From Tony Wong of the Toronto Star:
Link: Who says Canadian TV is dead? 2017 was best year ever for drama
“I think this year has been a real tipping point. It proved that Canada sells. That people can relate to North Bay or Sudbury or anywhere in the world, and that we can go shoulder to shoulder with anyone with our stories.” Continue reading.
From John Doyle of The Globe and Mail:
Link: John Doyle’s favourite Canadian performances of 2017
In this particular bulletin, mind you, there’s an appreciation of fine performances this year on Canadian TV. Grumbling will ensue, of course. But by all means, let me know of your favourites, whether you’re in the TV racket or not. That is, if you have time and you’re not stuck at Canadian Tire surrounded by Christmas lights arrayed like thick brambles to ensnare you. At Canadian Tire, we are all just Canadian, doesn’t matter if we’re big shots in the TV racket. So, here’s a (short) list of fave performances from this year. Continue reading.
From a media release:
Temple Street, a division of Boat Rocker Studios, has secured the television rights to international bestselling author Guy Gavriel Kay’s The Fionavar Tapestry. Published as three volumes in the mid-1980s (The Summer Tree, The Wandering Fire and The Darkest Road), the trilogy has sold more than a million copies around the world, and has been dubbed by The Guardian one of the classics of modern fantasy. New York Times bestselling writer Brandon Sanderson has called Kay “the greatest living author of fantasy literature.â€
The Tapestry tells the tale of five young men and women who are brought to Fionavar – the first of all worlds. Told they are simply to be guests for the 50th anniversary celebration of a king’s ascension to the throne, each of the five discovers they have a greater, dangerous role to play as they’re thrust into a war between the forces of good and evil, whose outcome will affect all worlds, including our own.
Kay draws upon a variety of creatures and mythologies, predominantly Celtic and Norse, to create the world of Fionavar, and the saga also features the legendary story of King Arthur, Lancelot, and Guinevere, heroes of medieval literature.
Fortier and Schneeberg will executive produce for Temple Street (Orphan Black, Killjoys), along with Kris Holden-Ried (Vikings, Tudors, Lost Girl).
Temple Street’s Senior Vice President Kerry Appleyard and Senior Development Producer Lesley Grant will oversee series adaptation for the studio, and Boat Rocker Rights will control worldwide rights.
From Cam Fuller of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix:
Link: Saskatoon film and TV producer Bob Crowe dies at the age of 62
Remembered as a faithful friend, supportive boss and a key player in the province’s film and television industry, Bob Crowe died suddenly on Friday.
Crowe, 62, was a co-owner of Angel Entertainment and Bamboo Shoots and had his hand in everything from feature films to TV series, commercials and live events. Continue reading.
From a media release:
Buck Productions CEO Sean Buckley announced the Toronto-based company has signed on to produce the historical fiction series Boundless. Written by Canadian actress/writer/producer Kate Campbell. The show will consist of 8, 1 hour episodes.Â
The series delves into the role women held during the Second World War, in particular the role of Canadian female pilots. Inspired by real events, the Ontario shot fictional series is a mix between Hidden Figures and League of Their Own, and is inspired by the writer’s grandmother, who was a pilot.
“I was inspired to write about women pilots of the second world war because of the stories my grandmother used to share,â€Â said Kate Campbell, Writer, Boundless. “The narrative surrounding WWII has always focused on male heroes. I want to shed a light on the female heroines during that era and I am so thankful to have found such a great team in Sean and Buck Productions who share my passion for bringing these stories out into the world.â€
The series is slated to begin production in Summer 2018.
Synopsis Â
During WWII, renowned aviatrix Jacqueline Cochran’s dream of an elite all-female pilot training program stalls out trying to play by the rules of the existing patriarchal system. The program is threatened to be nixed, until rogue new recruit, Betty Ward, shows Jackie the only way for them to succeed is not by trying to conform, but by blazing an entirely new trail, on their own terms. Through controversy, jealousy, heartbreak and love, this band of women, from all walks of life, find their way into this new world, and through their love of flying they find their liberation and ultimately end up changing the course of history.
