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Join Rick Mercer to say goodbye to 2020 with CBC’s New Year’s Eve special

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From a media release:

This New Year’s Eve, join CBC and Rick Mercer to (finally) ring in 2021 with a national celebration that Canadians can enjoy from home. CANADA’S NEW YEAR’S EVE – A COUNTDOWN TO 2021 will broadcast on CBC TV and the free CBC Gem streaming service on Thursday, December 31 at 11 p.m. in every time zone. 

Hosted by Rick Mercer, the all-Canadian lineup includes performances by multi-platinum recording artist Tyler Shaw joined by Simone Denny; alt-pop duo Neon Dreams from Halifax, NS; folk singer-songwriter William Prince from Winnipeg, MB; Alan Doyle and friends from around Newfoundland and Labrador; folk/rock group The Jerry Cans and special guests from Iqaluit, NU; pop icon Lights and producer Felix Cartal performing together in Vancouver, BC; country star Brett Kissel from Flat Lake, AB; hip-hop/electro trio Random Recipe from Montreal, QC; and the Maritime Bhangra Dancers from Halifax, NS.

The annual special will also include a look into some of the intimate celebrations Canadian families are having across the country this year.

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Baroness von Sketch Show, Coroner, Featured, Frankie Drake Mysteries, Industry News, Kim's Convenience, Murdoch Mysteries, This Hour Has 22 Minutes

CBC Announces Winter 2021 Premiere Dates

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From a media release:

CBC today announced broadcast and streaming premiere dates for its winter 2021 slate of original programming, including over 20 new and returning Canadian series reflecting a diverse range of storytelling and perspectives. The new winter primetime schedule launches Monday, January 4 on CBC TV and the free CBC Gem streaming service.

MONDAYS:
Mystery Mondays return on January 4 with new seasons of hit detective series MURDOCH MYSTERIES (Season 14) and FRANKIE DRAKE MYSTERIES (Season 4).

New weeknight primetime program CANADA TONIGHT WITH GINELLA MASSA launches Monday, January 11 at 8 p.m. on CBC News Network.

TUESDAYS:
CBC’s Tuesday night comedy lineup continues on January 5 with new episodes of THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES and BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW The Final Season: Bonus Episodes, featuring never-before-aired sketches, followed by irreverent new series HUMOUR RESOURCES, starring Jon Dore and featuring comedians including Sarah Silverman, Aisha Brown, Tom Green, Scott Thompson and Ronny Chieng.

KIM’S CONVENIENCE returns with Season 5 beginning January 19.

New seasons of WORKIN’ MOMS (Season 5) and TALLBOYZ (Season 2) debut on February 16.

WEDNESDAYS:
British drama QUIZ, based on the true story of a former British army major who was caught cheating on the game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? and starring Matthew Macfadyen (Succession), premieres January 13.

Season 3 of procedural crime drama CORONER starring Serinda Swan, followed by new buddy-cop drama series PRETTY HARD CASES (formerly Lady Dicks), starring Meredith MacNeill (Baroness von Sketch Show) and Adrienne C. Moore (Orange Is The New Black), premiere February 3.

THURSDAYS:
documentary Channel originals Fear of Dancing, Clydesdale: Saving the Greatest Horse and The Oslo Diaries premiere on CBC TV, January 7 through 21.

Beginning January 28, legal drama BURDEN OF TRUTH starring Kristin Kreuk returns with Season 4, and THE FIFTH ESTATE continues on a new night.

FRIDAYS:
MARKETPLACE continues on January 8, featuring an ongoing series, “Face Racism,” hosted by Asha Tomlinson, which follows people in search of justice in their communities, the marketplace and the workplace, often bringing them face-to-face with company executives and government officials.

The landmark 60th season of THE NATURE OF THINGS returns on January 8 with an ambitious archeological dig that peels away myths surrounding the last queen of Egypt in SEARCHING FOR CLEOPATRA, and the following week, a special five-part series, WILD CANADIAN WEATHER, showcasing a cinematic journey through Canada’s most extreme and spectacular weather.

New docuseries ANYONE’S GAME (formerly Orangeville Prep), offering an inside look at the competitive, high-pressure world of basketball’s most successful preparatory program at The Athlete Institute in Orangeville, Ontario, launches on January 15, with all episodes available that day to stream on CBC Gem.

New family-friendly series ARCTIC VETS, offering an up-close look at the wildlife that inhabits Canada’s north and the veterinarians at the Assiniboine Park Conservancy who work tirelessly to keep them safe, premieres February 26.

SUNDAYS:
Audience favourite HEARTLAND returns with a new season on January 10, followed by a four-week special event featuring back-to-back episodes of BBC’s acclaimed LES MISÉRABLES dramatic miniseries, starring Dominic West, David Oyelowo, Lily Collins and Olivia Colman.

Starting on Valentine’s Day, February 14, Season 4 of THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW welcomes a new batch of amateur bakers and two new hosts, Second City alumni Alan Shane Lewis and Ann Pornel, followed by the exclusive Canadian premiere of BELGRAVIA, highlighted in Vanity Fair’s Five New Juicy Costume Dramas to Add Glamour to Your Quarantine, centering on secrets and scandals amongst the upper echelon of London society in the 19th century.

CBC KIDS:
CBC Kids’ refreshed weekday lineup begins Monday, January 4 with new seasons of PJ MASKS, KIRI AND LOU, and TRUE AND THE RAINBOW KINGDOM. New CBC Kids and Radio-Canada original preschool animated series DINO RANCH, produced in partnership with Disney, premieres on Saturday, January 16, featuring the adventures of the Cassidy family as they tackle life in a fantastical, “pre-westoric” setting where dinosaurs still roam. CBC Kids original tween sci-fi drama ENDLINGS, produced in partnership with Hulu, returns for a second season, launching on CBC Gem Friday, January 15, with episodes released weekly.

SUNDAYS

7 PM – HEARTLAND Season 14 (10×60) premieres January 10

8 PM – LES MISÉRABLES (8×60) the BBC miniseries premieres January 10 with back-to-back episodes

8 PM – THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW Season 4 (8×60) premieres February 14

9 PM – BELGRAVIA (6×60) Julian Fellowes’ historical drama premieres February 14

10 PM – THE NATIONAL CBC News’ flagship program continues Sunday to Friday each week

MONDAYS

7 PM – CORONATION STREET continues weekdays at 7 p.m., Fridays at 7:30 p.m.

7:30 PM – FAMILY FEUD CANADA Season 2 (104×30) continues Mondays to Thursdays

8 PM – MURDOCH MYSTERIES Season 14 (11×60) begins January 4

9 PM – FRANKIE DRAKE MYSTERIES Season 4 (10×60) begins January 4

TUESDAYS

7 PM – CORONATION STREET continues weekdays at 7 p.m., Fridays at 7:30 p.m.

7:30 PM – FAMILY FEUD CANADA Season 2 (104×30) continues Mondays to Thursdays

8 PM – KIM’S CONVENIENCE Season 5 (13×30) premieres January 19

8:30 PM – THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES Season 28 (19×30) continues January 5

9 PM – BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW (5×30) The Final Season: Bonus Episodes featuring never-before-aired sketches premiere January 5

9 PM – WORKIN’ MOMS Season 5 (10×30) premieres February 16

9:30 PM – HUMOUR RESOURCES (6×30) a new irreverent comedy premieres January 5

9:30 PM – TALLBOYZ Season 2 (8×30) premieres February 16

WEDNESDAYS

7 PM – CORONATION STREET continues weekdays at 7 p.m., Fridays at 7:30 p.m.

7:30 PM – FAMILY FEUD CANADA Season 2 (104×30) Mondays to Thursdays

8 PM – CORONER Season 3 (10×60) premieres February 3

9 PM – QUIZ (3×60) the British drama starring Matthew Macfadyen (Succession) premieres January 13

9 PM – PRETTY HARD CASES (formerly Lady Dicks, 10×60) a new female-driven buddy-cop series premieres February 3

THURSDAYS

7 PM – CORONATION STREET continues weekdays at 7 p.m., Fridays at 7:30 p.m.

7:30 PM – FAMILY FEUD CANADA Season 2 (104×30) Mondays to Thursdays

8 PM – documentary Channel originals Fear of Dancing, Clydesdale: Saving the Greatest Horse and The Oslo Diaries premiere January 7 through 21

8 PM – BURDEN OF TRUTH Season 4 (8×60) premieres on January 28

9 PM – THE FIFTH ESTATE Season 46 (7×60) continues January 28 on a new night

FRIDAYS

7 PM – CORONATION STREET continues weekdays at 7 p.m., Fridays at 7:30 p.m.

7:30 PM – CORONATION STREET continues weekdays at 7 p.m., Fridays at 7:30 p.m.

8 PM – MARKETPLACE Season 48 (22×30) continues January 8

8:30 PM – ANYONE’S GAME (formerly Orangeville Prep, 6×30) a new factual series about basketball’s most successful preparatory program premieres January 15

8:30 PM – ARCTIC VETS (10×30) a new factual series featuring the wildlife of Canada’s north premieres February 26

9 PM – THE NATURE OF THINGS Season 60 (13×60) continues with an ambitious archeological dig in SEARCHING FOR CLEOPATRA on January 8

SATURDAYS

Afternoon – ROAD TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES Season 6 continues

6:30 PM – HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA begins January 16

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Industry News

New West Coast production company Tyson Media hires Head of Development and announces national call for submissions

From a media release:

Tyson Hepburn, well known for his work in producing and directing Canadian original, unscripted series, has launched a new production company in Vancouver. The company will focus on the development and production of factual, unscripted content and has announced that Holly Brace-Lavoie has joined as Head of Development.

Currently working on ramping up their development slate, Tyson is seeking unique, new unscripted series ideas through the company’s call for submissions that will close on January 15th. People coast-to-coast with an interesting new concept for an unscripted TV series can pitch the Tyson Media team online at tysonmedia.ca. The winning entry will receive $10,000 in resources and support from the Tyson Media team to develop their idea further.

“When I first started out in the entertainment industry, I was lucky enough to partner up with really great people who helped me develop ideas into successful TV series. Now is my chance to give that opportunity to someone else,” says Tyson Hepburn, Founder and Executive Producer, Tyson Media. “We are looking for fresh, exciting new ideas from across the country. We’ll provide years of industry experience and financial support in helping to further develop the winning entries.”

Tyson Media is currently in development on two new projects. They are developing an 8-part series about the Regional Animal Protection Society (RAPS) in Richmond, BC, and are in development on an occupational-series about the new gold rush in the Caribou Gold Fields and the scrappy characters staking a claim there.

“We’re focused on developing character-driven series in both the occupational and lifestyle spaces. We want to make shows that capture a viewership and keep growing with them,” says Holly Brace-Lavoie, Head of Development, Tyson Media. “Tyson is a bit of a legend in the Canadian factual landscape. I’m thrilled to be joining him on this new adventure.”

Tyson Hepburn is Co-Creator and Executive Producer of several successful docu-series including global phenomenon Rust Valley Restorers (Netflix International and HISTORY), as well as The Dog Dudes (Amazon Prime, Apple Plus). He began his career selling projects to established production companies, beginning with Pyros (Omnifilm Entertainment) and Jacked (Pixcom) before partnering with academy award winning producer David Paperny on the successful Discovery Channel hit series Cold Water Cowboys.

Holly Brace-Lavoie began a career in factual television at Montreal-based CMJ Productions, where she developed over 10 greenlit series. She then moved to Pixcom as Director of Development leading the company’s international creative team. She created and directed the comedic web-series The High Note and recently toured the festival circuit with her short film The Catch which premiered at the Berlinale.

For more information on the company and call for submissions, visit tysonmedia.ca.Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

Industry News

CBC and BET+ greenlight The Porter (working title), an original drama about railway workers in Canada

CBC, Canada’s public broadcaster, and BET+, the preeminent streaming service for the Black audience, are partnering on original series THE PORTER (working title, 8×60) from Inferno Pictures and Sienna Films, which has been greenlit for 2021/22. Originated and created by Arnold Pinnock (Altered Carbon, Travelers) and Bruce Ramsay (19-2, Cardinal), with Annmarie Morais (Killjoys, Ransom, American Soul), Marsha Greene (Private Eyes, Ten Days In The Valley, Mary Kills People) and Aubrey Nealon (Snowpiercer, Cardinal), THE PORTER is set in the roar of the 1920s and follows the journeys of four ambitious souls who hustle, dream, cross borders and confront barriers in the fight for liberation – on and off the railways that crossed North America. Morais and Greene are writers/showrunners on the eight-part series, with Charles Officer (21 Thunder, Ransom, Coroner) and R.T. Thorne (Blindspot, Utopia Falls) set to executive produce and direct. Pinnock and Ramsay are co-executive producers.

The first season, set primarily in Montreal, Chicago and Detroit as the world rebuilds after the First World War, depicts another battle as it ripples through the Black community in Little Burgundy, Montreal – known, at the time, as the “Harlem of the North.” For the American and Canadian men working as railway porters, it’s a fight for equity and dignity. For the women in their lives, facing sexism and colorism, it’s a movement to claim their independence and identity. They’re young, gifted and Black, in an era that boasts anything is possible, and if change isn’t coming for them, they will come for it. By any means necessary.

Inspired by real events, THE PORTER is a gripping story of empowerment and idealism that highlights the moment when railway workers from both Canada and the United States joined together to give birth to the world’s first Black union.

A CBC and BET+ original series, THE PORTER is originated and created by Arnold Pinnock and Bruce Ramsay, with Annmarie Morais, Marsha Greene and Aubrey Nealon, and produced by Winnipeg-based Inferno Pictures Inc. and Sphere Media’s Sienna Films. Morais and Greene are showrunners and executive producers. Charles Officer and R.T. Thorne will direct the series, and are executive producers. Pinnock and Ramsay are co-executive producers. The series is written by Morais, Greene, Andrew Burrows-Trotman, Priscilla White, Pinnock and Ramsay, with R.T. Thorne participating in the writers’ room. The series is funded with the support of the Canada Media Fund and Manitoba Film & Music, and is distributed internationally by Abacus Media Rights (AMR) and Sphere Distribution. AMR and Sienna Films brokered the partnership with BET+.
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Children's Programming, Industry News

marblemedia goes into production on the third season of All-Round Champion

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From a media release:

marblemedia, one of the world’s leading entertainment companies, announces today the continued growth of their unscripted division with the early green light and start of production on the third season of the widely successful ultimate sports competition series, All-Round Champion (11×60).

Off the back of delivering season 2 to BYUtv/TVOkids/Knowledge, the award-winning production company has been commissioned for a third season of the adrenaline-filled sports competition series that sees ten of the best teen athletes compete against each other in a range of sports other than their own speciality. Production is underway in Toronto and will continue through to late December with broadcast set for late 2021.

Leaders in creating original competition series content, marblemedia’s unscripted team has had great success with the critically acclaimed glass-blowing competition hit Blown Away on Netflix, the cinematic travelogue series Restaurants on the Edge on Netflix; and their upcoming sand sculpting challenge series, Race Against the Tide on CBC.

Returning as host for the third season is Canadian Olympian and World Champion Hurdler, Perdita Felicien. This latest season will feature guest appearances from 4-time MLS Champion and 2011 League MVP, Dwayne De Rosario and the foremost doubles players in tennis history and Olympic Champion, Daniel Nestor.

A total of 10 sport stars will coach and encourage this season’s cohort of teen athletes as they overcome challenges and conquer their fears in sports including Track Cycling, Gymnastics, Inline Skating, Soccer, Tennis, Trampoline, Pole Vault, Competitive Dance, Sport Climbing, and Boxing.

The concept for All-Round Champion was originally conceived from Norwegian public broadcaster NRK’s International Emmy® Kids award-winning series, Best I Mest before marblemedia was granted formal rights to create a North American version from Beta Film.

Executive Producers for the series include Matt Hornburg, Mark J.W. Bishop, Steve Sloan, and Co-Executive Producer Donna Luke (marblemedia); Executive Producers for BYU Michael Dunn, Andra Johnson Duke, Melissa Puente and Jim Bell; and Executive Producer for TVO Marney Malabar.Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail