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TV,eh? What's up in Canadian television
Mary Kills People

Links: Mary Kills People

From Jay Bobbin of OnTV Today:

Link: ‘Mary Kills People’ slays its star, Caroline Dhavernas
“She’s such a great character, it was a no-brainer for me when I saw the project come along. She’s so complex and packed with contradictions, it’s so fun to play as an actress. Also, along with the drama, there’s a level of comedy as well … so it’s a real treat.” Continue reading.

From Hank Stuever of the Washington Post:

Link: In Mary Kills People assisted suicide becomes a dangerous side business
Lifetime’s “Mary Kills People,” a six-episode series that is probably not destined to be new Supreme Court justice Neil M. Gorsuch’s favorite binge, is a provocatively compelling and occasionally nail-biting tale of an emergency-room doctor, Mary Harris (“Hannibal’s” Caroline Dhavernas), who is secretly running an assisted-suicide operation for patients who are terminally ill. Continue reading. 

From Bill Keveney of USA Today:

Link: Mary Kills People is Lifetime’s latest pivot (though she’s still in peril)
In breaking through a crowded TV landscape, it’s hard to top the title of Lifetime’s new drama, Mary Kills People (Sunday, 10 ET/PT).

Mary Harris (Caroline Dhavernas, Hannibal) saves lives as an emergency-room doctor, but she moonlights as a Dr. Kevorkian-style mercy killer, secretly helping a few terminally ill people end their lives. Partnering with a plastic surgeon (Richard Short) who’s lost his medical license, Mary considers physician-assisted suicide moral, but she also knows it’s illegal. Continue reading.

From Erin Donnelly of Refinery29:

Link: Caroline Dhavernas defends Mary Kills People’s controversial premise
“Things have changed in Canada recently. Last June a law was passed that enabled doctors to help their patients that way. So things have evolved a little bit recently here. And in Quebec, the province I live in, the health minister was just talking about maybe including, eventually, people with dementia, so we’re starting to talk about mental illnesses and things like that. It’s interesting, and many countries in the world are having this debate. I think we should have it more often, which is one of the reasons why I was so interested to make a show about it.” Continue reading.

From Niki Cruz of AM NewYork:

Link: Caroline Dhavernas gets dark for Mary Kills People
“To me, she’s the same person with her own contradictions and her own passions. She’s helping people survive and she’s helping people who are done with suffering die in peace. She doesn’t want to leave people alone in this. She knows that if she doesn’t help, they will be left alone with this decision.” Continue reading.

From Philiana Ng of Entertainment Tonight:

Link: Mary Kills People star Caroline Dhavernas embraces the bizarre
“I like when things are completely absurd. I love that people will step away [from] what has already been done and pre-chewed. I like when people take risks. I want to be able to challenge myself and challenge the viewer and challenge the back of our mind — the subconscious mind. I’m a big fan of Twin Peaks and any show that will fall into that type of dream-like weird stuff.” Continue reading.

From Robert Lloyd of the L.A. Times:

Link: Complications come quick in Lifetime’s assisted-suicide drama Mary Kills People
Grounded and believable, with the dry, witty, old-fashioned self-assurance of a Barbara Stanwyck or Katharine Hepburn, Dhavernas shades her comedy with drama, and playing drama is never more than a breath away from comedy; her presence distracts you from the occasional bare spot on the carpet, the smudge on the walls, the crack in the ceiling. Continue reading. 

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Motive, Saving Hope

Link: Motive’s Kristin Lehman brings no-nonsense confidence Saving Hope

From Christy Spratlin of The TV Junkies:

Link: Kristin Lehman brings no-nonsense confidence Saving Hope
“It’s almost a bit like that feeling like you’re good friends with someone and you’ve met their brother so you know them but don’t really know them. It was kind of like I was working with that brother. It was great. There was a real ease on the set, a real level of comfort and respect and caring. It was lovely.” Continue reading.

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Industry News

History announces production on original docu-series Bud Dynasty

From a media release:

Green is the new gold. HISTORY, the #1 Specialty Entertainment Network*, announced today the start of production on the new Canadian original docu-series, Bud Dynasty (7×30). With filming underway today at the 4/20 event in Vancouver celebrating cannabis culture, the series follows intrepid entrepreneurs as they navigate Canada’s thriving and controversial marijuana industry at a time when the dubious plant is emerging from the shadows of prohibition and into the grow lights of legalization. Bud Dynasty is produced by Screen Siren Pictures Inc. and Henry Less (HL) Ontario Inc. in association with HISTORY. Broadcast details will be announced at a later date.

With the recent news of the federal government’s bill to legalize marijuana by July 2018, Canada may be the first industrialized nation to end pot prohibition. Canadians are experiencing a historic shift in the perspective on the product, and the potential impact of legalization is being deliberated across the country. In B.C. specifically, the marijuana industry is worth an estimated $2-7 billion annually, and produces 40% of all Canadian cannabis, making it some of the most valuable cash in the province.

Bud Dynasty chronicles this burgeoning green rush by following Canada’s most charismatic and uncompromising marijuana trailblazers who risk it all and bravely face serious obstacles in this uncharted territory. Pot pioneer Bob Kay is a burly biker and father of four who dreams of franchising on a massive scale, but also recognizes the volatility of the business. As Bob seeks out investment opportunities, he turns to Joe Le, a young entrepreneur and dispensary owner from Vancouver. Joe is making his mark on the cannabis industry and is intrigued by the possibilities of partnering with Bob and capitalizing on his grow license – which happens to be one of the largest in Canada.

However, the competition is fierce as franchise operators, large-scale growers, licensed producers, publicly traded companies, and other dispensaries each battle for a slice of the market and control over supply, distribution, and retail sales – all while facing local officials threatening to shut down all retail sales until regulations are in place. Bud Dynasty provides an all-access look into the frontier of the legalized pot business, its big players, the obstacles they face, and the epic journey of building a groundbreaking industry from the leaf up.

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Industry News

CTV unveils The Launch, a new six-part original music series and international TV format

From a media release:

Showcasing a mix of vibrant voices and mic drop moments during the creation of the next chart-topping song, CTV announced today from Canadian Music Week the new, six-part music television series, THE LAUNCH, premiering in 2018. The new international television format is the first TV project culminating from the previously announced partnership between Bell Media and world-renowned record executive Scott Borchetta (AMERICAN IDOL), founder, president, and CEO of the Big Machine Label Group, whose roster features international superstars like Taylor Swift, Reba McEntire, Florida Georgia Line, Rascal Flatts, and Thomas Rhett, among others. Reinventing the music competition genre, THE LAUNCH delivers an authentic behind-the-scenes look at the creation of a series of hit songs. Casting for the series is now open (see below), with production set to begin in Toronto this summer.

CTV also announced it has brought on board Eureka Productions’ acclaimed showrunner Paul Franklin, the creative mastermind behind the MASTERCHEF format, along with Canadian format pros Insight Productions (THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, BATTLE OF THE BLADES), one of Canada’s preeminent production companies. With an award-winning background in music television production, Insight CEO John Brunton and Insight’s Lindsay Cox (THE TRAGICALLY HIP: A NATIONAL CELEBRATION) are executive producers, along with Franklin and Borchetta.

Created for markets around the world, THE LAUNCH features a new and unique format: a group of unsigned musicians are mentored in the creation of a new original song by a panel of internationally renowned hit makers – including Borchetta.

Casting for the internationally renowned music mentors is underway. Additional program format information and special guests will be announced in the coming months.

CTV also confirmed today that casting for THE LAUNCH is now open. Aspiring megastars can prep their auditions for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with some of the biggest names in music. The deadline for submission is May 10 at 11:59 PM ET. For all casting details and updates, including instructions on how to apply, fans can visit CTV.ca/TheLaunch, the CTV Facebook Page, and follow @TheLaunchTV on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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