Everything about Uncategorized, eh?

The Bachelor Canada to return in 2014

From Bill Brioux of TV Feeds My Family:

  • Rogers gives Bachelor Canada a year off
    Let’s give TV Guide Canada credit for this scoop: Rogers/City has ordered a second season of The Bachelor Canada. The news was tweeted Monday. The fine print, however, was a puzzler: According to Rogers’ programming boss Scott Moore, Bachelor Canada won’t be back until 2014. So, what, they want to give the guy a couple of years to sow his wild oats? Well, at least they didn’t use CTV’s infamous line about Canadian Idol, that it is “resting.” Read more.
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The trouble with Canadian TV

From Alex Strachan of Postmedia News:

  • Canadian TV faces host of problems
    “As a Canadian television executive, the biggest frustration is that I have to compete with and worry about simulcasts. I don’t control my schedule. One example: The Big Bang Theory is the No. 1 show in Canada. CBS moved Two and a Half Men from Mondays at 9 to Thursdays after Big Bang. Which is great, because it’s a killer hour — the No. 1 and two comedies in Canada. But I actually would have preferred it had stayed on Mondays because then I could have used those two shows to launch Canadian shows behind them. But if I’d kept Two and a Half Men on Monday — I can only get so much of a pre-release — I’d have had to air it four days later, and by then it’s old and mouldy, and everyone would just watch it on CBS anyway. Not controlling our destiny is the toughest thing to deal with.” Read more.
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Borealis pilot-turned-movie airs tonight

Borealis

From Eric Volmers of the Calgary Herald:

From The Province:

  • Global warming sci-fi tale Borealis gets two-hour TV airing
    If you’re a fan of near-future arctic westerns, this weekend might be your only chance to catch this one. The fictional Borealis (6 p.m. Friday, re-airing 3 p.m. Saturday on Canada’s Space network) is set in a frontier town in a defrosted arctic 30 years into the future, and was filmed during the fall of 2011 outside of Calgary. The network opted not to go to a full series, choosing to air the first two episodes as a two-hour movie, but the producers say they’re pursuing other options to continue the show. Read more.
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Mother Up in production for Citytv

From a media release:

City Announces Start of Production on Original Adult Animated Prime-time Series Mother Up!, Starring and Executive Produced by Eva Longoria

  • 13-episode, half-hour animated comedy series to debut in fall 2013 on City in Canada and Hulu in the U.S.
  • Homegrown series is written, produced, and voiced in Canada

City today announced start of production on Mother Up!, a 13-episode, half-hour adult animated comedy series starring Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives), who also serves as the show’s executive producer. Developed by Rogers Media and co-produced by Canadian companies Breakthrough Entertainment and Bardel Entertainment, in association with U.S.-based Mass Animation, Mother Up! will debut in fall 2013 as part of City’s prime-time lineup and be available exclusively in the U.S. on the free, ad-supported Hulu and Hulu Plus subscription service. Additional broadcast details to be announced at a later date.

Mother Up! revolves around the daily life of Rudi Wilson (Longoria), a former high-powered music exec who takes on the greatest challenge of her life: motherhood in suburbia. Rudi is striving for the life of a super-mom but she forgets one important detail – she’s not a very good parent. Bringing her street smarts and urban lifestyle to the suburbs, Rudi confronts the endless challenges of parenthood with a series of misguided improvised solutions, putting her life on the line like never before.

“Smart and hilarious, Mother Up! epitomizes the kind of comedy that City’s prime-time schedule is famous for,” said Claire Freeland, Director of Original Programming Rogers Media. “With the star power of Eva Longoria, Mother Up! is the perfect addition to the premium City lineup and furthers our commitment to the development and production of original content.”

Executive producers for the series are Eva Longoria, Yair Landau (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) and Susan Purcell (Live Music) from U.S.-based Mass Animation, noted television industry veteran Fred Fuchs (Transporter: The Series), Breakthrough Entertainment’s Ira Levy (Less Than Kind) and Peter Williamson (Kenny vs. Spenny), and Bardel Entertainment’s Barry Ward and Delna Bhesania (Bob’s Burgers).

“Mother Up! combines famed Hollywood actor, director and producer Eva Longoria with the comedic genius of writers Michael Shipley, Greg Lawrence, Mark McKinney, Laurie Elliott and Jenn Engels and the development, production and animation talents of Mass Animation, Bardel Entertainment and Breakthrough Entertainment,” said Ira levy, Executive Producer and Partner at Breakthrough Entertainment. “We could not be more excited about collaborating with this extraordinary, high-profile team.”

Developed by Michael Shipley (American Dad, My Name Is Earl, Family Guy) – who will also serve as an executive producer – Mother Up! is based on the original material of Marnie Nir and Katie Torpey. Recruited to serve as showrunner and executive producer is Canadian Greg Lawrence (Crash Canyon, Kevin Spencer), who joins the all-Canadian creative team of celebrated writing talent including Mark McKinney (Less Than Kind), Jenn Engels (Seed), Laurie Elliott, and Laura Kosterski.

Mother Up! also stars Canadians Jesse Camacho (Less Than Kind) as Dick, Gabrielle Miller (Corner Gas, Robson Arms) as Sarah, Cle Bennett as 2Bit, Helen Taylor as Jenny, Rebecca Husain as Apple, and Scott McCord as Greg.

Breakthrough Entertainment will distribute the series worldwide outside of North America.

Mother Up! reinforces City’s strong commitment to original Canadian programming, which includes original series Seed and Package Deal premiering mid-season on City.

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Dave Foley joins Spun Out pilot

From a media release

DAVE FOLEY CAST IN BELL MEDIA SITCOM PILOT FOR CTV, SPUN OUT

Project 10 Productions announced today that Canadian sitcom veteran and “Kids In The Hall” alumnus, Dave Foley, has been cast in the lead role for the upcoming Bell Media pilot for CTV, SPUN OUT.

Foley will play the patriarchal boss of a fledgling PR firm, staffed with people who can spin everyone’s problems but their own.

Slated to shoot live in front of a studio audience beginning January 18 in Toronto, SPUN OUT is Bell Media’s first multi-camera sitcom pilot and stars Paul Campbell (BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, ALMOST HEROES) as Beckett Ryan, a disgraced writer who ends up working at a public relations firm after suffering his own PR disaster. No matter how bizarre the cases are that the agency takes on, they pale in comparison to the often-hilarious failures of the close-knit and dysfunctional colleagues.

“I am delighted to be returning to the multi-cam, live audience, sitcom world and to my hometown,” said Dave Foley.

“We are thrilled to have Dave anchoring an amazing cast of established sitcom actors and emerging stars,” said Andrew Barnsley, Executive Producer. “NEWSRADIO was one of our touchstones when developing the show, so having its star on board is truly an honour.”

Rounding out the ensemble is Holly Deveaux (LESS THAN KIND), Al Mukadam (RADIO FREE ROSCOE), Rebecca Dalton (THE L.A. COMPLEX,), J.P. Manoux (COMMUNITY), and Jadyn Wong (BEING ERICA).

The SPUN OUT pilot is produced by Project 10 Productions in association with Bell Media. Gemini Award winners Jeff Biederman (LIFE WITH DEREK, OVERRULED!) and Brent Piaskoski (THE LATEST BUZZ, ACCORDING TO JIM) are co-creators, writers and executive producers. Co-creator, director and executive producer is Brian K. Roberts (EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, THE DREW CAREY SHOW). Andrew Barnsley (HOT BOX) is executive producer.

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