Tag Archives: Lilly Singh

Four generations face-off in a trivia showdown on CTV original series Battle of the Generations, beginning June 19

From a media release:

Viewers can test their knowledge with new CTV Original quiz series BATTLE OF THE GENERATIONS, airing Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT beginning June 19 on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app. Hosted by award-winning entertainer, philanthropist, actress, producer, and writer, Lilly Singh, each episode features four contestants from different generations – Baby Boomer, Gen X, Millennial, and Gen Z – as they face-off through multiple rounds of pop culture trivia. For a sneak peek of BATTLE OF THE GENERATIONS, click here.

Contestants from across the country have to be both tactical and tenacious to be the last player standing, with the goal of entering The Vault, where they have the chance to win a cash prize of up to $25,000. BATTLE OF THE GENERATIONS not only asks questions from each contestant’s generation, but from their rivals’ generations too, determining who has what it takes to win it all.

In the series premiere of BATTLE OF THE GENERATIONS, airing Monday, June 19 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app, contestants from different generations (including Baby Boomer Jimmy from Calgary, Gen X Marci from Toronto, Millennial Harold from Skidegate, B.C., and Gen Z Zoe from Richmond Hill, Ont.) battle it out for a chance to win up to $25,000.

BATTLE OF THE GENERATIONS is produced by Bell Media Studios, in association with GroupM Motion Entertainment and Unicorn Island Productions. Executive Producers include Jennifer Couke and Michelle Crespi for Bell Media Studios, Martin Oxley and Abigail Adams for GroupM Motion Entertainment, and Lilly Singh and Polly Auritt for Unicorn Island Productions.

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Fremantle’s CEO Jennifer Mullin joins Banff’s Keynote Series lineup

From a media release:

The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) is proud to announce that Jennifer Mullin, CEO of Fremantle (pictured above left), is confirmed as a keynote speaker as part of its renowned Summit Series lineup. In addition, BANFF has announced two exclusive ‘In Conversation With’ sessions featuring multi-faceted entertainer, actress, producer, writer, creator and New York Times bestselling author Lilly Singh (The Muppets Mayhem, The Bad Guys, Dollface, Battle of the Generations) as well as the World of Wonder co-founders and EPs behind the Emmy Award-winning RuPaul’s Drag Race, Oscar-winning The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Emmy-winning Party Monster and owned-and-operated pioneering streaming service WOW Presents Plus, Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato. The 44th edition of the Festival will take place in-person June 11 – 14 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta, Canada.

“Each of these incredible individuals have changed the face of the industry in unique and important ways,” said Jenn Kuzmyk, Executive Director, Banff World Media Festival. “Jennifer Mullin no doubt will have us rapt with her vision of what it takes to helm one of the world’s global content powerhouses. Lilly Singh is a Canadian-born superstar, and we’re thrilled to be able to celebrate and explore what drives her talents in front of and behind the screen. And it’s just impossible to quantify the good that Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato have put into the world via the legendary global juggernaut that is Drag Race and many other productions. They have changed minds and opened hearts and continue to demonstrate that beauty is about authenticity and joy, that love conquers hate, and that despite horrific efforts to the contrary in many places around the globe, the civil rights and human rights of the LGBTQ+ community must be protected.”

BANFF is the international conference and marketplace where new business partnerships are forged and new TV, film and digital media projects are ignited. With delegates from 50+ countries, the Festival attracts the world’s top creators, producers, showrunners, talent, networks, studios, streamers, press and media companies.

ABOUT JENNIFER MULLIN
As CEO of Fremantle (part of the RTL Group), one of the biggest production companies in the world, Mullin oversees a business that achieved revenues of €2.3 billion ($2.44 billion) in 2022.

Under her leadership as Fremantle’s first American head, the creative powerhouse behind iconic entertainment franchises such as Idol, Got Talent, and Family Feud, has continued expansion of its high-end global drama and film output, producing the likes of Bones and All, My Brilliant Friend, The Responder and Academy-award nominated The Hand of God. The company has also set ambitious plans to continue its growth in the documentary space.

Fremantle has grown its global footprint through strategic M&A activity welcoming companies including Element Pictures, Lux Vide, 72 Films, Wildstar and Eureka to the Group. The company also continues to enter into high-profile creative talent partnerships with the likes of Angelina Jolie, Edward Berger, Paolo Sorrentino and Michael Winterbottom.

Mullin has served as Group CEO since 2018 having been promoted from her senior leadership role as CEO of Fremantle North America.

Before joining Fremantle, she worked as an executive and producer at such companies as Disney, Paramount and Universal.

ABOUT LILLY SINGH
Named in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Hollywood & Entertainment list, Fast Company’s Most Creative People, and as one of the most influential people on the internet by TIME, Lilly Singh (pictured above right) is an award-winning, multi-faceted entertainer, philanthropist, actress, producer, writer, and NYT-Bestselling author. A leading force in popular culture, she has amassed a global audience of nearly 40 million followers across her social media channels.

Up next, Singh is starring as the human lead and first woman of colour to lead a Muppets project in Disney+ upcoming comedy series The Muppets Mayhem. Singh also hosts and serves as executive producer of CTV’s upcoming primetime quiz series BATTLE OF THE GENERATIONS. In 2022, Singh starred in the DreamWorks Animation action-comedy The Bad Guys, which premiered to a global box office of over $230 million. Singh is also a judge on CANADA’S GOT TALENT, that just returned for Season 2. Singh was the only woman to host a late-night show on a broadcast network television in nearly two decades for her show A LITTLE LATE WITH LILLY SINGH. As an author, she has published the #1 New York Times bestseller “How To Be A Bawse: A Guide to Surviving Conquering Life” and “Be a Triangle: How I Went from Being Lost to Getting My Life Into Shape”, which debuted as an instant best-seller in Canada and India.

Singh struck first-look deals with Universal Television Alternative Studio (unscripted) and Blink49 Studios and Bell Media (scripted) with her Unicorn Island Productions banner that she leads with Polly Auritt, highlighting South Asian storytelling. Debuting from the company in 2023 as a YouTube Original series is the animated series, “The Mindful Adventures of Unicorn Island” in partnership with Headspace Studios. She is also attached to star in a Netflix comedy series which she is developing with Kenya Barris’ Khalabo Ink Society.

In addition to her projects under Unicorn Island Productions, Singh launched “Lilly’s Library” to further her mission of spotlighting South Asian stories for everyone, as well as the Unicorn Island Fund – focusing on girls who continue to be systemically undervalued across cultures and geographies and empowering them to live without limits. UNICEF appointed Lilly as one of their Goodwill Ambassadors, where she’s advocated for gender equity in countries around the world since 2017.

She currently resides in Los Angeles and was born and raised in Scarborough, Ont.

ABOUT WORLD OF WONDER’S FENTON BAILEY AND RANDY BARBATO
For three decades, World of Wonder has introduced audiences to new worlds, talent and ideas; reshaping international pop culture, while earning 30 Emmys and inspiring Oscar®-winning performances. Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato first met as film students at NYU film school in the mid-80s before becoming creative and business partners in 1991 when they launched World of Wonder. Since then, they have been behind the Emmy® Award-winning “RuPaul’s Drag Race” (VH1/Logo) and “Million Dollar Listing” LA & NY (Bravo) franchises, as well as award-winning subversive documentaries.

Together they have produced more than 250 projects and share nearly three dozen credits as co-directors, including award-winning and critically acclaimed films such as “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” inspiring the Oscar-winning scripted film by the same name; “Monica in Black and White”; “Wishful Drinking”; “Inside Deep Throat”; “Party Monster”; “Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures”; “Every Brilliant Thing”; and Emmy® Award-winning “Out of Iraq.” Recent projects include “Catch and Kill: The Podcast Tapes,” based on Ronan Farrow’s explosive Harvey Weinstein investigation, and “Small Town News,” both with HBO.

Working together as directors in both the scripted and unscripted space, the dynamic duo seamlessly creates culture-shifting projects — a vision characterized by an appreciation for the quirky yet tell-tale details that grant access to a greater truth. Fenton and Randy believe that storytelling is not limited to the size of the screen, but rather it is the dimensions of the story that counts. Whether it is a convention (DragCon), a live show in Vegas, a book (ScreenAge) or a line of cocktails and mocktails (House of Love) – World of Wonder’s library inspires people to proudly and authentically live out their dreams, and give a voice to outsiders and marginalized communities.

Fenton and Randy have been honoured for their trailblazing work with the IDA Pioneer Award, Realscreen’s Global 100 list, Variety’s Reality Leaders List, and Variety’s Reality TV Impact Report, as well as the OUT 100. They have also been named by The Hollywood Reporter as the #1 unscripted producers working in the non-fiction space today. Most recently, World of Wonder was ranked #2 among film and TV powerhouses in Fast Company’s World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies.

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Lilly Singh to host Battle of the Generations, CTV’s new primetime quiz show

From a media release:

CTV announced today that acclaimed comedian and actress Lilly Singh is confirmed to host and executive produce the inaugural season of CTV’s previously announced primetime quiz show BATTLE OF THE GENERATIONS. Each episode of the nostalgia-packed quiz show features four contestants representing a different generation (Baby Boomer, Gen X, Millennial, and Gen Z), as they battle through multiple rounds of nostalgia-packed pop culture trivia. Whoever triumphs in this unique game of time travelling trivia enters The Vault for a chance to win a cash prize of up to $25,000.

CTV also confirmed today that nationwide casting for BATTLE OF THE GENERATIONS is currently underway, with production on the 20-episode, one-hour quiz show set to begin February 2023 in Toronto. Viewers who think they have what it takes to reign supreme in this epic battle of the ages now have a chance to represent their generation on CTV’s new game show. For casting details and updates, including instructions on how to apply, fans can visit CTV.ca/BOTGcasting.

BATTLE OF THE GENERATIONS not only asks how well you know your own generation but how well you know your rivals’ generations – ultimately resolving the question of which generation has what it takes to win it all. Additional programming information to be announced in the coming months.

Today’s announcement comes on the heels of Blink49 Studios and Bell Media’s multi-year partnership with Singh and her company Unicorn Island Productions on a unique first-look global scripted and second-look unscripted deal. Singh and Unicorn Island also have a first-look unscripted deal with Universal Television Alternative Studio.

About Lilly Singh
Lilly Singh is a multi-faceted entertainer, actress, producer, writer, and creator. A leading force in popular culture, she has amassed a global audience of nearly 40 million followers across her social media channels. Earlier this year, Singh starred in the DreamWorks Animation action-comedy The Bad Guys, which premiered to a global box office of over $230 million. Singh is also a judge on CANADA’S GOT TALENT and will star in the upcoming Disney+ comedy series The Muppets Mayhem. Singh was the only woman to host a late-night show on a broadcast network television in nearly two decades for her show A LITTLE LATE WITH LILLY SINGH. As an author, she has published the #1 New York Times bestseller “How To Be A Bawse: A Guide to Surviving Conquering Life” and “Be a Triangle: How I Went from Being Lost to Getting My Life Into Shape”, which debuted as an instant best-seller in Canada and India.

As part of her Unicorn Island umbrella, Singh launched the Unicorn Island Fund – focusing on girls who continue to be systemically undervalued across cultures and geographies. She currently resides in Los Angeles and was born and raised in Scarborough, Ont.

BATTLE OF THE GENERATIONS is an international format created for markets around the world and will be available for distribution globally. The series is executive produced by Jennifer Couke and Michelle Crespi for Bell Media Studios, Martin Oxley and Abigail Adams for Motion Content Group, and Lilly Singh and Polly Auritt for Unicorn Island Productions.

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TV, Eh? Podcast Episode 250: Celebrating 250 and Bell Media’s Upfront Announcement, Part 2

After saluting Diane and Anthony for starting the podcast in the first place, Greg and Amy go through debuts and returns on the Canadian TV calendar.

Then, we cover the latest Canadian TV news, including CBC’s fall debut and return dates; CBC’s newest reality series, Canada’s Ultimate Challenge; CTV’s new drama, The Spencer Sisters; the chainsaw welding competitors of A Cut Above and Bell Media’s pact with Lilly Singh.

We finish off with Part 2 of Bell Media’s upfront announcement, noting factual programming.

This podcast brought to you by coffee and some kind of alcohol.

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Blink49 Studios and Bell Media strike long-term pact with world-renowned entertainer Lilly Singh

From a media release:

Blink49 Studios and Bell Media announced today they are partnering with world-renowned entertainer Lilly Singh and her company Unicorn Island Productions on a unique first-look global scripted and second-look unscripted deal.

Spearheaded by Singh and Polly Auritt, Head of Development at Unicorn Island Productions, Carolyn Newman, Executive Vice President, Global Scripted and Virginia Rankin, Executive Producer for Blink49 Studios, the deal will focus on creating and producing compelling television content that showcases underrepresented communities.

Projects developed under the pact will be executive produced by Singh, Auritt, Newman and Rankin with Blink49 Studios handling production and the worldwide distribution.

Named in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Hollywood & Entertainment list, Fast Company’s Most Creative People and as one of the most influential people on the internet by TIME, Lilly Singh is a multi-faceted entertainer, actress, producer, writer, creator and a New York Times bestselling author. She is a leading force in the digital world having amassed a global audience of more than 38 million followers across her social media channels. This year, Singh was a judge on CityTV’s Canada’s Got Talent, was part of the star-studded cast for the DreamWorks Animation action-comedy The Bad Guys and launched her book club Lilly’s Library that spotlights South Asian stories for everyone. Up next, she will headline the new Disney+ comedy series The Muppets Mayhem alongside several Muppet stars. Singh is also a co-owner of Angel City FC in the National Women’s Soccer League.

Blink49 Studios is a content venture with Endeavor Content as its anchor investor and lead strategic partner. Focusing heavily on a creative-first approach, Blink49 Studios is dedicated to partnering with best-in-class writers, creators and producers, as well as aggressively pursuing IP in Canada and throughout the world. The indie studio is committed to applying significant resources to support new and diverse Canadian voices.

ABOUT BLINK49 STUDIOS

Co-founded in 2021 by industry veterans CEO John Morayniss, Non-Executive Vice Chair Patrice Theroux, COO Jeff Lynas and CFO Nelson Kuo-Lee, Blink49 Studios is a full-service indie studio focused on the development, production, and monetization of premium scripted and unscripted content for a global market. Headquartered in Toronto with offices in Los Angeles, Blink49 Studios was formed in partnership with its anchor investor and lead strategic partner Endeavor Content. With a combined experience of innovative deal-making and strong relationships in the creative community, Blink49 Studios takes a content-first approach by partnering with best-in-class writers, creators, producers, and talent as well as supporting new and diverse voices.

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