Tag Archives: TVO

Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

My Millennial Life spotlights the struggle of overeducated, underemployed young adults

The statistics don’t lie, and they’re pretty darned depressing. Millennials are the most-educated generation ever. Since 1981, there has been a 58 per cent increase in the percentage of 25-29 year olds with post-secondary degrees or diplomas. Nearly half of millennials are underemployed in low-wage, dead-end jobs and unemployment for recent grads is double the national average.

Amid those, stunning, crushing numbers comes TVO’s My Millennial Life, which follows five twenty somethings struggling to find jobs—and an identity for themselves—today.

It’s easy to watch something like Saturday’s documentary—produced and directed by Maureen Judge—with a jaded eye. After all, these are all twentysomethings who want money, cars, houses and fame right now rather than work the decades it took generations before them to get there. It used to be folks got an education, graduated and then worked at one company until retirement. Today’s society is different, with 40-year-olds looking for work; where do kids half their age go to find a gig?

Hope saw herself living in NYC and working for a high-end magazine, going to parties and meeting celebrities. She dreamed of buying Louis Vuitton bags on a whim. Her reality? Buying knockoffs from a street vendor and living at home in Pennsylvania. James has a start-up company but is cash-poor; Meron wanted to be a MuchMusic veejay but cleans hotel rooms; Emily sits in her kitchen and listens to music in the apartment her dad pays the rent for and enrols in college to get the real-life skills she didn’t acquire in university; and Tim moved from Moncton to Toronto to make it as a musician but transcribes court testimony for money. There are plenty of tears as they describe the frustration of working in menial, low-paying jobs.

“I don’t know why I haven’t been hired,” Emily says at her lowest point. “I keep trying and trying, and I just need a chance. I just need that break and I don’t know what to do. At this point, I think there’s something wrong with me.”

My Millennial Life isn’t a total downer. Judge introduces the family, friends and loved ones’ of those featured, showing the support systems in place when things aren’t going well. And there is good news for a couple of the kids featured. But the fact remains: it isn’t getting any easier for millennials to realize their dreams.

My Millennial Life airs Saturday, May 28, at 9 p.m. ET on TVO. It can be seen on TVO.org following the broadcast.

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Children's Programming

Link: Local television director nominated for Daytime Emmy Awards

From The Chronicle Herald:

Local television director nominated for Daytime Emmy Awards
Stephen Reynolds has worked hard to stay relevant in the ever-changing film industry in Canada, and his efforts have paid off with a Daytime Emmy nomination.

Reynolds and company Sinking Ship are behind Odd Squad, the hit PBS show that racked up nine Daytime Emmy Award nominations this year. Continue reading.

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Children's Programming

TVO to End Production of Gisèle’s Big Backyard

From a media release:

Today TVO announced that while it will continue to air the daily Gisèle’s Big Backyard program block, in-house production of the short interstitial segments will end in May. With an inventory of over 800 interstitial segments for Gisèle’s Big Backyard, there is sufficient content to provide a quality educational experience to pre-school viewers during the 6am to 3pm program block.

“I would like to thank the cast, puppeteers, production team and crew of Gisèle’s Big Backyard, especially host and namesake Gisèle Corinthios, for unwavering dedication in inspiring our youngest minds to be successful in school and in life,” said Marney Malabar, Director, Kids TV.

“With limited resources, TVO must make difficult choices. Regrettably, in-house production of the short interstitial segments will cease, but we will be able to continue to serve our two to four year old pre-school audience with our inventory of Gisèle’s Big Backyard for years to come,” added Malabar.

This announcement impacts approximately six employees and seven hours of in-house production per year.

There will be no visible changes to viewers, with children still able to enjoy favourites like Paw Patrol, Hi Opie!, Doozers and Alphabet Goop each day, introduced by learning lessons from Gisèle and the team.

This announcement does not affect The Space, TVO’s afternoon programming block designed for school-age children.

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Featured, Hard Rock Medical

Hard Rock Medical moves to North Bay for Season 3

Hard Rock Medical is back, and with a new backdrop. Season 3 was officially announced on Thursday via press conference from Canadore College’s Studio 1 in North Bay, Ont., where filming will take place. The first two seasons of the medical drama were shot in Sudbury, Ont., but an educational partnership with the support of the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) meant a shift in cities.

“I am here to announce an NOHFC investment of $825,000 to TVO and its production partners for their production of Season 3 of Hard Rock Medical,” said Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development and Mines, and chair of the NOHFC. “We’re really excited about it, and that will support the production of nine half-hour episodes.”

“I feel honoured that so many institutions are squarely behind Hard Rock Medical,” said co-creator/director Derek Diorio. “Thank you to the city of North Bay, that has been so welcoming to our production. Without all of you here, there is no Hard Rock Medical.” Diorio explained over 50 per cent of Season 3 will be shot at Canadore College. Seventy-five students from the Digital Cinema Program, Television Program and Theatre Arts Program, are currently working on pre-production and will be an integral part of the six-week shoot. A local warehouse and medical centre location will also be used for filming. Post-production will take place at Canadore as well.

“I want to thank Derek,” George Burton, President and CEO of Candore College said. “You have provided an incredible opportunity for learning to our students, which means so much to them. I want to thank everyone on Hard Rock Medical for being such wonderful role models to our students. You bring a level of professionalism to our campus which will hold them in good stead long after graduation.”

All local crew and musicians will be used and over 30 local actors will have lead roles this season, including North Bay native Jamie Spilchuk, who plays Cameron Cahill on the series. Hard Rock Medical follows a group of medical students training in Northern Ontario and is loosely based on the curriculum of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Shooting begins next week and continues until the middle of March.

Co-created by Smith Antonio Corindia and Diorio, Hard Rock Medical stars Patrick McKenna, Angela Asher, Danielle Bourgon, Rachelle Casseus, Tamara Duarte, Kyra Harper, Christian Laurin, Andrea Menard and Stephane Paquette.

Season 3 of Hard Rock Medical will be broadcast on TVO and APTN.

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