TV, eh? | What's up in Canadian television | Page 144
TV,eh? What's up in Canadian television
Slasher

Links: Slasher: Flesh & Blood

From Heather M. of The Televixen:

Link: Aaron Martin and Ian Carpenter talk casting, characters and stunts in Slasher: Flesh & Blood
“When we’re coming up with our characters, oftentimes we’re talking about which of our returning actors or other actors we have wanted to work with would be good for those roles, because, in Canada, at some point or another you’ve worked with, or have seen the work of, other actors, so we know shorthand wise, who excites us.” Continue reading.

From Clark Collis of Entertainment Weekly:

Link: Legendary filmmaker David Cronenberg on his role in Slasher: Flesh & Blood and his return to directing
“I was very flattered that they would offer me this role because it is a role unlike anything that I’ve ever played before.” Continue reading.

From Mads Lennon of 1428 Elm:

Link: Slasher: Flesh & Blood cast and crew discuss the brutality of the new season
From the very beginning of Slasher Season 4, you’ll discover that this season is not pulling any punches. It goes all out with the gore, shocking kills, and twisted family secrets. Continue reading.

From Heather M. of TV Goodness:

Link: Aaron Martin and Ian Carpenter talk Slasher: Flesh & Blood
This Thursday, US audiences can get their gore on when Slasher‘s fourth season, “Flesh & Blood,” makes its US premiere on its new home, Shudder, before premiering in October in Canada on Hollywood Suite. Continue reading.

From Victoria Ahearn of the Canadian Press:

Link: Horror master David Cronenberg on confronting death, on camera and off
“He’s really nasty. He gets sadistic and he gets to yell at a lot of people, which is really a lot of fun. I don’t do that much in my own life. So it was fun to be a guy who does that.” Continue reading.

From Marriska Fernandes of the Toronto Star:

Link: David Cronenberg learns that it’s fun to be nasty in ‘Slasher: Flesh & Blood’
David Cronenberg, the director and sometime actor hailed as one of the world’s most iconic horror filmmakers, couldn’t say no when the makers of the made-in-Canada horror series “Slasher” offered him the chance to play a type of person he’s never portrayed before. Continue reading.

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Jann

Season 3 of CTV’s hit original comedy Jann premieres Sept. 20

From a media release:

A heartwarming comedy about fame, fortune, and a diva in denial, CTV Original comedy series JANN returns for its third season Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app, beginning Sept. 20. Set and filmed in Calgary and featuring co-creator and star Jann Arden as a fictionalized version of herself, Season 3 consists of eight half-hour episodes.

A star that’s fading and a family in need of help, Season 3 of JANN is a period of new beginnings as Jann (Arden) takes her life, career, and relationships into her own hands – but will the same old antics ensue? After months without a manager and letting everything in her life (including paying the power bill) slide, she hires a personal assistant, commits to making a new album from the heart, and after her girlfriend refused her marriage proposal, starts dating someone new…a younger man.

Confirmed to guest star on the series’ third season is Grammy® Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter Michael Bublé as himself. Season 3 also features cameos from JUNO Award-winning Canadian indie pop band Tegan and Sara and Canadian singer-songwriter Bif Naked.

As previously announced, joining the cast of JANN in leading roles this season are Canadian actors Tenaj Williams (BIG SKY, WYNONNA EARP) and Charlie Kerr (SUPERNATURAL, THE MAGICIANS). Williams stars as Trey, Jann’s new personal assistant; while Kerr plays Nate, who finds himself in a love triangle with Jann and her ex-girlfriend Cynthia.

Also returning alongside Arden this season are Zoie Palmer (PURE, Spiral) as Jann’s sister Max; Deborah Grover (My Next Door Nightmare, THE SURREALTOR, GOODWITCH) as Jann’s mom Nora; Patrick Gilmore (Travelers; You, Me, Her) as Jann’s brother-in-law Dave; Elena Juatco (Escape the Field, SCHITT’S CREEK) as Jann’s fired manager Cale; Jason Blicker (UMBRELLA ACADEMY, Finding Hannah) as Jann’s former manager Todd; Sharon Taylor (BIG SKY, Bad Blood) as Jann’s ex-girlfriend Cynthia; Alexa Rose Steele (Friends Who Kill, Vicious Fun) as Jann’s eldest niece Charley; Ceilidh MacDonald as Jann’s niece Sam; and Keaira Pliva as Jann’s niece Frankie.

On the Season 3 premiere of JANN, titled “Help Wanted” (Monday, Sept. 20 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CTV), after months without a manager, Jann (Jann Arden) realizes she needs to take control of both her life and career – starting with hiring a personal assistant. But instead of advertising for one, she sits in on her sister Max’s (Zoie Palmer) nanny interviews to poach the best one for herself. Meanwhile, Jann’s ex-manager Cale (Elena Juatco) shows up and it’s clear being fired by Jann has broken her.

Seasons 1 and 2 of JANN are currently available for streaming on CTV.ca, the CTV app, and Crave, and in the United States on Hulu, in anticipation of the Season 3 premiere.

To date, the series has received seven Canadian Screen Award nominations, including a nomination for Best Comedy Series. JANN continues to be led in Season 3 by Emmy® Award-winning producer Andrew Barnsley (SCHITT’S CREEK); Ben Murray, President of Project 10; Tom Cox and Jordy Randall of Playback’s Production Company of the Year: SEVEN24 Films (HEARTLAND, WYNONNA EARP), and Randy Lennox. Season 3 is directed by Ron Murphy. JANN Co-creators are Jann Arden, Jennica Harper, and Leah Gauthier. Jann Arden and showrunner Jennica Harper are the recipients of a Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Award for Best Comedy Series.

JANN was co-developed by Bell Media and Project 10 Productions, and is produced in association with Project 10 Productions, and SEVEN24 Films.

JANN is created by Jann Arden, Leah Gauthier, and Jennica Harper who also serve as Executive Producers with Jennica Harper Showrunning.

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Industry News, Orphan Black, The Lake

Amazon Prime Video begins production on the first scripted Canadian Amazon original comedy series – The Lake

From a media release:

Amazon Prime Video today announced the start of production of the first scripted Canadian Amazon Original series, The Lake. Set in cottage country, the 30-minute episodic comedy will film in northern Ontario from August to September. The Lake stars Jordan Gavaris (Orphan Black), Julia Stiles (Hustlers, The Bourne Identity) and Madison Shamoun (#blackAF, Black-ish). The series will launch in 2022 and be available exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

The Lake centres on the quintessential Canadian cottage experience, and one man’s attempt to recreate his childhood memories in an effort to re-connect with his biological daughter. Produced by AMAZE and filmed in northern Ontario, the series taps into the family bonding, relaxing in nature and the peacefulness of cottage country then turns it on its head, with petty rivalry, strained relationships, day drinking, and mosquito-ravaged sunburns.

In The Lake, Justin (Jordan Gavaris) returns from living abroad after a break-up with his long-term partner, in the hope of reconnecting with the biological daughter that he gave up for adoption in his teens. His plans to create new memories with his city-loving daughter Billie (Madison Shamoun) at the idyllic lake from his childhood go awry when he finds out his father left the family cottage to his “picture-perfect” stepsister, Maisy-May (Julia Stiles). Additional cast include Jon Dore (Funny As Hell, Humour Resources), Carolyn Scott (Pushing Tin, Goosebumps), Natalie Lisinka (Orphan Black, The Expanse), Travis Nelson (Tucker and Dale vs Evil) and Declan Whaley (Criminal Minds).

The Lake is produced by AMAZE, with Michael Souther and Teza Lawrence serving as executive producers for AMAZE (Carter, Call Me Fitz), and is written and executive produced by Julian Doucet (Killjoys, St Nickel). The Lake comes from Amazon Studios and is part of Prime Video’s continued investment in Canada. The Lake is the fourth announced Canadian Amazon Original series following the revival of the sketch comedy The Kids in the Hall, docu-series All or Nothing: Toronto Maple Leafs, and comedy-variety series LOL: Last One Laughing Canada. Since 2015, Amazon Studios has filmed 24 Amazon Original series and films in Canada, including The Man in the High Castle and Upload in Vancouver, The Boys and The Expanse in Toronto, Tales from the Loop in Winnipeg, as well as parts of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and The Voyeurs in Montreal.

The Lake will join the thousands of TV shows and movies from Hollywood and worldwide in the Prime Video catalog including award-winning and critically acclaimed Amazon Originals like The Tomorrow War, The Underground Railroad, Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm, The Boys, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, and Emmy and Golden Globe award winners Fleabag and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, all on Prime Video, which is available at no extra cost for Amazon Prime members.

Prime members will be able to watch all episodes of The Lake anywhere and anytime on the Prime Video app for smart TVs, mobile devices, Fire TV, Fire TV stick, Fire tablets, Apple TV and stream online.

Image courtesy of Peter Stranks.

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Slasher

Link: Don’t miss Netflix’s best horror show you’ve probably never heard of

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From Paul Tassi of Forbes:

Link: Don’t miss Netflix’s best horror show you’ve probably never heard of
Slasher is a Canadian series that was picked up and branded as a Netflix original, but it has gotten little promotion for the three seasons that exist right now. What I was surprised to see was how good this series is, which was flying so under the radar I had missed it for years, even as a big horror fan. Continue reading.

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Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Rezolution Pictures announces greenlight for second season of GESPE’GEWA’GI: The Last Land on APTN

From a media release:

Rezolution Pictures is very proud to announce that APTN has greenlit the second season of GESPE’GEWA’GI: The Last Land for a 10-part, half-hour episode series. Pre-production is scheduled to begin in August and shooting commences in Fall 2021, continuing into Summer 2022 in the Mi’gmaq communities of Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

GESPE’GEWA’GI: The Last Land, Season 2, is a documentary series about the Indigenous men and women of Mi’gmagi who work for Indigenous-run commercial fisheries Following larger-than-life characters, we experience the fun and excitement of their lives on and off the water. We also get an inside perspective on how First Nations commercial fishing industries — that were born out of violence and defiance — grew to be a key economic and cultural support for the communities.

The subject is quite topical as two events have been in the news in the last year: The conflicts between Nova Scotia’s Mi’kmaq and non-Indigenous commercial fishers and the British Columbia Court of Appeal’s upholding of parts of a lower court ruling that Canada’s regulation and management of regular commercial fisheries unjustifiably infringed on the First Nations fishers’ rights to harvest and sell fish.

The first season of the documentary series about the Mi’gmaq fishers of Listuguj, Que., who make their living on the nearby waters harvesting salmon, crab, lobster and shrimp, was first broadcast in Winter 2021 and the entire season is re-running on APTN now as well as on APTN lumi.

Featuring some of the larger-than-life characters from Season One and introducing some new brave, funny, and robust fishers, biologists, Elders and community members, Season Two will be anchored in Listuguj but also travel to other Indigenous fisheries in Mi’kmaq territory, such as Gesgapegiag, Que., Eel River Bar, N.B., and Sipekne’katik, N.S. It will continue to showcase life on the water, the science and conservation efforts being put forward, and the history, culture, and community of the Mi’gmagi.

GESPE’GEWA’GI: The Last Land is co-executive produced by Ernest Webb (Cree) and Greg Lawrence, produced by Lisa M. Roth. Season 2 combines the directing talent of Ernest Webb, Greg Lawrence, and Courtney Montour (Mohawk). In season 2, Heather Condo (Mi’gmaq) returns as Director Trainee and April Maloney (Mi’kmaq) comes on board as director of photography trainee, with the support of the ISO-Netflix Indigenous Production Apprenticeship Program.

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