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TV,eh? What's up in Canadian television
Featured, Masterchef Canada, Saving Hope

Saving Hope returns to CTV this fall

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This morning, CTV was the last of the major Canadian networks to announce a 2015/16 schedule after the annual Hollywood buying spree.

CBC this fall has a predominantly Canadian lineup with some UK and Australian acquisitions, City has more Sunnyside plus CBC’s Mr. D crossing networks, and Global has … nothing. While  boasting “17 hours of simulcast, more than any other Canadian network,” CTV has made room in their fall schedule for a new season of Saving Hope in a plum Thursday 9 pm timeslot, as well as their Saturday stalwart newsmagazine W5 celebrating 50 years on air.

Continuing Canadian daytime shows include The Marilyn Denis Show and The Social, and CTV will host The 2016 Juno Awards as well.

MasterChef Canada and Motive will return midseason in 2016, making CTV the home to the most Cancon of the major private networks this coming year (thanks at least in part to their required benefits spending after the Astral acquisition).

Saturday on baby sister network CTV TWO is repurposed Cancon night, with reruns of The Listener, Flashpoint, Motive and W5.

Look for the full 2015/16 schedule announcement here.

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Dark Matter

Link: Dark Matter shines a light on humanity

From Michael Idato of the Sydney Morning Herald:

‘Dark Matter’ shines a light on humanity
As the science fiction genre has become more earthbound, with shows such as Defiance and The 100 taking the traditional space opera framework and crashing it into the ground, the new series Dark Matter attempts, somewhat ambitiously, to relaunch the genre into orbit. The series, created by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie, explores the story of six individuals who wake up on a spacecraft with no memory of their past. Continue reading.

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Uncategorized

Tonight: Bahama Blue

From network episode descriptions:

Bahama Blue, Love Nature network – “Open Water”
Open Water makes up nearly half of the area of the Bahamas, but houses its most elusive species. These creatures must be able to swim far or fast, to search for food, mates and shelter. These iconic species: Oceanic White Tip Sharks, Sperm Whales and even the reclusive Blainesville Beaked Whales are some of the deepest hunters on the planet. Schools of fish and flocks of birds exploit every advantage in this environment, whether a patch of seaweed or a rocky outcrop.

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Children's Programming

Breakthrough and YTV team for Anne of Green Gables TV-movie

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From a media release:

The eagerly-anticipated two-hour original movie Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables from Breakthrough Entertainment will debut on Corus Entertainment’s YTV in early 2016.

Now in production in several locations throughout Canada, Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables, based on the classic Anne series of novels, is beautifully reimagined by Breakthrough in association with the author’s granddaughter, Kate MacDonald Butler who serves as an Executive Producer. John Kent Harrison will direct the movie special based on a script by Susan Coyne.

True to the beloved tale that has enchanted fans for over a century, Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables is the story of Anne Shirley, a fiercely imaginative little girl who touches the lives of everyone she meets. Taken from an orphanage to serve in the household of an older couple, Anne becomes the charge of strait-laced Marilla Cuthbert. Though Marilla is determined to bring discipline to the irrepressible Anne, neither has any idea as to the profound impact they will soon have on each other’s lives.

First published in 1908, Anne of Green Gables remains an iconic work of Canadian literature, which has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. The eight classic Anne of Green Gables novels set in P.E.I. have attracted generations of readers inspired by the adventures of the spirited redhead Anne Shirley, who comes to stay at Green Gables and wins the hearts of everyone she meets.

Taking the starring role as Anne Shirley is 13-year-old actress Ella Ballentine who started her film career in Hallmark TV movie starring Casper Van Dien (Baby’s First Christmas, 2012) and has since played leading and supporting roles alongside such distinguished actors as Susan Sarandon (The Calling, 2014), Ryan Reynolds and Rosario Dawson (The Captive, 2014), and Laurence Fishburne and Thomas Jane (Standoff, 2015). Addtionally, she recently completed filming one of the two starring roles in the feature film Against the Wild II: Surviving the Serengeti. Films in which Ballentine has appeared have been screened at a number of film festivals, including Cannes in 2014 and she has also appeared in television series including  the historical fantasy Reign and the medical drama series Saving Hope.

Highly regarded for his directorial work in the international miniseries format, John Kent Harrison’s television credits include the Emmy Award-winning The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler, The Lois Wilson Story, which received a SAG nomination for Winona Ryder, and William Faulkner’s Old Man, winner of two Emmy Awards, the Humanities Prize, the Christopher Medal and a Golden Reel. Celebrated as one of the co-creators and co-stars of the award-winning Slings and Arrows television series, script writer Susan Coyne has amassed a number of high-profile writing credits including series Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays and The Best Laid Plans. Executive Producers for Breakthrough Entertainment include Nat Abraham, Joan Lambur, Ira Levy, Michael McGuigan, and Peter Williamson with Ross Leslie acting as Producer and Lindsey Hermer-Bell as Production Designer. 

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