TV, eh? | What's up in Canadian television | Page 1497
TV,eh? What's up in Canadian television

Battle of the Blades’ Kurt Browning on winning the battle

From Bill Harris of QMI:

Go figure; Kurt Browning says a win is a win on Battle of the Blades
Kurt Browning seems a little sheepish as he says it. But there’s no need for him to be. We would expect this sort of attitude from a world-class athlete. “You like winning,” Browning says. “I’m sorry, but you like winning.” Browning was attempting to explain what happens to the participants on Battle of the Blades. The fourth season of CBC’s reality-competition series, which pairs figure skaters with ex-hockey players in a figure-skating competition, wraps up with its big finale on Sunday, Nov. 17. Continue reading.

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Tweed-Simmons reality show in the works

From a media release:

Shannon Tweed-Simmons and daughter Sophie Tweed-Simmons Start Filming New Reality Show

Force Four Entertainment is excited to kick off production on a new reality series, starring Shannon Tweed-Simmons, Canadian actress, model and wife of KISS frontman Gene Simmons, and their daughter, actress and singer, Sophie Tweed-Simmons, for Corus Entertainment’s W Network. The eight-episode, half-hour series begins shooting in December and is set to air on W Network in 2014.

Shannon and daughter Sophie are polar opposites – one is a former playmate with a long career in acting and modeling, while the other is a straight-A student who runs a children’s charity in Vancouver. In the new series, the duo will show that despite their differences they remain best friends – and when it comes to what they want, they don’t take no for an answer.

A big part of Shannon and Sophie’s new show will be the many celebrities and personalities they will run into during social and business adventures including Rock Legend and Media Mogul, Gene Simmons himself, who will make regular cameo appearances. The series will be shot primarily in Los Angeles, Vancouver and Whistler.

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New Wednesday: Dragons’ Den, Republic of Doyle

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Dragons’ Den, CBC – “Student Special”
In the Student Special the Dragons show off their best dance moves; an elementary idea targets a mess in the Den; and a high pitched pitch, sneaks by the Dragons. Plus, a pitch shows the Dragons that with hard work, entrepreneurship has no age restriction.

Republic of Doyle, CBC – “Missing”
A memory-addled Jake has must fill in the blanks from the night before when Sloan goes missing and her worried aunt, Patti (Serinda Swan) seeks his help. Mal and Des get tangled up with dangerous thug as Des avoids an awkward confrontation with Tinny. Jake and Leslie come to a crossroads in their relationship and finally make a decision regarding their future. Guest Stars: Serinda Swan, Lola Tash, Matt Bois, Adrian G. Griffiths, Scott McCord

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Made in Canada reunion at Canadian International Television Festival

From a media release:

Made in Canada 15th Anniversary Cast Reunion at the Inaugural Canadian International Television Festival

  • Rick Mercer, Peter Keleghan, Leah Pinsent, Dan Lett, Jackie Torrens and Executive Producer Gerald Lunz all Confirmed to Attend
  • Saturday, November 16 at 6:00 p.m. at TIFF Bell Lightbox
  • Tickets Now Available, Visit www.CITF13.tv for More Information & Ticket Details
  • Follow CITF @CITF13

The hilarious and satirical Made in Canada series celebrates 15 years and have chosen CITF to celebrate its anniversary. Co-creator and star Rick Mercer, Peter Keleghan, Leah Pinsent, Dan Lett, Jackie Torrens along with Executive Producer Gerald Lunz, director Henry Sarwer-Foner, and series writers Edward Riche and Mark Farrell have all confirmed their attendance. Audiences will be treated to a screening and cast will be on-hand afterwards for a Q&A on Saturday, November 16 at 6:00 p.m.

George Anthony, CBC Television remarked: “It was a dream show for the network, not only because it was a critical success but also because it was a wildly entertaining showcase for Canadian guest stars. And the industry it lampooned was the first to praise it. The accolades from peers were overwhelming. Suddenly we were up for awards from the Writers’ Guild, the Directors’ Guild, the Canadian Comedy Awards. When the nominations for the 2002 Geminis were announced, Made In Canada led all other programs with 14 nominations, which I believe was the first and only time that a sitcom earned more nominations than any of the big dramatic series like DaVinci’s Inquest or the really big mini-series like Trudeau. Four of the nominations for Best Director in a Comedy Series or Program had gone to Made In Canada, and in an even more historic first, the series had won all five nominations for Best Writing in a Comedy or Variety Program or Series. Between the time we started the series and the time we finished, Made In Canada had earned more than three dozen Gemini nominations and taken home 10 Gemini statuettes.”

Made in Canada began its five season run on the CBC in 2008. A satire of film and television production, Made in Canada revolves around Pyramid Productions, a viper’s nest of creative incompetence, savage greed and hysterical backbiting. Alan Roy (Peter Keleghan), the head of the company, follows whatever is trendy in the production world, whether it be owning his own cable channel or having a designer office. His decisions are usually idiotic and occasionally impossible to fulfill and constantly lead to extra work for his staff; ‘Richard Strong’ (Rick Mercer), the ambitiously Machiavellian producer, the dim witted producer ‘Victor Sela’ (Dan Lett), cunning production accountant ‘Veronica Miller’ (Leah Pinsent) and Wanda Mattice (Jackie Torrens), the office secretary who shrewdly uses her job to attain more power than her role officially holds. Henry Sarwer-Foner directed 22 episodes over the five seasons including the pilot episode.

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TV, eh? podcast episode 157 – “It’s Getting Yummier”

Conference
The CRTC’s idea of what a Flash conference looks like.

Anthony and Diane are joined by techno-nerd Shane Birley to talk about what’s wrong with Canadian television — that is, about the CRTC’s Let’s Talk TV campaign. We sort-of answer two of their three questions and ignore the stupid one:

  • What do you think about what’s on television?
  • What do you think about how you receive television programming

But first we discuss the news in Canadian television, including Saving Hope’s renewal, The Amazing Race Canada and The Bachelor Canada casting, Working the Engels guest stars, and the Canadian International Television Festival.

Episode 157: Listen or download or subscribe via iTunes or with any other program via the TV, Eh? feed.

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