Tag Archives: Family Channel

Family Channel’s Backstage debut set for March 18

From a media release:

Family Channel opens the doors to Keaton School of the Arts on Friday, March 18 at 7 p.m. ET/PT with the series premiere of its new drama Backstage from Fresh TV. Musical mashups and dramatic dance-offs are among the creative collaborations that fill the hallways of this prestigious arts school, and Backstage showcases an entirely Canadian cast of talented newcomers. The series features an original musical score and episodes are directed by notable music video directors including Director X (Drake, Iggy Azalea) and RT! (Snoop Dogg, Sean Paul) among others. The show marks the debut of Family’s fourth original series rolling out new episodes on the channel in 2016 and highlights the network’s vibrant original production slate filled with compelling series with exceptionally talented casts.

Backstage follows a group of outstandingly talented teenagers as they live through the highs and lows that come with attending the elite Keaton School of the Arts. New friendships, unparalleled competition and defining moments await them as being a Keaton student is meant to set them on the path to stardom. The dramatic heartbreak and blazing triumphs these artists experience send ripples through the school, capturing the intensity of every audition, rehearsal and performance that could make or break their careers. Following the series premiere, new episodes of Backstage will air regularly Fridays at 7 p.m. ET/PT ahead of The Next Step. Episodes will also be offered on Family OnDemand as they become available weekly beginning March 19.

The stage is set for March 18 as Backstage is followed by a new episode of Family’s #1 drama, The Next Step, at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT. West receives a mysterious package from London, England and Noah collaborates on a song with Amanda.

Fans can go behind the scenes at Family.ca and learn more about Backstage’s characters through exclusive photo galleries and videos. Launching the week of March 14 is TooMuchKeaton.com, socialite Sasha’s epic blog where weekly posts, video tutorials and character confessions keep everyone in the know of what’s happening in the halls at Keaton.

Backstage stars the immensely talented: Josh Bogert as Miles; Aviva Mongillo as Alya; Mckenzie Small as Scarlett; Devyn Nekoda (Degrassi) as Vanessa; Alyssa Trask as Carly; Julia Tomasone as Bianca; Matthew Isen as Jax; Colin Petierre as Sasha; Romy Weltman as Kit; Kyal Legend as Julie; Adrianna Di Liello as Jenna; and Isiah Hall as Denzel.

Commissioned by DHX Television, and with international distribution handled by DHX Media, Backstage was created and developed by Fresh TV. Executive Producers are Brian Irving, who also serves as producer; Jennifer Pertsch, also the co-creator and a writer; Lara Azzopardi, the series’ co-creator, show runner, writer and director; Tom McGillis and George Elliott. Directors for the series include top music video directors RT! (Snoop Dogg, Sean Paul, Shane Harte), Director X (Iggy Azalea, T.I., Drake), Wendy Morgan (Dragonette, Janelle Monáe) and Warren Sonoda (Johnny Reid, George Canyon), as well as Mario Azzopardi (Stargate SG-1, The Outer Limits, Degrassi) and Lara Azzopardi (I Am an Apartment Building, Rewind).

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Lost & Found Music Studios debuts Jan. 8 on Family

This winter, Family Channel raises its voice with the premiere of Lost & Found Music Studios, an all-new original series from Temple Street Productions and creator Frank van Keeken, the forces behind The Next Step. Debuting Friday, January 8 at 6 p.m. ET/PT, the pitch perfect drama follows a group of aspiring musicians who are part of a unique music program, run by a musician-turned-producer. From pop to rock and hip-hop to R&B, the series showcases some of the best young voices Canada has to offer with original songs and stellar performances featured in each episode. For music aficionados who want to get in the studio earlier, Family’s got a special presentation of the series this Friday, December 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT, immediately following the epic season three finale of The Next Step beginning at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

A live music venue, recording studio and jam space, Lost & Found is an amazing place where young musicians go to become great. Members immerse themselves in music, write songs record tracks and form bands in hopes of turning their passion into a profession. But, if making it in the music industry wasn’t hard enough, these aspiring artists also have to deal with the many issues teens face including first crushes, peer pressure, difficult home lives and trying to fit in. Following the series premiere, new episodes of Lost & Found Music Studios will air regularly Fridays at 6 p.m. ET/PT. Episodes will also be offered on Family OnDemand as they become available weekly beginning January 9.

On Friday, December 11, Family gets into the holiday spirit, gifting viewers with a special presentation of Lost & Found Music Studios at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT. In the series preview, titled “Lost and Found,” the musicians prepare a goodbye party for graduates of the studio. Audiences are introduced to overachiever Leia, who hopes to write and perform a song with her crush, Luke; band member John, who’s having a hard time expressing his feelings for dancer, Michelle; and talented but shy singer-songwriter Eva, who is eager to break out of her shell. The exciting episode is ushered in by the season three finale of The Next Step at 7 p.m. ET/PT which sees the A-Troupe dancers lay it all on the line as they compete for the title of “International Champions.”

Lost & Found Music Studios stars include Shane Harte as Luke; Keara Graves as Leia; Alex Zaichkowski as John; Sarah Carmosino as Rachel; Deshaun Clarke as Jude; Ella Jonas Farlinger as Eva; Levi Randall as Theo; Maranda Thomas as Mary; Alyssa Baker as Maggie; Rakim Kelly as Isaac; Olivia Solo as Annabelle; Jeni Ross as Clara; Katrina Hachey as Hannah; and Matthew Bacik as Nate. Michael Torontow and Ali Milner play Mr. T and Parker who oversee the music program. A companion to The Next Step, the series also features familiar faces from the popular dance drama including Trevor Tordjman as James; Victoria Baldesarra as Michelle; Jordan Clark as Giselle; and Brittany Raymond as Riley. Fans of both series can see select cast members perform live in venues across the country this winter, as they embark on the international The Next Step Wild Rhythm Tour. Tickets are currently available at Family.ca.

Lost & Found Music Studios is produced by Temple Street Productions in association with Family Channel and is executive produced by creator Frank van Keeken (The Next Step, Wingin’ It), Ivan Schneeberg and David Fortier (The Next Step, Orphan Black) and Laura Harbin (The Next Step, Wingin’ It). Temple Street controls the distribution rights internationally, and has secured deals with CBBC and Netflix. Lost & Found Music Studios is also produced with the financial assistance from The Shaw Rocket Fund and the Canada Media Fund.

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Family Channel’s new teen block F2N launches with the premiere of Degrassi: Next Class

From a media release:

DHX Television’s leading kids network Family Channel is expanding it’s offering with F2N– a new timeslot on the schedule featuring exclusive series and popular movies for teens. Beginning Monday, January 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, F2N takes over nighttime viewing on Family Channel, anchored by the highly-anticipated debut of Degrassi: Next Class. This entertainment haven for older audiences will also introduce seven series as part of an overall programming and licensing deal with AwesomenessTV as DHX Television expands its relationship with the Gen Z content creator to feature shows for teens that capture how growing up is rarely predictable. Launching today to give viewers more insight on the F2N programming slate that awaits them is F2N.ca, which features show details and exclusive previews of what’s on the horizon.

From DHX Studios, Degrassi: Next Class tells the stories of Generation Z with equal measures of humour, angst and heart. This drama follows high school students as they grapple with a series of ‘firsts’ and begin their journey into adulthood. Pushing their own limits and testing the bonds of family and friends, the students each find their own way to deal with a range of issues: from homophobia and racism to substance abuse and the complications of dating in the social media age.

New faces joining the previously announced cast of Degrassi: Next Class include: Amir Bageria as Baaz Nahir; Soma Bhatia as Goldi Nahir; Jamie Bloch as Yael Baron; Chelsea Clark as Esme Song; and Dante Scott as Vijay Miraj. The series was co-created by Linda Schuyler who is also Executive Producer with Stephen Stohn, Sarah Glinski and Matt Huether.

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CFC and DHX Media team up to launch The DHX Experience

From a media release:

The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) and DHX Media Ltd. are pleased to announce the launch of The DHX Experience, an exciting new multi-year initiative designed to inspire and help develop a new generation of creative talent for the family/tween/kids marketplace.

The DHX Experience will first be integrated across the CFC’s film, TV, music and acting programs, engaging more than 40 screen-based entertainment industry professionals a year by introducing them to this specialized market through in-depth workshops and practical exercises. Additionally, the initiative will extend beyond the CFC’s talent base to offer a showrunner bootcamp and a British Columbia-based voice for animation workshop.

The DHX Experience kicks off with a symposium at the CFC on Wednesday, October 28, 2015. Led by top practitioners and DHX executives, this daylong event will provide an all-encompassing overview of the kids/tween/family world. The symposium will initiate a series of workshops and bootcamps to further explore creative processes and best practices as the initiative seeks to develop talent destined for the kids/tween/family market. Additional offerings of The DHX Experience include a voice for animation exercise, a hands-on music creation workshop, a storyroom for an animated show experience, as well as pitching and concept development bootcamps.

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