Tag Archives: CBC

CBC unveils 2019-2020 primetime schedule

May 29, 2019 Greg David 7 Comments

In addition to the CBC revealing the new shows joining the lineup this fall and winter, the network pulled back the curtain on its primetime schedule.

We have yet to confirm actual debut and premiere dates, but here’s what each night will look like.

MONDAYS
8 PM – MURDOCH MYSTERIES *Season 13* (FALL/WINTER)
9 PM – FRANKIE DRAKE MYSTERIES *Season 3* (FALL)
10 PM – THE NATIONAL

TUESDAYS
7:30 PM – FAMILY FEUD CANADA *NEW SERIES* (LATE FALL)
8 PM – STILL STANDING *Season 5*(FALL)
8:30 PM – THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES *Season 27* (FALL/WINTER)
9 PM – TALLBOYZ *NEW SERIES* (FALL)
9:30 PM – BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW *Season 4*
10 PM – THE NATIONAL

WEDNESDAYS
7:30 PM – FAMILY FEUD CANADA *NEW SERIES* (LATE FALL)
8 PM – THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW *Season 3*(FALL)
9 PM – NORTHERN RESCUE *Season 1*(FALL)
10 PM – THE NATIONAL

THURSDAYS
7:30 PM – FAMILY FEUD CANADA *NEW SERIES* (LATE FALL)
8 PM – BATTLE OF THE BLADES RETURNS (FALL)
9 PM – DRAGONS’ DEN *Season 14* (FALL)
10 PM – THE NATIONAL

FRIDAYS
7:30 PM – FAMILY FEUD CANADA *NEW SERIES* (LATE FALL)
8 PM – MARKETPLACE *Season 47*(FALL/WINTER)
8:30 PM – IN THE MAKING *Season 2* (FALL)
9 PM – THE NATURE OF THINGS *Season 59* (FALL/WINTER) – New Night
10 PM – THE NATIONAL
11:30 PM – CBC ARTS: EXHIBITIONISTS (FALL/WINTER)

SATURDAYS
Afternoon – ROAD TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES *Season 5* (FALL/WINTER)
6:30 PM – HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA (FALL/WINTER)

SUNDAYS
Afternoon – ROAD TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES *Season 5* (FALL/WINTER)
7 PM – HEARTLAND *Season 13* (FALL)
8 PM – ANNE WITH AN E *Season 3*(FALL)
9 PM – THE FIFTH ESTATE *Season 45*
10 PM – THE NATIONAL

Family Feud Canada, Featured, Fortunate Son, Industry News, The Trickster

Family Feud Canada and Fortunate Son among CBC’s new series; Workin’ Moms, Diggstown and 22 Minutes renewed

May 29, 2019 Greg David 1 Comment

A Canadian version of Family Feud with Gerry Dee at the helm, a drama based on Eden Robinson’s award-winning Trickster novels and a spy drama based on Heartland, Wynonna Earp and Jann executive producer Tom Cox were among the new series announced by CBC at the network’s Upfront presentation on Wednesday.

The network confirmed that Halifax-based legal drama Diggstown, sketch comedy 22 Minutes and comedy Workin’ Moms have all been renewed for new seasons.

Some sad news: CBC confirmed that Little Dog, Cavendish and Crawford have not been renewed.

Adapted from Eden Robinson’s novels and co-created by Michelle Latimer and Tony Elliot, The Trickster—from Sienna Films (Cardinal)—is described as a darkly humorous coming-of-age story that combines dysfunctional family drama with supernatural thriller. Jared, an Indigenous teen, meets Wade, a mysterious stranger who turns Jared’s life upside down.

Based on the real-life of Tom Cox’s family experience, Fortunate Son—created by Andrew Wreggit—is an eight-episode drama from Seven24 Films and Lark Entertainment about the matriarch of an American activist family who helps smuggle Vietnam war deserters and draft dodgers across the border. He is pursued by the FBI.

Gerry Dee is back on the CBC as the host of Family Feud Canada. Airing weekdays at 7 p.m., the 60-episode program showcases homegrown families from across the country competing to guess the most popular answers to fun, family-friendly survey questions from a sample of Canadians.

The Sounds, a co-production between Canada and New Zealand created by author Sarah-Kate Lynch, is being billed as a relationship drama about the goings-on in Pelorus Sounds, where nothing is quite as it seems. Peter Stebbings will direct all eight episodes.

New and returning unscripted series include Back in Time for Winter, Fridge Wars, High Arctic Haulers and Tallboyz.

CBC also made some casting announcements, noting Great Canadian Baking Show is swapping out Daniel Levy and Julia Chan for Baroness Von Sketch Show‘s Aurora Brown and Carolyn Taylor. As much as I’ll miss Levy and Chan, Brown and Taylor are going to be amazing.

And finally, Kurt Browning has been named head judge for Battle of the Blades with Ron MacLean back as the host. Olympians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir will participate as guest judges. Those confirmed to take to the ice for the competition include figure skaters in Violetta Afanasieva and Vanessa James, and hockey players Sheldon Kennedy and Natalie Spooner.

The new series announcement comes just over a month after CBC revealed the projects returning for new seasons this fall and winter, including Murdoch Mysteries, Frankie Drake Mysteries, Heartland, Still Standing, Baroness Von Sketch Show, Anne with an E, Coroner, The Detectives, Kim’s Convenience and Schitt’s Creek.

Which new shows are you planning to check out this fall and winter? Let me know in the comments below.

Murdoch Mysteries

Lucky 13! Cameras roll on Season 13 of #1 Canadian drama Murdoch Mysteries for CBC and UKTV

May 21, 2019 Greg David 33 Comments

From a media release:

Shaftesbury announced today that #1 Canadian drama* MURDOCH MYSTERIES has begun production on Season 13, for CBC and UKTV, distributed by ITV STUDIOS Global Entertainment. With 18 new one-hour episodes, Season 13 will see the beloved series celebrate its 200^th episode. Starring Yannick Bisson, Hélène Joy, Jonny Harris, and Thomas Craig, the internationally acclaimed series averaged 1.1 million viewers each week on CBC in Season 12,** and in the U.K. remains one of Alibi’s top-performing shows. MURDOCH MYSTERIES Season 13 will film on location in Ontario until November 2019, and premiere on CBC this fall, with international dates to follow.

With personal and professional changes for some of the Station House No. 4 team last year, Season 13 will continue to explore new developments in the lives of Detective William Murdoch (Bisson), Dr. Julia Ogden (Joy), Inspector Thomas Brackenreid (Craig), Constables George Crabtree (Harris) and Henry Higgins-Newsome (Lachlan Murdoch), and Detective Llewelyn Watts (Daniel Maslany) as they tackle Toronto’s toughest mysteries, from the serious and historic to the comical and unusual. Returning cast also include Shanice Banton, Arwen Humphreys, and Siobhan Murphy. Season 13 guest stars include Colm Feore (The Umbrella Academy, House of Cards) and Claire Goose (The Coroner, Casualty).

Yannick Bisson returns to the director’s chair for a Season 13 episode. Other episodes will be directed by showrunner Peter Mitchell, Harvey Crossland, Gary Harvey, Mars Horodyski, Sherren Lee, Mina Shum, and Craig David Wallace. Season 13 episodes are written by Mitchell, Paul Aitken, Noelle Girard, Maureen Jennings, Simon McNabb, Mary Pedersen, and Dan Trotta.

One of Canada’s most successful and longest-running dramas, MURDOCH MYSTERIES (13 seasons; 207 total episodes – 204 x one-hour episodes, 3 x two-hour specials) has become a staple for CBC and broadcasters around the world with its winning formula that brings together compelling mysteries, unique slices of turn-of-the-century history, ingenious inventions and personal moments for each character. The series is licensed to broadcasters in 150+ countries and territories including the U.S., U.K., France, Finland and China.

The MURDOCH MYSTERIES brand continues to grow and evolve – brand licensing deals include an all-ages immersive game experience, The Murdoch Mysteries Escape Series, a collaboration between Shaftesbury and Company & Co. that launched in early 2017 in Toronto, and recently relocated to historic Casa Loma in Toronto.

MURDOCH MYSTERIES is based on Maureen Jennings’s popular Detective Murdoch series of novels and premiered in Canada in January 2008.

MURDOCH MYSTERIES is executive produced by Christina Jennings, Scott Garvie, Yannick Bisson, Hélène Joy, and Peter Mitchell, who also serves as showrunner, and produced by Stephen Montgomery and Julie Lacey.

Frankie Drake Mysteries

The women of Frankie Drake Mysteries jump back in action as filming on season three begins for CBC and UKTV

May 16, 2019 Greg David Leave a comment

From a media release:

Shaftesbury today announced that production is underway on the third season of the award-winning drama series FRANKIE DRAKE MYSTERIES, for CBC and UKTV, distributed by Kew Media Distribution. A top-rated drama for CBC and Alibi, the 10 x one-hour episode third season of the hit series set in 1920s Toronto kicked off production with a shoot in London, U.K. in April; the series will film on location in Ontario through to the fall. The third season sees Frankie face a family secret while episodes bring her and the Drake Private Detectives team into the world of British aristocrats, illegal boxing, the supernatural, and political fundraisers.

Nominated for “Best Debut Drama Series” at the 2018 Content Innovation Awards, FRANKIE DRAKE MYSTERIES was nominated for five 2019 Canadian Screen Awards including Best Drama Series. One of CBC’s most-watched dramas since it first launched in Canada in 2017, the series launched on UKTV’s Alibi channel in January 2018 and season two remains one of Alibi’s top-performing shows of the year alongside Shaftesbury’s Murdoch Mysteries.

FRANKIE DRAKE MYSTERIES stars Lauren Lee Smith (The Shape of Water, The Listener) as the private eye with a mysterious past, Frankie Drake; Chantel Riley (Wynonna Earp, Pearson) as Frankie’s fearless and clever partner, Trudy Clarke; Rebecca Liddiard (Departure, Alias Grace) as morality officer, Mary Shaw; and Sharron Matthews (Mean Girls, Odd Squad) as morgue attendant, Flo Chakowitz. Returning guest stars include Wendy Crewson (The Detail, Slasher, Saving Hope) as Frankie’s occasional-con-woman mother, Nora; and Grace Lynn Kung (Mary Kills People, The Carmilla Movie, Star Trek: Discovery) as café and speakeasy owner, Wendy Quon; new guest stars this season include Honeysuckle Weeks (Foyle’s War, The Five) as Agatha Christie.

Set in 1920s Toronto, FRANKIE DRAKE MYSTERIES follows the city’s only female private detectives, Frankie Drake (Smith) and her partner Trudy Clarke (Riley) as they fight crime with the help of keen police morality officer Mary Shaw (Liddiard) and spirited morgue attendant Flo Chakowitz (Matthews). In a time of change and hopefulness, their gender is their biggest advantage as they defy expectations and rebel against convention. The Drake Private Detectives take on cases that explore every cross-section of Toronto, from gospel church choirs, bathing beauties and the early cinema scene, to the homes and private parties of the city’s elite. Frankie and Trudy’s fearless sense of adventure gets them into all kinds of trouble, but they always manage to find a way out. They are new detectives for a new world – but is the world ready for them?

Created by Carol Hay and Michelle Ricci, FRANKIE DRAKE MYSTERIES is executive produced by Christina Jennings, Scott Garvie, Peter Mitchell, and Carol Hay; Peter Mitchell also serves as showrunner. John Callaghan and Julie Lacey are co-executive producers, and Teresa Ho serves as producer.

A CBC original series, FRANKIE DRAKE MYSTERIES is developed and produced by Shaftesbury in association with CBC and UKTV, with the participation of the Canada Media Fund, the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit, and the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit. Kew Media Distribution is the global distributor of the series.

Children's Programming, Featured

Detention Adventure bursts on to CBC Gem

May 6, 2019 Greg David Leave a comment

I had the honour of moderating the panel for a very cool new series that’s debuted on CBC Gem. On Friday, May 3, cast, crew, friends and family of Detention Adventure packed Toronto’s vintage theatre, The Royal, to watch the first five episodes of the digital series on the big screen.

Co-created by Joe Kicak and Carmen Albano, written by Kicak, Albano and Karen Moore, executive-produced by Moore, Lauren Corber and produced by Ryan West, Detention Adventure summons Goonies, Stand By Me and the Harry Potter franchise in its tone. Legend says inventor Alexander Graham Bell built a secret lab under a school attended by three nerds. Raign (Simone Miller), Joy (Alina Prijono) and Hulk (Jack Fulton) are determined to find the entrance, which is supposed to be located somewhere in the old library that now serves as a detention room. The trio’s plan? Get into trouble, go to detention and find that entrance. The problem? Raign, Joy and Hulk have to include the school bully, Brett (Tomaso Sanelli), in their plans.

I’ve been a fan of Detention Adventure since last spring when Kicak, Albano and Moore were seeking Independent Production Fund money to help get it made. Now, one hot summer later, and the 10-episode spectacle is available for all to see

And truly enjoy.

Detention Adventures is touted as CBC’s first original kids scripted series for CBC Gem and is aimed at the tween crowd. That makes sense; after all, a quartet of kids putting teachers and a principal in their place and solving cool puzzles rates with that crowd. But there is a lot for adults to like as well. The writing is razor-sharp, the performances spot-on and the production values are stellar. Detention Adventure is chock-full of Easter eggs adults will revel in, including a nod to The Shining.

The science used in the series is sound (Hulk’s science class antics are what land him in detention) and the sets are incredible (the show’s tunnel sets were built in a high school gymnasium), but it’s the message that most impressed me. Everyone is different, everyone comes from a different background, but we can all work together to solve problems.

Detention Adventure is available for streaming on CBC Gem.

Images courtesy of CBC and Joe Kicak.