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TV,eh? What's up in Canadian television
Children's Programming

Family Channel’s Backstage debut set for March 18

From a media release:

Family Channel opens the doors to Keaton School of the Arts on Friday, March 18 at 7 p.m. ET/PT with the series premiere of its new drama Backstage from Fresh TV. Musical mashups and dramatic dance-offs are among the creative collaborations that fill the hallways of this prestigious arts school, and Backstage showcases an entirely Canadian cast of talented newcomers. The series features an original musical score and episodes are directed by notable music video directors including Director X (Drake, Iggy Azalea) and RT! (Snoop Dogg, Sean Paul) among others. The show marks the debut of Family’s fourth original series rolling out new episodes on the channel in 2016 and highlights the network’s vibrant original production slate filled with compelling series with exceptionally talented casts.

Backstage follows a group of outstandingly talented teenagers as they live through the highs and lows that come with attending the elite Keaton School of the Arts. New friendships, unparalleled competition and defining moments await them as being a Keaton student is meant to set them on the path to stardom. The dramatic heartbreak and blazing triumphs these artists experience send ripples through the school, capturing the intensity of every audition, rehearsal and performance that could make or break their careers. Following the series premiere, new episodes of Backstage will air regularly Fridays at 7 p.m. ET/PT ahead of The Next Step. Episodes will also be offered on Family OnDemand as they become available weekly beginning March 19.

The stage is set for March 18 as Backstage is followed by a new episode of Family’s #1 drama, The Next Step, at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT. West receives a mysterious package from London, England and Noah collaborates on a song with Amanda.

Fans can go behind the scenes at Family.ca and learn more about Backstage’s characters through exclusive photo galleries and videos. Launching the week of March 14 is TooMuchKeaton.com, socialite Sasha’s epic blog where weekly posts, video tutorials and character confessions keep everyone in the know of what’s happening in the halls at Keaton.

Backstage stars the immensely talented: Josh Bogert as Miles; Aviva Mongillo as Alya; Mckenzie Small as Scarlett; Devyn Nekoda (Degrassi) as Vanessa; Alyssa Trask as Carly; Julia Tomasone as Bianca; Matthew Isen as Jax; Colin Petierre as Sasha; Romy Weltman as Kit; Kyal Legend as Julie; Adrianna Di Liello as Jenna; and Isiah Hall as Denzel.

Commissioned by DHX Television, and with international distribution handled by DHX Media, Backstage was created and developed by Fresh TV. Executive Producers are Brian Irving, who also serves as producer; Jennifer Pertsch, also the co-creator and a writer; Lara Azzopardi, the series’ co-creator, show runner, writer and director; Tom McGillis and George Elliott. Directors for the series include top music video directors RT! (Snoop Dogg, Sean Paul, Shane Harte), Director X (Iggy Azalea, T.I., Drake), Wendy Morgan (Dragonette, Janelle Monáe) and Warren Sonoda (Johnny Reid, George Canyon), as well as Mario Azzopardi (Stargate SG-1, The Outer Limits, Degrassi) and Lara Azzopardi (I Am an Apartment Building, Rewind).

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X Company

Link: X Company preview: Let’s Build an Army!

From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:

X Company preview: Let’s Build an Army!
If you’re thinking that the drama and intensity on Season 2 of X Company was going to take a break this week, think again. Following an emotional week for Aurora (Evelyne Brochu) that saw her have to make a difficult decision regarding René’s (François Arnaud) life, the team is back to work trying to build up their forces since the invasion at Dieppe is less than four weeks away. Meanwhile, on the other side of the lines, Franz Faber (Torben Liebrecht) is dealing with the repercussions of Forst’s (Julian Michael Deuster) demise and what he did to his son. Continue reading. 

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Cardinal, Featured, Motive, Podcast

TV, eh? podcast episode 200 – The Bicentennial Ides of Mayday

To celebrate Episode 200 of the TV, Eh? podcast, you get a twofer: our newsy chat about the latest goings-on in the industry followed immediately by Anthony’s chat with Mayday narrator Stephen Bogaert!

Diane, Anthony and Greg highlight the next two weeks in Canadian TV programming, Motive‘s final season return date next month and how cameras have started to roll on CTV’s production of Cardinal, the six-part series based on Giles Blunt’s novels.

Want to contribute to the discussion? Post links and discussion topics on our Reddit page.

Listen or download below, or subscribe via iTunes or any other podcast catcher with the TV, eh? podcast feed.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Cold Water Cowboys push it to the limit in Season 3

From a media release:

The captains and crews of COLD WATER COWBOYS return to the waters of the Atlantic, more determined than ever to ride the massive rolling sea and wrangle their big hauls! Anchoring Discovery’s most-watched night of the week, the third season of the original Canadian series COLD WATER COWBOYS airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT beginning March 8 on Discovery and Discovery GO. Joining COLD WATER COWBOYS on Discovery’s must-see Tuesdays is the 16-time Emmy® Award-winning series DEADLIEST CATCH, returning to the Bering Sea March 29 at 9 p.m. ET.

From Paperny Entertainment, COLD WATER COWBOYS follows seven captains and their crews aboard fishing boats off the coast of Newfoundland. Eager to fight the unforgiving waves to reach their weekly tallies and cash them in are returning fishermen Captain Richard Gillett aboard the Midnight Shadow; Conway and Rick Caines aboard the Seadoo; Andre and Michelle Jesso aboard the Wave on Wave; Morris Anstey aboard the Sebastian Sails; Paul Tiller aboard the Atlantic Bandit; and newcomer Rick Crane aboard his new boat, Crane’s Legacy. Throughout Season 3, the fishermen face big challenges and risks, putting it all on the line for their passions and pay days.

Last season, Discovery was the #1 entertainment specialty network during COLD WATER COWBOYS’ Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET timeslot among total viewers, adults 25-54, and adults 18-49. Viewers can revisit all eight episodes of the salty second season of COLD WATER COWBOYS on Discovery GO.

For fans looking to complement their television experience and build their very own fishing dynasty, the Cold Water Cowboys: Atlantic Empire simulation game is back and refreshed for Season 3 at Discovery.ca. Combining strategy and skill based gameplay, show characters and locations, along with a strong social media component, players control their own fishing vessels while going for broke as one of the cold water cowboys in the unforgiving North Atlantic.

About COLD WATER COWBOYS Season 3:
There’s a new skipper in town for Season 3 – Captain Rick Crane. With every cent sunk into his new boat just Southwest in Cox’s Cove, he’s putting everything on the line to prove himself in the big leagues. Back for another season on the water, Morris Anstey is just as determined as ever, pushing his crew to their limits in Iceberg Alley before fishing the most dangerous bays on The Rock. The kings of crab and turbot, Paul Tiller and his crew attempt to give seining another shot. When winter sets in, the crew of the Atlantic Bandit fishes for urchin in the freezing North Atlantic.
On the West Coast, Conway Caines and his dad Rick start their season fishing 200 miles out to sea. Andre Jesso, his First Mate (and wife) Michelle, and their crew of greenhorns hope to make up for last year’s dismal season. Last but not least, Captain Richard Gillett is back, racing to make up ground after health issues last spring. Richard’s determined to hook his biggest score yet – two and a half million pounds of herring.

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