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Family Channel’s premiere week includes Lost & Found Music Studios

From a media release:

Family Channel rolls out the red carpet for Series returns as part of premiere week featuring new episodes daily

  • Series returns as part of premiere week featuring new episodes daily

From Monday, January 9 – Friday, January 13 new programming floods the network with new seasons, new series and new specials airing daily at 4:30 p.m. ET/PT. The exciting week all leads into the main event, the eagerly awaited return of Lost & Found Music Studios on Friday, January 13 at 4:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Headlining Family Channel’s Premiere Week, Lost & Found Music Studios joins the network’s afterschool lineup on Friday, January 13 at 4:30 p.m. ET/PT. The tween drama follows the lives of aspiring musicians who are part of a unique music program. The series return will see new relationships blossom and musical collaborations form, alongside the typical drama that comes with being a teen. In next Friday’s new episode, Leia gets involved in a problem that isn’t hers and winds up hurting a friend in the process. New episodes will continue to air weekly Fridays at 4:30 p.m. ET/PT, with encore presentations at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

Premiere Week officially kicks off on Monday, January 9 at 4:30 p.m. ET/PT with the season three premiere of Nowhere Boys, followed by the debut of the new sketch comedy show OMG on Tuesday. OMG will keep kids laughing for days with epic rap battles, bromances and more. On Wednesday, viewers can tune in to part one of the origin story of Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir before watching a new Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street on Thursday.

Fans of Lost & Found can sing all the way to Family.ca where the music continues with brand new “Jam Sessions.” The weekly webisodes feature performances from the show, studio covers and music lessons taught by the cast. New episodes of Lost & Found Music Studios along with the other series debuting during Premiere Week will also be offered through Family OnDemand and on The Family Channel App as they become available weekly, beginning January 13.

Lost & Found Music Studios stars Shane Harte as Luke; Keara Graves as Leia; Alex Zaichkowski as John; Sarah Carmosino as Rachel; Deshaun Clarke as Jude; Ella Jonas Farlinger as Eva; Levi Randall as Theo; Maranda Thomas as Mary; Alyssa Baker as Maggie; Rakim Kelly as Isaac; Olivia Solo as Annabelle; Jeni Ross as Clara; Katrina Hachey as Hannah; and Matthew Bacik as Nate; Michael Torontow as Mr. T and Ali Milner as Parker. A companion to The Next Step, the series also features Trevor Tordjman as James; Victoria Baldesarra as Michelle; Jordan Clark as Giselle; and Brittany Raymond as Riley.

Produced by Radical Sheep Productions, a division of Boat Rocker Studios, in association with Family Channel, Lost & Found Music Studios is executive produced by creator Frank van Keeken (The Next Step, Wingin’ It), Ivan Schneeberg and David Fortier (The Next Step, Wingin’ It) and Laura Harbin (The Next Step, Wingin’ It). Lost & Found Music Studios is also produced with financial assistance from The Shaw Rocket Fund and the Canada Media Fund. Boat Rocker Rights serves as the series’ worldwide distributor.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary, Uncategorized

Working It Out Together: Lucina Gordon–Inuk School Days

This episode of Working It Out Together examines a topic dear to my heart: Indigenous education. Through the lived experiences of an Inuit student from Nunavut, it takes a hard look at the effects that the Residential School System continues to inflict upon Indigenous youth across Canada today.

Carol Rowan, Professor of Education at Concordia University–Inuit Studies, describes the way Inuit children were educated by the community and through their experiences on the land prior to colonization. “The land was teacher and land was pedagog. Children learned through a caring relationship with the land.” This attitude to education was in stark contrast to what we today understand conventional education to be.

Morley Hanson, Coordinator, Nunavut Sivuniksavut describes the process of colonization as it manifested in the far north. “Waves of outsiders would arrive, predicated on the continued use of the natural resources.” There was a European whaling industry, followed by fur traders and missionaries. The people began to convert to Christianity, and were also encouraged and/or coerced to move off of the land to live in larger communities.

Melissa Irwin, Instructor, Nunavut Sivuniksavut explains how the Residential School System was a “colonizing tool that was designed with ill intent to take away our culture, our language, our pride, and our voice. It separated families physically, but also psychologically. It introduced violence, pain, disconnect, and abuse.” As a result of colonization, the value of education has been deflated within Indigenous communities across Canada. If however Indigenous ways of knowing are incorporated into school curriculum, interest in attending school and understanding its value will act to improve student success rates.

We follow 20 year old Lucina Gordon on her quest to become a school counselor. In order to complete her college degree at John Abbott College, she must travel more than 1500 km. Lucina is 1 of only 2 youth from her community to make it to the final college semester. We see through Lucina’s eyes the difficulties students face when they leave their tightly knit communities in the north to attend school in a large urban centre.

We are also introduced to the Nunavut Sivuniksavut program that helps Inuit students make the transition from their communities to post secondary education.  Using culturally relevant topics, students, so far removed from home and family, recognize their own sense of self and the program gives them ongoing support as they seek to complete higher education.

Admittedly, I am biased when it comes to Indigenous education but this episode really is jam packed with the issues that face Indigenous education and educators in Canada today. I have only touched on a few themes addressed in the episode and were I to truly do it  justice (at least in my mind) this recap would be twice as long as it is. Given the heavy media coverage that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s  Calls to Action have received across Canada, educational reform for Indigenous youth is a very timely topic. So my advice is simple, if you missed this episode just go watch it here: Working It Out Together

 

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Link: Oh goody, Real Housewives is coming to Toronto

From Marsha Lederman of the Globe and Mail:

Oh goody, Real Housewives is coming to Toronto
The world is full of mysteries – some of its secrets impossible to comprehend, lying hidden in deep caverns, never to be revealed. For instance, how is one to wrap one’s head around the continued interest in and expansion of a show about rich women who are consumed with consumption – dining out, guzzling the bubbly, hitting the spa and shopping (and arguing) like champs? How, in fact, is it possible that The Real Housewives of Anywhere even exists? Continue reading.

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Bell Media confirms 2016/17 original production slate

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From a media release:

Bell Media confirms 2016/17 original production slate

  • Bell Media introduces eight new original series as 14 original productions return
  • New series for 2016/17 include RUSSELL PETERS IS THE INDIAN DETECTIVE, THE DISAPPEARANCE, THE BEAVERTON, CARDINAL, and FRONTIER, plus new original programming for Bell Media’s new food and lifestyle channel, Gusto, among others
  • CTV announces Season 4 of hit culinary competition MASTERCHEF CANADA, joining impressive slate of returning original hit series
  • Two-hour event special CANADA IN A DAY headlines 2016/17 specials slate
  • Bell Media Production lineup ETALK, THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW, THE SOCIAL, INNERSPACE, DAILY PLANET return, along with new daytime series YOUR MORNING –

Bell Media confirmed today its leading slate of new and returning original entertainment programming for the 2016/17 broadcast year in advance of the #CTVUpfront presentation in Toronto. With Canada’s most-watched and most-acclaimed original programs, Bell Media reinforces its industry leadership with original productions, including its recently announced commitment to produce all new original scripted series in 4K.

More Canadians make Bell Media their choice for homegrown programs than any other media company. CTV’s SAVING HOPE is the most-watched Canadian drama among all key adult demos, while the network is home to the country’s top two Canadian series among total viewers, THE AMAZING RACE CANADA and MASTERCHEF CANADA; the top Canadian programs in daytime, Bell Media Production’s THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW and THE SOCIAL; the most-viewed entertainment news program, ETALK; and the most-watched original series on entertainment specialty for all key adult demos, Discovery’s CANADA’S WORST DRIVER.

New Bell Media Original Series for 2016/17:

Drama

  • Discovery’s first-ever scripted original series FRONTIER, with its exclusive world debut in Canada this November, starring Jason Momoa (Discovery)
  • Based on bestselling crime novels, the murder-mystery CARDINAL starring Billy Campbell and Karinne Vanasse (CTV)
  • New serialized mystery drama THE DISAPPEARANCE about the vanishing of a 10-year-old boy (CTV)

Comedy

  • Based on the enormously popular website, the satirical news series THE BEAVERTON (The Comedy Network)
  • Following its debut on CraveTV, the fish-out-of-water dramedy RUSSELL PETERS IS THE INDIAN DETECTIVE (CTV)

Factual

  • From the producers of HIGHWAY THRU HELL, spin-off HEAVY RESCUE: 401 (Winter 2017) (Discovery)
  • The next in the “MIGHTY” series, MIGHTY TRAINS (Fall 2016), hosted by INNERSPACE’s Teddy Wilson (Discovery)
  • Featuring Andrew Younghusband, the star of the top original entertainment specialty program in Canada among key adult demos, CANADA’S WORST DRIVER, the new series TOUGHER THAN IT LOOKS (Fall 2016)
  • As previously announced, original Canadian programming on Bell Media’s new food and lifestyle channel Gusto will include A IS FOR APPLE, ONE WORLD KITCHEN, and FISH THE DISH. Bell Media has entered into a production arrangement with industry veteran Chris Knight to supply exclusive Canadian programming for the network through Gusto Worldwide Media. The production commitment will allow Bell Media to grow Gusto’s roster of hit series with new original Canadian programming, all in 4K.

Returning Bell Media Original Series for 2016/17:

Reality

  • Ahead of its Season 3 finale airing Sunday, June 19 at 7 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, the network announced today that original culinary competition series MASTERCHEF CANADA will return for a fourth season in 2017. The hit series will be back with a new batch of home cooks competing for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as they pursue their culinary dream and battle to become Canada’s next MasterChef. Casting opens this Sunday, June 12 at 7 p.m. ET and aspiring home cooks will have until 11:59 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 6 to apply
  • Priming the 2016/17 Fall Season is summer’s most-watched television series, Season 4 of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, when it returns June 28 (CTV)

Drama

  • Canadian Screen Award-winner for Best Dramatic Series, Montréal cop drama 19-2 returns for Season 3 (June 20), in advance of its already announced fourth season (Bravo)
  • Award-winning medical drama SAVING HOPE returns for a fifth season (CTV)
  • Space’s most-watched original series of all time, the sci-fi adventure series KILLJOYS returns for a second season (Space)
  • Season 2 of critically acclaimed drama SENSITIVE SKIN is currently airing on HBO Canada, while Season 4 of the internationally renowned genre darling, ORPHAN BLACK and its companion after-show AFTER THE BLACK (produced by INNERSPACE) are currently continuing on Space

Comedy

  • JUST FOR LAUGHS: ALL ACCESS returns with a fourth season of all-star laughs from the famed Montréal comedy festival (Comedy)
  • New cult favourite and breakout hit LETTERKENNY returns for a second season (CraveTV)

Factual

  • The most-watched original series on entertainment specialty among key adult demos, CANADA’S WORST DRIVER, enters its 12th season (Discovery)
  • Newfoundland’s COLDWATER COWBOYS is back for more high seas adventure in Season 4 (Discovery)
  • Entertaining and educational hit series, HIGHWAY THRU HELL, returns for Season 5 (Discovery)
  • Long-time international favourite, HOW IT’S MADE, returns for an incredible 28th season (Discovery), along with:
  • JADE FEVER (Discovery, Season 3)
  • MAYDAY (Discovery, Season 16)
  • MIGHTY CRUISE SHIPS (Discovery, Season 2)
  • VEGAS RAT RODS (Discovery, Season 3)

Events & Specials

The ground-breaking, crowd-sourced broadcast event CANADA IN A DAY, in celebration of Canada’s upcoming 150th anniversary, headlines Bell Media’s slate of new original movies, documentaries, and specials for the 2016/17 broadcast year. The slate also includes:

  • THE 2017 JUNO AWARDS (CTV)
  • BUILDING STAR TREK (Discovery)
  • DEATH OF A COMET (Discovery)
  • IHEARTRADIO MUCH MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS (Much)
  • JUPITER: CLOSE ENCOUNTER (Discovery)
  • WE DAY 2016 (MTV)

Returning Bell Media Production Original Series for 2016/17

Complementing this fulsome slate of original Canadian independent productions is a robust lineup of top-rated in-house entertainment productions from Bell Media Production renewed for new seasons in 2016/17:

  • Canada’s most-watched entertainment news program, ETALK
  • The country’s #1 and #2 Canadian daytime series, THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW and THE SOCIAL
  • As announced Monday, new daytime series YOUR MORNING
  • Flagship science and technology program, DAILY PLANET (Discovery)
  • Genre entertainment series, INNERSPACE (Space) and its series of after-shows

Source : Numeris, Sep 21, 2015 – May 22, 2016. Entertainment specialty ranking based on Aug 31, 2015 – May 8, 2016. Local news ranking based on Spring 2016 diary survey, A25-54.

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