From a media release:

Premium television, for $4/month. At a press conference this morning, Kevin Crull, President, Bell Media introduced Canada to CraveTV™, the company’s next-generation subscription on-demand video streaming service launching Thursday, Dec. 11. Costing about as much as a latte, CraveTV brings simplicity, ubiquity, accessibility, and premium content to Canadian TV lovers at an unbeatable value.

With a singular focus on delivering the best TV content of yesterday and today, CraveTV is designed to complement Canada’s current TV offerings as an additive service featuring exclusive, premium programming, all at an affordable price.

CraveTV Hallmarks:

Premium Content
With content from all key Hollywood major and independent studios, CraveTV features thousands of hours of programming not found anywhere else. At launch, nearly 65% of the entire CraveTV catalogue is exclusive to the service, with more exclusive titles to be added regularly.

CraveTV provides subscribers with the largest collection of premium content in one place. The programming catalogue falls into three categories – exclusive past-season content, featuring back seasons of television biggest programs currently on air; an extensive and exclusive library, featuring complete catalogues of some of the best TV series that have ever aired; and original series never before seen in Canada. In its first year, CraveTV will feature more than 10,000 hours of premium, non-kids, TV content, representing more than 600 unique titles, including:

· the entire off-air library of HBO’s iconic programming catalogue, including THE SOPRANOS, THE WIRE, and SEX AND THE CITY;
· an unmatchable comedy slate headlined by SEINFELD and including THE BIG BANG THEORY, CHEERS, FRASIER, and CORNER GAS;
· an exclusive catalogue featuring every single episode of MONTY PYTHON’S FLYING CIRCUS;
· exclusive CraveTV originals: programming that will launch first in Canada on CraveTV, including MANHATTAN, BOSCH, and DEADBEAT;
· a Superhero collection headlined by some of the most-watched television programs currently on air including ARROW and, later in 2015, THE FLASH;
· a Sci-Fi & Fantasy collection led by genre blockbusters ORPHAN BLACK and DOCTOR WHO, and featuring all six series comprising the complete STAR TREK TV collection;
· an iconic Music Collection – TV programming expressly dedicated to music and its legends, including FOO FIGHTERS: SONIC HIGHWAYS, and CLASSIC ALBUMS;
· additional premium drama programming from Hollywood and the U.K. including MASTERS OF SEX, NURSE JACKIE, PERSON OF INTEREST, HOMELAND, THE FOLLOWING, GRACELAND, THE FALL, DALLAS, THE LAST SHIP, and UTOPIA;
· and the most-watched and most-acclaimed original Canadian primetime scripted programming, featuring SAVING HOPE, MOTIVE, 19-2, FLASHPOINT, and DEGRASSI.

Value
Truly complementary, CraveTV does not attempt to duplicate existing services, and as a result is able to deliver best-in-class, premium TV programming at an incredible value. CraveTV delivers more to subscribers by allowing them to marathon-watch best-in-class programming for just $4/month.

Accessibility
CraveTV delivers to subscribers access to the service on the platform of their choice, including on their traditional on-demand service via their set-top box. In addition, CraveTV will be available at launch on iOS, including Airplay, as well as Android handsets and tablets via the CraveTV app, and online at CraveTV.ca. And early next year CraveTV will be available on the Xbox gaming consoles, Windows 8, Windows Phone, Samsung Smart TVs, and Chromecast.

Ubiquity
With an objective of getting CraveTV into as many Canadian homes as possible, Bell Media has offered the service to all TV providers. Previously, Bell Media announced distribution partnerships for CraveTV with TELUS Optik TV, Bell Fibe TV, Bell Aliant FibreOP TV, and Bell Satellite TV at launch. Today, Bell Media confirmed that Eastlink is the latest distribution partner for CraveTV and will make the service available at launch, while Northwestel and other Canadian Cable Systems Alliance (CCSA) members will also provide the service soon.

From John Doyle:

‘We’re going to make a movie … so stay tuned.” That’s what Allan Hawco, who plays Jake Doyle, said recently. So there – good news about Republic of Doyle. (CBC, Wednesday, 9 p.m.) Oh yeah.

Tonight’s episode takes place almost entirely inside a series of small rooms. There’s an awful lot of talk. Just talk. The tires on Jake Doyle’s GTO are not screechin’. There are no varmints being chased thither and yon around the sun-filled streets of St. John’s. There isn’t even a dame to get Jake going all “Hello, darlin’…” Continue reading.

From Bill Harris:

Time flies when you’re having Fae.

With Lost Girl entering its fifth and final season, debuting Sunday, Dec. 7 on Showcase, I had a chat with Anna Silk about the past, present and future of her lead character Bo. Continue reading. 

From a media release:

Bell Media announced today a first-look strategy for its subscription on demand video streaming service that will see episodes of original Canadian series premiere on “Project Latte” 24 hours in advance of their network television premieres. The announcement was made as Bell Media revealed the premium Canadian scripted content that will be available on the service, representing the most-acclaimed and most-watched original primetime programming in Canada. It was also confirmed today that CORNER GAS: THE MOVIE will be the first Canadian program to receive a first-look screening on “Project Latte” ahead of its linear television premiere.

The first-look strategy is designed to provide crucial samplings of episodes ahead of their regular network airings, while providing an additional platform to proudly showcase Canada’s independent productions. Series that receive first-look screenings will stack on “Project Latte” for their entire current-season run, which will be immediately complementary to the past-season episodes also on the service.

In 2015, Bell Media original productions SAVING HOPE, MOTIVE, SPUN OUT, and more will receive a first-look premiere on “Project Latte,” becoming the only titles on the service with past and in-season episodes available. The announcement comes as additional drama titles were announced for “Project Latte,” and on the eve of a major announcement tomorrow confirming final details for the service.

With more than 40 titles comprising nearly 1,000 assets at launch, “Project Latte” will feature more primetime original Canadian television programming than any other similar service. At launch, premium, non-kids Canadian programming on “Project Latte” will total more than 12% of the service’s entire catalogue, with more original content to be added regularly.

Curated to reflect “Project Latte’s” commitment to premium TV programming, Canadian titles announced today represent more than 200 Canadian Screen Award nominations.

Canadian Scripted Programming on “Project Latte”

Drama
Recently renewed for a fourth season, SAVING HOPE is currently Canada’s most-watched original drama series, with an average audience of 1.5 million viewers on CTV. SAVING HOPE will be featured in “Project Latte’s” first-look strategy, where new episodes will appear on the service 24 hours in advance of their linear TV debut. At launch, 41 episodes will be available.

DEGRASSI is simply one of the most successful original dramas in Canadian television history. Seen around the world and the recipient of a Peabody Award, the Emmy-nominated series will live in “Project Latte’s” Teen Drama category.

All three seasons and 29 episodes of the Golden Globe Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning historical drama and international co-production THE BORGIAS (2011-2013) will be featured.

Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Bell Media previously announced its Sci-Fi & Fantasy collection would exclusively feature some of its most successful original productions:
· ORPHAN BLACK, the conspiracy clone thriller and smash hit international success starring Tatiana Maslany.
· BITTEN, Space’s most-watched original series of all time about the world’s only female werewolf.
· And the upcoming KILLJOYS, the interplanetary space drama from ORPHAN BLACK producers Temple Street Productions.

Comedy
Bell Media announced today that the unedited theatrical cut of the upcoming feature film CORNER GAS: THE MOVIE, to be released in cinemas nationwide tomorrow, will have a special first-look, advance screening window on “Project Latte” before making its linear television debut.

One of the most successful original comedy series in Canadian history, all 107 episodes and six seasons of the CTV hit CORNER GAS (2004-2009) will also live on “Project Latte.”

Both the complete first season and the upcoming second season of Dave Foley’s current original comedy SPUN OUT, returning in early 2015 on CTV, will be available.

Crime & Mystery
“Project Latte’s” previously announced Crime & Mystery Collection will also feature hit original programming from Bell Media:
With an average audience of 1.3 million viewers, the CTV crime procedural MOTIVE is one of Canada’s most-watched original dramas. All 26 episodes of the first and second seasons, along with weekly first-look episodes from the upcoming third season, will be featured.

One of the most successful original drama series of all time, FLASHPOINT (2008-2012) has been credited with advancing the renaissance in Canadian TV drama. All five seasons and 75 episodes will be available on “Project Latte.”

Licensed in over 120 markets and seen in 33 languages, CTV’s THE LISTENER is one of Canada’s most successful drama series. “Project Latte” will feature all 65 episodes from the series’ five seasons (2009-2014).

Returning for its second season in early 2015, “Project Latte” proudly features the critically acclaimed police drama 19-2, Bravo’s #1 new series of 2014, and a Top 3 program overall.

From Bill Harris:

Usually at this time of year if we’re talking about the Arctic, we’re imagining a bearded fat man in a bright red suit, or a reindeer with a strangely shiny nose.

But The Polar Sea is not about Santa or Rudolph, unless I really missed something. Rather, it’s an ambitious 10-part documentary series focusing on a self-proclaimed “Arctic hitchhiker” who is endeavoring to sail through the legendary Northwest Passage. Continue reading.