Tag Archives: The Next Step

Children's Programming

Link: Family Channel’s ‘Next Step’ is teen music drama Lost & Found

From Bill Brioux of the Canadian Press:

Family Channel’s ‘Next Step’ is teen music drama Lost & Found
What’s the next step after The Next Step? For a group of Toronto producers in the tricky business of reaching TV’s toughest audience — “tweens” — it’s Lost & Found.

Family Channel and Temple Street Productions had an instant hit on their hands when The Next Step premiered to a hefty — in specialty terms — 574,000 viewers in 2013. The series was a cross between Fame and So You Think You Can Dance, and made stars out of young Canadian performers such as Brittany Raymond and Trevor Tordjman. The series is set to launch a fourth season. Continue reading.

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Children's Programming, Industry News

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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Industry News

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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Children's Programming, Featured, Heartland, Murdoch Mysteries

Comments and queries for the week of September 11

Which returning fall Canadian TV show are you most excited about?

I voted for The Next Step as a proxy for my daughter, who will probably have a viewing party for the season premiere :). —Suzanne

Murdoch Mysteries of course!!!!!! —Vivian

Murdoch Mysteries, Heartland and I wish Jonny Harris’ Still Standing was in the running. It is a great look at the light side of Canada and Canadians. Murdoch Mysteries is my No. 1 though!!! —Jeanette

Murdoch Mysteries, The Nature of Things and Marketplace. —Helene

 

Got a comment or question about Canadian TV? greg@tv-eh.com or @tv_eh on Twitter.

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Children's Programming, Featured

The Next Step hits the dance floor for Season 3

Spoiler alert: not every member of the A-Troupe dancers will last until the end of Season 3 of The Next Step. That shouldn’t really come as much of a surprise for anyone following the tween drama—kids get older and graduate all the time—but this exit will be a bit of a shock nonetheless.

We were on the show’s Scarborough, Ont., set during filming, and watched that pivotal scene from a vantage point just out of camera range. We won’t give it away, but the announcement sends shock waves through the group. How it all happens, and how it affects the crew going into Internationals, rolls out when The Next Step returns to Family Channel on Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT.

To watch filming of an episode of The Next Step is to see television production set at double speed. Unlike most series that take a week to film one episode, The Next Step does it in just over a day and lines are written in a different manner too.

dance2

“Traditionally, you write a script and then you find actors to read the material,” says writer and executive producer Frank van Keeken (The Kids in the Hall, Winging’ It). “We write very involved outlines, and on the day of shooting we talk about the scene and then we just start playing.” The result? A serialized drama that feels very real and authentic.

Returning to The Next Step Dance Studio are, among others, Brittany Raymond as Riley, Victoria Baldesarra as Michelle, Alexandra Beaton as Emily, Trevor Tordjman as James, Lamar Johnson as West, Jennifer Pappas as Chloe, Brennan Clost as Daniel, Zac Vran as Hunter, Bree Wasylenko as Kate, Natalie Krill as Phoebe and So You Think You Can Dance Canada Season 4 winner Jordan Clark as Giselle. Newbies include Ella Gilling, a semifinalist from Season 2 of the UK talent television show Got To Dance. Each one—when they weren’t celebrating the show’s catering or discussing injuries and the bonding element on-set—spoke of how van Keeken is a mentor to them. It’s a label he isn’t comfortable wearing, but understands the sentiment.

“I’ve been doing this a long time, so there are certain skill sets I’ve developed,” he says. “Because they’re green, or were, I had to spend the time just educating them. It’s been a good relationship. After they saw the cuts they realized, ‘He just cuts the bad bits.’ Once you make that transition as an actor then they just go.”

As for who exits the troupe early? You’ll just have to tune in to find out.

The Next Step airs Monday to Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on Family Channel.

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