Tag Archives: Anne with an E

Comments and queries for the week of August 17

It’s a shame, and no doubt my loss, but I won’t be watching this second season of Anne with an E. I am so disappointed (as well as others I know) that this Canadian production, by an iconic Canadian author, was aired on Netflix in the States before Canadian audiences had a chance to see it. Not kosher. And the third season no doubt will probably have its airing the same way in 2019. There is hardly a Canadian production I don’t watch, but this has left a bad taste. So long, Anne with an E — parting is such sweet sorrow. —D Mac


Bell Media[Daily Planet‘s cancellation is] disappointing but not really surprising. What we are witnessing are the death throes of profit-based cable television. Media companies like Bell and so many others are prostituting themselves to the public’s lowest common denominator to generate viewers because it is cheap and easy to make programming like what we see now and they have to compete with Internet-based programming. Like flashing lights in a casino, it’s not about quality anymore, it’s just about making you look. Like “click bait” on the Internet. They know you will leave, that is why ad time costs more at the beginning of a show because they already know most people are going to leave in the first 10 minutes. If we would like to preserve intelligent programming on television we need to support networks that don’t rely on maintaining profit margins. Unfortunately, that is only PBS, CPAC and sometimes CBC. Although CBC is fairly debatable also. Ultimately, we are all players in this game and if we want change we need to choose with our remotes and not watch junk TV. I work in the video production industry and all I can say is “Good luck people!” —Sean


So many dance tasks [on The Amazing Race Canada] this year, I’ve seen speculation that it’ll be the theme of the final memory task of the Race at the finale. Darts make for dull TV and I’ve never been a fan of the Face-Off essentially deciding who’s going to finish last halfway through the episode but at least they made it slightly hard with the all sides bit. Six teams and four Legs after this one. Pretty obvious it was going to be a non-elimination episode since the last episode always needs three teams. A good memory-matching opener task. Dylan and Martina were hilarious at the magic Road Block as was the judge watching them. And the kid in the audience that was unimpressed. It feels like the parking ticket was $0 just because they were on the Race. Is there even a penalty for that? I remember Sukhi and Jinder lost 15 minutes due to running a red light. With the amount of focus, Martina and Phil are probably in the finale; stranger things have happened then them possibly winning but they haven’t gotten 1st place yet in any Leg. Sinorama went out of business. I hope that doesn’t mean more budget cuts in future seasons. —DanAmazing

Got a question or comment about Canadian TV? Email greg.david@tv-eh.com or via Twitter @tv_eh.

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CBC and Netflix renew Northwood Entertainment’s Anne with an E for a third season

From a media release:

CBC and Netflix have renewed the award-winning ANNE WITH AN E from Northwood Entertainment for a highly anticipated third season (10 x 60). Inspired by the timeless Canadian novel Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery, the third season of ANNE WITH AN E will continue to tell the coming-of-age story of an outsider who, against all odds and numerous challenges, fights for acceptance, for her place in the world, and for love.

The renewal comes shortly after the US and international debut of the series’ second season (10 x 60) on Netflix in July, and just ahead of the Canadian premiere of season two on CBC, the CBC TV streaming app and cbc.ca/watch on Sunday, September 23 at 7 p.m. (7:30 NT).

Executive producers Walley-Beckett (BREAKING BAD, FLESH AND BONE) and de Pencier (BEGINNERS, THANKS FOR SHARING) team up once again to re-immerse audiences in Anne’s world in Avonlea. The new season is expected to begin production this winter for launch on CBC and Netflix later in 2019.

ANNE WITH AN E received 13 Canadian Screen Award nominations in 2018 – the most of any series nominated – and was awarded Best Drama Series for Walley-Beckett and de Pencier. Walley-Beckett also won a Writer’s Guild of Canada award for writing, “I Am No Bird, And No Net Ensnares Me,” and Showrunner of the Year at the Rockie Awards as part of the 2018 Banff World Media Festival. ANNE WITH AN E was also awarded Playback’s magazine’s “Show of the Year” honour in 2017 and Art of the Title’s “Best Title Sequence” for the opening sequence of the show.

Building on the stellar success of the first two seasons, ANNE WITH AN E season 3 will continue to chart bold new territory, adding new characters and storylines while exploring themes of identity, prejudice, feminism, bullying, gender parity, diversity and empowerment through the lens of its fierce, starry-eyed, irrepressible 16-year-old protagonist. While ANNE WITH AN E will continue to honour the foundation of L. M. Montgomery’s novel, a Canadian treasure and global phenomenon, the series’ third season will creatively evolve. Ever transforming Avonlea with her unique spirit, fierce intellect and brilliant imagination, Anne and the rest of the characters will experience thrilling adventures as they explore timeless themes of identity, deceit, sexism, racism, bullying, prejudice, and empowerment.

A CBC and Netflix original series, ANNE WITH AN E is produced by Northwood Entertainment and created by Moira Walley-Beckett. The executive producers are Miranda de Pencier, Moira Walley-Beckett, Debra Hayward and Alison Owen.

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Link: After 110 years, Avonlea has its first Black resident

From Tony Wong of the Toronto Star:

Link: After 110 years, Avonlea has its first Black resident
“It puts a huge smile on my face and I’m absolutely honoured to see a role like this, where there is more and more inclusion and possibility for actors of different ethnicities,” says Abuzeid in an interview. “This story is such a part of Canadian culture and to be a part of that is something I can’t even begin to understand.” Continue reading.

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Banff 2018: Anne with an E’s Moira Walley-Beckett and New Metric Media among Rockie Gala Award winners

Anne with an E showrunner Moira Walley-Beckett, Letterkenny and Bad Blood production company New Metric Media, and veteran producer Sheila Hockin were among the Canadians feted during the Rockie Awards gala on Tuesday night at the Banff World Media Festival.

Hosted by Tony Award-winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth—who began the show by munching ketchup potato chips and Timbits and closed with a stirring rendition of “The Prayer”—the evening also saluted Canadians who’ve made good in Hollywood. Jeremy Podeswa captured the Award of Excellence for his body of work as a director of such programs as Game of Thrones, Queer as Folk, The Tudors and The Pacific. David Shore was on hand to accept The Hollywood Reporter Impact Award for his hit medical drama The Good Doctor.

“Support is at the heart of innovation,” Mark Montefiore, New Metric Media’s president and executive producer of Letterkenny, Bad Blood and What Would Sal Do?, said upon receiving the Innovative Producer Award. “One can dream big all day long, but without the support of countless people, those ideas would simply remain as big dreams and not realities.”

Hockin was given the Canadian Award of Distinction for producing such shows as Vikings, The Handmaid’s Tale, Penny Dreadful, The Borgias, The Tudors, Canada’s Next Top Model and Queer as Folk.

Walley-Beckett accepted the Showrunner of the Year Award for her work on Anne with an E, set to return for Season 2 on Netflix next month and CBC in September.

“[Showrunning] is like conducting a full orchestra to play a symphony that you composed,” she said on-stage. “At the end of every season, I celebrate that I’ve lived to tell the tale. I love my work. Sleep is overrated. So is sanity.”

Here is the complete list of winners:

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Jeremy Podeswa

INNOVATIVE PRODUCER AWARD
New Metric Media

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER IMPACT AWARD
The Good Doctor

A&E INCLUSION AWARD
Elizabeth Vargas

CANADIAN AWARD OF DISTINCTION
Sheila Hockin

SHOWRUNNER OF THE YEAR
Moira Walley-Beckett

PROGRAM OF THE YEAR
This Is Us

SIR PETER USTINOV COMEDY AWARD
Sean Hayes

COMPANY OF DISTINCTION
NBCUniversal

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Season 2 of Anne with an E gets September return date on CBC

It’s the news many of us have been waiting for. Season 2 of Anne with an E will return to CBC this fall. Sunday, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m., to be precise Plus, two brand-new, exclusive images have been released as well as the trailer.

As per the CBC:

Inspired by the timeless Canadian novel ”Anne of Green Gables” by Lucy Maud Montgomery, the second season continues to chart bold new territory, adding new characters and storylines while further exploring themes of identity, prejudice, feminism, bullying, gender parity and empowerment through the lens of its fierce, starry-eyed, irrepressible 14-year-old protagonist.

A coming-of-age story, reimagined by creator Moira Walley-Beckett, Anne with an E stars returning fan favorites Amybeth McNulty (Anne Shirley-Cuthbert), Geraldine James (Marilla Cuthbert), R.H. Thomson (Matthew Cuthbert), Corrine Koslo (Rachel Lynde), Dalila Bela (Diana Barry), Aymeric Jett Montaz (Jerry Baynard), Lucas Zumann (Gilbert Blythe) and Kyla Matthews (Ruby Gillis). This season introduces audiences to new characters including Dalmar Abuzeid (Sebastian Lacroix) and Cory Grüter-Andrew (Cole MacKenzie) conceived by Moira Walley-Beckett and an all-female writers’ room.

A CBC and Netflix original series, Anne with an E is produced by Northwood Entertainment and created by Moira Walley-Beckett. The executive producers are Miranda de Pencier, Moira Walley-Beckett, Debra Hayward, Alison Owen and Ken Girotti. John Calvert serves as producer.

Are you excited for Season 2 of Anne with an E? Let me know below!

Images courtesy of Chris Reardon for CBC.

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