Monthly Archives: November 2012

Industry News

Canadian productions booming

From Bill Brioux of the Canadian Press:

  • Vancouver, Toronto and even Halifax booming as TV production centres again
    Rob LaBelle, executive producer of the upcoming CTV show “Motive,” says the success of “Flashpoint” — now in its final weeks on the air — helped reignite Canada as a base of production for North American dramas. While the success of cross-border co-productions between Canadian and American networks can be debated (a hit in Canada is often a summer “bench player” in the States), LaBelle says the real legacy of “Flashpoint” is that it demonstrated to American network programmers that Canada can produce viable content. Read more.
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Featured, Flashpoint

Flashpoint finale airs December 6 & 13 on CTV

From a media release:

The End of an Era: FLASHPOINT’s Mind-Blowing Two-Part Series Finale Marks the Conclusion of CTV’s Trailblazing Series, Thursday, December 6 and 13 on CTV

  • ETALK’s Ben Mulroney sits down with the entire cast on their last day on set in the all-new CTV tribute special FLASHPOINT: THE FINAL SALUTE, Dec. 13
  • Viewers can participate in a live online chat followed by the first-ever, live video after-show with the cast and creators on CTV.ca, Dec. 6
  • Fans invited to share their reflections on what the series has meant to them on CTV.ca to qualify to win exclusive FLASHPOINT memorabilia
  • CTV hosts the ultimate FLASHPOINT finale screening experience at the TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto, Dec. 13

Five seasons. 75 episodes. Too many memories to count. Since 2008, CTV’s trailblazing series FLASHPOINT has entertained millions of viewers in Canada and all over the world. It has inspired an industry, paving the way for the hit Canadian series that have followed. And now, on Thursday, Dec. 6 and 13 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, CTV presents the much-anticipated, two-part series finale of FLASHPOINT, fittingly entitled “Keep the Peace” (visit CTV.ca to confirm local broadcast times). In the mind-blowing, not-to-be missed final episodes, Team One faces its most deadly adversary yet – a brilliant serial bomber who takes an entire city hostage. Now, more than ever, their will is put to the ultimate test in the series’ shocking conclusion – one that changes Team One forever and will go down as the most action-packed Canadian television episode in memory.

With just three weeks to go until the final goodbye to the series, CTV is launching a massive promotional campaign that includes, on-air, radio, online and social media to generate awareness about the final farewell to FLASHPOINT. CTV invites viewers to celebrate the end of an era with the exclusive tribute special, FLASHPOINT: THE FINAL SALUTE, premiering Thursday, Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on CTV. CTV also presents complementary, interactive fan promotions, including a gala finale screening, all leading up to the highly anticipated final episode on Dec. 13.

The countdown to the final season began in May when Executive Producers Anne Marie La Traverse and Bill Mustos announced in a press release that they had chosen to end the hit series on a high note, following the conclusion of Season 5.

Leading up to the final episode, ETALK’s Ben Mulroney sits down with series’ stars Hugh Dillon, Enrico Colantoni, Amy Jo Johnson, David Paetkau, and Sergio DiZio on their last day on set together as a group. The poignant, all-new 30-minute CTV special, FLASHPOINT: THE FINAL SALUTE premieres Thursday, Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, just hours before the final episode airs. Shot on set at “SRU Headquarters”, the cast reflect on the past five seasons, their most memorable moments, what FLASHPOINT means to them, and more.

Immediately following Part 1 of the FLASHPOINT series finale (Dec. 6), viewers can log on to CTV.ca at 11 p.m. ET for the first-ever live video after-show with series’ stars Amy Jo Johnson, David Paetkau, Sergio Di Zio, and creators Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern. The live video stream allows viewers logged on to CTV.ca/LiveChat to watch and get their insider take on the episode and the series, while teasing the finale episode. Plus, a selection of hand-picked fan questions submitted through a live chat window starting at 10 p.m. ET will be put forward by CTV.ca to the FLASHPOINT team during the after-show, allowing for unprecedented user involvement. Before Part 2 of the series finale on Thursday, Dec. 13, visit CTV.ca/Flashpoint to view heartfelt video goodbye messages from the series’ stars.

With just three weeks to go until the final scene, the countdown to FLASHPOINT’s landmark series finale continues on CTV.ca with an exciting new contest. Starting now, viewers are invited to share their reflections on what the series has meant to them at flashpointcontest@ctv.ca (max 250 words). CTV will pass these notes along to the cast and producers and every submission will be entered in a random weekly prize draw for exclusive FLASHPOINT memorabilia, including signed cast photos, a locations poster signed by the producers, and a signed finale episode script. With a handful of messages posted to CTV.ca each week, fans can take this opportunity to bid farewell for five great seasons of incredible memories. The contest closes on Friday, Dec. 14 at 11:59:59 p.m. ET. For more information and for full contest rules, please visit CTV.ca/Flashpoint.

The celebration concludes Dec. 13 as CTV hosts the ultimate FLASHPOINT finale screening experience at the TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto. Fans will be able to watch the final two episodes hours before the live broadcast, followed by a special Q & A session with the cast and the producers. More information, including how to gain access to this exclusive event, will be available online soon at CTV.ca/Flashpoint and facebook.com/CTV.Flashpoint.

In the two-part series finale, entitled “Keep the Peace” (Dec. 6 and 13 at 10 p.m. ET/PT), an explosive package planted at the 911 call centre is just the beginning of the most challenging call of Team One’s career. A series of bombs in public buildings tears the city apart with terror as the Team juggles high-risk rescues, multiple defusions, and fear for its members’ own loved ones. Just as they begin to grasp the chilling truth behind the bomber’s mission, a defusion takes a shocking and tragic turn. It’s all hands on deck as Team One joins forces with firefighters, paramedics, and the military to contain a devastating threat. As Jules (Amy Jo Johnson) and Parker (Enrico Colantoni) uncover the bomber’s true and dark origins, they realize this is not a man that can be talked down. In the Team’s final showdown, tragedy and triumph collide as the peace is kept… but at a painful cost.

FLASHPOINT stars Hugh Dillon (DURHAM COUNTY), Enrico Colantoni (VERONICA MARS), Amy Jo Johnson (FELICITY), David Paetkau (WHISTLER), Sergio Di Zio (JUST BURIED), and Olunike Adeliyi (BEING HUMAN).

Encore presentations of the two-part finale will air Sunday, Dec. 16 from 9-11 p.m. ET/PT on CTV and Monday, Dec. 10 and 17 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV Two. Viewers can also catch up on full episodes of FLASHPOINT across CTV’s digital platforms following its television broadcast on CTV.ca, the CTV App, the CTV Mobile channel, and through video on demand partners.

Continue reading Flashpoint finale airs December 6 & 13 on CTV →

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Degrassi

Chaz Bono drops in to Degrassi

From Cassandra Szklarski of the Canadian Press:

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Continuum, Featured

Simon Barry of Continuum talks Canadian TV with Rachel Langer

3 Comments

By Rachel Langer for TV, eh?

I was fortunate enough to sit down with Simon Barry, the showrunner of one of my favorite new sci-fi series: Continuum.  Barry has written for feature films and television in both the US and Canada.  He was gracious enough to let me dissect his views on the writing room, TV in Canada, and the voracity of the science fiction fan.

You’ve written for both features and TV; can you talk about the difference in your process between those two things?

As far as movie projects go, a lot of the movie work is driven by assignments, adaptations, rewrites, and polishes, so the majority of that work tends to be, for me, taking other material and managing it into feature film mode, and it’s good work!  I mean, it’s great work for developing good habits, but it’s not the most creative work because you’re working within the constraints of previous material.

Whereas for TV, from my experience (and this is probably unique for me because I haven’t worked for anyone else in TV, I’ve only ever worked either developing original ideas or executing them), I find it to be more creatively fulfilling in that sense.  Not to say I don’t want to do movies — I absolutely love doing movies — but there is more on your shoulders in TV in terms of thinking everything through from not only the inception of the idea, the execution of the pilot, the planning of the series and then the management of all those other scripts, it’s a much more encompassing writer’s job.

In a movie job you can sort of be a cog in a bigger machine. In TV you’re part of the machine, so it’s a bit of a different approach. It’s the same craft, it’s just applied differently.

Continue reading Simon Barry of Continuum talks Canadian TV with Rachel Langer →

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Flashpoint, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

New tonight: Flashpoint, Nature of Things, Doc Zone, Liquidator, Match Game

Flashpoint, CTV – “A World of Their Own”
Team One is on the trail of Cole Berkley (Andrew Walker, Lawman), a desperate man who kidnaps a prominent politician in a last-ditch effort to save his land. Struggling to connect with Cole, the Team discovers he’s risking his life for his deaf nephew (Connor Price, Good Luck Chuck) who’s scarred by a traumatic past. But when the team learns that Cole himself is being used, Team One faces an explosive situation, with the life of Cole’s nephew hanging in the balance.

The Nature of Things, CBC – “The Norse: An Arctic Mystery”
An intrepid Arctic archaeologist is on the verge of proving that the first meeting between Europeans and North Americans happened centuries before Christopher Columbus. There are the tantalizing bits of evidence, like the Norse ship station in Newfoundland. But nothing has been found there or anywhere else to suggest that Arctic peoples and the Norse met face to face a thousand years ago. Until now.

Doc Zone, CBC – “Tales From KP”
Stories of some of the most carefully guarded secrets of Kingston Penitentiary with some of the most unlikely characters —on both sides of the law!

The Liquidator, OLN – “No Rest for the Wicked”
After reaching his breaking point, Jeff reluctantly lets his family take him on a brief vacation to help him de-stress from work. Will the vacation stop him from making deals?

Match Game, Comedy
Holy BLANK! It’s D. L. Hughley (D.L. HUGHLEY BREAKS THE NEWS), Steve Smith (THE RED GREEN SHOW), Sabrina Jalees (COMEDY NOW!), and Laura Cilevitz (VIDEO ON TRIAL) on the panel!

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