From a media release:

Leave your guilt behind and enter the “Guilt Free Zone” – APTN’s edgy new late-night flagship series hosted by Juno award-winning artist Derek Miller – for performances by the hippest Aboriginal musical artists, no-holds-barred monologues, and provocative dance and comedy performances plus a whole lot more. Shot in Toronto, Montreal, Hamilton, Regina, and Winnipeg in front of live-studio audiences, “Guilt Free Zone” (6 x 30’) airs Tuesdays on APTN East and HD at 10 p.m. and APTN West at 10:00 p.m. MT starting January 6.

“’Guilt Free Zone’ exposes audiences to new talent in music, comedy, and dance while exploring settler and Indigenous people’s collective guilt through comedy, satire, and truth,” says Derek Miller, host, “Guilt Free Zone.”

Each episode of the variety and performance series “Guilt Free Zone” asks Canadians to do something many have never been asked to do before when watching TV – openly enjoy discussing often taboo topics like sex, guilty pleasures and more – all while being entertained by the best Aboriginal acts. Host Derek Miller leads the charge, taking audiences on a wild ride with his unique sense of humour and interview style. Each entertaining performance is peppered with recurring characters who pop by to shake things up even more.

Performers this season include Inez Jasper, Jayli Wolf, hip hop artist Plex, comedian Lucas Jacko, Brendt Thomas Diablo, burlesque dancer Miss Lou Lou la Duchesse de Riere, Craig James Laur, Night Switch, The Snake Oil Salesmen, Ali Fontaine and Leonard Sumner.

Guitarist and singer/ songwriter Derek Miller is a musician with eclectic taste and a knack for roots inflected rock. From the Six Nations of the Grand River, Mohawk Territory, Miller became interested in music in his early teens, and by the late ’90s had not only toured with iconic vocalist Buffy Sainte-Marie but was also garnered a Juno for both his debut album, and sophomore album in 2008. Miller completed his third studio album in collaboration with Stevie Ray Vaughn’s band ‘Double Trouble’. The first single of the album is a duet featuring Derek Miller with Willie Nelson.

From a media release:

Thunderbird is pleased to announce the acquisition of Canadian production company Great Pacific Media. The addition of Vancouver-based Great Pacific and their team to the Thunderbird group of companies will accelerate the growth of Thunderbird’s presence in the unscripted television space.

Great Pacific is a global leader in factual television. Started in 2010 by TV veterans Blair Reekie and Mark Miller, their programs are seen in more than 170 countries. Their number one hit, Highway Thru Hell shattered audience records when it premiered on Discovery Canada and now, in its fourth season, the series is amongst the highest rated programs on National Geographic Channel Europe, Africa and Asia and The Weather Channel USA.
2015 is going to be another record-breaking year for Great Pacific with two brand new series rolling out.

In January Discovery Canada will launch Airshow, a documentary series that goes behind the scenes in the dangerous and emotionally charged world of Airshow performers. March will see the premiere of Game of Homes on W Network (Corus) where four couples compete to save four houses from the wrecking ball. The team that does the best renovation keeps their home, making it the biggest prize in Canadian cable television history.

Tim Gamble, CEO of Thunderbird said “We are so excited to be growing our company with Mark, Blair and the Great Pacific team. We admire their accurate, honest and compelling style of storytelling and look forward to working together to produce content that is attractive to our domestic and international broadcasters.”

Mark Miller, CEO of Great Pacific continued “We have known and worked with Thunderbird for many years and have a shared vision to fuel our growth through the creation of world class content. This makes a lot of sense.” Blair Reekie, President of Great Pacific added, “We’re excited to join the Thunderbird team as we work together to grow our division in factual, lifestyle and formats for the international market.”

“Mark is a terrific writer/producer/showrunner who, together with Blair, has built an enviable business in a relatively short period of time. Mark will be a great addition to the Thunderbird Board of Directors, where he will help us chart our next stage of growth” said Thunderbird Executive Chair Ivan Fecan.

Today’s announcement follows the recent announcement of Thunderbird’s pending acquisition of London-based theatrical distributor Soda Pictures, as well as the acquisition of Reunion Pictures completed in 2013.

From Jim Bawden:

My open letter to CBC re the impending demise of Republic Of Doyle is short and sweet.

It’s just three words: “Don’t do it!”

Other CBC administrators over the decades have merrily cancelled such CBC hits as Tommy Hunter, The Beachcombers, Front Page Challenge and King Of Kensington promising long suffering viewers that newer and better shows would result.

But it never happens that way. Continue reading.

From a media release:

Just For Laughs (JFL) and CBC team up to celebrate fifteen years of Gags with the anniversary special JUST FOR LAUGHS GAGS: 15 YEARS, airing Tuesday, January 6 at 9 p.m. (9:30 NT) on CBC-TV. Hosted by comedian Mark Critch (This Hour Has 22 Minutes), this outrageously funny one-hour special features a compilation of all the most popular and iconic Gags in history, showcasing 15 years of pranks by pant-less policemen, saucy nuns, car-crashing steamroller operators, and more.

One of the most successful comedy series in the world, Gags boasts hundreds of millions of viewers in over 160 countries, on just about every airline in the free world, and a YouTube channel boasting a staggering 2 billion hits. Just For Laughs: Gags is far and away Canada’s biggest cultural export and a guilty pleasure that even the most discerning comedy snobs can’t help but giggle about.

Gags was created by Just For Laughs in 2000. By 2002 Gags’ popularity had exploded and it was available in five airlines and 40 countries worldwide. By 2004, Gags was broadcast on four channels across Canada and had more than doubled their international television and airline sales. Gags is now seen everywhere from Russia to Indonesia to Brazil and boasts a spin-off series entitled Just Kidding (focused on kids pranking adults), which has also achieved international success.

From Eleni Armenakis:

The stakes were certainly raised by Lost Girl‘s fourth season with the loss of two very important members of Bo’s family, including her best friend and “heart” Kenzi (Ksenia Solo is thankfully living on with Orphan Black), setting the series up for a stunning fifth and final season. The TV Junkieswas lucky enough to meet up with the cast as they were filming the expanded season this summer in Toronto, and got to check out a super-cool location while getting the low down on some of the big, massively huge answers coming for Bo before the end, which we’ll be sharing with you throughout the season. Continue reading: