Yearly Archives: 2012

Dramas and Comedies, Featured, Industry News, Less Than Kind, Murdoch Mysteries, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Industry Update – Rogers/Citytv 2012 Upfronts

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This is my first time at the Rogers Media/Citytv 2012 upfronts. This year, they are held at Toronto’s Massey Hall. Historically, the Rogers upfronts don’t provide much in the way of Canadian scripted fare, or Canadian content. In fact, Murdoch Mysteries‘ Citytv run ends this summer. If viewers miss the fifth season, they can watch it on CBC this fall…or watch Citytv’s reruns of the fifth season, if they air as “encore presentations” this fall. Try to wrap your head around that one.

I go into the Rogers upfronts not expecting much – maybe a low-rated documentary series for Citytv, foreign reality-show formats with the word “Canada” flour-pasted onto the side, and American programming – the usual.

Citytv’s fall schedule is its usual heady mix of American shows, and “encore presentations” of Rogers “original series.” Saturday, by now, is Citytv’s Canadian cultural ghetto. Less Than Kind will even air 9:30 PM ET on Saturdays this fall, and it better not be four-year-old reruns of the first season.

More encouragingly, Citytv has two original comedies up for 2013, Seed and Package Deal. Seed is about a sperm bank donor, and how he deals with the byproducts of his white gold. Package Deal is “about three overly close brothers and the woman who comes between them,” which reads as generic. So did Shaw Media’s Continuum, when it was announced.

The Citytv press conferences are basic. There are the usual American stars to sell their wares – Katie Couric promoting her new talk show, Brandon Routh and Michael Urie promoting Partners, and Max Greenfield shilling New Girl. Dominic Monaghan beats the drum on Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan, an OLN/Channel 5/BBC America nature show, while Tyler Harcott sells viewers on the merits of The Bachelor Canada.

Andrew Orenstein and Joseph Raso promote their respective shows, Package Deal and Seed. Citytv sells Package Deal as the first Canadian multi-camera sitcom in decades, which ignores YTV’s Mr. Young. Perhaps youth sitcoms aren’t as glamorous as adult sitcoms. Package Deal shoots in Vancouver, and has Mr. Young‘s production company, Thunderbird Films, behind it.

An interesting announcement concerns Citytv and Sportsnet sewing up rights to HBO’s 24/7 Maple Leafs/Red Wings: Road to the NHL Winter Classic. This isn’t a Canadian series, but the Toronto Maple Leafs are the first Canadian team with a 24/7 profile. Given that Rogers is set to own 37.5% of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, this is Canadian content, in a way. Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment owns quite a few sports channels, so Rogers wants to feature a prospective acquisition.

Hopefully, Rogers and Citytv build on their commitments to homegrown programming. It’s nice to see Rogers and Citytv muster a little more effort than usual, even if the overall strategy is “let’s buy a lot of American programming, and here’s our version of a popular reality show format.” I didn’t expect Citytv to announce any new shows, beyond The Bachelor Canada.

One niggling issue: no announcements regarding G4 Canada, or bio? What did they do, break Rogers Media’s priceless Ming vase, or something?

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Tyler Harcott to host The Bachelor Canada

From a media release:

Tyler Harcott Named Host of The Bachelor Canada on Citytv

  • Veteran Canadian TV personality has hosted 14 series in Canada and the U.S.
  • Will help recently announced bachelor Brad Smith on his journey to find love, in the first-ever Canadian version of the popular Bachelor franchise

Having hosted nearly every kind of TV show in almost every kind of environment – from studio and junkyard to cruise ship and on location in the Middle East – veteran host Tyler Harcott will bring his 17 years of experience to a new audience as the host of The Bachelor Canada, premiering this fall on Citytv. Harcott was introduced today as part of Citytv’s annual Upfront presentation.

Earlier this month, CFL free agent Brad Smith was revealed as the first-ever Canadian bachelor. Additional details about the production, including the identities of the 25 Canadian bachelorettes, will be announced in the coming weeks.

A native of Calgary, Harcott, 43, earned a communications degree at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) Polytechnic before getting his start in the entertainment industry in theatre, film and television. His first foray into broadcasting was as a radio disc jockey at CKGY FM in Red Deer, Alberta. Shortly following, Harcott landed his first hosting job in 1995 while visiting Hong Kong, which led him to various other culture-rich locales, including India, Dubai and Indonesia. Throughout his career, Harcott has hosted 14 programs, including Wired, Junkyard Wars, Guess Who’s Coming to Decorate?, and Miss America: Countdown to the Crown.

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Awards, Continuum, Industry News, Less Than Kind, Podcast, The Listener

TV, eh? podcast episode 94 – “We’re a Nice Pat on the Back. Shut Up.”

Diane couldn’t think of another excuse to ditch Anthony for the podcast so we’re back this week talking about Continuum’s great numbers, Sanctuary’s demise, The Listener and Pawnathon Canada’s returns, Less Than Kind’s fourth and final season is in production, the Leo awards were handed out, Astral approved the BCE acquisition, EOne is looking at Alliance, and how to get to the next level in Canadian television.

Episode 94: Listen or download here or subscribe via iTunes or with any other program via the TV, Eh? feed

Your hosts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Dramas and Comedies

Citytv orders 2 new Canadian comedies

From a media release:

Citytv Greenlights Two New Original Comedy Series, Package Deal and Seed

  • Two 13-episode comedy series slated to debut mid-season on Citytv
  • Homegrown series to be produced by Vancouver-based Thunderbird Films and Force Four Entertainment

In its continuing support of Canadian productions, Citytv announced today it has greenlit two new original comedy series – Package Deal and Seed. Commissioned by Citytv’s original content team and produced by Thunderbird Films and Force Four Entertainment, respectively, the two series are slated to launch exclusively on Citytv in mid-season.

The announcement was made today as part of Citytv’s annual Upfront presentation. Additional production and broadcast details will be announced at a later date.

Package Deal:
Created by Andrew Orenstein (Malcolm in the Middle, 3rd Rock from the Sun) and produced by Thunderbird Films, Package Deal is a 13-episode, half-hour, multi-camera original comedy about three overly close brothers and the woman who comes between them. When Kim starts dating Danny, he seems too good to be true – a successful lawyer, charming, and single. Then she discovers he’s already committed – to his two older brothers, Sheldon and Ryan. Will Danny ever grow up and be his own man? Or will Kim have to accept that his brothers are part of the ‘package deal’?

Seed:
From Force Four Entertainment, the producers of the upcoming Citytv original reality series The Bachelor Canada, and creator Joseph Raso, Seed is a 13-episode, half-hour series that offers a fresh take on the family comedy. Ill-equipped bachelor Harry finds his foray into the world of sperm donation has resulted in kids (lots of them) and becomes entangled in the lives of his new-found children and their less-than-thrilled families – whether they want him to or not.

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