From a media release:

The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) announced today Brenda Gilbert (above left), President of BRON Media Corp has assumed the role of Vice Chair of the Board. Lionsgate’s Kevin Beggs was recently announced as Board Chair. In addition, Justin Stockman (above, right), Vice President of Content Development and Programming, Bell Media has joined the Foundation’s Board of Directors, while long-standing members of the Board of Directors John Brunton, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Executive Producer Insight Productions Ltd; Ira Levy, Executive Producer, Breakthrough Entertainment; and Blair Miller Managing Partner, TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good are stepping down.

“We’re delighted to welcome BRON’s Brenda Gilbert as Vice Chair of the Board and Bell Media’s Justin Stockman to our BANFF family,” said BANFF Board Chair and Lionsgate Television Group Chair Kevin Beggs. “Brenda leads one of today’s premier production companies and shares our passion for impactful storytelling. Her business expertise and creative vision make her the perfect addition to the Board, and Justin’s strong programming background and relationships will contribute greatly in continuing to make BANFF an amazing event.”

“BANFF continually raises the bar in fostering creativity and business development throughout the industry,” said Gilbert. “I am incredibly honored to have been appointed Vice Chair of the Board and look forward to working with Kevin and the team to further enrich and diversify the global marketplace.”

“It is my distinct honour to join the esteemed Banff World Media Festival Board of Directors,” said Justin Stockman, Vice-President, Content Development and Programming, Bell Media. “I look forward to collaborating with Kevin, and my fellow board members as we expand the conversation around content creation and diversification and look toward to shaping the future of our industry in Canada and around the world.”

Additional members of the Banff Television Festival Foundation’s Board of Director’s include:

Kevin Beggs
Chair, Lionsgate Television Group, Lionsgate

Colin Bohm
EVP, Content and Corporate Strategy, Corus Entertainment Inc

Sally Catto
General Manager, Entertainment, Factual and Sports, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

Sean Cohan
Chief Growth Officer and President, International, Nielsen Company

Tom Cox
Executive Producer, SEVEN24 Films

Valerie Creighton
President & CEO, Canada Media Fund

Sandra Dewey
Most Recently President, Business Operations and Productions HBO Max, TNT, TBS & truTV

Scott Henderson
Communications Executive

Jeniffer Kim
Senior Vice President, International Originals, HBO Max

Stephen MacDonald
President, Global Content Licensing & International, A+E Networks

Lisa Meeches
Founder and Executive Producer, Eagle Vision

Robin Mirsky
Executive Director, Rogers Group of Funds, Rogers Communications Inc.

About Brenda Gilbert
Brenda Gilbert is the President of BRON Media Corp, a company she co-founded and leads with her husband, Aaron L. Gilbert. The Vancouver based parent company has offices in Los Angeles, New York, London and Toronto. BRON Media Corp. is the parent company to operating units BRON Studios, BRON Releasing, BRON Digital, and BRON Ventures (holds an interest in a portfolio of 10 content companies). The BRON group of companies are industry leaders in production, finance and the sales and marketing of film, series television and animation.

Brenda has a special focus on BRON’s non-scripted arm BRON Life, and is currently an Executive Producer on several projects, including the Untitled Nicki Minaj series with HBO Max. Over her 20+ years in the media space, Brenda has produced, or executive produced more than two-dozen projects, including the recent animated film The Willoughbys, which premiered on Netflix in 2020.

Founded in 2010, BRON has been behind more than 100 productions and is proud to have been part of 27 Academy Award nominations and 6 Academy Award wins for the films: Fences, Joker, Pieces of a Woman, Greyhound, Bombshell, Roman J. Israel Esq., and Judas and The Black Messiah.

In addition to her role on BRON’s Board of Directors, Brenda sits on the board of Film Independent, she was the track chair for mentoring initiatives with Woman in Animation, is an Advisor to the Vancouver Film School and La Salle College, plus has volunteered her time with Vancouver Community College.

About Justin Stockman
As VP, Content Development & Programming, Justin Stockman is responsible for English TV programming including CTV, Crave, and Bell Media’s English-language specialty channels Discovery, MTV, E!, Much, CTV Drama, CTV Life, CTV Comedy, CTV Sci-Fi with a focus on developing groundbreaking new content.

Stockman’s role includes the ongoing negotiation and development of Bell Media’s Original Production programming content for all platforms with local producers and international studios.

Stockman also leads Bell Media’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, both internally as a member of the organization’s Diversity Leadership Council and with external partners like HireBIPOC, the definitive and ubiquitous industry-wide roster of Canadian BIPOC creatives and crew working in screen-based industries.

Formerly Vice-President, Brand Partnerships and Client Strategy on the Bell Media Sales team, Stockman role included oversight of the Sales team in leveraging Bell Media’s competitive advantage in content, production, data and platforms with clients, agencies, and internal stakeholders while driving new revenue opportunities through strategic brand integrations and data-driven client strategies.

Previously Vice-President, Premium SVOD and OTT, Bell Media, Stockman was responsible for strategy, management, programming, content licensing, merchandising, and marketing partnerships for Bell Media’s premium subscription video on demand (SVOD) services, Crave, Crave + Movies + HBO, and STARZ as well as driving direct-to-consumer revenue including customer acquisition and retention. Additionally, Stockman’s portfolio included oversight of English and French customer care centres for Crave, and Bell Media’s over-the-top (OTT) services including TSN Direct, RDS Direct, and STARZ, as well as Much Studios

Prior to this, Stockman worked as Vice-President, Specialty Channels, where he oversaw all brands and day-to-day activities affecting Entertainment Specialty Channels Much, MTV, Gusto, E!, Bravo, Space, The Comedy Network, and their complimentary digital networks, as well as Pay channels TMN and HBO Canada.

Stockman was previously Executive Director, Marketing, Specialty Channels, where he oversaw all brand-positioning, consumer and trade marketing, social media marketing, and social media communities for Bell Media’s Specialty properties.

Stockman has worked at Bell Media for more than a decade in various capacities including creative services and production as creative director, supervising producer, producer, writer, editor, and web designer.

In 2015, Stockman was recognized with the 2015 Digital Play of the Year by Playback.

Stockman graduated in 1996 from York University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, with Specialized Honours in Visual Arts Studio. In 2009 he earned his MBA through a joint program at Cornell University in New York and Queen’s University in Kingston.

Located in Banff, Alberta, Canada, BANFF is a premium marketplace and conference, an intimate space where unparalleled access, creative inspiration and expert insight combine to launch fresh content and new business strategies. Celebrating its upcoming 43rd year in 2022, the festival has grown into a must-attend annual event where media moguls, producers, creatives and industry stakeholders along with broadcasters and digital media companies tackle issues and trends, forge relationships and nurture partnerships in one of the world’s most stunning landscapes.

Transplant

Award-winning CTV original drama Transplant returns for Season 2 January 3

December 10, 2021 Greg David

From a media release:

Following a successful first season that garnered worldwide acclaim, and four Canadian Screen Award wins including Best Drama Series, CTV Original drama TRANSPLANT returns for its second season Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/PT beginning Jan. 3 on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app. Season 2 of TRANSPLANT is produced by Sphere Media in association with CTV and Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group, and the translated French version, TRANSPLANTÉ, joins Noovo’s lineup in 2022.

Filmed in Montréal, Season 2 of TRANSPLANT consists of 13 one-hour episodes and is anchored by Hamza Haq (My Salinger Year) as Dr. Bashir Hamed – known to most as Bash – a talented doctor and Syrian refugee who fled to Canada and was granted a second chance to practice Emergency Medicine at York Memorial Hospital in Toronto. In advance of the Season 2 premiere, viewers can catch-up on Season 1 on CTV.ca and the CTV app.

Season 2 of TRANSPLANT picks up almost immediately where Season 1 left off, with Bash (Haq) and his fellow residents reeling after their Chief of Emergency Medicine, Dr. Jed Bishop (John Hannah, MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.), suffered a stroke. With everything at the hospital destabilized, the place Bash was starting to consider home suddenly feels precarious. As the team adjusts to new colleagues while dealing with the challenges of life, unexpected faces from the past leave Bash questioning what his ‘transplant’ into this new world really means. Bash’s hard work, compassion, and hopefulness tell a universal story about the human ability to not only survive, but ultimately thrive, when our lives suddenly change course.

Joining Season 2 in recurring roles are Gord Rand (CHAPELWAITE, ORPHAN BLACK) as Dr. Mark Novak, and Nora Guerch (TOM CLANCY’S JACK RYAN, Zoe) as a woman from Bash’s past who was reunited with him at the end of Season 1. Also appearing in Season 2 is TRANSPLANT cultural consultant and internationally produced playwright and actor Ahmad Meree, who plays a character with a gripping, defining role in Bash’s past.

Returning cast starring alongside Haq are Laurence Leboeuf (19-2) as Dr. Magalie “Mags” Leblanc; Hannah as Dr. Jed Bishop; Ayisha Issa (Polar) as Dr. June Curtis; and Jim Watson (DESIGNATED SURVIVOR) as Dr. Theo Hunter. Also back for Season 2 are Sirena Gulamgaus (ORPHAN BLACK) as Amira Hamed; Torri Higginson (DARK MATTER, THIS LIFE) as Claire Malone; Linda Smith (19-2) as Dr. Wendy Atwater; Kenny Wong (PRETTY HARD CASES) as Arnold De Luca; and Sugith Varughese (KIM’S CONVENIENCE) as Dr. Aajay Singh.

Resonating with audiences across the country, TRANSPLANT was the biggest new Canadian drama since 2015, becoming the most-watched Canadian series among total viewers, with an average audience of 1.4 million during the 2019-20 broadcast season. Following the success of the first season in Canada, the series has been embraced by U.S. viewers on NBC and across multiple territories including the UK, Australia, Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands. The critically acclaimed series also garnered six Canadian Screen Award nominations and four wins, including the coveted Best Drama Series, and Best Lead Actor, Drama Series for Hamza Haq.

On the Season 2 premiere of TRANSPLANT, titled “Guardrail” (Monday, Jan. 3 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app), a bus full of kids crashes and sends the team racing. Bash’s (Haq) life is upended when he is reunited with a woman from his past. With Dr. Bishop (Hannah) still unconscious after his stroke, Mags (Leboeuf) struggles to find support in her mentor’s absence. Theo (Watson) faces repercussions from his family after taking a full-time job away from home, and June (Issa) has an important career decision to make. An encore of the Season 2 premiere airs Thursday, Jan. 6 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV.

Writers on Season 2 of TRANSPLANT include Joseph Kay, who is also Executive Producer and Showrunner, Adam Barken (EP), Stephanie Morgenstern (EP), Mark Ellis (EP), Rachel Langer (Co-EP), Julie Puckrin (Co-EP), Tamara Moulin, Anusree Roy, Sami Khan, and Carmine Pierre Dufour. Directors are Stefan Pleszczynski, who also serves as Executive Producer, Daniel Grou (PODZ), Chloé Robichaud, Bosedé Williams, and Kim Nguyen.

Cultural consultants on Season 2 of TRANSPLANT, providing valuable insight and feedback on scripts and character development, include Dr. Khaled Almilaji, Ahmad Meree, Manar Chabouk, Dr. Yusra Ahmad, Muzna Dureid, and Eli Shankji.

All distribution rights for TRANSPLANT are handled by NBCUniversal Global Distribution, with the series airing on NBC in the U.S. The series is produced with the participation of the Canada Media Fund, provincial and federal tax credits, SODEC, the Bell Fund, and the IPF’s Cogeco Television Production Fund.

TRANSPLANT is created by Joseph Kay who also serves as Executive Producer and Showrunner. For Sphere Media, Executive Producers are Bruno Dubé, Jocelyn Deschênes, Virginia Rankin, Josée Vallée, and Tara Woodbury.

Children Ruin Everything

CTV original comedy Children Ruin Everything premieres Jan. 12 on CTV

December 10, 2021 Greg David 4 Comments

From a media release:

Raising kids and lowering expectations: CTV welcomes the arrival of its new original comedy CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING, airing Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app, beginning Jan. 12. Created by Emmy® and Golden Globe® Award-winner Kurt Smeaton (SCHITT’S CREEK, KIM’S CONVENIENCE), CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING follows parents, Astrid (Meaghan Rath, BEING HUMAN) and James (Aaron Abrams, BLINDSPOT), as they raise their two young children in the city and struggle to hold on to their pre-kid life. Filmed in Toronto and Hamilton, Ont., the first season consists of eight half-hour episodes.

In CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING, Astrid and James struggle to maintain their sanity in the face of their young children. The series chronicles their war of identity – one conceded battle at a time – it illustrates the hilarious and varied ways kids can wreck happiness, annihilate goals and dreams, and re-invent lives. However, it also explores how sometimes, if parents are very lucky, their re-invented life is sort of okay, too. Nowhere near as good as that old, really great life. But still kinda nice.

CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING stars Meaghan Rath as Astrid, a busy mom who does not care about being perfect or following so-called parenting trends by mommy bloggers; Aaron Abrams as James, a dad who is a mild perfectionist and pressures himself to be a great father – but still misses the freedom, spontaneity, and fun from his life before kids; and introducing Logan Nicholson (BLUES CLUES AND YOU) and Mikayla SwamiNathan as Felix and Viv – James and Astrid’s adorable seven-year-old son and four-year-old daughter, who are sucking the life out of their parents, one tantrum at a time.

Joining the cast in supporting roles are Ennis Esmer (BLINDSPOT, SCHITT’S CREEK) as James’ best friend and colleague, Ennis; Nazneen Contractor (RANSOM, HEROES REBORN) as Astrid’s successful and mildly pretentious older sister Dawn; Dmitry Chepovetsky (KILLJOYS, DEPARTURE) as Bo – Dawn’s husband and a maternal, earthy, loving dork; Darius Rota as Dawn and Bo’s brazen 10-year-old son Corey; Veena Sood (CORNER GAS ANIMATED, THE INDIAN DETECTIVE) as Astrid and Dawn’s recently retired mother Nisha; and Lisa Codrington (LETTERKENNY, ANNE WITH AN E) as James and Ennis’ cunning, fiercely competitive, and ruthless boss who believes children are career killers. This season also features guest appearances by Seán Cullen (WORKIN’ MOMS) and Anna Hopkins (THE EXPANSE).

On the series premiere of CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING, “Meals” (Wednesday, Jan. 12 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app), after four years of being a stay-at-home mom, Astrid (Rath) is ready to return to work. She and James (Abrams) decide to mark the occasion with a celebratory dinner with the kids. However, getting Felix (Nicholson) and Viv (SwamiNathan) to cooperate at the dinner table is a struggle, leading to a disastrous (and dangerous) dinner. Meanwhile, as James and Astrid prepare for more money, more date nights, and less diapers, Astrid comes to terms with the truth: she wants another baby.

Exclusive videos are available throughout the season on CTV.ca and the CTV app, providing viewers with an extension of the series with bonus digital content that includes behind-the-scenes videos and more.

As previously announced, CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING joins the Roku Originals programming slate on The Roku Channel in the U.S. in 2022.

The series is from award-winning New Metric Media and is created and executive produced by Golden Globe® and Emmy® Award-winner Kurt Smeaton (SCHITT’S CREEK), and executive produced by one of television’s premier comedy writers Chuck Tatham (MODERN FAMILY, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT), multiple Canadian Screen Award-winner Mark Montefiore (LETTERKENNY, WHAT WOULD SAL DO?), and Meaghan Rath, with Beth Iley (KILLJOYS) serving as producer. Renuka Jeyapalan (KIM’S CONVENIENCE, GINNY & GEORGIA) and Melanie Orr (THE PARKER ANDERSONS, THE HARDY BOYS) direct the series.

Bell Media Distribution is the international rights holder for CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING, and New Metric Media is the series’ exclusive Sales Agent. The series is produced by New Metric Media in association with CTV, with the participation of the Canada Media Fund and Bell Fund.

Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: Mary Berg gifts us treats in holiday-themed Mary Makes it Easy

November 26, 2021 Greg David

Now that the world has returned to some sort of order—at least, as much as it can—many of us will face that all too familiar dread surrounding the holidays: the Christmas meal.

A too-dry turkey, gluey mashed potatoes (of which I have been guilty) and watery pumpkin pie are just three of many mishaps that can occur when folks congregate during the holidays.

But Mary Berg has got your (and my) back this year.

Debuting Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern on CTV Life Channel with a special episode of Mary Makes it Easy called “Mary Makes it Merry,” the MasterChef Canada winner, cookbook author, celebrity chef and culinary coach aptly guides you through an easy as pie (see what I did there) bunch of recipes designed to keep you organized when family descends.

“It breaks my heart to hear that the worst part of the holidays for a lot of people is making the holiday meal. By the time you shop for the food and make the standard feast you’ve spent so long prepping, it’s no wonder you’re overwhelmed,” Mary says in a media release promoting the instalment. “With my shortcuts and time-saving strategies, I’m going to make the holidays so easy.”

It all kicks off with perhaps the easiest bread dish I’ve ever seen. I’ve struggled with making cinnamon buns in the past, eventually giving up and buying them from bakers. No more, thanks to Mary’s Cinnamon Roll Bread, which looks so simple even I could master it. The same goes for the Stuffed Turkey Roulade she tackles as the main dish. Once Mary completes a couple of sides, including dead easy cranberry sauce, I was convinced. I can, and will, do all of that for my family and more, over the holidays.

Mary Makes it Easy, “Mary Makes it Merry,” airs Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern on CTV Life Channel.

Image courtesy of Bell Media.

Coroner, Featured, Industry News, Pretty Hard Cases, Still Standing, Tallboyz, The Porter, Workin' Moms

CBC announces winter premiere dates

November 23, 2021 Greg David

From a media release:

CBC today announced broadcast and streaming premiere dates for its winter 2022 slate of programming, including over 20 new and returning original series from Canadian creators, producers and storytellers across all genres. The new winter primetime schedule launches Sunday, January 2 on CBC TV and the free CBC Gem streaming service.

WINTER 2022 SCHEDULE – CBC TV & CBC GEM:

All following times local with the exception of Newfoundland, please add half an hour to all times.

MONDAYS
7:30PM – FAMILY FEUD CANADA

8PM – MURDOCH MYSTERIES; Season 15 continues January 3

9PM – THE PORTER premieres February 21

TUESDAYS
8PM – THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES; Season 29 continues January 4

8:30PM – SON OF A CRITCH premieres January 4

9PM – WORKIN’ MOMS returns for Season 6 on January 4

9:30PM – The TALLBOYZ are back for a third season on January 25,

WEDNESDAYS
8PM – STILL STANDING returns for Season 7 on January 5

8:30PM – RUN THE BURBS premieres January 5

9PM – PRETTY HARD CASES returns for Season 2 on January 5

THURSDAYS
8PM – CORONER Season 4 premieres January 6

9PM – THE FIFTH ESTATE continues January 6

FRIDAYS
8PM – MARKETPLACE continues on January 7

8:30PM – ARCTIC VETS returns for a second season on January 7

9PM – THE NATURE OF THINGS continues on January 7

CBC GEM ORIGINAL SERIES:

Hosted by Madison Tevlin, WHO DO YOU THINK I AM? begins streaming Friday, January 7, featuring Maddie as she chats with guests one-on-one and connects with people who, like herself, are often misinterpreted and misperceived.

TRUE DATING STORIES returns with Season 3 on Friday, January 28. Whether it’s true romance or a night gone horribly wrong, this series offers the greatest real dating stories ever told, reenacted by performers with all the drama, romance and comedy they deserve.

BEST IN MINIATURE is a unique competition series premiering Friday, February 11. Hosted by Aba Amuquandoh (This Hour Has 22 Minutes), the show follows 11 competitors from around the world as they build their dream homes in miniature form.

CBC SPORTS:

As Canada’s Olympic and Paralympic Network, CBC will provide the compelling coverage and award-winning storytelling that audiences have come to expect, leading up to, during and after the OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES BEIJING 2022 (February 4 – 20) and PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES (March 4 – 13). In addition to Olympic coverage, CBC SPORTS will continue to keep Canadians connected to the world of high-performance sport through weekly staple ROAD TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES, available on CBC TV and CBC Gem, as well as live streams of key competitions on cbcsports.ca and the CBC Sports app. Upcoming events include: The Alpine Skiing World Cup, kicking off this weekend in Lake Louise; and the Canadian National Figure Skating Championships in January where Canada’s Olympic Team will be determined.

CBC KIDS:

Hosted by musician Melanie Doane and premiering Saturday, January 8, new original series UKULELE U encourages young viewers at home to sing, move, and learn along with a cast of kids known as the UKE TROUPE.