entertainment news and travelling the globe to interview the biggest stars in Hollywood, including Julia Roberts, Dwayne Johnson, Viola Davis, George Clooney, Helen Mirren, and more. In 2019, Sangita was named as the face of COVERGIRL’s Simply Ageless Collection, and continues to serve as Canada’s COVERGIRL ambassador. Dedicated to utilizing her national platform to shine a light on organizations close to her heart, she is a supporter of Pathways to Education, Children’s Wish and ONE Campaign. Most recently, Sangita spearheaded ET Canada’s HELP INDIA broadcast special when India was battling the nation’s worst COVID-19 crisis, bringing together some of the biggest names in entertainment to help raise over $135,000 for the Humanitarian Coalition’s emergency response efforts.

Sangita Patel has been upped to host ET Canada Weekend, while continuing to serve as entertainment reporter for ET Canada weeknights on Global. More details regarding the premiere of ET Canada Weekend coming soon.

ET Canada Weekend also presents new opportunities for brands to integrate with the nation’s top destination for entertainment news amongst women 25-54. From on-air to digital, ET Canada offers a full-service suite of innovative integration opportunities with an in-house creative hub, massive reach, top talent, industry-leading insights, and next generation data. For more information on brand integrations, contact tempo@corusent.com.

ET Canada will premiere its 17th season on Tuesday September 7, airing weeknights at 7:30 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT on Global, hosted by Cheryl Hickey.

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