From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:
Link: Vikings’ Alexander Ludwig on why Bjorn’s dark season is his favourite one yet
“Bjorn has totally been displaced. They are all homeless and incredibly angry. It’s definitely gotten past the point of no return and it’s become incredibly personal. This season, in particular, is about Bjorn fighting for everything he was brought up to believe in.” Continue reading.
From a media release:
Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc. (TSXV:TBRD) (“Thunderbird” or the “Company”), a global multiplatform entertainment company with offices in Los Angeles, London, Vancouver, Ottawa and Toronto, is pleased to announce the hit series Highway Thru Hell has been commissioned for an eighth season on Discovery Canada. The new season will consist of 17 inspiring episodes and begin airing in late 2019.
Highway Thru Hell follows the heroes of the highway as they fight to keep some of the most economically important and inhospitable trucking routes in North America open to traffic. The current season airs Tuesday nights on Discovery Canada. Highway Thru Hell is Discovery’s most-watched factual series, dominating Canadian entertainment specialty channels in its timeslot.
Thunderbird has produced more than 100 episodes of Highway Thru Hell and its spinoff series Heavy Rescue 401. The series can be watched in over a dozen languages in more than 170 countries worldwide.
Series executive producer Mark Miller, who is also the president of Thunderbird Entertainment, attributes the success of Highway Thru Hell to its cinematic storytelling and rich character development. “This series has raised the bar for factual documentaries around the world. In addition to attracting top ratings on Discovery in Canada, it is also a worldwide staple on Netflix,” he explains. “Viewers connect with the day-to-day struggles of these heroes of the highway, which makes their stories highly relatable and visually entertaining.”
Highway Thru Hell has consistently attracted impressive audiences, ranking as a Top 10 series on entertainment specialty television in Canada for total viewers and the A25-54 demographic. The series has made Discovery Canada the most-watched entertainment specialty channel in its timeslot among total viewers as well as the A25-54 and A18-49 demographics.
Highway Thru Hell is produced by Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc. in association with Discovery Canada. Wendy McKernan is the producer and Neil Thomas the series producer.
From Robert Liwanag of Reader’s Digest:
Link: 15 Minutes with Paul Sun-Hyung Lee
“When my family first moved to Canada, we spoke nothing but Korean. Television for me was how I learned to speak English. It shaped my sense of humour, my sense of storytelling and what I found appealing.” Continue reading.
From a media release:
Blue Ant International, a transatlantic distributor of premium content and division of Blue Ant Media, announced at Content London today a raft of international sales for adult animation series, Gary and His Demons (Look Mom! Productions; 16×11’) from the division’s Scripted and Digital Studios offering. New licences include ABC Comedy (ABC) for Australia; CBC in Canada for its streaming service; and Comedy Central in the UK and Republic of Ireland for their prime time slot.
Gary and His Demons is an animated comedy about a cantankerous, aging demon slayer who has nothing left to lose. Burdened by his “chosen one†status and backed by a team of specialists he can’t relate to, Gary struggles to keep interest in the Earth-saving duty he never asked for and doesn’t want.
The series is created by Mark Little, known for his work on Picnicface, Mr. D. and the upcoming Cavendish, and has appeared on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Little also serves as Head Writer, Co-Director and the voice of Gary. Gary and His Demons is Executive Produced by Josh Bowen (Executive Producer and Creative Director, Look Mom! Productions,); and Wendy Willis and Pia Chikiamco (Mondo Media). Lou Solis serves as Co-Director on the series, with Solis Animation providing animation production services.
Blue Ant International will showcase this content and more at Content London 2018.
Spoiler alert! Do not continue reading until you have watched the “Secrets and Lies” episode of Murdoch Mysteries.
After so many seasons on the air, showrunner Peter Mitchell can still catch me off guard. I was left speechless after Monday’s latest episode for a couple of reasons. First, we learned a lot about Thomas Brackenreid. A treasure trove of information about his past that included another woman and the daughter he didn’t know he had. And second, the result of Thomas’ past has thrown his future with Margaret into serious doubt.
Will the couple reunite? What was going through Thomas Craig’s mind when he read the script that unveiled Brackenreid’s backstory? I shot an email to Thomas Craig to ask that, and more, to him in London, where he’s performing in the play Soldier On by Jonathan Lewis.
This season of Murdoch Mysteries has been very entertaining, from creative murders in the potato cooking room to the Higgins-Newsome wedding and the Halloween episode. What’s your take on the scripts for Season 12 so far?
Thomas Craig: The episodes this year have been the usual mix of serious and slightly absurd which I think is the charm of the show, because it’s a bit of something for everyone.
What were your thoughts when you learned “Secrets and Lies” would focus most of its storyline on Inspector Brackenreid? You must have been excited.
TC: I was pleased to learn more about Brackenreid’s previous life even though him being confronted with a daughter he was unaware of was something I wasn’t quite expecting.
I was shocked when Thomas said, “I think our daughter is still alive.” What was your reaction to Peter Mitchell when you read that?
TC: I think Peter always tries to throw a bit of a curveball at the audience, so I’m never really shocked at anything he comes up with.
We’ve gotten hints at Thomas’ backstory over the years, but this one was a surprise. A daughter with another woman. Did Peter Mitchell ever give you an indication before this season that this was part of the Brackenreid history?
TC: I was never told anything about this storyline pre-shoot, but I don’t really want to know too far in advance—I like to be as surprised as anybody else.
It’s not often that we see Thomas really open his heart up. As an actor, this script must have made you happy. You’re getting to explore and show another side to this man, a side viewers have only gotten the odd glimpse of.
TC: It’s always good as an actor to explore different emotions and be put into situations that are not the norm for your character.
Leslie Hope has directed several episodes of Murdoch Mysteries over the years. What does she bring to the table as a director?
TC: My favourite directors, whether it is in TV or theatre, are always actors who direct, so for that reason I love working with Leslie. Plus, she brings so much energy and enthusiasm to the set.
It’s interesting to me how Brackenreid has softened his world views over the seasons. He’s become more accepting of many lifestyles.
TC: Brackenreid has had to evolve and become slightly more tolerant and accepting—working with Murdoch over 11 years would rub off on anybody.
Your scenes with Raven as Sarah were wonderfully touching and emotional. What was it like working with her?
TC: Raven was wonderful to work with—I felt I’d known her a long time, she was so easy and laid back. It was a really lovely week we spent together in St. Marys.
By the end of the episode, Margaret had asked Thomas to leave. Can this rift be mended before the end of Season 12?
TC: You’ll have to watch and see how things play out over the second half of the season, but it is certainly a difficult situation the Brackenreid family has found themselves in.
Murdoch Mysteries returns Monday, Jan. 7, at 8 p.m. on CBC.
Image courtesy of CBC.
