Tag Archives: Corus

Industry News

Corus brings Cooking Channel to Canada; rebrands W Movies

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From a media release:

Corus Entertainment, the leader in specialty entertainment with six of the top 10 specialty channels in Canada, announced today that it is introducing Cooking Channel, a 24-hour network that caters to avid food lovers, in Canada on December 12, 2016. From the creators of Food Network, Cooking Channel is the answer to a growing appetite for more content devoted to food and cooking in every dimension; from global cuisines to international travel, to food history and unconventional how-tos. A perfect pairing to Food Network Canada, Cooking Channel expands Corus’ dominance in the food and lifestyle genre and joins the company’s roster of lifestyle channels including: Food Network Canada, HGTV Canada, W Network, Slice, DIY Network and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network Canada.

The launch of Cooking Channel in Canada is an extension of Corus’ long-term partnership with Scripps Networks Interactive, leading developer of engaging lifestyle content whose media portfolio includes: Food Network, HGTV and DIY Network. Since Scripps Networks’ launch of Cooking Channel in the United States in 2010, ratings and impressions have grown exponentially for core demographics (A25-54 / W25-54), averaging gains of more than 50% to date while growing its distribution to US households by 20%. The network most recently wrapped Q3 2016 notching its highest-rated, most-watched quarter to date marking 15 consecutive quarters of quarter-to-quarter growth.

Cooking Channel in Canada is a rebrand of W Movies.

A few of the highly-anticipated series confirmed for launch include:

Man Fire Food
Man Fire Food stars Canadian chef Roger Mooking and features the inventive ways to cook with fire. From small campfires to creative custom-made grills and smokers, they visit home cooks, pitmasters and chefs who are fascinated by fire and food. The smoke signals take Roger Mooking across the country, including the American South for different styles of regional barbecue, the Pacific Northwest for a tribal salmon bake and New England for a unique seafood feast. Man Fire Food celebrates the passion for building and cooking with fire.

Dinner at Tiffani’s
Tiffani Thiessen invites her celebrity friends over for good company, great stories and delicious food. With guests like Jason Priestley, Seth Green, her White Collar co-stars and more, it’s a wonderful blend of dinner, drinks and fun. Come for the party, stay for the food.

Unwrapped 2.0
Unwrapped 2.0 is a fun and fascinating look at the amazing processes, great stories and interesting people behind the creation of some of the most popular snacks. Hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro, Unwrapped 2.0 features everything from classic childhood treats to the latest candy crazes. Whether you like your snacks sweet or savoury, crispy or gooey, Unwrapped 2.0 offers behind-the-scenes access to get you a front row seat to see them made.

Cake Hunters
The perfect party needs the perfect cake, and that’s where Cake Hunters comes in! From weddings to family reunions and more, party hosts meet with three cake designers who present their jaw-dropping concepts to make the perfect complement to their big bashes. And once the winning design is picked, will the cake make it to the big day on time and in one piece?

Unique Sweets
Unique Sweets is an insider’s peek into innovative eateries that are creating the most unique and exciting desserts today. These sweet spots cover the gamut: restaurants with revolutionary pastry chefs; candy shops inventing eye-popping confections; chocolate boutiques with wild artisanal flavours and bakeries producing one-of-a-kind pastries, cakes and cookies in the middle of the night. Wherever there are gooey, crunchy, sticky and sweet treats that you won’t find anywhere else, Unique Sweets will take you there.

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Bachelorette Canada, Featured

Bachelorette Canada makes Muzique in Montreal

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Montreal is a city with European flair, an international vibe; a truly unique spot in this country. It was also the sight of the most dramatic episode of The Bachelorette Canada this season.

Was it wrong for Chris to mention Drew during his one-on-one time with Jasmine, calling the salesman out for his actions? Where Chris saw Drew’s actions as bullying, Drew claimed he was joking. But while there may be interpretation in the reading of Chris’ name on the one-on-one date card—that honour was actually for Mikhel—there was no mistaking Drew saying Chris wasn’t a man. But, what makes a man? Is a man someone who likes football, lives in Toronto and exudes cockiness? Is someone less of a man because he invents things and prefers philanthropy to philandering?

This season of The Bachelorette Canada has been an interesting one because it’s presented the wide chasm between who we are and expectations on who we’re perhaps supposed to be. It may be all in the editing—and goodness knows reality TV is created in the editing suite—but Drew is being presented as the biggest asshole I’ve seen in the Canadian franchise. If he is indeed like that in real life then I have no time for him at all. My high school’s halls were filled with jerks like him, backslapping dudes who are still reliving their Grade 12 gridiron successes while waiting for their work shift to be done. But if he’s not really like that … well, I feel badly for him because Drew’s been labelled. And as he’s been portrayed as acting so far this season, being labelled as something is tough to shake.

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Because of the he said/he said between Drew and Chris, Jasmine made the right call and chose not to award a rose at the end of the football group date. That left Drew seething and calling Drew a “bitch” (pretty hard not to take that the way it was intended) and Chris wondering if he made a big mistake.

Really, Chris and Drew’s actions took away from what was a pretty great episode of The Bachelorette Canada, with Mikhel and Jasmine making a real connection during a slow dance and hot tub time after spray painting a rose on a brick wall (and him getting a real one) to Benoit scoring his own rose for performing so admirably in the Cirque du Soleil trapeze.

Jasmine nixed the cocktail party, opting to head right into the rose ceremony. Jasmine did pause after handing out blossoms to Mike, Kevin W., Thomas and Kevin P. before she pulled Drew aside to discuss whether he was there for her or himself. He reappeared, clearly shaken, and Jasmine resumed her task, giving Chris and Drew the final two roses. Unfortunately, Kyle (and his bow tie), Andrew and David were shown the door.

Do you think Jasmine was right to keep Chris? Should she have sent Drew home? Should they both go home? Comment below or via Twitter @tv_eh.

The Bachelorette Canada airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on W Network.

Images courtesy of Corus.

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Bachelorette Canada, Featured

Bachelorette Canada gets jammin’ in Jamaica

The second episode in this dating franchise is one of the most entertaining. The gowns and suits are gone, and the need to act out in a crowd—for the most part—has given way to focusing on the person looking for a relationship.

So it was with The Bachelorette Canada, as Jasmine and her suitors stripped off their finery and headed to Ocho Rio, Jamaica, in a bid to not only foster some relationships but show off their beach bods. Usain Bolt was not involved in Tuesday’s episode, but I did spot something I need to add to my daily routine pronto: being handed a hot towel upon my arrival home to freshen up. It’s so refined.

Kevin, over his raging bout of stomach flu and still carrying that damned ekuele, was ready to connect with Jasmine and Wale spouted off a bunch of clichés to express how excited he was to be at the Sandals resort. But it wasn’t all fun and games and drinks by the pool. Party crasher Noah Cappe had serious business to attend to: delivering the first date information of the budding season. (While we’re by the pool, does anyone know why Mikhel has a nipple ring? I don’t have a problem with it, I’m just curious.) First solo date went to Thomas, a.k.a. Sexual Tongue; he and his man bun were thrilled to score some alone time with Jasmine. After tooling around the grounds in an ATV, the pair let their hair down (he, literally, and she into a bikini) for a beach picnic. Thomas’ near-death experience turned modelling career was enough to get Jasmine enthusiastic about what the future holds and he snagged a rose. (The rose, stuck to his muscle shirt, cracked me up for some reason.)

Meanwhile, back at the resort, Chris described the rift between two groups of men. On one side was Drew (the supposed bully of this season and guy who is there “for the wrong reasons”) and the Toronto party guys, and on the other Chris and the sensitive out-of-towners. According to Drew, you have to have balls to live in Toronto, and guys like Chris just don’t have them. (I’m not sure why Drew thinks living in Toronto equals having guts. It’s not like New York City of the 1970s here. Since when did living in a clean, metropolitan city equal being tough?) After calling Chris a dork to the Toronto guys, Drew then head-faked the inventor into thinking he’d been selected for a one-on-one date with Jasmine. Jerk.

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Instead, it was a group date where Drew and Chris would be competing for personal time alongside other guys. After arriving at Tuff Gong Recording Studios, where Bob Marley used to record and inhaling some of the history (pot), the fellows were divided into two groups to write a reggae song for Jasmine. Seth was stressed, Chris was excited and Jasmine had eyes for Seth and his “Trudeau hair.” The Jaz-men, consisting of Chris, Seth, Kyle and Kevin P. were victorious (when can I download their song from iTunes?) and snagged personal time with Jasmine. Chris was the first to make a move, grabbing Jasmine and pulling her onto the dance floor, but it was Seth that made the first move by kissing her. Sadly, his tongue and teeth kept getting in the way. Kevin P. showed up and witnessed their liplock but to his credit shook it off and asked Jasmine why she was there and what she was looking for. That netted him a rose.

Andrew, Mikhel, JP, Wale and Kevin, meanwhile, landed the episode’s second group date and it was an intensely physical affair. Sand, wrestling and trying to win precious moments with Jasmine meant these dudes were all business. High school wrestling served JP well and he triumphed over Captain Canada, Kevin W. for extra time with the bachelorette. An impromptu game of Truth or Dare revealed the following: Mikhel has had his heart broken and vowed never to let it happen again and Kevin W. has been cheated on but has never cheated. Kevin W. and Jasmine both traded stories of their personal lives; I think he should have held her hand, but that’s just me. Regardless, he was given a rose.

By the end of the rose ceremony, the guys who were sticking around alongside the Kevins and Thomas were Mikhel, Benoit, Kyle, Andrew, David, Drew, JP, Scott, Mike and Chris. That left Seth and Wale on the outs, and exiting the series.

What did you think of Jasmine’s decision? Comment below or via Twitter @tv_eh.

The Bachelorette Canada airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on W Network.

Images courtesy of Corus.

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Anne of Green Gables

Corus greenlights second and third instalments of L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables

From a media release:

Corus Entertainment announced today it has commissioned Good Stars and Fire & Dew, the second and third instalments of L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables series of films produced by Breakthrough Entertainment. Ella Ballentine (Anne Shirley), Martin Sheen (Matthew Cuthbert), and Sara Botsford (Marilla Cuthbert) return for the sequels. L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables: Good Stars and Fire & Dew have begun production and will premiere on Corus Entertainment’s YTV, the #1 Kids channel in Canada (K6-11)*, in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

Following the successful world broadcast premiere of L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables on YTV, Breakthrough Entertainment’s Joan Lambur, Peter Williamson, and Ira Levy are back to executive produce the next two movies, along with Lucy Maud Montgomery’s granddaughter, Kate Macdonald Butler. Award-winning director John Kent Harrison, who also wrote Good Stars returns, as well as Susan Coyne who wrote Fire & Dew.

In Good Stars; our beloved Anne Shirley turns thirteen and faces a host of new milestones: first sleepovers, culinary misadventures, and shifting relationships with her bosom friend Diana and academic rival Gilbert Blythe. Through all this, Anne strives to strike a balance between becoming an upstanding, sensible young woman, and embracing her inquisitive and free-spirited nature.

In Fire & Dew; Anne heads to Charlottetown to attend accelerated classes as she continues to work towards her dream of being a school teacher. While there, she is forced to adapt quickly to her new surroundings and classmates as she navigates her way through her first school experience outside of her beloved Green Gables. Anne finds herself facing daunting choices for her future, the stirrings of romance, and tragedy unlike anything she’s ever known. Meanwhile, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert contend with advancing age as they deal with financial challenges and creeping ailments.

Originally published back in 1908 by Lucy Maud Montgomery, the tale of Anne Shirley and her adventures in Green Gables span over 8 novels and has reached readers in over 20 languages.The first film in the series has been watched by families worldwide through broadcasters Corus Entertainment in Canada, PBS in the United States, ITV in the UK, ARD in Germany, and a recent theatrical release in Australia and New Zealand.

The first film in the series has been watched by families worldwide through broadcasters Corus Entertainment in Canada, PBS in the United States, ITV in the UK, ARD in Germany, and a recent theatrical release in Australia and New Zealand.

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Industry News

Link: Corus channels to see some major changes as Shaw integration continues

From Greg O’Brien of Cartt:

Link: Corus channels to see some major changes as Shaw integration continues
“We’re in pretty good shape for the 17 channels which are our big ones which are going to get picked (by viewers and advertisers. What happens to the bottom 15 services are something we’re going to be spending a lot of time working on in the next 24 to 36 months… I think you’ll see some culling occurring across all of us in the sector.” Continue reading.

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