Tag Archives: CTV

New CTV original comedy Shelved announces Lyndie Greenwood, Chris Sandiford, Dakota Ray Hebert and Paul Braunstein as series leads

From a media release:

CTV, together with award-winning independent production company Counterfeit Pictures, announced today the cast joining the new original comedy series, SHELVED. Created by Playback Magazine’s 2021 Showrunner of the Year recipient Anthony Q. Farrell (THE OFFICE), Lyndie Greenwood (THE EXPANSE), Chris Sandiford (WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS), Dakota Ray Hebert (Run Woman Run), and Paul Braunstein (BARONESS VON SKETCH) are confirmed to lead the cast of the eight-episode, half-hour series. With production currently underway in Toronto, Taylor Love (MOST DANGEROUS GAME), Varun Saranga (WYNNONA EARP), and Robin Duke (SCHITT’S CREEK) round out the ensemble cast.

Executive produced by Farrell, SHELVED is a single-camera workplace comedy centred around the lives of the employees and patrons at the Jameson Public Library in Parkdale as they go about their lives in this unassuming yet extraordinary place. Greenwood stars in SHELVED as Wendy, Head of the Jameson Branch. Wendy is an energetic dreamer who always sees the best in people and cares passionately about her library and the community of Parkdale. The staff at Jameson Public Library also includes the fastidious and judgmental Howard (Sandiford), who begrudgingly joins the team after getting transferred from the prestigious Midtown branch; social rights activist Jaq (Hebert), who is obsessed with dystopian Young Adult novels and calling out micro-aggressions; and Assistant Branch Head, Bryce (Braunstein), a conservative devoted to conspiracy theories and following the letter of library law.

Lyndie Greenwood
Lyndie Greenwood has appeared in several regular and reoccurring roles for television including THE EXPANSE, S.W.A.T., STAR, SLEEPY HOLLOW, and NIKITA. Greenwood’s feature film roles include The World Without You, Cut To The Chase, and This Movie Is Broken. Greenwood is repped by Management 360.

Chris Sandiford
Chris Sandiford is an actor and comedian whose television credits include multiple seasons of Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS for FX, GHOSTS, CAVENDISH, TALLBOYZ, and the recent Netflix series GOD’S FAVORITE IDIOT. Sandiford was also recently seen in the feature Moonfall. He is repped by A3 Artists Agency and Play Management.

Dakota Ray Hebert
Dakota Ray Hebert is an actress and comic who recently starred in the award-winning feature film Run Woman Run, for which she won the Best Actress Award at last years’ American Indian Film Festival and the Vancouver Film Festival. Her first televised stand-up set will be on the upcoming COMEDY NIGHT WITH RICK MERCER. She is repped by Oscar, Abrams, Zimel, & Associates.

Paul Braunstein
Paul Braunstein is a familiar face from Canadian film and television whose TV credits include BARONESS VON SKETCH, BURDEN OF TRUTH, MURDOCH MYSTERIES, and OCTOBER FACTION. He is repped by The Characters.

Alongside Farrell, SHELVED is executive produced by Dan Bennett, Shane Corkery, and Anton Leo of Counterfeit Pictures. Jay Vaidya serves as co-executive producer, Sadiya Durrani as co-producer, and Colin Brunton produces. Aleysa Young (THE KIDS IN THE HALL, RUN THE BURBS) serves as executive producer and pilot director. Additional directors for SHELVED’s first season include Cory Bowles, Joyce Wong, Cazhhmere, and Samantha MacAdam.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

The Amazing Race Canada returns July 5 on CTV, as all 10 teams revealed

From a media release:

CTV’s mega-hit original series THE AMAZING RACE CANADA is back. After crisscrossing the country and covering more than a quarter-million kilometres around the world during the past seven seasons, THE AMAZING RACE CANADA makes its triumphant return Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app, beginning July 5.

Hosted by Olympic Gold Medallist Jon Montgomery, Season 8 of Canada’s favourite summertime adventure continues as an all-new cast of racers head to the starting line to push themselves out of their comfort zones in a non-stop, action-packed expedition. Teams competing this season include an Olympian, a JUNO Award-winning singer, teachers, personal trainers, a firefighter, a comedian, entrepreneurs, a sales representative, a marketing expert, a motivational speaker, and Broadway performers.

Faced with the most intense race of their lives, the teams tackle various challenges with the hope of winning two first-ever Chevrolet Silverado ZR2’s, a once-in-a-lifetime trip for two around the world courtesy of GURU Organic Energy, a $250,000 cash prize, and the coveted title of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA champions.

The 10 teams poised at the starting line for Season 8 of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA are:

Beverley & Veronica
Competitive best friends on a mission to be the second all-female team to win the Race.

Brendan & Connor
Fun-loving, family-oriented small-town brothers who are the life of every party.

Cassie & Jahmeek
Athletic and energetic engaged couple with big smiles and a competitive spirit.

Catherine & Craig
Long-time best friends and Broadway performers who know what it takes to beat the odds.

Cedric & Tychon
Father and son who are in the race for every Black father and son across the country – with the hope of being the first Montréal team to win.

Court & Ali
Dating couple who want to be positive role models for Indigenous youth.

Dennis & Durrell
Active and competitive uncle and nephew who are passionate about being positive role models in their community.

Franca & Nella
Sisters, known as “Franella,” who are racing for the Filipino and immigrant community across Canada.

Jesse & Marika
Competitive and accomplished siblings who want to represent the Inuit population of Canada

Jully & Kathy
Close friends who are racing in memory of their late mothers.

For more information on the teams competing on THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, including team videos, bios, and exclusive content, visit CTV.ca/TheAmazingRaceCanada. As the go-to resource for the series, CTV.ca also includes full episodes and sneak peeks throughout the season.

THE AMAZING RACE CANADA is produced by Insight Productions Ltd. (a Boat Rocker Company) in association with CTV. John Brunton is Executive Producer and Mark Lysakowski is Executive Producer and Showrunner.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

CTV orders Season 3 of original drama Transplant

From a media release:

CTV announced today that it has renewed Canada’s most-watched drama series TRANSPLANT for a third season. Produced by Sphere Media in association with CTV and Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group, Season 3 of the CTV Original drama consists of 13 one-hour episodes. New episodes of TRANSPLANT’s second season continue Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app, before moving to its new timeslot of Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT beginning March 1.

Filming on Season 3 will take place in Montréal, with Hamza Haq (MY SALINGER YEAR) reprising his role as Dr. Bashir Hamed – known to most as Bash – a talented doctor and Syrian refugee who fled to Canada and was granted a second chance to practice Emergency Medicine at York Memorial Hospital in Toronto.

The series continues to resonate with audiences across Canada as the most-watched Canadian drama series with total viewers and in the key A25-54 demo, with a current season average of 1.1 million viewers. TRANSPLANT has also had international success, having been embraced by U.S. viewers on NBC, with Season 2 set to premiere March 6 at 10 p.m. ET. The drama has also launched across the UK, Australia, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and more.

TRANSPLANT has also received critical acclaim and recognition, including nine 2022 Canadian Screen Award nominations for Best Drama Series, Best Lead Actor, Drama Series for Hamza Haq, Best Lead Actress, Drama Series for Laurence Leboeuf, and Best Supporting Actress, Drama for Ayisha Issa.

Season 2 of TRANSPLANT stars Hamza Haq (MY SALINGER YEAR) as Dr. Bashir “Bash” Hamed; Laurence Leboeuf (19-2) as Dr. Magalie “Mags” Leblanc; John Hannah (MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.) as Dr. Jed Bishop; Ayisha Issa (POLAR) as Dr. June Curtis; Jim Watson (DESIGNATED SURVIVOR) as Dr. Theo Hunter; Sirena Gulamgaus (ORPHAN BLACK) as Amira Hamed; Torri Higginson (DARK MATTER, THIS LIFE) as Claire Malone; Linda Smith (19-2) as Dr. Wendy Atwater; Kenny Wong (PRETTY HARD CASES) as Arnold De Luca; and Sugith Varughese (Kim’s Convenience) as Dr. Aajay Singh.

TRANSPLANT is created by Joseph Kay who also serves as Executive Producer and Showrunner.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

CTV announces second season order of new original comedy Children Ruin Everything

From a media release:

CTV announced today live from Prime Time in Ottawa that it has ordered a second season of its new, original comedy CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING for the 2022/23 broadcast season. Production is set to begin this Spring in Toronto and Hamilton, Ont., with an increased episode order for Season 2 consisting of 16 half-hour episodes – double from its eight-episode first season. From award-winning New Metric Media, CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING is created by Emmy® and Golden Globe® Award-winner Kurt Smeaton (SCHITT’S CREEK, KIM’s CONVENIENCE).

CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING Season 1 joins the Roku Originals programming slate on the Roku Channel in the U.S. this year.

CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING follows parents, Astrid (Meaghan Rath, BEING HUMAN) and James (Aaron Abrams, BLINDSPOT), as they raise their two young children in the city and struggle to hold on to their pre-kid life – one conceded battle at a time. Season 1 of the CTV Original comedy, currently airing Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app, ranks as the biggest debut for a Canadian comedy among A25-54, since 2019 (CTV’s JANN). The series also currently ranks as CTV’s #1 new comedy of the 2021-22 broadcast season.

In addition to Rath and Abrams, the series also stars Ennis Esmer (BLINDSPOT, SCHITT’S CREEK); Nazneen Contractor (RANSOM, HEROES REBORN); Logan Nicholson (BLUES CLUES AND YOU) and Mikayla SwamiNathan; Dmitry Chepovetsky (KILLJOYS, DEPARTURE); Veena Sood (CORNER GAS ANIMATED, THE INDIAN DETECTIVE); Lisa Codrington (LETTERKENNY, ANNE WITH AN E); and Darius Rota.

CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING is from award-winning New Metric Media and is created and executive produced by Golden Globe® and Emmy® Award-winner Kurt Smeaton (SCHITT’S CREEK), and executive produced by one of television’s premier comedy writers Chuck Tatham (MODERN FAMILY, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT), multiple Canadian Screen Award-winner Mark Montefiore (LETTERKENNY, WHAT WOULD SAL DO?), and Meaghan Rath, with Beth Iley (KILLJOYS) serving as producer.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail

Links: Children Ruin Everything, Season 1

From Debra Yeo of the Toronto Star:

Link: In ‘Children Ruin Everything,’ producer and dad Kurt Smeaton mines the hard parts of parenthood for comedy
When you think of all the fictional mothers and fathers who have inhabited our small screens, it’s hard to picture, say, Mike Brady waking up next to a puddle of pee or June Cleaver shouting because Beaver is using “toilet words” at the dinner table. Continue reading.

From Bill Brioux of Brioux.tv:

Link: Review: Children Ruin Everything
Schitt’s Creek proved you can go for it when it comes to a TV title. Children Ruin Everything, for example, is snappy and straight to the point. The series premieres Wednesday at 8 p.m. on CTV. Continue reading.

From W. Andrew Powell of The Gate:

Link: Meaghan Rath and Aaron Abrams talk Children Ruin Everything
Life with kids is always interesting, and in CTV’s new comedy Children Ruin Everything, stars Meaghan Rath and Aaron Abrams play a couple who are trying to find that balance between being adults, and being parents. Continue reading.

From Charles Trapunski of Brief Take:

Link: Children Ruin Everything’s Meaghan Rath and Aaron Abrams
Children Ruin Everything is a funny new series starring Meaghan Rath, who we know from her memorable Schitt’s Creek episode as a friend of Alexis (Annie Murphy), as well as genre shows such as Being Human, Supergirl (starring alongside her brother Jesse Rath as the female version of Brainiac on a couple of fantastic episodes), as well as on Hawaii Five-0. Continue reading.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail