Tag Archives: Netflix

Industry News

CBC, Netflix and APTN greenlight new arctic comedy series

From a media release:

  • Netflix, CBC and APTN have announced they are commissioning a new untitled comedy series that will film in Nunavut (UNTITLED ARCTIC COMEDY).
  • The show was created and will be written by Inuit film and television writer and producer Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Inuit filmmaker Alethea Arnaquq-Baril.
  • Logline: A young Inuk mother wants to build a new future for herself, but it won’t be easy in her small Arctic town where everyone knows your business. 
    • Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Alethea Arnaquq-Baril:  “This series is full of stories that come straight from our hearts and our funny bones. We’ve drawn from our experiences as Inuit women living, laughing, crying and living together while Native. We are so excited to work with all our incredible partners at CBC, Netflix and APTN, and we can’t wait to start filming!”
    • Miranda de Pencier: “I’m thrilled to be teaming up with Stacey and Alethea for our third project together and excited for audiences to see this hilarious, unexpected and essential series that Stacey and Alethea have created.”
    • Susan Coyne: “Stacey and Alethea have created a story that is very funny and clearly comes from the heart. I can’t wait to work with Stacey and Alethea to explore the lives, relationships, and emotional journeys of their amazing cast of characters.”
    • Sally Catto, General Manager, Entertainment, Factual and Sports, CBC: “This vibrant comedy delivers an authentic perspective on personal journeys, friendship and community in the Arctic. We are excited to partner with Netflix and APTN to film in Nunavut and bring Stacey and Alethea’s deeply personal storytelling to audiences across Canada.” 
    • Danielle Woodrow Director, Content – Canada and Tara Woodbury, Director, Content – Canada, Netflix: “As soon as we heard about this show, we knew we wanted to share it with our members around the world. Stacey and Alethea have created a very relatable and funny story that showcases the unique experience of living in Canada’s Arctic regions. We’re thrilled to be partnering with them and working with Miranda and the teams at CBC and APTN.”
    • APTN Spokesperson: “This show is a brilliant and heartfelt gem of a comedy from two of Canada’s most exciting creators. A very short time ago, it would have been impossible to imagine an Indigenous comedy shot in the Arctic, with massive national and international reach,” says Adam Garnet Jones, director of TV content and special events at APTN. “It’s a dream come true for APTN to help bring this story to audiences across Turtle Island and around the world. We know audiences are going to fall in love with the show’s characters, and the production industry in Nunavut is going to receive a huge boost in a way it never has before.”
  • Executive Producers: Stacey Aglok MacDonald (Qanurli, Grizzlies), Alethea Arnaquq-Baril (Angry Inuk, Grizzlies), Miranda de Pencier (Anne With an E, Beginners, The Grizzlies), Susan Coyne (Mozart In the Jungle, Daisy Jones & The Six, Slings & Arrows), Garry Campbell (The Kids in the Hall, Less Than Kind)
  • Production Companies: Northwood Entertainment, Red Marrow Media
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The Imperfects

Links: The Imperfects, Season 1

From Heather M. of TV Goodness:

Link: Dennis Heaton talks The Imperfects
“The Imperfects grew out of this dinner conversation where we were riffing on what we liked about mad scientist stories and what we didn’t like.” Continue reading.

From Staff of The Collegiate:

Link: A perfectly imperfect wild ride: A review of Netflix’s “The Imperfects”
The humour is top notch and the acting is phenomenal. Though if I had one complaint it’s the fact that two minor characters by the name of Doug and Owen weren’t used to their full potential. Continue reading.

From Kimberley Spinney of Culturess:

Link: The Imperfects costume designer Rafaella Rabinovich talks about the show’s looks and her inspiration
“I’m a super visual person, so I make really elaborate mood boards and I sketch a lot as well to kind of define what it is that we’re looking at and understanding the color palette, so that is the first step.” Continue reading.

From Rya Shulka of The United Business Journal:

Link: The Imperfects on Netflix has a lot to unpack
There are many shocks in the finale of the Netflix original series The Imperfects, leaving fans to wonder if there will be a second season. Continue reading.

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Workin' Moms

Link: Catherine Reitman reflects on creating ‘Workin’ Moms’ and reaching seventh, final season: “I’m Still in Disbelief”

From Etan Vlessing of The Hollywood Reporter:

Link: Catherine Reitman reflects on creating ‘Workin’ Moms’ and reaching seventh, final season: “I’m Still in Disbelief”
“In America, the edgiest storyline is the abortion storyline. In Canada, it’s no big deal. In Canada, it’s these women are so flawed, that they do things that are occasionally unlikable. That’s the biggest bump here.” Continue reading.

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Children's Programming, Featured

Preview: CBC Gem’s Fakes offers up great performances and a unique story

I never had a fake ID, but I knew plenty of fellow high school students who did back in the day. The thought of having one always intrigued me, but I was scared too. What if I got one and it was discovered? I imagined a months-long grounding. For best friends Zoe and Becca, grounding is the least of their worries.

Kicking off its entire first season for streaming on CBC Gem, Fakes tracks Zoe and Becca as they create a fake ID empire only to see it all come crashing down. Created by David Turko (Warrior Nun), Fakes is notable not just because of its subject matter but for its leads. Emilija Baranac, as Zoe, and Jennifer Tong as Becca serve up standout performances worthy of checking out. These friends have each other’s backs and you cheer them on from Minute 1, even if they’re doing something highly illegal. And, utilizing the popular trope of speaking into the camera only adds to the effectiveness of the storytelling, particularly when we get into who is really responsible for the pair getting caught.

In Episode 1, we’re introduced to Vancouver teens Zoe and Becca, who are in the midst of being collared by the police. Then, we’re transported back in time to Zoe’s first attempt (and success) making her first fake student ID. Impressed by her friend’s handiwork, Becca asks for one of her own. When they’re not growing their fake ID business, the girls are dealing with everyday drama, like Zoe’s thief brother and Becca’s family falling apart. And, in the debut, we’re also introduced to Tryst (hilariously played by Richard Harmon), a bleached-blonde stoner who works at the clothing store the girls frequent.

Fakes is the story of the pair’s ultimate betrayal, a comedy-drama with two unreliable narrators who are both competing for the last word. And, I have to say, it’s pretty great.

Stream Season 1 of Fakes on CBC Gem now.

Image courtesy of CBC.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Marblemedia’s groundbreaking competition series Blown Away returns for Season 3 on Netflix

From a media release:

Blown Away is back for Season 3 on Friday, July 22, on Netflix, with some of the glass world’s heaviest hitters, all competing for the title of Best In Glass.

Ten glass artists have come to North America’s largest hot shop to push themselves to their creative limits. In each episode, the glassblowers must impress the evaluators or risk being eliminated. At stake is a life-changing prize that will send their careers to new heights.

YouTube science influencer Nickpedia and former NBC’s America’s Got Talent contestant Nick Uhas hosts the series alongside resident glass evaluator and overall glass master Katherine Gray.

Blown Away was filmed in the largest glassblowing studio in North America, designed and built specifically for the scope and scale of the competition

The series was commissioned by Netflix (global) and Blue Ant Media (Canada). The Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY, serves as a key consulting partner on the series and took part in the series.

This season’s competitors include:
• Claire Kelly (Corning, NY)
• Trenton Quiocho (Fircrest, WA)
• John Sharvin (Pittsburgh, PA)
• Rob Stern (Miami, FL)
• John Moran (Gent, Belgium)
• Brenna Baker (Weston, FL)
• Dan Friday (Shoreline, WA)
• Grace Whiteside (Brooklyn, NY)
• Maddy Hughes (Stourbridge, England)
• Minhi England (Seattle, WA)

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