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TV,eh? What's up in Canadian television
Canada's Smartest Person

CBC kicks off search for Canada’s Smartest Person Junior

From a media release:

The search is on for CANADA’S SMARTEST PERSON JUNIOR (6×60), a new CBC competition series that will be taped in front of a studio audience at the Canadian Broadcasting Centre and premiere this fall. Based on the hit format Canada’s Smartest Person and produced by award-winning Media Headquarters, this competition will crown one amazing young Canadian with the first ever title of Canada’s Smartest Person Junior. Canadian kids aged 8 to 12 can apply now at cbc.ca/smartestpersonjunior until June 30.

Like the grownup edition, CANADA’S SMARTEST PERSON JUNIOR is inspired by The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Over six weeks, 12 remarkable kids will showcase their smarts in fun and spectacular challenges across six categories: physical, musical, social, linguistic, logical, and visual smarts. In this entertaining and action-packed series, the young competitors will battle for the coveted title of Canada’s Smartest Person Junior with the whole country cheering them on. Applications are now open to kids who excel in diverse fields such as: dancing; gaming; snowboarding; doing puzzles; playing music; debating; creating science fair projects; raising horses; making movies; or telling jokes; because, after all, intelligence comes in all shapes and sizes.

In a twist on the original format, audiences will see the same cast of incredible kids week-to-week. Those competitors with the strongest performances each week will advance to the next episode, while the others will be up for elimination. In the season finale, the top six finalists will go head-to-head one final time. The competition will culminate in a heart-stopping showdown between the top two combatants in the world’s most intense intelligence obstacle course, the Super Gauntlet, for the chance to be named Canada’s Smartest Person Junior.

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Awards, Featured

Spiral, Anne, Letterkenny and Cardinal top 22nd Annual WGC Screenwriting Awards

Writers for Spiral, Anne, Letterkenny and Cardinal were among the winners at the 22nd Annual Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Awards in Toronto on Monday night.

The event, held at the Telus Centre for Performance and Learning’s Koerner Hall, celebrated the country’s screenwriting talent in television, web series and film. Spiral writer Karen McClellan (pictured above) won in the Shorts & Webseries category for her script “The Girl in the Dream.”

“Writers don’t get here on their own,” McClellan said. “I want to say a special shout-out to some writers who have taken a chance on me in the past: Susin Nielsen, Shelley Eriksen, Bruce Smith and a dear friend who is not here tonight but always in my heart, Denis McGrath.”

Letterkenny‘s Jared Keeso and Jacob Tierney won the TV Comedy category for their Season 2 script, “Relationships,” while Cardinal‘s Aubrey Nealon took home the TV Drama trophy for the Season 1 episode, “John Cardinal.”

Gavin Crawford, comedian, writer and host of CBC Radio’s Because News hosted, starting the night off with a surprise appearance by Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne a.k.a. Crawford. As Wynne, Crawford extolled the virtues of Canadian television and film writers while taking a jab at recent adaptations of Anne of Green Gables and Alias Grace.

“I’m particularly excited about Kale & Prune, a six-hour CBC miniseries adapted from a Margaret Atwood’s Whole Foods receipt,” he joked.

Alison Lea Bingeman, Marsha Greene, Rachel Langer, Joseph Kay, Cynthia Knight, Adriana Maggs, Elize Morgan, Jiro Okada and Sugith Varughese presented the night’s categories.

Mark Ellis was the recipient of The Denis McGrath Award for his service to the Writers Guild of Canada, Michael MacLennan was given The WGC Showrunner Award, Sarah Dodd the Sondra Kelly Award and Sherry White the Alex Barris Mentorship Award. WGC president Jill Golick, whose term has ended after eight years, had the final say of the night with an impassioned plea to the group’s members.

“Stories are the best way to change hearts and minds,” Golick said. “Keep writing my friends. Keep finding ways to bring truth to light. ”

The category winners are:

Shorts & Webseries
Spiral, Episode 101 “The Girl in the Dream,” written by Karen McClellan

Children’s
Mysticons, Season 1 “Sisters in Arms,” written by Sean Jara

Movie of the Week & Miniseries
Alias Grace, written by Sarah Polley

Best Script from Season 1
Anne, Season 1 “I Am No Bird, And No Net Ensnares Me,” written by Moira Walley-Beckett

TV Comedy
Letterkenny, Season 2 “Relationships,” written by Jared Keeso and Jacob Tierney

TV Drama
Cardinal, Season 1 “John Cardinal,” written by Aubrey Nealon

Tweens & Teens
The Stanley Dynamic, Season 2 “The Stanley Cheer,” written by Matt Kippen

Feature Film
Entanglement, written by Jason Filiatrault

Documentary
The Hundred-Year-Old Whale, written by Mark Leiren-Young

 

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Dogs find their forever homes in Bell Media Studios’ Dog Tales Rescue, May 31 on Gusto

From a media release:

Hot on the paws of today’s National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day, Gusto announces the premiere of new docu-series DOG TALES RESCUE, Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT beginning May 31.

Following the day-to-day operation of King City, Ont.’s Dog Tales Rescue and Horse Sanctuary, the 10-episode, half-hour series features sanctuary co-founders and animal lovers Danielle Eden-Scheinberg and Rob Scheinberg as they care and rehabilitate sick, elderly, and abused animals. Along with a dedicated team of 50 passionate staff, the sanctuary accepts local surrenders and works with shelters both domestically and abroad searching for animals in need of help. DOG TALES RESCUE also debuts this fall in Québec on Canal Vie.

Furthering its commitment to delivering diverse quality lifestyle content, Bell Media Studios and partner Motion Content Group also confirm today that DOG TALES RESCUE has been renewed for a second season, joining the recently announced multi-season commitment of series WHERE TO I DO?.

In the series premiere of DOG TALES RESCUE, Thursday, May 31 at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT, Rob and Danielle introduce the Dog Tales Rescue and Horse Sanctuary. The team puts together a creative photo shoot to help boost adoption rates, and Lead Horse Handler Ilana tries to integrate a new horse with the herd. Potential new adoptive parents Shelley and Emmanuel come to meet dog Samuel after seeing a social media post in which he was featured. Before they can adopt Samuel, they must bring their dog Phoebe to Dog Tales to see if the two dogs will hit it off.

Founded in 2004, the Dog Tales Rescue and Horse Sanctuary is a world-renowned dog rescue and horse sanctuary set on 50 acres in King City, Ont. The Dog Tales property includes kilometers of walking trails, a therapy pool, a grooming spa, a pig mud bath, a horse paddock, a fenced play area, and a splash pad for the dogs. Dog Tales provides rescue animals with medical care, training, and, of course, lots of love!

DOG TALES RESCUE is a co-production between Motion Content Group and Bell Media Studios. Melanie Darlaston is Executive Producer for Motion Content Group. Jennifer Couke and Michelle Crespi are Executive Producers for Bell Media Studios.

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Featured, Web series

Season 2 of CBC’s My 90-Year-Old Roommate is a buddy comedy worth seeing

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Mall walking is back and cooler than ever.

CBC’s My 90-Year-Old Roommate—all 12 episodes of Season 2 are available now on the network’s website—is a comedy series created by Ethan Cole (he also plays Ethan in the series). Based on the viral web series starring Ethan and Joe Cole, Explaining Things to My Grandfather, Season 1 oaired in 2016 (catch up on Season 1 here).

If you are a newcomer to My 90-Year-Old Roommate, here’s a little flashback to what happened in the first season. Ethan (Ethan Cole) moved in with his grandpa Joe (Paul Soles). Jobless, slacker Ethan is always seeking love via dating apps. The one thing he wants to do for sure is get laid and have fun. On the other hand, his grandfather is more traditional. He tries to teach his grandson how to be a well-mannered man in modern society. The combination of watching these two worlds, modern and old-fashioned, through the lens of My 90-Year-Old Roommate is truly addictive. But there is more than just a relationship between a grandson and grandpa. It’s a mirror of two generations that try to coexist.

The first season was lively, bright and unfortunately ended really quickly. I’m thrilled CBC greenlit a second season.

Season 2 starts with an episode about live streaming when Joe learns what it is and its potential. And Ethan, the wonderful grandson that he is, makes live videos from all the important occasions Joe doesn’t want to attend, whether it’s a funeral (if you’re watching from home you can eat candy!) or a circumcision ceremony. One of the live streams doesn’t end very well, but it’s for you to find out which one! Upcoming storylines see Ethan and Paul double date, transform a knitting club into an e-commerce venture and explore self-diagnosis via Web MD.

Season 2 of My 90-Year-Old Roommate is available on CBC’s website now.

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