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TV,eh? What's up in Canadian television
Feudal, Industry News

CBC greenlights new original drama Feudal, created by Sheri Elwood

From a media release:

CBC today announced new original one-hour series FEUDAL (8×60, Six Eleven Media and eOne), created by Sheri Elwood (Call Me Fitz, Lucifer). FEUDAL tells the tale of the Finley-Cullens, a dysfunctional clan of adult half-siblings battling for control of their family business, The Moonshine, a ramshackle summer resort on the South Shore of Nova Scotia. The series is produced by Halifax-based Six Eleven Media and eOne, and production is now underway on location in Nova Scotia for broadcast on CBC in 2021.

FEUDAL is an epic tale of lust, legacy and lobster, set against the backdrop of financial hardship, small town intrigue and a long-buried secret that threatens to annihilate the Finley-Cullens once and for all. Corrine Koslo (Anne with an E) and Peter MacNeill (This Life) play Bea and Ken Finley-Cullen, the heads of the family and owners of The Moonshine, their own little slice of paradise that is starting to become a nightmare – if only they could decide which of their flawed brood is fit to take over the business. 

Jennifer Finnigan (Salvation) plays Lidia, an architect and the eldest sibling who wants to redevelop and exploit the valuable coastal property, giving her an opportunity to shine and overcome past disappointments, and Anastasia Phillips (Reign) plays her often-overlooked younger sister Rhian, who sees The Moonshine as her own chance to shine. 

Other family members include Lidia’s sister Nora, the sexy local DJ, who knows all the family secrets and is played by Emma Hunter (Mr. D, Fridge Wars); Alexander Nunez (Avocado Toast) as Sammy, Lidia’s musically gifted adopted brother who holds secrets of his own; and Tom Stevens (Wayward Pines) as aging party boy Ryan, Rhian’s twin, who is running his own (illegal) business out of the resort. Allegra Fulton (The Shape of Water) plays Jill LeBlanc, an old family friend with some nefarious motives and secrets of her own. Jonathan Silverman (Weekend at Bernie’s) plays Daniel Bennett, Lidia’s husband and a star architect, suffering through his own mid-life crisis.

A CBC original series, FEUDAL is produced by Six Eleven Media and eOne. Created by Sheri Elwood, who is also showrunner, and executive producer alongside Six Eleven Media’s Charles Bishop. Jocelyn Hamilton serves as executive producer for eOne. For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports; Trish Williams is Executive Director, Scripted Content; Helen Asimakis is Senior Director, Scripted Content; and Sarah Adams is Executive in Charge of Production. The series writers are Sheri Elwood, Matt MacLennan, Kate Spurgeon, and Josh Saltzman. The pilot is directed by Scott Smith with additional episodes directed by Smith, James Genn, and Sheri Elwood. The series is produced with the assistance of the Government of Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Film & Television Production Incentive Fund. Additionally, funding comes from the Canada Media Fund, Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit and the Canadian Film or Video Tax Credit. eOne distributes the series internationally. 

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Industry News

marblemedia heads to camera on new unscripted series, Race Against the Tide

From a media release:

marblemedia, leading global entertainment producers of numerous award-winning TV series such as Netflix’s “Blown Away” and “Restaurants on the Edge” announces today that production is now underway on location in New Brunswick on a new CBC original Canadian competition series, RACE AGAINST THE TIDE (10×30), hosted by actor and comedian Shaun Majumder. The first of its kind, the show is slated for broadcast in Canada on CBC and the CBC Gem streaming service in 2021.

The half-hour competition series features 10 teams of two world class, highly skilled sand sculptors competing to create extraordinary works of art made entirely out of sand while avoiding elimination. Not only are these best-in-show duos competing against each other, they are competing against Mother Nature’s unstoppable ticking clock and the world’s highest tide at New Brunswick’s iconic and beautiful Bay of Fundy. The stakes have never been higher in the world of sand sculpting as the competitors’ creations – no matter how impressive – are all destined to be washed away the same day by the tide.

In the end, only one team whose skill, creativity and tenacity leaves a lasting impression will be crowned the RACE AGAINST THE TIDE “Champions.”

RACE AGAINST THE TIDE is executive produced by Matt Hornburg and Mark Bishop of marblemedia; series producer and writer is Carly Spencer and Donna Luke of marblemedia serves as Co-Executive Producer. Produced with the participation of the Province of New Brunswick and Co-produced with Hemmings House. For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual and Sports; Jennifer Dettman is Executive Director, Unscripted Content; Alexandra Lane is Senior Director of Production; and Ann-Marie Redmond is Executive in Charge of Production.

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Murdoch Mysteries

Cameras roll on Season 14 of Murdoch Mysteries

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From a media release:

Shaftesbury announced today that top-rated Canadian drama Murdoch Mysteries has begun production on Season 14 for CBC and UKTV, distributed by ITV STUDIOS Global Entertainment. Shooting is now underway in Toronto on the acclaimed one-hour series for 11 new episodes, set to premiere on CBC TV and the CBC Gem streaming service in winter 2021.

Season 14 will continue to explore new developments in the lives of Detective William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson), Dr. Julia Ogden (Hélène Joy), Inspector Thomas Brackenreid (Thomas Craig), Constables George Crabtree (Jonny Harris), Henry Higgins-Newsome (Lachlan Murdoch), Violet Hart (Shanice Banton) and Detective Llewelyn Watts (Daniel Maslany) as they tackle Toronto’s toughest mysteries, from the serious and historic to the comical and unusual. Returning cast members also include Arwen Humphreys and Siobhan Murphy. In the first episode alone, historic character highlights include a young Charlie Chaplin, Stan Laurel and Buster Keaton.

Star Yannick Bisson returns to the director’s chair for the first two episodes of the season. Other episodes will be directed by Peter Mitchell, Gary Harvey, Warren Sonoda, Mina Shum and Ruba Nadda.

Murdoch Mysteries is executive produced by Christina Jennings, Scott Garvie, Yannick Bisson, Hélène Joy, and Peter Mitchell, who also serves as showrunner, and produced by Stephen Montgomery and Julie Lacey. For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports; Trish Williams is Executive Director, Scripted Content; Helen Asimakis is Senior Director, Scripted Content; and Nicole Mendes is Executive in Charge of Production.

In the U.S., in addition to broadcaster Ovation, the series is available on Acorn TV and earlier seasons air in syndication. The series has been licensed to broadcasters in 120 countries and territories worldwide to date. The series airs in the UK on Alibi and is one of the highest-rated programs in France on France Television (France3). Other countries include: Brazil, China, Hungary, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Turkey, Sweden, Denmark, Australia, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Italy, Poland, and Norway.

Murdoch Mysteries is developed and produced by creator and producer Shaftesbury, in association with CBC, ITV STUDIOS Global Entertainment and UKTV, and with the participation of the Canada Media Fund, the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit, the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit and the Independent Production Fund/COGECO Program Development Fund.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Hosted by Paralympian Greg Westlake, the AMI original series Level Playing Field debuts September 7 on AMI-tv

From a media release:

Everyone deserves a level playing field. Debuting Monday, September 7, at 8:30 p.m. Eastern on AMI-tv, the AMI original production Level Playing Field highlights and celebrates the power of sport by introducing audiences to the athletes, community groups, healthcare professionals and grassroots innovators who demonstrate a desire to help drive positive social change through sport.

Hosted by Paralympian Greg Westlake, Level Playing Field‘s eight half-hour episodes travel across the country, following the stories of athletes and organizations.

In the premiere episode on Monday, September 7, at 8:30 p.m. Eastern on AMI-tv, we meet Rob Shaw. The 30-year-old para-athlete from North Bay, ON, has been playing tennis competitively from a young age and coaching, including coaching wheelchair tennis. After sustaining a spinal cord injury that resulted in C5-C6 level paralysis in all four limbs, Rob has limited mobility but has not stopped playing the sport he loves.

Future Season one episodes focus on Paralympic hopeful Anthony Lue, boxer Debbie Haryett, Para Triathletes Jon Dunkley and Jessica Tuomela, Para Judo star Priscilla Gagné, Wheelchair Rugby Canada team members Shayne Smith and Eric Rodrigues-Furtado, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and the Canadian Paralympic Committee.

Season one of Level Playing Field was developed following the broadcast of two 2019 pilot episodes featuring Para Ice Hockey and Para Cycling. Stream the pilot episodes on demand on AMI.ca and the AMI-tv App.

In keeping with AMI’s mandate of making accessible media for all Canadians, Season one of Level Playing Field features Integrated Described Video (IDV) making it accessible to individuals who are blind or partially sighted.

Host Greg Westlake
Para ice hockey team captain Greg Westlake helped Canada to the silver medal at the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games.

At the World Para Ice Hockey Championships in Gangneung, South Korea, in April 2017, Greg, a forward, helped Canada defeat arch-rivals U.S.A. to win a record fourth world title for the Canadians. The win marked his third world championship gold: Greg was on teams that won in 2008, 2013 and 2017.

Greg competed at his third Paralympic Games in 2014, in Sochi, and collected a second career Paralympic medal as Canada won the bronze. Greg finished the Sochi Paralympic Games tournament with four points in five games, including an assist on Billy Bridges’ insurance goal in the bronze medal game 3-0 victory over Norway.

In addition to Para ice hockey, Greg is developing a successful career as a broadcaster. He worked as a reporter for CBC at the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games and the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio.

Greg had both legs amputated below the knee at age 18 months. When he was born his feet were malformed and were never going to be fully functional. The technical term is congenital bilateral below knee amputee. He began playing Para ice hockey with the Mississauga Cruisers in 2001 and made his debut in 2003 with Team Canada at age 17.

Level Playing Field debuts Monday, September 7, at 8:30 p.m. Eastern on AMI-tv. Stream episodes post-broadcast on AMI.ca or using the AMI-tv App.

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Big Brother Canada

Big Brother Canada Season 9 casting underway

From a media release:

Global, a Corus Entertainment network, and Insight Productions, announced today that casting is officially underway for Season 9 of  Big Brother Canada. Set to debut on Global in 2021, Big Brother Canada is calling Canadians from every corner of the country to apply online for their chance to compete on one of the most revered reality shows ever made.

Beginning today, Canadians can apply online at bigbrothercanadacasting.ca for their chance to become a #BBCAN9 houseguest, competing in a series of grueling challenges in one of the most high-stakes social experiments ever. For the first time ever, casting for the new season of Big Brother Canada will be done completely virtually, foregoing in-person casting calls as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. Fans can also nominate friends on social media by tagging @bigbrotherca and using #FutureHOH for a chance to get noticed by Big Brother Canada’s casting team.

Apply from the couch in three simple steps:

  1. Record a short video of yourself explaining why you have what it takes to be one of the next houseguests on Big Brother Canada
  2. Visit the official casting site at bigbrothercanadacasting.ca
  3. Upload a photo of yourself, along with your video and some basic information

To qualify, potential future houseguests must be 19 years of age by February 1, 2020 and submit their applications by November 15, 2020. For more information, including a full list of rules and eligibility, head to BigBrotherCanada.ca.

Airing exclusively on Global in Spring 2021, Big Brother Canada plucks a group of strangers from their homes, sequesters them from the outside world, and places them inside a house outfitted wall-to-wall with cameras and microphones that capture their every move. Competing for a grand cash prize, each week the houseguests battle in a series of challenges that give them power or punishment, voting each other out until the fate of the final two is decided by a jury of fellow houseguests.

Commissioned by Corus Entertainment, Season 9 of Big Brother Canada is produced by Insight Productions Ltd. in association with Corus Entertainment and Endemol Shine. Executive Producers are John Brunton, Erin Brock, Eric Abboud, Trevor Boris, and Arisa Cox.

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