From Playback:
From CTV:
CTV will program two of its original comedy series in coveted timeslots that have become available in its schedule next week. An all-new episode of the acclaimed dramatic comedy Robson Arms will air Monday, March 12 at 8:30 p.m. ET on CTV immediately following the Corner Gas season finale. In addition, an all-new episode of the Gemini-nominated series Jeff Ltd will air Wednesday, Mar. 14 at 9:30 p.m. ET on CTV immediately following American Idol. Robson Arms and Jeff Ltd continue to air back-to-back in their regular Saturday night timeslot on CTV from 9 to 10 p.m. ET (visit CTV.ca to confirm local broadcast times).
In Monday’s episode of Robson Arms, Carol (Linda Cash) is enjoying the single, unfettered life until her teenaged-daughter, Georgia, shows up one dark and stormy night. Georgia, still smarting after her mother’s abrupt departure and subsequent year of “finding herself†in India, rejects her mother’s attempt at bonding, but seeks attention by wreaking havoc in the building. When Georgia’s latest web movie leaves Carol having to dodge a goodnight kiss from Brent the Shopping Cart Guy, Carol breaks down and asks her husband to take Georgia back. Georgia overhears and plots her most self-destructive prank of all. Can the two ever be on equal footing — or in the same headspace, as the case may be?
Robson Arms will follow the season finale of Canada’s most-watched comedy series, Corner Gas. Last week, Corner Gas attracted a season-high audience of 1.8 million viewers. On Feb. 27, Robson Arms attracted 569,000 viewers in a special timeslot following American Idol, up almost 60 per cent compared to it season average and up 77 per cent among the key A18-49 demo.
In Wednesday’s episode of Jeff Ltd, Jeff (Jeff Seymour) hasn’t given up on being part of the “Fish Donuts†empire and enlists his business associate Gavin to create a robotic donut vending machine – The Auto-Fish 9000. Meanwhile, Jeff tries to dodge the advances of both Nathalie and Dorota when Vladimir invites him to dinner as a gesture of thanks for saving his life. Jeff Ltd will follow American Idol’s first Top 12 results episode.
Viewers who missed earlier episodes of Robson Arms and Jeff Ltd can watch them on demand on The CTV Broadband Network (at CTV.ca or TheComedyNetwork.ca). Each week, new episodes are added to the broadband library following their television broadcast on CTV and The Comedy Network.
Robson Arms also airs Saturdays at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on The Comedy Network. Jeff Ltd also airs Mondays at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on The Comedy Network.
From the Writers Guild of Canada:
Outstanding list of finalists announced
The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) will be celebrating an outstanding array of television, film and radio scripts on April 23 at the 2007 Canadian Screenwriting Awards.Guest host Gavin Crawford will be sure to bring the house down with his insider’s perspective on our industry as a writer and actor on This Hour Has 22 Minutes. Kyle Tingley will co-write the awards show with Crawford.
This is also a special year for the awards with the launch of the new WGC Showrunner Award.
“In the U.S., showrunners like David Shore (House) – who is Canadian – are well-known and revered,†said Maureen Parker, WGC Executive Director. “These writer/producers hold the vision for a television series and make all the creative decisions from development to post production.
“It’s time for Canada’s showrunners to step forward and be celebrated by their peers.â€
Over 110 scripts were submitted for this year’s awards, honouring excellence in screenwriting. The entries have been narrowed down to 29 finalists in the categories of feature films, TV movies and miniseries, episodic dramas, comedies, documentaries and radio programs, and includes scripts from TV favourites such as Corner Gas, Intelligence, Slings & Arrows and Degrassi: The Next Generation, and the feature films Away From Her and Fido. See the complete list of finalists (PDF).
The Alex Barris Mentorship Award will also be presented to an individual who has gone above and beyond to help writers get a start in the business, as well as the Jim Burt Screenwriting Prize for best unproduced Canadian miniseries/movie script, and the Writers Block Award, which recognizes outstanding service to the WGC.
All winners will be announced at the 2007 Canadian Screenwriting Awards on Monday, April 23, 2007, at the Brant House, 522 King St. West, Toronto.
Some of last year’s winners include Susin Nielson for Robson Arms, Susan Coyne & Bob Martin & Mark McKinney for Slings & Arrows, and Suzette Couture for the TV movie, The Man Who Lost Himself: The Terry Evanshen Story.
From John Doyle of the Globe and Mail:
From AfterEllen.com, and interview with author Tanya Huff, whose books are the basis for the CHUM/Lifetime series Blood Ties: