TV, eh? | What's up in Canadian television | Page 2889
TV,eh? What's up in Canadian television

In the news: Air Farce deserves decent sent-off

From Robert Cushman of the National Post:

  • AF07 211Give Air Farce an honourable discharge
    “For the last 10 years I have missed The Royal Canadian Air Farce — missed it, in fact, as often as I could. But now that I will really have to miss it, with the announcement that the show’s next season will be its last, I find myself becoming nostalgic. Watching the next-to-last season’s finale, which went out last Friday, reminded me that the Air Farce regulars are real comic talents, however familiar their format and bland their material.” Read more.
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Singer Jully Black joins Canadian Idol

From a media release:

Jully Black Joins Cast of Canadian Idol, This Summer on CTV

  • JUNO Award-Winner Jully Black Joins the Cast of Canadian Idol, Airing This Summer on CTV – Following her sensational performance and win at The 2008 JUNO Awards, the R&B Songstress adds even more flavour to all-star Idol cast

Jully BlackHot on the heels of her win and stellar closing number at The 2008 JUNO Awards, CTV announced today that critically acclaimed recording artist Jully Black has joined the cast of Canadian Idol.

Black will serve as mentor, confidant, critic, coach and voice of the people to competitors. At the same time, she will pull back the curtain and take Canadian Idol viewers behind the scenes on Canada’s most-watched summer series.

Black joins host Ben Mulroney and judges Farley Flex, Jake Gold, Sass Jordan and Zack Werner on the six-person cast. Hailed by The Ottawa Citizen as the Queen of R&B “and maybe even a contender for the throne occupied by the legendary Tina Turner,” Universal Music Canada Recording artist and eTalk Celebrity Reporter Jully Black knows what it takes to be a success in the music industry. Now she brings that experience to Idol all summer long as she goes inside the rehearsal hall where the competitors’ songs are chosen, performances are refined and some of the biggest moments in Canadian Idol history are brought to life.

Continue reading Singer Jully Black joins Canadian Idol

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Upcoming series: Stuck, May 14, W Network

From a media release:

W NETWORK SERIES STUCK GETS WOMEN OUT OF THEIR RUT

  • New Canadian Series Premiering Wednesday, May 14 at 9:30 p.m. Follows Seven Women Who Strive to Get Healthy, Happy and “Unstuck”

hi stuck 02W Network, Canada’s #1 specialty channel for women, presents Stuck, a new 13-part docu-soap that follows the journey of seven diverse women who come together to achieve what they could not alone: regained confidence and energy through a health and weight loss program, and the ability to enjoy their lives without reservation or hesitation. Produced by 52 Media Inc. in association with W Network, this inspiring series premieres Wednesday, May 14 at 9:30 p.m.

For some the biggest hurdle is just showing up, while others are facing more severe consequences including heart disease and depression. Using each other for support, they wrestle with their bad food habits, take on years of procrastination and try to balance their new fitness regimen with their families, careers and social lives.

With the help of fitness trainers, dieticians and each other, the women learn to open up, even in the most self-conscious environment – the gym. In the first episode, premiering Wednesday, May 14 at 9:30 p.m. (r) 11 p.m., the group journey begins as the women come together over a healthy meal and share their personal histories and the results of their first fitness assessment.

One woman is shocked to discover her weight now exceeds her husband’s, and another weeps as she pleads with the group to understand that physical appearance is just a “shell”. The series reminds us what can happen, when the body – both physically and emotionally – takes a backseat to work, family and everyday life obligations.

Stuck is a weekly dose of inspiration for both the seven women involved and viewers at home. The series features: Nicole, 28, a former athlete and aspiring actress; Magnolia, 36, a mother of two who has struggled with her weight since childhood; Maxine, 41, a working mom who feels guilty taking time for herself; Clarice, 52, an older mother with two grown children who has withdrawn from friends as her weight increased; Tracy, 39, a master procrastinator suffering from high blood pressure; Mary, 33, an over-indulger who has used food to deal with the loss of her brother; and Bonnie, 40, a self-proclaimed “gym loser”, who is suffering from diabetes and needs to get off the couch and into a healthy lifestyle now.

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CBC announces two new shows

From a media release:

CBC TELEVISION PICKS UP TWO NEW SERIES BUILDING ON THIS YEAR’S SUCCESSFUL SCHEDULE

Ambitious, driven men and fiery, strong women, as well as a chance to revisit the past, are at the heart of two new series set to telecast on CBC Television during the 2008-09 season.

“We’ve had terrific success with our schedule in 2007/2008 and are excited to build on that momentum with these two great new series,” said Kirstine Layfield, CBC-TV’s executive director of network programming.

“There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so” – Hamlet. What would you do if you had the chance to go back in time and relive the moments you regret the most? In THE SESSION, 32-year-old Erica Strange (Erin Karpluk – Godiva’s, The L Word, Bionic Woman) does just that. She is given the incredible opportunity to see her life from a fresh perspective when a mysterious therapist (Michael Riley – This Is Wonderland) unlocks the door to her past.

It is created by Jana Sinyor (Dark Oracle). Aaron Martin (Best Years) is the showrunner and executive producers are Ivan Schneeberg and David Fortier. THE SESSION is produced by Temple Street Productions. BBC Worldwide has acquired international distribution rights.

Oil, money and greed in Canada’s Wild West—Calgary style. THE WILD ROSES dramatizes the story of a family of women fighting for what is lawfully theirs, set against the backdrop of the new West: steel and glass towers and vast Alberta ranchlands.

It features Sarah Power (Repo! The Genetic Opera), Steve Byers (Falcon Beach), Michelle Harisson (The L Word) and Adam MacDonald (1-800-Missing). It is created by Amy Cameron (Song of Slomon, Canadian Film Centre), Gemini Award-winner Tassie Cameron (The Robber Bride, The Eleventh Hour) and Miranda de Pencier (PU-239, Adam). Shelley Eriksen (Shania: A Life In Eight Albums) is the showrunner. Executive producers are Jordy Randall, Tom Cox and Miranda de Pencier. THE WILD ROSES is produced by Seven24 Films and Northwood Productions.

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The Guard Greenlit for Season II

From a media release:

DHX Media Ltd., a leading independent international producer and distributor of television programming and interactive content is pleased to announce that Global Television, a Canwest Broadcasting network has commissioned a second season of the primetime original drama series, The Guard, which begins production in Vancouver, BC in June and is slated for broadcast in the 2008-09 season. The series is a co-production between DHX Media’s subsidiary, Halifax Film and Vancouver based Brightlight Pictures Inc, for Global Television.

The Guard is a one-hour character-driven, ensemble drama series that focuses on the lives of four imperfect, offbeat and sometimes difficult, but heroic Coast Guard rescue specialists looking for meaning in their own lives while enduring the daily dangers of life out on the Pacific Ocean. Audiences were captivated by these west coast heroes, as Season I of the series launched with over 800,000 viewers and The Guard was the #1 new Canadian Original in the key demo Adults 18-49.

Charles Bishop, President, Halifax Film said, “We are thrilled to partner once again with Global Television to produce a second season of The Guard. The additional season will continue to help us secure significant international sales.”

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