From Alex Beam of the Boston Globe:
- Copping out in Canada
“Violent police dramas from our peaceful neighbors to the north keep the US market in mind.” Read more“.
In the news: Canadian cop shows pander to US market
Ratings: July 5-11 – Rookie Blue at #8, Flashpoint rerun at #30
From BBM Canada:
- Top programs – Total Canada
#8 Rookie Blue (1.753 million)
#30 Flashpoint – rerun (929,000)
New tonight: Rookie Blue on Global – “Broad Daylight”
A home invasion in an upscale neighbourhood calls out all the rookies. But once the scene is cleared, it is Andy who is left unaccompanied and confronted with a hiding thief who is armed and very volatile.
TV, eh? podcast episode 3: Gordon Pinsent and CBC’s fall schedule
Episode 3: Listen or download here or subscribe via iTunes or with any other program via the TV, Eh? feed
Co-hosts Anthony Marco and Diane Wild discuss the CBC fall schedule, including arguing about the merits of Battle of the Blades, deciding Rick Mercer and the gang at 22 Minutes should never have holidays so we can have a Daily Show/Colbert type show in Canada,cheering Being Erica‘s renewal, and cynically deciding CBC had nothing better in development. In other news, 18 to Life was picked up by The CW, Haven got decent ratings, Degrassi introduced a transgendered character, and The Pillars of the Earth premieres Friday on The Movie Network/Movie Central.
Plus, a 20-minute interview with Gordon Pinsent about his role in The Pillars of the Earth, his 80th birthday celebration at the opening of his new play, Due South, the new series he has in development with son-in-law Peter Keleghan, what progress he’s seen in the Canadian TV industry over the years, his relationship with Sarah Polley, and how he’s been in every Canadian TV show and movie ever made.
Your links
- The CW picks up CBC’s 18 to Life
- Haven hits 300,000 viewers
- Degrassi introduces a transgendered character – controversial or same old, same old?
- The Pillars of the Earth premieres Friday, July 23
- The incredible career of Gordon Pinsent
- The CBC fall schedule
- Is Battle of the Blades a case of Schadenfreude or cheesy fun? You decide. (But it’s totally cheesy fun.)
- The Christina Cox vampire show whose title I couldn’t remember is Blood Ties. Last week, I couldn’t remember the Chris Leavins movie The Hanging Garden. Next week, maybe I’ll forget the name of this podcast!
- For information on specific shows, check out the sidebar of TV, eh? under Categories, or search for the show title in that little search box
Your hosts
- Anthony can be found at Dyscultured and lovehatethings, and on Twitter here and here.
- Diane can be found here at TV, eh? and here, and on Twitter here and here.

The Yard miniseries begins production for The Movie Network/Movie Central
From a media release:
WHIZBANG FILMS ANNOUNCES START OF PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY ON NEW MINISERIES THE YARD FOR THE MOVIE NETWORK AND MOVIE CENTRAL
- Starring Alex Cardillo, Shemar Charles and Quintin Colantoni and Executive Produced by Paul Gross, Frank Siracusa, David Eddie and Michael Mabbott
Whizbang Films, in association with Astral’s The Movie Network (Eastern Canada) and Corus Entertainment’s Movie Central (Western Canada), announced today that production has begun on THE YARD, a six part, half-hour miniseries about the day to day struggle for supremacy between two schoolyard gangs. Shooting will take place in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario, through August 21st, 2010, and the series will premiere on The Movie Network and Movie Central in 2011.
Executive produced by Paul Gross, Frank Siracusa, David Eddie and Michael Mabbott, the original series stars Alex Cardillo (Durham County, 18 to Life), Shemar Charles (Camp Rock 2, Overruled) and Quintin Colantoni (Flashpoint, Party Down) and newcomers Kofi Payton and Sarah Cranmer. Michael Mabbott (The Life and Hard Times of Guy Terrifico, Baxter) will direct.
“We’re very excited about the show†says Executive Producer Frank Siracusa. “Even though the cast is strictly kids – most between the ages of 10 and 13, anyone who has ever stood in a schoolyard at recess will be able to relate. Reading the scripts brought me right back to grade six, but much funnier.â€Â
The Yard, is set in an urban elementary school, and chronicles two rival gangs vying for control of the schoolyard. In this provocatively humorous series, we follow 12-year-old Nick (Quintin Colantoni) and his crew trying to walk the razor’s edge of maintaining peace and defending their turf against the ruthless Dos Santos brothers (Daniel Lupetina, Daryn Karp), who will stop at nothing to regain control of the Yard. It’s a tough world out there: corruption, greed, violence, seduction and betrayal – and that’s just recess.
The Yard was created and written by Michael Mabbott (The Life and Hard Times of Guy Terrifico) and David Eddie (House Broken, Globe & Mail’s Damage Control). Thom J. Pretak (Cra$h & Burn, This is Wonderland) is producer. Director of Photography is D. Gregor Hagey (Pure Pwnage, The Border) and Peter Emmink (Living in Your Car, The Line) is Production Designer. Aubie Greenberg and Kathleen Meek from Astral’s The Movie Network and Julie Di Cresce from Corus Entertainment’s Movie Central are the production executives overseeing this series.