From Tony Wong of the Toronto Star:
Link: CBC boss Catherine Tait on advertising, streaming, the four-headed news show, and more
“We want to leverage our limited resources. When you look at everything we do we don’t have a lot for entertainment programming. How do we produce shows that Canadians will like and have a life beyond Canada? Part of our role is to tell the world about Canada. As a public broadcaster, I believe the CBC has an international role.” Continue reading.
From Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times:
Link: Dan Levy on the queer intimacy of Schitt’s Creek
“Some of the most touching feedback I’ve received has been from right-wing, religious-based people who have never understood … queer culture. They’d never had an in to that world before, and they’ve fallen in love with the characters. If we can continue to open people’s eyes to realize that everyone’s deserving of love, that’s a wonderful thing.” Continue reading.
A new year. A new season of Cardinal.
CTV announced that Season 3 of Cardinal—starring Billy Campbell and Karine Vanasse—returns Thursday, Jan. 24, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Cardinal: By the Time You Read This picks up following the shocking finale of Blackfly Season when John Cardinal (Campbell) arrived at the scene of a suicide and discovered the body was that of his wife, Catherine (Deborah Hay).
CTV says the latest six-episode instalment begins in autumn in Algonquin Bay. And while the leaves and changing, the fall colours can’t mask a shocking double murder. Cardinal and Lise Delorme (Vanasse) investigate and come dangerously close to a doomsday cult in the process. Returning characters include Det. Jerry Commanda (Glen Gould), Staff Sgt. Noelle Dyson (Kristen Thomson), Dr. Frederick Bell (Stephen Ouimette) and Kelly Cardinal (Alanna Bale). New faces to the story are Sharlene “Mama” Winston (Rya Kihlstedt), Randall Wishart (Aaron Ashmore), Jack (Alex Ozerov), Nikki (Sophia Lauchlin), Lemur (Nick Serino), Lloyd Kreeger (Tom Jackson), Wendy Doucette (Jennifer Podemski), Susan Bell (Susan Coyne) and Sam Doucette (Devery Jacobs).
Patrick Tarr is the head writer and executive producer on Cardinal alongside co-executive producer Noelle Carbone and story editors Shannon Masters and Aaron Bala. Executive producer Daniel Grou a.k.a. Podz directed all six episodes.
As if that isn’t all great news, Cardinal has been renewed for a fourth season with production beginning on six more instalments in Toronto and North Bay, Ont. in January.
eTalk will give viewers an exclusive peek at the making of Cardinal with eTalk Presents: Investigating Cardinal; it will be broadcast every Friday following the Thursday episode. If you missed Seasons 1 and 2 of Cardinal, you can catch up via CTV.ca, the CTV app, Crave and on demand.
Cardinal airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV.
How excited are you about the return of Cardinal? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Image courtesy of Bell Media.
From Bill Brioux of Brioux.tv:
Link: Schools out: Mr. D ends tonight after 8 seasons
“I’m really happy with how we’re ending it.  It’s always hard to end, you think of how some sitcoms ended their last show. Some were great and some weren’t. You want to do something people will think is pretty good.” Continue reading.
From a media release:
In advance of the highly anticipated Canadian premiere of the second season of Pure, Super Channel is pleased to give subscribers a chance to catch up on the first season of the acclaimed Mennonite drug drama, when it premieres Tuesday, January 22 at 10 p.m. ET on Super Channel Fuse. Each episode of the six-episode first season will also be available on Super Channel on Demand the day following its linear broadcast.
Season One of Pure introduces viewers to the insular world of the Mennonite community and the double life that one pastor must adopt to protect his family from a crime syndicate. Inspired by true events, Pure follows the journey of Noah Funk, a newly-elected Mennonite pastor, who is determined to rid his community of the scourge of drugs and its nefarious ties to a transborder smuggling alliance with ruthless Mexican cocaine cartels.
Pure stars Ryan Robbins (Arrow, Falling Skies, The Killing) as the good-hearted and conflicted pastor, Noah Funk, and Alex Paxton-Beesley (The Strain, Murdoch Mysteries) as his devoted wife, Anna. Season one also stars A.J. Buckley (SEAL Team, Murder in the First), Rosie Perez (Rise, Search Party), Peter Outerbridge (Taken, 12 Monkeys, The Expanse) and Gord Rand (Orphan Black).
Super Channel has greenlit a sophomore season of the scripted series, with Alyson Hannigan (How I Met Your Mother, American Pie, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) joining the cast as a recurring guest star. Season Two of Pure is slated to premiere in Spring 2019.
Pure is produced by Two East Productions and Cineflix Studios in association with Super Channel, WGN America, Hulu and the CBC. The series is created and written by Michael Amo (The Listener) with Ken Girotti (Orphan Black, Vikings) as series director. Amo and Girotti will serve as executive producers for the second season, along with Brett Burlock, Peter Emerson and David MacLeod (Call Me Fitz, Haven). Cineflix Rights has the exclusive worldwide distribution rights to Pure.
