From Brent Furdyk of ET Canada.com:
Goodbye J-Roc: Jonathan Torrens Is Leaving ‘Trailer Park Boys’
One of Sunnyvale Trailer Park’s most enduring, beloved characters is exiting Trailer Park Boys, with Jonathan Torrens announcing he’ll be leaving the show.
As fans of the series have likely noticed, J-Roc (the white rapper played by Torrens) hasn’t exactly been front and centre during the past season, likely influencing Torrens’ decision to retire J-Roc. Continue reading.Â
From Dylan Kickham of Entertainment Weekly:
Degrassi: Next Class renewed for seasons 3 and 4
Degrassi: Next Class is going to make it to senior year. A day after Netflix picked up the teen drama for a second season, EW can announce exclusively that the streaming service has renewed the series for two additional seasons. Continue reading.Â
From Rachel Ward of CBC News:
Lucy DeCoutere resigns from Trailer Park Boys after Mike Smith’s arrest
Trailer Park Boys actress Lucy DeCoutere tweeted Saturday she was resigning from the show, only hours after her colleagues released a statement in support of actor Mike Smith, accused of domestic battery in Hollywood. Continue reading.
From a media release:
Today, Discovery released the first-look photos from its first original Canadian drama series FRONTIER, starring Jason Momoa (GAME OF THRONES, Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice), Landon Liboiron (HEMLOCK GROVE, DEGRASSI), Alun Armstrong (NEW TRICKS, Braveheart), Zoe Boyle (DOWNTON ABBEY, SONS OF ANARCHY), and Allan Hawco (REPUBLIC OF DOYLE). The series, set to make its worldwide debut later this year on Discovery in Canada, also introduces Canadian newcomer, Jessica Matten. Created by Rob Blackie and Peter Blackie, FRONTIER is directed by Brad Peyton (San Andreas). Production is now underway in St. John’s, N.L.
Rooted in Canadian history and explored for the first time on television, the action-packed and authentic fiction series follows the chaotic and violent struggle to control wealth and power in the North American fur trade of the late 18th century. Told from multiple perspectives, FRONTIER takes place in a world where business negotiations might be resolved with close-quarter hatchet fights, and where delicate relations between Aboriginal tribes and Europeans can spark bloody conflicts.
FRONTIER is produced by Take The Shot Productions and Factory Backwards, in association with Discovery, the exclusive Canadian broadcaster. Netflix is the international broadcast partner. Edwina Follows is Executive Producer for Discovery, and Ken MacDonald is Vice-President and General Manager, Discovery. Tracey Pearce is Senior Vice-President, Specialty and Pay, Bell Media. Randy Lennoxis President, Entertainment Production and Broadcasting, Bell Media. For Take The Shot Productions, Alex Patrick, John Vatcher, Rob Blackie, Peter Blackie, Allan Hawco, Perry Chafe, and Michael Levine are Executive Producers. For Factory Backwards, Brad Peytonand Jeff Fierson (This Is Not A Robbery) are Executive Producers.
From James Bradshaw of The Globe and Mail:
More choice, smaller bills in store for TV viewers
So-called cord cutting, and how to contain it, will be top of mind for many TV executives in 2016, as viewers will be given new choices. The federal broadcast regulator has promised rule changes to let customers choose which channels they pay for, and will require companies to shrink the size of basic cable and satellite bundles.
At the same time, and perhaps more importantly, new streaming technologies and online competitors built in the mould of Netflix Inc. are expanding, giving viewers a wider range of relatively low-cost alternatives, in turn causing some to rethink the value of their monthly TV bill. Continue reading.
