From Rebecca Tucker of the National Post:
This Hour Has 22 Minutes has a hit on its hands with Senate scandal parody ‘Tories’
Through a fairly deft confluence of zeitgeisty pop music and current political scandal, CBC mainstay This Hour Has 22 Minutes has found itself going viral — in Canada, at least — with its send-up of the Senate scandal set to the melody of Lorde’s No. 1 hit Royals. Continue reading.
From a media release:
Production Begins in Toronto on Movie Central and The Movie Network’s New Original Comedy Series SENSITIVE SKIN, Starring Kim Cattrall and Don McKellar
Rhombus Media, Corus Entertainment’s Movie Central, and Bell Media’s The Movie Network announced today that production is underway on SENSITIVE SKIN, a new series based on the acclaimed BBC program of the same name. Kim Cattrall stars in the bittersweet comedy about 50-somethings and executive produces along with co-star Don McKellar, who directs all six episodes from scripts by Bob Martin. Also announced today are additional cast members including Academy Award®-nominee Elliott Gould (M*A*S*H, FRIENDS, RAY DONOVAN), Nicolas Wright (White House Down), Gemini Award-winner Colm Feore (THE BORGIAS), Joanna Gleason (Last Vegas), Gemini Award-winner Clé Bennett (FLASHPOINT), Mary Walsh (THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES), and Marc-André Grondin (C.R.A.Z.Y.). SENSITIVE SKIN marks Cattrall’s return to television following the conclusion of her wildly successful HBO series SEX IN THE CITY. SENSITIVE SKIN shoots in Toronto for six weeks. TRICON FILMS & TELEVISION will handle international distribution of the series.
“SENSITIVE SKIN is a funny, sad, raw, and beautiful portrait of a woman my age who is literally haunted by doubt and the choices she has made in life,” said series lead and Executive Producer Kim Cattrall. “It’s a project I’ve been developing for years and with the help of Don McKellar, Bob Martin, and the Rhombus dream team, it’s finally coming to life.”
SENSITIVE SKIN is the story of Davina (Kim Cattrall), a woman of a certain age and her long-time husband Al (Don McKellar), who have sold their comfortable family home and moved downtown to an ultra-modern condo, in a transitional neighbourhood, in a conscious effort to change their lives, keep relevant, and begin again. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happens.
Based on the original British version starring Joanna Lumley (ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS), SENSITIVE SKIN stars Golden Globe® Award-winner and Emmy® Award-nominee Kim Cattrall (SEX AND THE CITY), Genie and Tony Award®-winner Don McKellar (Blindness, SLINGS AND ARROWS) as the show’s lead characters Davina and Al, respectively. The series also stars Academy Award®-nominee Elliott Gould (M*A*S*H, FRIENDS, RAY DONOVAN) as Al’s opportunistic physician; Nicolas Wright (White House Down) as Davina and Al’s neurotic and depressive son Orlando; Gemini Award-winner Colm Feore (THE BORGIAS) as Davina’s brother-in-law Roger; Tony Award-winner Joanna Gleason (Last Vegas) as her conservative older sister Veronica; Gemini Award-winner Mary Walsh (THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES) as Sarah, a well-known radio personality; Gemini Award-winner Clé Bennett (FLASHPOINT) as Theodore, the friendly neighbourhood drug dealer; and Jutra Award-winner Marc-André Grondin (C.R.A.Z.Y.) as Greg. This new adaption is written by Bob Martin (MICHAEL: TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS, SLINGS AND ARROWS).
SENSITIVE SKIN is produced by Rhombus Media in association with Baby Cow Productions, The Movie Network, and Movie Central. The show is created by Hugo Blick (ROGER & VAN HAVE JUST GOT IN). Niv Fichman (Rhombus Media) and Sari Friedland serve as producers with Kim Cattrall, Don McKellar, Bob Martin, Henry Normal (Baby Cow Productions) and Hugo Blick attached as executive producers. Production Executives for Bell Media are Trish Williams and Kathleen Meek. Corrie Coe is Senior Vice-President, Independent Production, Bell Media. Catherine McLeod is Senior Vice-President, Specialty Channels, Bell Media. Phil King is President, CTV Programming and Sports. Chris Bell is production executive for Movie Central, Maria Hale is Vice President, Television, Pay TV, Corus Entertainment and Doug Murphy is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Corus Entertainment.
SENSITIVE SKIN will air on The Movie Network in Eastern Canada and Movie Central in Western Canada and is produced in partnership with the Canada Media Fund (CMF) and Rogers Cable Network Fund.
Marketplace, CBC – “Knock It Off”
MARKETPLACE reveals the secret psychology of persuasion used by door-to-door salespeople to get you to buy at the door. People have been burned and door knocking salespeople can be a real menace. In story after story, a knock on the door leads to people getting taken for a ride. MARKETPLACE partner’s with one expert who knows all the tricks of the trade, because he’s knocked on thousands of doors, made lots of sales, and has even written a book revealing his secrets – how to get home owners to buy at the door. He says he’s a millionaire, all from selling door to door. Hosted by Erica Johnson, MARKETPLACE reveals five sales secrets used on Canadians at the door, and then in turn tries them out on unsuspecting Canadians. Some Canadians are fighting back in desperate ways, and in one B.C. town, they’ve banned door knocking all together.
The Fifth Estate, CBC – “The Strange World of Julian Assange”
The controversial WikiLeaks founder gets the Hollywood treatment in the new movie ‘The Fifth Estate’ but the real fifth estate on CBC-TV tracks the inside story of the man in his own words, his secrets and his scandals. How did he get started, what was the global impact of his whistle-blowing website and what cost have whistle-blowers paid for leaking secrets? The rise and fall of Julian Assange – not the Hollywood fiction, the real fifth estate story.
The Nature of Things, CBC – “Invasion of the Brain Snatchers”
Parasites brainwashing their hosts — it sounds like something straight out of science fiction. But this is no horror movie, this is a fascinating, new field of study. From zombie ants to a creature that may be influencing whole human cultures, INVASION OF THE BRAIN SNATCHERS isn’t afraid to dive into the world of parasites.
Doc Zone, CBC – “Superstitious Minds”
We embrace our superstitions even though we live in the most scientifically advanced time in all of history. Is superstition the tonic we need to face a more frightening world?
Played, CTV
The past and present collide for Jesse (Adam Butcher) when he has to infiltrate his old street gang, which includes his old friend Tibbs (Chad Rook).
