Tag Archives: CTV

Cardinal

Production underway on second cycle of Cardinal for CTV and Super Ecran

From a media release:

CTV and Super Écran, alongside producers Sienna Films and Entertainment One (eOne), announced today that production is underway on the second cycle of CARDINAL, the #1 new Canadian series of the year starring Golden Globe® nominee Billy Campbell (THE KILLING) and the multiple Genie Award-winning actress Karine Vanasse (REVENGE). Inspired by Black Fly Season, the third novel in the John Cardinal Mysteries series written by Ontario native and award-winning author Giles Blunt, the second cycle of the networks’ serialized drama is shooting six, hour-long episodes in North Bay, Ont. and Toronto before premiering as part of CTV and Super Écran’s 2017/18 season.

Cycle 1 of CARDINAL was the most-watched new Canadian series and ranked among the Top 10 new series overall that launched on Canadian television in the 2016/17 season, averaging 1.1 million viewers weekly. Following the success of the first season, the series received an unprecedented two-season renewal.

eOne has successfully licensed the series internationally with the first season of CARDINAL having aired on CANAL+ in France, Calle 13 in Spain, and C More in Scandinavia, where it became the network’s biggest foreign drama series. Cycle 1 of CARDINAL will premiere June 3 on BBC in the U.K. and June 16 on Hulu in the U.S.

CARDINAL picks up several months after the events of Cycle 1. It’s early summer in Algonquin Bay and the blackflies aren’t the only ones out for blood. Detectives John Cardinal (Campbell) and Lise Delorme (Vanasse) find themselves with a strange case on their hands involving a young woman with a gunshot wound to the head. The investigation quickly takes a turn as Cardinal and Delorme uncover a series of disturbing, ritualistic killings that may be connected to their young victim. Cardinal must work to identify the young woman before her attacker strikes again.

Joining Billy Campbell and Karine Vanasse in Cycle 2 of CARDINAL is an all-star supporting cast that includes Bruce Ramsay (19-2) as Ray Northwind, Alex Paxton-Beesley (PURE) as Red, Jonathan Keltz (REIGN) as Kevin Tait, Kevin Hanchard (ORPHAN BLACK) as Detective Alan Clegg, and Kris Holden-Ried (VIKINGS) as Scott Lasalle. Returning cast members include Deborah Hay (The Anniversary) as Catherine Cardinal, Glen Gould (Rhymes for Young Ghouls) as Det. Jerry Commanda, Kristen Thomson (Away From Her) as Staff Sergeant Noelle Dyson, David Richmond Peck (ORPHAN BLACK) as Corporal Malcolm Musgrave, and Alanna Bale (PRIME RADICALS) as Kelly Cardinal.

CARDINAL is produced by Sienna Films and eOne in association with CTV, with the financial participation of the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, the Canada Media Fund, and the Cogeco Program Development Fund; and with the assistance of the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit. Super Écran has commissioned the series for French-language Canadian broadcast. eOne distributes the series worldwide.

CARDINAL is adapted from the John Cardinal Mysteries series, a series of six bestselling crime novels written by Giles Blunt. Cycle 2 of CARDINAL is written by Sarah Dodd (MOTIVE, RANSOM), who also serves as an Executive Producer; and co-executive producers Jennica Harper (MOTIVE) and Alison Bingeman (19-2). Co-Executive Producer Jeff Renfroe (ROGUE) directs all six episodes. The drama is executive produced by Sienna Films duo Julia Sereny and Jennifer Kawaja (COMBAT HOSPITAL). For eOne, Jocelyn Hamilton and Tecca Crosby serve as Executive Producers.

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Industry News

CTV picks up series by Canadian showrunners Tassie Cameron, David Shore and Martin Gero

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From a media release:

Following a season in which CTV delivered the Top 2 most-watched new programs of the year with A25-54, and six of the Top 10 most-watched programs overall, CTV announced today it has landed 13 big, buzzy, new series from this year’s Los Angeles Screenings.

TEN DAYS IN THE VALLEY
Logline: In TEN DAYS IN THE VALLEY, Kyra Sedgwick is Jane Sadler, an overworked television producer and single mother in the middle of a fractious separation. When her young daughter goes missing in the middle of the night, Jane’s world – and her controversial police series – implodes. Life imitates art, everything is a mystery, everyone has a secret, and no one can be trusted.

Synopsis:
TEN DAYS IN THE VALLEY stars Kyra Sedgwick (BROOKLYN NINE-NINE) as Jane Sadler, an overworked television producer and single mother in the middle of a separation whose life is turned upside down when her young daughter goes missing in the middle of the night. Just like her controversial police TV show, everything is a mystery, everyone has a secret, and no one can be trusted. TEN DAYS IN THE VALLEY stars Kyra Sedgwick (BROOKLYN NINE-NINE) as Jane Sadler, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (MAJOR LAZER) as John Bird, Kick Gurry (SENSE8) as Pete Greene, Erika Christensen (ADOPTED) as Ali Petrovich, Felix Solis (ONE DAY AT A TIME) as David Gomez, Josh Randall (PITCH) as Tom Petrovich, Malcolm-Jamal Warner (SUITS) as Matt, Abigail Pniowsky (CHANNEL ZERO) as Lake, and Francois Battiste (THE FAMILY) as Gus.

Created and written by Canadian award-winning screenwriter Tassie Cameron (Rookie Blue) TEN DAYS IN THE VALLEY is produced by Skydance Television. Sedgwick is also on board to executive produce.

THE GOOD DOCTOR
Logline: In THE GOOD DOCTOR, Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore, BATES MOTEL), a young surgeon diagnosed as autistic with savant syndrome is recruited into the pediatric surgical unit of a prestigious hospital. Doubts are raised about whether someone who doesn’t have the ability to relate to people can actually save their lives.

Synopsis:
THE GOOD DOCTOR centres on Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore, BATES MOTEL), a young surgeon diagnosed as autistic with savant syndrome who relocates from a quiet country life to join a prestigious hospital’s surgical unit. Alone in the world and unable to personally connect with those around him, Shaun uses his extraordinary medical gifts to save lives and challenge the skepticism of his colleagues. The series is from Canadian David Shore (HOUSE) and LOST star Daniel Dae Kim. The series stars Freddie Highmore as Dr. Shaun Murphy, Antonia Thomas (MISFITS) as Dr. Claire Brown, Nicholas Gonzalez (RESURRECTION BLVD) as Dr. Neal Melendez, Chuku Modu (GAME OF THRONES) as Dr. Jared Kalu, Beau Garrett (GIRLFRIENDS’ GUIDE TO DIVORCE) as Jessica Preston, Hill Harper (CSI: NY) as Dr. Marcus Andrews, and Richard Schiff (THE WEST WING) as Dr. Aaron Glassman.

The series is produced by Shore Z Productions and 3 AD in association with Sony Pictures Television. David Shore is writer and executive producer. Daniel Dae Kim (HAWAII FIVE-0), Erin Gunn (BATTLE CREEK), David Kim (DRAMAWORLD) and Sebastian Lee (DRAMAWORLD) are also executive producers. Seth Gordon (Horrible Bosses, THE GOLDBERGS) directed the pilot and is also an executive producer.

DECEPTION
Synopsis:
When his career is ruined by scandal, superstar magician Cameron Black (Jack Cutmore-Scott, DRINKING WITH THE STARS) has only one place to turn to practice his art of deception, influence and illusion — the FBI. Using every trick in the book and inventing new ones, he will help the government catch the world’s most elusive criminals while staging the biggest illusions of his career. DECEPTION stars Jack Cutmore-Scott (DRINKING WITH THE STARS) as Cameron Black/Jonathan Black, Ilfenesh Hadera (MASTER OF NONE) as Kay Daniels, Lenora Crichlow (FLAKED) as Dina Clark, Amaury Nolasco (PRISON BREAK) as Mike Alvarez, Justin Chon (DR. KEN) as Jordan Kwon, Laila Robins (QUANTICO) as Special Agent Deakins, and Vinnie Jones (ARROW) as Gunter Gustafsen.

DECEPTION is from Berlanti Productions and Quinn’s House in association with Warner Bros. Television and is directed by David Nutter, who is also executive producer. The series is from writer/executive producer Chris Fedak (CHUCK) and executive producers Greg Berlanti, Canadian Martin Gero and Sarah Schechter. Illusionist David Kwong (NOW YOU SEE ME) will co-produce.

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Featured, Masterchef Canada

MasterChef Canada’s final two are revealed

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MasterChef Canada‘s Top 2 have been revealed, as Trevor Connie and Thea Vanherwaarden will go head-to-head in next week’s season finale. After a long, impressive run, Barrie McConachie was eliminated in an emotional episode. To be honest, just making it to the Top 12 was an incredible feat; this season has been one jam-packed with high-end guest judges and the most complicated challenges in this franchise’s history.

Thursday’s instalment, “Sweet Francaise,” began with one heck of a test, to create a mélange of pastries for the show’s French bistro theme. As if making five different items wasn’t tough enough, the trio’s bites would be tasted by pastry chefs. The two-hour prep time went by in a blink and Thea seemed to have an edge over Trevor and Barrie, but by the end of the time limit, everyone completed the task. The big twist? Along with several pastry experts were children, meaning Thea’s lavender-lemon cake could have gotten a big thumbs-down from the kiddies. Luckily for everyone, no desserts were sent back, though the pastry chefs—and Michael Bonacini, Claudio Aprile and Alvin Leung—all found minor flaws. Barrie came out on top and I felt he deserved it, but he’s gotta stop with the bear-campers thing.

Barrie didn’t win immunity from the Elimination Challenge but was given the opportunity to decide the proteins everyone would cook with three ways. Barrie rightly went with his strength and the Waygu beef and assigned pork to Thea and chicken to Trevor. They may have been buds up until now, but Barrie wasn’t giving Trevor an upper hand by doling out tasty pork in his direction. Thea slumped upon hearing the pork was headed her way, but I’m not sure why. Then I heard her plan: to take that beautiful chunk of porky goodness and turn it into schnitzel for one of her plates. I’m not above schnitzel, but this was the wrong application for the main ingredient. Barrie’s oil-poached beef was a mystery, Trevor’s chicken skin burned during his first try and time—and a burn—threatened to derail Thea.

Barrie was confident his beef would be up to snuff and relied on his side dishes to take him over the top. The problem? His Waygu was underdone. Claudio ripped Thea for her plating and said taste was the only thing that could save her. And in the early going it looked like she had. As for Trevor, astringent sauce spoiled some pretty good looking chicken skin.

Still, it was a no-brainer for Trevor to be named the first home cook in the season finale. And after undercooking such a lovely piece of beef, Barrie left the door open for Thea to sneak into the final too.

Do you agree with the judges’ decision? Who do you want to win MasterChef Canada? Let me know in the comments below.

The season finale of MasterChef Canada airs next Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on CTV.

Image courtesy of Bell Media.

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Featured, Masterchef Canada

MasterChef Canada selects its Top 3 in emotional episode

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We are just a few weeks away from the finale on June 1, and I have to say this season of MasterChef Canada has been incredible. The guest judges have been A-list and the challenges are the most diverse and difficult I’ve ever seen. Everyone involved should be proud of the work they’ve done.

That, of course, goes for the home cooks who have been put through an emotional wringer this season. They’ve made it this far, but one was set to fall on Thursday night.

“Harvest Family Dinner” began with the final team challenge set on a farm on a crisp autumn day. The word “Family” in the episode title was, of course, a hint that producers would throw Barrie, Trevor, Mai and Thea for an emotional loop by bringing their families in to try out their menus. Barrie, who won the last challenge before Miranda was eliminated, chose his teammate. Her kept the bromance going with Trevor by selecting him, putting Mai and Thea together. The winners of the challenge would immediately be put into the Top 3 … and things got serious super-fast.

I can only imagine how fast that two hours of prep and cooking time must have flown by for the final four, but camera work was a pretty good indication. Hands and feet flew, eyes were focused and every home cook was out of breath. Barrie and Trevor opted for an elevated hunter’s meal of venison while Mai and Thea opted for a surf and turf of bison steak and scallops to reflect their home provinces. Barrie and Trevor worked side by side but without collaboration, trusting each other to pull their weight. Thea and Mai, meanwhile, made recommendations to each other and kept up the advice, and Mai threatened to take over. Which method of working would end up being the winning formula? Remember that it was Thea and Mai’s conflicting advice that had a hand in Justine’s elimination a few weeks ago.

Barrie’s wine sauce for the venison and Thea’s scallops threatened to derail the plans of both squads. The sauce was fixed and the scallops weren’t, meaning that chunk of protein was ignored and Thea’s time had been wasted. Two layers of doneness on the venison was a knock against Barrie and Trevor; the same went for Mai and Thea as Alvin’s steak was overdone. You have got to nail the doneness on protein if you want to score well on MasterChef Canada and those misses were Week 1 mistakes.

Trevor and Barrie won, sending them into the Top 3 and Mai and Thea into the Elimination Challenge. For that, the pair would have to replicate a Hawaiian cloud dessert containing a ginger cookie, pineapple sponge cake and frozen kiwi hidden under a cotton candy cloud. It seemed like an impossible task for Thea and Mai to achieve—I’d love to see Alvin, Claudio or Michael make one—and it looked in the early going like a too-puffy cake would eliminate Mai. But Thea’s candy cloud was a tad deflated and her sponge cake too dense … but her tuille was perfect. Mai’s cloud was fluffier, but a piece of foil from the butter ruined her otherwise wonderful sponge cake.

Mai was eliminated from the competition, meaning Thea is headed to the Top 3 alongside Barrie and Trevor. MasterChef Canada is taking a break for one week during U.S. May Sweeps and returns May 25.

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MasterChef Canada airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV.

Images courtesy of Bell Media.

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Featured, Saving Hope

Saving Hope says goodbye to spring with emotional finale

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Say it ain’t so, Saving Hope! This Sunday’s episode is being touted as the medical drama’s “Spring Finale” on CTV, meaning the show goes away for a month before returning on Thursday, June 8, at 9 p.m. ET/PT to broadcast its remaining episodes.

And what a finale it is, with familiar faces returning to Hope Zion and others saying goodbye. Here’s what the network has said about Sunday’s “All Our Yesterdays,” written by Patrick Tarr and Thomas Pepper and directed by Steve DiMarco.

An unidentified man arrives at the hospital with critical injuries after being struck by a subway train, and the Hope Zion doctors rally together to try to save his life. Dr. Charlie Harris’ personal medical struggle is overshadowed by a spiritual one when he discovers the John Doe is “The Great” Randal Crane. In spirit form, Randal delivers a dire warning about Charlie’s gift and its heavy cost if he doesn’t rid himself of it. Dr. Maggie Lin attempts to leave her past behind her, but it proves impossible when Dr. Sydney Katz comes back to town, urging Maggie to put her pregnant sister in the now-defunct cancer study. Away from the hospital in the wake of her mother Martha’s diagnosis, Dr. Alex Reid takes Martha to visit their family farm.

Maggie and Sydney reunite in Sunday’s episode

And here are a few more facts to whet your appetite.

Manny has to make a decision
A message on his cell phone leads Manny to re-evaluate his career and Dana is there with words of encouragement … and an arched eyebrow.

Cassie’s struggling in her new role
Turns out going from employee to boss isn’t all it’s cracked up to be as Cassie finds it hard to get respect from her former same-level staffers. She turns to Charlie for help, but he’s got his hands full with, you know, a pesky spirit.

Peter Keleghan returns
Speaking of that spirit, he’s played by none other than Peter Keleghan who has been so great on Murdoch Mysteries and Workin’ Moms. The veteran actor is back to reprise his role of psychic Randall Crane, who has a dire dialogue with Charlie.

Maggie and Sydney have a reunion
We’ve missed Sydney in our lives, so it’s great to have Stacey Farber back. Unfortunately, she’s not at Hope Zion for happy reasons.

Kenneth Welsh guest stars
The veteran and Member of the Order of Canada causes problems for Zach and Dev when he re-stumbles into their lives as Wilfred.

Saving Hope returns with new episodes on Thursday, June 8, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV.

Images courtesy of Bell Media.

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