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TV,eh? What's up in Canadian television
Industry News

Rogers Media presents The Canada Project to celebrate 150 years of Canada

From a media release:

What does it mean to be Canadian? As the country prepares to mark 150 years since Confederation, today Rogers Media launches The Canada Project, a multi-brand cross-platform collection of content celebrating Canada.

At the centre of The Canada Project is a sweeping survey of nearly 100 questions put forth to more than 1,500 Canadians, revealing what Canadians really believe, and how we really feel. Commissioned by Rogers Media and executed by Abacus Data, the survey asked Canadians – from new immigrants to fourth-generation families, millennials to boomers, parents to singles – questions on everything from hot-button political issues and values, to lifestyle and leisure preferences, and intensely personal queries. Canadians take pride in being different from our southern neighbours, but how different are we really? When we travel, where do we want to go? When we lie awake at night worrying about our family’s future, what’s on our mind?

Results from the survey will be showcased on a dedicated hub launching today at Macleans.ca, with relevant stories and complementary anniversary content featured throughout June and July across broadcast and digital platforms, including CityNews™, Breakfast Television™, OMNI Television™, FLARE™, HELLO! Canada™, Chatelaine™, Today’s Parent™, Sportsnet.ca and more. Rogers Media’s news, entertainment, sports, and lifestyle brands dig deeper into what Canadians have revealed. From platform to platform, these stories examine our country through the most important eyes: Yours.

Other The Canada Project highlights include:

LOCAL NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS:

  • Beginning June 16 for 15 consecutive days leading into July 1, CityNews Toronto spotlights a different decade each day – beginning with 1867 – exploring Canada’s history and the historical issues…and what we think of those ideas now. Catch up on segments online at CityNews.ca and join the conversation at #DecadeOfTheDay. Have something to say about your Canadian experience – starting June 16, join the CityNews crew at noon in Toronto’s Dundas Square each day for a revival ofSpeakers’ Cornerâ„¢ and watch it on Facebook Live.
  • Wake up on Canada Day with a one-hour Breakfast Television special at 7 a.m. ET on City (check listings for local markets) that highlights our national pride. Driven by results from the exclusive Rogers Media The Canada Project survey, the special includes segments about what national and international events we’re most proud of, best sporting moment, favourite iconic Canadian food, and ultimate Canadian music hero.
  • On Canada Day weekend, OMNI Television presents Why I Chose Canada, a 30-minute special that profiles 10 people’s journey to Canada and what lead to their decision in choosing this country. Hear how some came seeking better opportunities while others came to escape political turmoil. Each person’s story is unique, but all share a common love for Canada. Reflecting the diverse languages and cultures of Canadians today, Why I Chose Canada will end with “O Canada” sung in multiple languages including Mandarin, Punjabi, Arabic, Italian, German, Spanish, Tagalog and more, courtesy of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Why I Chose Canada will air in English, with subtitled versions in Cantonese and Mandarin.

ENTERTAINMENT:

  • Entertainment City asked Canadian celebs what makes them proud to be Canadian and what they love most about our country. Non-Canadian stars chime in to share their best experience about Canada and Canadians.
  • Starting June 26, visit HELLO! Canada for a gallery/video to discover stars with surprising Canadian roots, an essay by Dustin Milligan on why he’s proud to be Canadian, and a gallery highlighting the Royals’ most memorable Canadian visits.

LIFESTYLE:

  • Cityline loves a celebration! Airing on City on Friday, June 23 at 8 p.m. ET, host Tracy Moore travels coast to coast with PC in Cityline Celebrates Canada 150, a one-hour special exploring truly Canadian food, products, and ideas to celebrate the holiday. Exclusive digital content delves into entertaining ideas, favourite Canadian holiday destinations, uniquely Canadian life hacks, and more.

* The Canada Project Survey Methodology:

Commissioned by Rogers Media, the survey was conducted online by Abacus Data with 1,515 Canadians aged 18+ on April 4 and 5, 2017. A random sample of panelists was invited to complete the survey from a large representative panel of over 500,000 Canadians. The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada’s population according to age, gender, educational attainment, and region. Totals may not add up to 100 due to rounding. The Marketing Research and Intelligence Association policy limits statements about margins of sampling error for most online surveys. The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of 1,515 is +/- 2.6%, 19 times out of 20.

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Letterkenny

This summer, winter is comin’: Season 3 of CraveTV’s smash-hit original comedy Letterkenny launches Canada Day

From a media release:

Turn up the A/C and slap on a turtleneck ‘cause another six-pack of LETTERKENNY drops July 1 on Crave TV and it’s got way more chill. It’s winter in Letterkenny, and what better way to celebrate 150 years of confederation than to complain about winter in the summer. Back at the farm, the produce stand gets swapped out for a sled shack; Letterkenny’s beloved, burned-down watering hole Modeans reopens as Modeans 2; the Skids clown around with a mysterious new presence; the Hockey Players are officially stars of the otherwise hapless Letterkenny Irish; Katy is back from the city; and the rest of the Hicks are pretty much doing the same thing they always do. To keep viewers on ice for the next month, CraveTV just released another two and a half minutes of alliterative artistry with Season 3’s Super Cold Open. To view it, click here.

Guest starring this season is Keeso’s 19-2 co-star, Adrian Holmes. Winner of the 2017 Canadian Screen Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series for 19-2, Holmes plays Modeans bouncer Bradley. As well, acclaimed actress Sarah Gadon (Enemy) rolls into Letterkenny as mysterious lady Skid, Gae.

Également cette saison, alors qu’ils pêchent au Québec, les Hicks rencontrent leurs sosies français, les Hiques. Jean Guy, le Wayne québécois, est joué par Sebastien Huberdeau (Polytechnique), Jean-Carl, le Daryl québécois, est joué par Alexandre Landry (Gabrielle), Domenic Di Rosa (It’s Carla, Your Agent) joue le Dan québécois, et Kim Cloutier (The Cobblers) joue la Katy québécoise. [Translated: Also this season, while they fish in Quebec, the Hicks meet their French look-alikes, the Hicks. Jean Guy, the Quebec Wayne, is played by Sebastien Huberdeau (Polytechnique), Jean-Carl, the Daryl of Quebec, is played by Alexandre Landry (Gabrielle), Domenic Di Rosa Cloutier (The Cobblers) plays the Quebec Katy.]

LETTERKENNY revolves around the dustups Wayne (Keeso) and his buds get into with their small-town Ontario rivals. The Hicks, The Skids, and The Hockey Players get at each other about the most mundane things, often ending with someone getting their ass kicked. Wayne, his best bud Daryl (Nathan Dales, Goon: Last of the Enforcers), Wayne’s free-spirited younger sister Katy (Michelle Mylett, El Camino Christmas), and Wayne’s buddy, Dan (K Trevor Wilson, JEFF ROSS PRESENTS: ROAST BATTLE) are all Hicks. CSA-nominated Daniel Petronijevic (19-2) returns as Hick McMurray. Dylan Playfair (HATERS BACK OFF) and Andrew Herr (Goon: Last of the Enforcers) reprise their roles as hotshot Hockey Players “Jonesy” and “Reilly”. Tyler Johnston (MOTIVE) and Evan Stern (RoboCop) return as Skids Stewart and Roald. Lisa Codrington (COPPER) returns as bartender, Gail, and Jacob Tierney (The Trotsky) as the Christian leader Glen. Mark Forward (FARGO) returns as the temperamental Coach of Letterkenny Irish and Tiio Horn (WHAT WOULD SAL DO?) is back as badass leader of The Natives.

Season 2 of LETTERKENNY launched Christmas Day as the most-watched title on CraveTV, eclipsing its own Season 1 for record viewers. The entire first two seasons, as well as the rowdy “St. Perfect’s Day” special, remain CraveTV’s most consistent top performers each and every day.

Season 1 of LETTERKENNY took home three 2017 Canadian Screen Awards: Best Comedy Series, Best Writing in a Comedy Program or Series, and Best Direction in a Comedy Program or Series. As well, series creator Jared Keeso and co-writer and director Jacob Tierney took home a Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Award for TV Comedy. Seasons 1 and 2 are currently streaming on CraveTV and Season 1 is also available on iTunes and Google Play.

LETTERKENNY is produced by New Metric Media (What Would Sal Do?), in partnership with DHX Media in association with Bell Media, with the participation of Canadian Media Fund, OMDC Tax Credits and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund. Jacob Tierney is executive producer, director, and co-writer. Patrick O’Sullivan and Mark Montefiore are executive producers for New Metric Media.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

AMI-tv digs into DIY with debut of Eyes for the Job

It makes total sense for the folks at AMI-tv to follow up their cooking series Four Senses with Eyes for the Job. Aside from cooking, home renovations take up a lot of our time so why not launch a do-it-yourself series?

Debuting Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET on AMI-tv, Eyes for the Job is designed for viewers who are blind or low vision by having hosts Chris Judge and Rebekah Higgs describe what they’re doing while it’s being done. That’s evident in Episode 1 as the pair turn an old piano into a showstopper bar and tile the kitchen at Higgs’ home; they give a step-by-step description of exactly what they’re doing as they do it.

Shot and produced in Halifax by Clerisy Entertainment, the 13-episodes spotlight the skills of Higgs—an accomplished singer, songwriter and do-it-yourself mom—and Judge, who was born blind. That didn’t stop him from catching the DIY bug from his father.

“My father wasn’t trained carpenter, but he did it all of his life,” Judge says on the phone from Halifax. “As a kid, I was always getting in his way. I was out in his workshop putting my hands all over everything and asking him more questions than I’m sure he cared to answer.” Judge honed his skills in junior high by taking industrial arts, first embracing woodworking and then, as an adult, turning towards handyman jobs. Judge has always had an uncanny knack for being able to dismantle and rebuild things; he once shocked friends by putting together a barbecue grill just from feel.

Still, there were parts of Eyes for the Job that him pause: painting. As Judge, an assistive technology trainer at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind recalls, he wasn’t sure how a blind person could successfully paint walls to the standard a sighted person could. But with Higgs’ help, he not only learned how to do it but do it well.

Eyes for the Job isn’t just an excellent DIY series for its intended audience, it’s a fantastic renovation series period, something producer Dale Stevens strived for.

“What a great bar to set on this project, if we can make this not only for the audience at AMI but for anybody on any network,” Stevens says on the line from Dartmouth, NS. “I think we’ve created something that—regardless of what visual state you are—you’re going to watch this show and you’re going to like it.”

 

 

 

Eyes for the Job airs Fridays at 8:30 p.m. ET on AMI-tv.

Image courtesy of AMI.

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Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

W Network lifts the veil on Jillian Harris’ life in Canadian original Jillian & Justin

From a media release:

For years, fans have followed notable interior designer and host of Love It Or List It Vancouver Jillian Harris’ personal and professional journey on television and social media. W Network now brings audiences a raw, insider’s look into her and partner Justin Pasutto’s biggest life challenges with the four-part docu-series Jillian & Justin, premiering June 21 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The Canadian original program follows the couple as they tackle the challenges of first-time parenthood and building their forever home, while meeting the demands of their careers and relationship.

Jillian & Justin provides an authentic and revealing look at the couple and their dramatic new life in Kelowna, B.C. As Jillian juggles her jam-packed schedule and Justin tries to launch a new career to support their growing family, they’re also in the midst of a major home renovation and adjusting to life with a newborn. The special docu-series also unveils many firsts for Jillian, including the birth of her first child, buying and rebuilding a teardown home, and starting new business ventures on top of her already-busy television career.

In the series premiere, the couple prepare themselves for the arrival of their first child together and their new roles as parents. Between doctor’s appointments, an over-the-top surprise baby shower, preparing their house for a newborn, and continuing to work right up until her due date, Jillian attempts to do it all. Meanwhile, Justin ends up in a frightening accident and then receives some shocking news as he prepares their new home for a massive renovation, throwing their lives into complete chaos.

Jillian & Justin is created and produced by Big Coat Media in association with HGTV Canada.

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Cardinal

Production underway on second cycle of Cardinal for CTV and Super Ecran

From a media release:

CTV and Super Écran, alongside producers Sienna Films and Entertainment One (eOne), announced today that production is underway on the second cycle of CARDINAL, the #1 new Canadian series of the year starring Golden Globe® nominee Billy Campbell (THE KILLING) and the multiple Genie Award-winning actress Karine Vanasse (REVENGE). Inspired by Black Fly Season, the third novel in the John Cardinal Mysteries series written by Ontario native and award-winning author Giles Blunt, the second cycle of the networks’ serialized drama is shooting six, hour-long episodes in North Bay, Ont. and Toronto before premiering as part of CTV and Super Écran’s 2017/18 season.

Cycle 1 of CARDINAL was the most-watched new Canadian series and ranked among the Top 10 new series overall that launched on Canadian television in the 2016/17 season, averaging 1.1 million viewers weekly. Following the success of the first season, the series received an unprecedented two-season renewal.

eOne has successfully licensed the series internationally with the first season of CARDINAL having aired on CANAL+ in France, Calle 13 in Spain, and C More in Scandinavia, where it became the network’s biggest foreign drama series. Cycle 1 of CARDINAL will premiere June 3 on BBC in the U.K. and June 16 on Hulu in the U.S.

CARDINAL picks up several months after the events of Cycle 1. It’s early summer in Algonquin Bay and the blackflies aren’t the only ones out for blood. Detectives John Cardinal (Campbell) and Lise Delorme (Vanasse) find themselves with a strange case on their hands involving a young woman with a gunshot wound to the head. The investigation quickly takes a turn as Cardinal and Delorme uncover a series of disturbing, ritualistic killings that may be connected to their young victim. Cardinal must work to identify the young woman before her attacker strikes again.

Joining Billy Campbell and Karine Vanasse in Cycle 2 of CARDINAL is an all-star supporting cast that includes Bruce Ramsay (19-2) as Ray Northwind, Alex Paxton-Beesley (PURE) as Red, Jonathan Keltz (REIGN) as Kevin Tait, Kevin Hanchard (ORPHAN BLACK) as Detective Alan Clegg, and Kris Holden-Ried (VIKINGS) as Scott Lasalle. Returning cast members include Deborah Hay (The Anniversary) as Catherine Cardinal, Glen Gould (Rhymes for Young Ghouls) as Det. Jerry Commanda, Kristen Thomson (Away From Her) as Staff Sergeant Noelle Dyson, David Richmond Peck (ORPHAN BLACK) as Corporal Malcolm Musgrave, and Alanna Bale (PRIME RADICALS) as Kelly Cardinal.

CARDINAL is produced by Sienna Films and eOne in association with CTV, with the financial participation of the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, the Canada Media Fund, and the Cogeco Program Development Fund; and with the assistance of the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit. Super Écran has commissioned the series for French-language Canadian broadcast. eOne distributes the series worldwide.

CARDINAL is adapted from the John Cardinal Mysteries series, a series of six bestselling crime novels written by Giles Blunt. Cycle 2 of CARDINAL is written by Sarah Dodd (MOTIVE, RANSOM), who also serves as an Executive Producer; and co-executive producers Jennica Harper (MOTIVE) and Alison Bingeman (19-2). Co-Executive Producer Jeff Renfroe (ROGUE) directs all six episodes. The drama is executive produced by Sienna Films duo Julia Sereny and Jennifer Kawaja (COMBAT HOSPITAL). For eOne, Jocelyn Hamilton and Tecca Crosby serve as Executive Producers.

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