Tag Archives: Baroness Von Sketch Show

CBC’s Baroness von Sketch Show is back for even better Season 2

In what’s quickly become a wonderful summer tradition, CBC marks the end of June with the returns of Still Standing and Baroness von Sketch Show. Look for my interview with Still Standing host Jonny Harris elsewhere on the site; this column is all about the funny ladies of Baroness von Sketch Show.

Returning Tuesday at 9 p.m. on CBC, the first season was a riotous romp through the minds of Carolyn Taylor, Aurora Browne, Jennifer Whalen and Meredith MacNeil and the crazy, kooky and creative characters and situations they came up with. The group won a well-deserved Canadian Screen Award earlier this year for Best Writing for a Variety or Sketch Comedy Series and they’ve returned to form in this sophomore season. (Check out my feature story on the ladies in Canadian Screenwriter Magazine.)

The troupe’s Mad Max-inspired bit has been posted on social media over the past few weeks and is the first sketch following Tuesday’s opening credits for the episode entitled “It Satisfies on a Very Basic Level.” Filmed on the shores of Lake Ontario, it’s a well-written, supremely acted segment showing a quartet of strong women in a post-apocalyptic world where all men have been killed so ladies may rule. At least, that’s what we’re led to believe, though the truth comes out. MacNeil, as in Season 1, grabs laughs not just with her delivery and facial expressions but her entire body. A sky-high orange mohawk and fur cape complete her ludicrous look.

Browne nabs a serious laugh in the next skit regarding showing ID when shopping for a certain item, a brief history lesson on menstruation is given next, followed by an uncomfortable situation that arises when someone forgets not to ask about one woman’s ex.

Unlike Saturday Night Live, where sketches often go on way too long on expired laughs, Baroness Von Sketch Show is tight, quick and to the point. The Season 2 writing room contained—in addition to Taylor, MacNeil, Whalen and Browne— award-winning author and poet Zoe Whittall (The Best Kind of People), author Monica Heisey (I Can’t Believe It’s Not Better: A Woman’s Guide to Coping with Life), Jennifer Goodhue (This Hour Has 22 Minutes), standups Mae Martin, Elvira Kurt and Dawn Whitwell, Ann Pornel and Alex Tindal (The Sketchersons), playwright Donna-Michelle St. Bernard, Ify Chiwetelu, artist and writer Mariko Tamaki, Evany Rosen and Nelu Handa. The result? A summer of continuous laughs.

Baroness von Sketch Show airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

Images courtesy of CBC.

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Link: Canada’s female-led ‘Baroness von Sketch Show’ primed for U.S. debut

From Lauren La Rose of The Canadian Press:

Link: Canada’s female-led ‘Baroness von Sketch Show’ primed for U.S. debut
It’s shaping up to be a royal summer for Canada’s “Baroness von Sketch Show” as the female-led foursome is set to bring its irreverent comedy to audiences on both sides of the border.

Cast members Aurora Browne, Meredith MacNeill, Carolyn Taylor and Jennifer Whalen are all back on board for the show’s second season, which returns Tuesday on CBC-TV. The series will also make its U.S. debut on IFC in August.

But even with the potential of much wider viewership, there will be little change to the homegrown sketch show’s signature style. Continue reading. 

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Baroness Von Sketch Show, Wynonna Earp and Travelers top Rockie Awards noms

CBC’s Baroness Von Sketch Show, Space’s Wynonna Earp and Showcase’s Travelers are among the nominees for this year’s Rockie Awards.

Handed out during the Banff World Media Festival, the Rockie Awards celebrate excellence in television and digital content from around the world, with participation from more than 40 countries.

CBC’s The Secret Path is nominated in the Animation category, Odd Squad: The Movie in Children & Youth Fiction, Black Watch Snipers and Newfoundland at Armageddon in History & Biography and Paw Patrol in Preschool programming. Baroness Von Sketch received kudos in the Comedy Series: English Language category, with Wynonna Earp and Travelers facing off in the Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Action category.

Here’s a list of the nominees with Canadian projects highlighted in blue:

Animation
HARVEY BEAKS
Nickelodeon
United States

OTTO
NPO in association with NTR Television
Netherlands

REVOLTING RHYMES
Magic Light Pictures in association with BBC One
United Kingdom

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS
Nickelodeon
United States

THE SECRET PATH
Antica Productions in association with Entertainment One and Edgarland Films
Canada

Children & Youth Fiction
HANK ZIPZER
Kindle Entertainment in association with DHX Media, Walker Productions, and support from Screen Yorkshire
United Kingdom

HETTY FEATHER
CBBC/BBC Television
United Kingdom

ODD SQUAD: THE MOVIE
Sinking Ship Entertainment in association with The Fred Rogers Company
Canada/United States

RANGER ROB
Nelvana Limited/Studio Liddell
Canada/United Kingdom

WILD KRATTS
Kratts Brothers Company, 9 Story Media Group Production in association with PBS, TVO and BC Knowledge Network
Canada

Children & Youth Non-Fiction
HAVE A LOOK AT MY WORLD: HAYA – A GIRL IN SAUDI ARABIA
Hanfgarn & Ufer Filmproduktion GbR, Berlin in association with Suedwestrundfunk
Germany/Saudi Arabia

HELLO WORLD!
Discovery Channel in association with Radicalmedia and WWF
United States

HORRIBLE HISTORIES SPECIAL: SENSATIONAL SHAKESPEARE
Lion Television in association with Scholastic UK, CBBC, BBC Television
United Kingdom

SHIMAJIRO: A WORLD OF WOW!
DASH Co. LTD in association with The Answerstudio Co Ltd. and TV Tokyo Corporation
Japan

OCTOPUS NEWS: FIGHTING AIR POLLUTION
HAKKA TV
Taiwan

Comedy Series: English Language
BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW
Frantic Films in association with CBC
Canada

BLACK-ISH
Disney/ABC/ABC Studios
United States

FLEABAG
All3media International in association with Two Brothers and BBC3
United Kingdom

FLOWERS
Kudos Film & TV in association with Seeso
United Kingdom

INSECURE
HBO Entertainment in association with Issa Rae Productions, Prentice Penny Productions and 3 Arts Entertainment
United States

Comedy Series: Foreign Language
BOOMERANG
Encore Television Inc.
Canada

CALLBOYS
Woestijnvis/FBO in association with FBO, VIER
Belgium

FREEFALL
Encore Television Inc.
Canada

GENERATION B
De Mensen in association with Canvas, Gardner & Domm, VAF and Screen Brussels
Belgium

MY 80S TEEN MISADVENTURES
AVANTI CINÉ VIDÉO
Canada

Digital Fiction
#HASHTAG
SVT in association with Zentropa Sweden, Film Väst
Sweden

MY 90-YEAR-OLD ROOMMATE
LoCo Motion Pictures/9578056 Canada Inc. in association with Hawkeye Pictures and CBC
Canada

NOW WE’RE TALKING
go90 in association with an UNINTERRUPTED Original Series Produced by Blue Ribbon Content
United States

PEOPLEWATCHING
Lapaire Productions
Canada

THE 5TH QUARTER
OBB Pictures in association with 3 Arts Entertainment, Kids At Play
United States

Digital Non-Fiction
DECODED
MTV and Kornhaber Brown
United States

LIFE & DEATH ROW: LOVE TRIANGLE
BBC Studios in association with BBC Three
United Kingdom

QB1: BEYOND THE LIGHTS
go90 in association with Rated Red, Complex
United States

WE THE VOTERS: 20 FILMS FOR THE PEOPLE
Vulcan Productions, Show of Force and Warrior Poets
United States

YOUNG GUNS
go90 Rogue Atlas Productions in association with Rated Red, Complex
United States

Drama Series: English Language
AMERICAN CRIME
Disney/ABC, ABC Studios
United States

HAPPY VALLEY
Red Productions in association with BBC
United Kingdom

THE MISSING
New Pictures in association with Two Brothers Pictures
United Kingdom

THE NIGHT MANAGER
The Ink Factory in association with AMC and BBC
United Kingdom/Spain

UNDERGROUND
Sony Pictures Television
United States

Drama Series: Foreign Language
BORDERTOWN
Fisher King Productions, Federation Entertainment in association with YLE Finnish Broadcasting Company
Finland

MIDNIGHT SUN
SVT International in association with Nice Drama, Atlantique Productions
Sweden

RUPTURES
Aetois Productions Inc.
Canada

SR ÁVILA
Lemon Films in association with HBO Latin America Originals
Mexico

THE MENTEN CASE
NPO in association with Omroep MAX
Netherlands

VICTOR
Productions Pixcom Inc. in association with Québecor Contenu
Canada

Environmental & Wildlife
AFRICA’S HUNTERS
Primsoll Productions in association with Blue Ant Media
United Kingdom

BEFORE THE FLOOD
National Geographic presents a RatPac Documentary Films Presentation of an Appian Way Production. In association with Insurgent Docs and Diamond Docs
United States

MIGRATING BIRDS: SCOUTS OF DISTANT WORLDS
colourFIELD in association with ZDF & ARTE
Germany

PLANET EARTH II
BBC Studios – Natural History Unit, in association with ZDF, BBC America, France Television, Tencent
United Kingdom/Germany/United States/France/China

SAVAGE KINGDOM
Icon Films in association with Natural History Film unit Botswana for National Geographic Channels
United States

THE POACHER’S PIPELINE
Al Jazeera Media Network
Qatar

YEARS OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY
National Geographic presents a Roaring Forks production
United States

Francophone
CLAUDE LANZMANN: SPECTRES OF THE SHOAH
Jet Black Iris Corporations in association with Jet Black Iris America, Jet Black Iris Productions United Kingdom
United Kingdom/United States

HYPNO
La Récré
Canada

MIDNIGHT SUN
SVT International in association with Nice Drama, Atlantique Productions
Sweden

RUPTURES
Aetois Productions Inc.
Canada

VICTOR
Productions Pixcom Inc. in association with Québecor Contenu
Canada

VIRTUOSO
Média Qube Télé
Canada

History & Biography
BLACK WATCH SNIPERS
YAP Films in association with Corus Entertainment and Rogers Cable Network Fund
Canada

CLAUDE LANZMANN: SPECTRES OF THE SHOAH
Jet Black Iris Corporations in association with Jet Black Iris America, Jet Black Iris Productions United Kingdom
United Kingdom/United States

NEWFOUNDLAND AT ARMAGEDDON
Galafilm Productions Inc.
Canada

STORYVILLE: THE BLACK PANTHERS
Firelight Media in association with BBC
United Kingdom/United States

THE OLYMPIC DREAM – THE 1936 NAZI GAMES
SPIEGEL TV in association with Westdeutschen Runfunk, ARTE
Germany
Interactive Content

CARDBOARD CRASH
National Film Board of Canada
Canada

HALCYON
Secret Location in association with Corus Entertainment, Entertainment One, Independent Production Fund, NBC Universal, Ontario Media Development Corporation
Canada

LAWREN HARRIS: WHERE THE UNIVERSE SINGS
Secret Location in association with Bell Fund, White Pine Pictures, TVO, YesTV
Canada

TAHRIB – JOURNEY WITHOUT END
UFA LAB
Germany

TRAGICALLY HIP: LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO HAPPEN
CBC
Canada

Interactive Content for Kids & Youth
BACKSTAGE: TOO MUCH KEATON
Secret Location in association with Fresh Interactive, DXH Media, Bell Fund
Canada

DOTOPEDIA
Industrial Brothers in association with The Jim Henson company, Bell Fund, CBC
Canada

NATURE CAT’S GREAT OUTDOORS
Spiffy Pictures in association with REDspace Inc., PBS Kids
Canada/United States

PLAYTIME ISLAND
BBC Childrens Interactive and Childrens Design & Engineering
United Kingdom

ROSA’S CODE
YLE Finnish Broadcasting Company
Finland

WORLD OF PEPPA PIG
Secret Location in association with Entertainment One Family, OMDC
Canada/United Kingdom

CBC

Lifestyle
A CRUEL GIFT
KBS Korean Broadcasting System
South Korea

FOOD HEROES
ThreeSixZero Productions
Singapore

HELLO GOODBYE
FORTE Entertainment in association with Pivotal Media
Canada

MAN VS. CHILD: CHEF SHOWDOWN
Kinetic Content for FYI
United States

SMART CITIES 2.0
Very!
Singapore

Melodrama
30 LIVES
Aetios Productions Inc.
Canada

FROZEN MEMORIES
SP Televiṣo, S.A, in association with SIC РSocicdade Independente de Comunica̤̣o
Portugal

GREY’S ANATOMY
Disney/ABC, ABC Studios
United States

MORE THAN LOVE
SP Televiṣo, S.A, in association with SIC РSocicdade Independente de Comunica̤̣o
Portugal

POLDARK
Mammoth Screen Limited in association with BBC
United Kingdom

Music, Performance, Arts & Variety
IMAGINE…THE TRIUMPHS AND LAMENTS OF WILLIAM KENTRIDGE
Lone Star Productions
United Kingdom

KBS SPECIAL PROGRAM, AFFECTIVE SCIENCE PROJECT
KBS – Korean Broadcasting System
South Korea

SPIRIT UNFORGETTABLE
Little Kingdom Productions Inc, in association with Bell Media
Canada

THE SECRET OF A MASTER PAINTER
PosvideoTV in association with AVROTROS Television and NPO
Netherlands

TRACEY ULLMAN’S SHOW
BBC Studios in association with Allan McKeowan Presents
United Kingdom

Preschool
DOT.
Industrial Brothers in association with The Jim Henson Company and CBC
Canada

OCTONAUTS
Vampire Squid Productions Limited, a Silvergate Media company in association with Brown Bag Films
Ireland

PAW PATROL
Spin Master PAW Productions 3 Inc.
Canada

SESAME STREET
Sesame Workshop in association with HBO
United States

SPACE RACERS
Space Race, LLC
United States

Reality
60 DAYS IN
Lucky8 TV
United States

DEADLIEST CATCH
Original Productions LLC, a FremantleMedia Company for the Discovery Channel
United States

GAME OF LIFE – THE HEIR
SBS
Korea

HIGHWAY THRU HELL
GPM- H2H Productions V Inc., in association with Discovery Channel Canada
Canada

LEAH REMINI: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE AFTERMATH
The Intellectual Property Corporation in association with No Seriously Productions
United States

THE STORY OF GOD WITH MORGAN FREEMAN
Revelations Entertainment in association with National Geographic
United States

Science & Technology
BECOMING SUPERHUMAN
The Feds in association with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australia

DEATH ON A COMET
Exploration Production Inc., in association with Discovery Channel Canada
Canada/United States

FORCES OF NATURE WITH BRIAN COX
BBC Studios Science Unit. A BBC Studios production with PBS co-produced by France Télévisions
United Kingdom

I GOT RHYTHM: THE SCIENCE OF SONG
Souleado Entertainment in association with CBC
Canada

MARS
Imagine Entertainment & RadicalMedia in association with FreMantle Italy for National Geographic
United States

Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Action
BLUE MOON
Aetios Productions Inc.
Canada

OUTLANDER
Tall Ship Productions, Story Mining & Supply Company, Left Bank Pictures in association with Sony Picutres Television
Scotland

TIMELESS
MiddKid Productions, Kripke Enterprises, Davis Entertainment in association with Sony Pictures Television and Universal Television

TRAVELERS
Peacock Alley Entertainment in association with Showcase and Netflix
Canada

WYNONNA EARP
SEVEN24 Films Inc. in association with IDW Entertainment
Canada

Social & Investigative
EXODUS: OUR JOURNEY TO EUROPE
KEO Films
United Kingdom

FLOORTJE BACK TO SYRIA
BNNVARRA Television in association with NPO
Netherlands

HEAVEN’S BORDER
Chosun Media, Walking Cycle Studios, Platform Art Film in association with TV CHOSUN
South Korea

MABEL
National Film Board of Canada
Canada

TERROR STUDIOS
Al Jazeera Media Network
Qatar

THE POACHER’S PIPELINE
CAPA PRESSE in association with CANAL +
France

Television Miniseries
APPLE TREE YARD
Kudos Film & TV
United Kingdom

KU’DAMM 56 – REBEL WITH A CAUSE
UFA FICTION GmbH
Germany

REDEMPTION ROAD
UFA FICTION in association with MIA Film
Germany

ROOTS
A&E Studios in association with Marc Toberoff + The Wolper Organization
United States

THE NIGHT OF
HBO Entertainment in association with BBC, Bad Wolf Productions and Film Rites
United States

Television Movie
DAMILOLA, OUR LOVED BOY
Minnow Films in association with BBC
United Kingdom

L.M MONTGOMERY’S ANNE OF GREEN GABLES
Breakthrough Entertainment in association with Corus Entertainment
Canada

MANHUNT: ESCAPE TO THE CARPATHIANS
Wiedemann + Berg Television GmbH & Co KG in association with ARD Degeto and the WDR
Germany/Romania

STAGE NAME NINO
cOMPAGNIA Leone Cinematografica in association with RAI FICTION
Italy

THROUGH THEIR EYES
WOWOW/ViViA
Japan

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Cameras roll on Season 2 of Baroness Von Sketch Show

From a media release:

Frantic Films and CBC today announced that production is underway on Season 2 of BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW. Created and written by and starring award-winning Canadian comedians Carolyn Taylor, Meredith MacNeill, Aurora Browne and Jennifer Whalen, Season 2 (7×30) of the single camera, all-female sketch comedy series will shoot on location in and around Toronto until late October 2016 for broadcast in 2017.

Debuting to critical acclaim in June 2016, Season 1 of BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW was a breakout hit among Canadian audiences. The series recently garnered a Canadian Comedy Awards nomination for Best TV Show. The series’ first sketch “Locker Room,” which was released on Facebook in advance of the series premiere, has garnered close to 1.7 million views to date, with subsequent sketches following similar success online.

BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW takes a fresh look at the world’s narcissistic contemporary culture. Fast-paced and irreverent, the series celebrates the absurd, mines the embarrassing and satirizes daily lives. The series is insightful and emotionally grounded while offering a witty take on everyday concerns. From the politics of ordering a coffee, to entitled coworkers and open relationships, this satirical sketch show holds a fun-house mirror up to modern life.

Commissioned by CBC, BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW is produced by Frantic Film and executive produced by Jamie Brown, Carolyn Taylor, Meredith MacNeill, Aurora Browne and Jennifer Whalen.

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Link: ‘Baroness Von Sketch Show’: The Best Comedy You’ve Never Seen (Probably Because It’s Canadian)

From Jude Dry of Indiewire:

Link: ‘Baroness Von Sketch Show’: The Best Comedy You’ve Never Seen (Probably Because It’s Canadian)
Unlike the fattened up sketches of “Saturday Night Live,” which often meander into boring set-up and linger on actors breaking character, the sketches on “Baroness” get in and out as quickly as possible, keeping the jokes snappy and fresh. Continue reading.

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