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The Beaverton skewers Canada’s federal election in a new CTV special

The politicians are on the campaign trail, struggling mightily to win your vote. That means long days and nights, crisscrossing the country. It’s an ambitious and deeply tiring schedule. Equally exhausting? Covering it.

That’s what the folks at The Beaverton aim to do. Airing Friday at 8 p.m. ET on CTV, the one-hour special The Beaverton Mocks the Vote puts the federal political leaders in their crosshairs as co-anchors Emma Hunter and Miguel Rivas skewer every step the political parties have taken since the election was called.

We spoke to the pair about what viewers can expect when they tune in to The Beaverton Mocks the Vote.

How much planning has been going into this? Is this a typical writer’s room where you are getting together on the week and figuring stuff out as you work towards the 18th?
Emma Hunter: We are preparing the skeletal outlines for what things could be with a couple of variations, depending on if it goes right or left. We always think we prepare ourselves to have a full, calm day on set and it is always a madhouse. [Co-creator] Luke Gordon Field hasn’t showered, [co-creator] Jeff Detsky is sweaty, somebody’s throwing a muffin and there are a hundred coffees. It’s just chaos in the best way. So I think it will be that. I anticipate that the two days before the taping will just be absolute chaos, but it’s sort of a sick, pleasurable chaos.

Miguel Rivas: We can only write the most relevant stuff as the election is approaching. We’ve already been together for weeks, full time just starting to write other pieces and stuff because it’s going to be a full hour. We’re going to explore lots of elements of the election. So it’s not all necessarily timely related to news that breaks. There are bigger stories that we can dive into in the timeframe.

Anything that you can talk about? 
MR: We’re really excited about what’s going to frame the election and that we’ve already had something big break. The brownface scandal is obviously ongoing, unfortunately, due to Trudeau’s comments and the nature of the fact that it’s time to discuss the harmfulness of brownface and blackface again. That’s the nature of race and immigration and obviously all the candidates mainly from the Conservatives, but also from the Liberals and NDP who’ve been exposed for having said other racist stuff in the past on Twitter. So, we’re taking a huge look at how we identify as Canadians and how it relates to race and stuff.

This election campaign has seemed to be a lot more mean-spirited than in the past. Do you attribute that to what’s going on in the States? 
MR: Yeah, for sure. I think everything we do is affected by the U.S., but the global climate, in general, is one of harshness, shall we say. And yeah, I do think that there’s a tenor that comes with that and I think elections are kind of being redefined in people’s minds what they mean. And personal figures have always been important, but they seem to become so much more important. The symbolic member of the party, Justin Trudeau, Scheer, Trump, whoever, and the cult of personality that builds up around them … I think the nature of that starts to lean into personal attacks rather than discussions of policy. I think many people, if not most people, would consider the biggest issue facing Canada in the world is climate change. And every party has now sort of waded into the waters of talking about climate change, but it still feels like secondary or even third or fourth or fifth in line to issues of is this guy a racist or is that person nice to me?

EH: It’s exhausting and it’s disappointing and I think this brownface thing just left everybody with just this sort of exhalation of like, ‘Really? Really?‘ And I think the way everybody handled it was to be expected, trying to capitalize on it and use it and it was such an easy thing to do. Of course, they would. So it’s just cutthroat out there. It is such a specific thing to want to do with your life, to put every moment that’s potentially vulnerable out there for the rest of the parties to feed on. I have no idea why they do it. I hope the motivation is to make change for a better world, but something inside tells me it’s usually more than that.

The Beaverton Mocks the Vote airs Friday at 8 p.m. ET on CTV.

Image courtesy of Bell Media.

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On CTV and around the world, Season 3 of The Beaverton to premiere July 23

From a media release:

With world politics heating up, and federal election only three months away, CTV announced today that Season 3 of its most *important original satirical series, THE BEAVERTON, will premiere exclusively in Canada on CTV and simultaneously, around the world on CTV’s YouTube channel for the first time ever.

Beginning Tuesday, July 23 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, exclusively in Canada on CTV, co-anchors Emma Hunter and Miguel Rivas are primed to deliver the critical blows to a seemingly unrelenting news cycle. Rolling out weekly, all eight episodes of the half-hour series can be viewed:

  • In Canada, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app
  • Around the world on CTV’s YouTube channel, day and date with Canadian viewers
  • On demand, on Crave, CTV Digital platforms and TheBeaverton.com the day after its broadcast premiere

Seasons 1 – 2 of THE BEAVERTON are currently streaming on Crave.

Then, on Friday, Oct. 18 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, the Canadian Screen Award-nominated series turns its sharp focus to the Canadian federal election with a one-hour special, as the country prepares to elect its next government.

THE BEAVERTON is the brainchild of co-creators Luke Gordon Field and Jeff Detsky (CALL ME FITZ, SEED) of TheBeaverton.com, as well as website senior editors Jacob Duarte Spiel and Alexander Saxton. Henry Sarwer-Foner (THE RICK MERCER REPORT) returns as Director, and Pier 21 Film’s Laszlo Barna and Melissa Williamson serve as Executive Producers. Nicole Butler serves as Producer.

Fueled by the no-holds-barred wit of a writing room led by series co-creator and showrunner Jeff Detsky, THE BEAVERTON continues to hit above, below, and to the right and left of the belt, casting a Canadian lens on global issues with timely and topical viral-ready segments. Luke Gordon Field also returns as showrunner with co-anchors Emma Hunter and Miguel Rivas joining the writing room this season. Also returning as writers this season are Michael Balazo (SCHITT’S CREEK), Jocelyn Geddie (GO AWAY, UNICORN!), Nelu Handa (JANN), and Scott Montgomery (THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES).

Viewers interested in being part of THE BEAVERTON’s live studio audience in Toronto can click here or email beavertoninvites@gmail.com.

THE BEAVERTON is produced by Pier 21 Films in association with Bell Media, with the participation of Canadian Media Fund, and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit.

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Comments and queries for the week of September 9

Who will win The Amazing Race Canada?

Even though Steph and Kristen seem like the likely winners, I am reminded of the hockey ladies who seemed the winners in their season only to fall short. Although it is reality TV, it is somewhat boring to see the same team win all the time. I agree that it was hard to see Frankie and Amy receive the wrong info from Ashley. I do not hold it against her as it would have betrayed her teammate, her father, who has done a lot to get them along in the race. —Jennifer

I just finished watching this episode of The Amazing Race Canada. I think Steph and Kristen may have a good chance of winning . They tend to be able to keep their cool under difficult circumstances. Joel and Ashley did well tonight, although I was disappointed to hear Ashley give wrong the information to Frankie and Amy. I felt sorry for Emmett … Jillian comes across as such a b**ch. I wonder if she is proud of the way she acts and sounds as she watches herself, especially in this episode? I would be happy to see Steph and Kristen or Ashley and Joel win. —Joyce


Wild Archaeology is must-see TV

When I was doing my bachelor’s degree in Canadian Studies at Brandon University a decade ago, I took a couple of electives in Aboriginal Archaeology and Anthropology (they have a whole department dedicated to it) and I really enjoyed the courses. I’m definitely going to have to check out this series. —Alicia


Production underway on The Beaverton

This is going to be terrible. The Beaverton is some of the most cringeworthy satire to grace the web; I can only imagine how terrible a live-action version will be. —Eric

 

Got a question or comment about Canadian TV? Email greg.david@tv-eh.com or @tv_eh.

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The Comedy Network announces new satirical series The Beaverton

From a media release:

BREAKING NEWS: The Comedy Network Announces the Planet’s Most Important Satirical News Series, THE BEAVERTON

  • Based on the popular website TheBeaverton.com, Comedy to begin production on new half-hour satirical series this summer
  • TheBeaverton.com teams up with Comedy to deliver digital exclusive content
  • Anchored by Canadian comedians Emma Hunter and Miguel Rivas, THE BEAVERTON is slated to begin production this summer

At last. News on television. The Comedy Network announced today the incredibly important new television program THE BEAVERTON, an incredibly important satirical news series with deep importance to citizens living in the country with the most water in the world. A so-called televised “adaptation” of the immensely popular online satirical site TheBeaverton.com, THE BEAVERTON guarantees to provide Canadians with the news they didn’t even ask for. The new half-hour series, produced by Pier 21 Films in association with The Comedy Network, is scheduled to begin production in front of a live studio audience in Toronto this summer and will be available in 4K.

Helmed by co-anchors Emma Hunter (MATCH GAME, JFL: ALL ACCESS) and Miguel Rivas (acclaimed sketch troupes Tony Ho, Get Some), and a rotating cast of correspondents featuring some of Canada’s top comedians, THE BEAVERTON files fake, but incredibly important stories informed by real events, the cultural zeitgeist, and national news media.

The new partnership with TheBeaverton.com and The Comedy Network will fuel a consistently refreshed digital experience to coincide and reflect the series, featuring exclusive digital-only content in the form of podcasts, videos, and written articles.

With more than 6 million views in 2015, TheBeaverton.com has become a go-to source for Canadian satire. Already known for its shareable content online, TheBeaverton.com has broken some of the decade’s most viral “news stories”, including:

  • “Most Canadians can’t name all nine provinces”
  • “PK Subban fined for swearing only in English”
  • “Closing of local Tim Hortons finally convinces residents their town is horrible”
  • “Police dog suspended after profiling several cats”

THE BEAVERTON is the brainchild of co-creators Luke Gordon Field and Jeff Detsky (CALL ME FITZ, SEED) of TheBeaverton.com, as well as website senior editors Jacob Duarte Spiel and Alexander Saxton. Pier 21 Film’s Laszlo Barna and Melissa Williamson serve as Executive Producers.

THE BEAVERTON is produced by Pier 21 Films, in association with The Comedy Network, with the participation of Canadian Media Fund, and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit. Sarah Fowlie is Director, Independent Production, Comedy, Bell Media. Executive for Bell Media is Bill Lundy. Corrie Coe is Senior Vice-President, Independent Production, Bell Media. Tracey Pearce is Senior Vice-President, Specialty and Pay, Bell Media. Randy Lennox is President, Entertainment Production and Broadcasting, Bell Media.

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