Everything about Saving Hope, eh?

Blackstone, Dark Matter, Degrassi, Featured, Killjoys, Mr. D, Podcast, Saving Hope, Strange Empire, Sunnyside, X Company

TV, eh? podcast episode 184 – Full of Newsy Goodness

The team is at full strength and covering a lot of breaking news in the Canadian industry, including the cancellation and return of Degrassi, Martin Sheen joining the Anne of Green Gables TV-movie, Corus’ reboot of ReBoot and Season 1 and 2 of Blackstone heading to CBC for the summer.

Also discussed: Saving Hope gets a plum spot on CTV’s fall schedule, X Company and Strange Empire are available to binge-watch on Netflix Canada and Diane and Greg recap Rogers, Shaw and Bell Media’s fall schedules.

Want to contribute to the discussion? Post links and discussion topics on our Reddit page.

Listen or download below, or subscribe via iTunes or any other podcast catcher with the TV, eh? podcast feed.

Want to become a Patron of the Podcast? We’ve got a Patreon page where you can donate a small amount per podcast and get a sneak peek of each release.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Featured, Saving Hope, Spun Out

CTV’s unwavering support for Saving Hope, Spun Out’s future still uncertain

2 Comments

CTV is happy with Saving Hope. So much so when executives from Bell Media jetted to Los Angeles to purchase American acquisitions, the one untouchable timeslot was Thursdays at 9 p.m.

“We wanted to plant a flag that on the biggest night of the week in the home run timeslot of that night, Saving Hope is not only our choice but is going to compete for the No. 1 spot every week,” says Mike Cosentino, senior vice-president of programming for CTV Networks and CraveTV. “We think this is a great opportunity for Saving Hope.” The broadcast veteran notes there a big stories headed viewers’ way in Season 4, which began production on 18 episodes in and around Toronto.

Appearing in recurring roles are Kim Shaw (The Good Wife) as Dr. Cassie Williams, a book smart intern learning how to practice medicine, not just read about it; and Max Bennett (Anna Karenina) as Dr. Patrick Curtis, a surgical fellow who has been filling in during Alex’s mat leave. Travis Milne (Rookie Blue) appears in a four-episode arc. Repeats of Hope will air Saturdays at 10 p.m. on CTV.

CTV and CTV Two’s 2015-16 broadcast schedules were announced Thursday morning in Toronto, with the Erica Durance/Michael Shanks drama, newsmagazine W5, culinary competition MasterChef Canada and crime drama Motive all being part of the mix. Those last two join CTV’s midseason schedule.

Saturdays on CTV Two, meanwhile, boast old instalments of The Listener, Flashpoint and Motive, a move Cosentino says offers new viewers a chance to catch up on the crime trio.

One series absent from either schedule was the second season of Dave Foley’s sitcom, Spun Out. Plans to launch the laffer this past March after a high-profile return following the Super Bowl was scuttled when co-star J.P. Manoux was charged with voyeurism following an incident in the Toronto condo he rented during filming. The series remains in programming purgatory until the case is sorted out.

“We said it then and we’re still in the same place,” Cosentino says. “We’re holding off on our decision until we can get more information. As to whether it will make air or not is to be continued at the moment.”

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Featured, Masterchef Canada, Saving Hope

Saving Hope returns to CTV this fall

12 Comments

This morning, CTV was the last of the major Canadian networks to announce a 2015/16 schedule after the annual Hollywood buying spree.

CBC this fall has a predominantly Canadian lineup with some UK and Australian acquisitions, City has more Sunnyside plus CBC’s Mr. D crossing networks, and Global has … nothing. While  boasting “17 hours of simulcast, more than any other Canadian network,” CTV has made room in their fall schedule for a new season of Saving Hope in a plum Thursday 9 pm timeslot, as well as their Saturday stalwart newsmagazine W5 celebrating 50 years on air.

Continuing Canadian daytime shows include The Marilyn Denis Show and The Social, and CTV will host The 2016 Juno Awards as well.

MasterChef Canada and Motive will return midseason in 2016, making CTV the home to the most Cancon of the major private networks this coming year (thanks at least in part to their required benefits spending after the Astral acquisition).

Saturday on baby sister network CTV TWO is repurposed Cancon night, with reruns of The Listener, Flashpoint, Motive and W5.

Look for the full 2015/16 schedule announcement here.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Saving Hope

Season 4 of Saving Hope starts production

From a media release:

‒ Kim Shaw (THE GOOD WIFE) and Max Bennett (Anna Karenina) join the cast of the series, as Travis Milne (ROOKIE BLUE) joins in four-episode arc ‒
‒ Erica Durance returns to lead ensemble cast including Michael Shanks, Wendy Crewson, Michelle Nolden, Benjamin Ayres, Julia Taylor Ross, and Huse Madhavji ‒
‒ Jason Priestley, Michael Shanks, and Peter Stebbings are set to direct episodes this season ‒

CTV announced today in association with Ilana Frank’s ICF Films and Entertainment One (eOne), that production is set to begin Monday, June 1 on Season 4 of its hit original drama SAVING HOPE. The start of production announcement comes ahead of CTV’s 2015 Upfront presentation taking place June 4 in Toronto, where the 18-episode fourth season will shoot until December 2015. A finalist for a Golden Screen Award at the 2015 Canadian Screen Awards, SAVING HOPE stars Erica Durance as Dr. Alex Reid.

SAVING HOPE ranked in the Top 30 of Canada’s most-watched programs in key adult A18-49 and A25-54 demos last fall, and ended its third season in February as the #1 Canadian drama series in the key adult demos, as 1.7 million viewers watched the shocking Season 3 finale. All past episodes of SAVING HOPE are streaming now on CraveTV™.

SAVING HOPE’s emotional Season 3 finale saw life and death collide as Dr. Alex Reid (Erica Durance) became a new mom, delivering a healthy baby boy named Luke Reid. In a shocking turn of events, the episode culminated in a devastating accident at an off-site army base, which saw the death of one of Hope Zion’s own. Season 4 picks up nine months after the devastating accident, as the Hope Zion staff continue to deal with the aftermath of the death of their colleague and friend, Dr. Joel Goran. Alex (Durance) is back at work following maternity leave, trying to balance motherhood and a busy O.R. Meanwhile, Dr. Charlie Harris (Michael Shanks) continues to be haunted by his ghost-seeing abilities and the looming question of whether or not he is Baby Luke’s biological father.

Joining the cast this season in recurring roles are Kim Shaw (THE GOOD WIFE) as Dr. Cassie Williams, a book smart intern learning how to practice medicine, not just read about it, and Max Bennett (Anna Karenina) as Dr. Patrick Curtis, a surgical fellow who has been filling in during Alex’s mat leave. Travis Milne (ROOKIE BLUE) will also appear in a four-episode arc. Canadian Screen Award-winner Jason Priestley (CALL ME FITZ), series star Michael Shanks, and Peter Stebbings (THE LISTENER) return to direct episodes this season.

SAVING HOPE stars 2013 Canadian Screen Award nominee Erica Durance (SMALLVILLE), Michael Shanks (STARGATE ATLANTIS), 2013 Canadian Screen Award-winner Wendy Crewson (REVENGE), Michelle Nolden (REPUBLIC OF DOYLE), Benjamin Ayres (LESS THAN KIND), Julia Taylor Ross (ROOKIE BLUE), and Huse Madhavji (CALL ME FITZ).

SAVING HOPE is produced by ICF Films with eOne, in association with CTV, with the participation of the Canada Media Fund and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit. The series is executive produced by Ilana Frank, John Morayniss, and Margaret O’Brien for eOne. Adam Pettle is Executive Producer and Showrunner. All distribution rights are handled by eOne.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Continuum, Featured, Killjoys, Murdoch Mysteries, Orphan Black, Remedy, Rookie Blue, Saving Hope, Schitt's Creek, Strange Empire, Sunnyside, Vikings, X Company, Young Drunk Punk

Remedy showrunner urges support of Canadian TV

6 Comments

It was the news Remedy fans had been dreading. After two seasons, Global announced it was pulling the plug on its medical drama.

And while the show’s fans, cast and crew took to Twitter to vent frustrations and/or say goodbye, showrunner Greg Spottiswood had a different message on Monday morning. He took to social media to champion Canadian TV shows and urge people to tune in and talk them up with friends.

Remedy_1

Remedy_2

Will you watch more Canadian TV because of Greg’s message? Comment below or via our Twitter account @tv_eh.

 

 

 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail