TV Eh B Cs podcast 22 – Joanne Boland’s Groovy Empire

JoanneBoland

Joanne’s role as Morgan Finn in CBC’s Strange Empire comes after an impressive list of television appearances in Copper, Saving Hope, Lost Girl, Flashpoint, Haven, The Listener, Being Erica and Blue Murder.

Some remember her as Gail Summers in Zone of Separation, Margaret from Slings and Arrows or Dana Davin on Train 48.

Boland’s other acting credits include Khaled, Sex, Lies & Obsession, Charms For the Easy Life, UBU The Barbarian, Angels In The Infield, Two of Us, Year of the Phoenix, Harlan County, Thin Blue Line, and, Rated X.

Listen or download below, or subscribe via iTunes or any other podcast catcher with the TV, eh? podcast feed.

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Tonight: Escape or Die, Illusions of Grandeur

From network episode descriptions:

Escape or Die!, OLN – “Death Cage (Zhangjiajie, China)”
High up in the isolated mountains of Zhangjiajie China, Dean attempts an escape he has never done before. Chained, caged, and hauled 45 meters into the sky, he must break free of his chains and neck lock before the cage plunges into the river surrounded by concrete below.

Illusions of Grandeur, OLN – “Austin”
Zack goes deep into the heart of Texas and charms the city of Austin with his latest illusions. He learns the art of fire eating from one of Austin’s best magicians and checks out the city’s famous music scene, blowing the minds of some local rockers. Later, Zack is inspired by a local variety act, and battles stage fright before taking the spotlight… in a burlesque show!

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Shaw announces specialty channel schedule

From a media release – for more detail see the full release:

Homegrown Heavyweights Bolster the Shaw Specialty Schedule with New Seasons of #1 Canadian Originals Vikings, Chopped Canada, and House of Bryan

History

Curse of the Frozen Gold (6x60min)
September 2
Canadian Original, Canadian Broadcast Premiere
A band of adventurers and experts join forces to solve the legend of B.C.’s Lost Creek Mine. Allegedly worth billions, “Slumach’s Gold” has tantalized prospectors for over a century, and now a team of experienced gold hunters takes up the search – and the curse that goes with it. They only have three months to explore the vast and rugged wilderness of Pitt Lake before winter weather sets in. They set off on a challenging treasure hunt in B.C.’s mountains, but when fights break out they wonder if the team will even last the summer.

Battle Factory (14x30min)
September 4
Canadian Original, World Broadcast Premiere
In the “how it’s made” spirit of Food Factory and Home Factory, Battle Factory looks at all things military from ejection seats to submarine toilets and bomb disposal robots. Battle Factory goes inside the hidden world of military and frontline gear factories all over the world where raw materials become finished products. The series weaves incredible hero stories into each episodes plot. These stories share real-world events where the item was used to save lives or win battles.

Klondike Trappers (working title)(8x60min)
Fall 2015
Canadian Original,World Broadcast Premiere
Klondike Trappers goes off the grid and into a thrilling subculture of modern-day bushmen who live deep in the wilds of the Yukon and Alaska. Tough, gritty and anything but conventional, they survive off the land in one of the most extreme environments on earth. As they battle weather and wild animals to make their yearly payday, these trappers reveal a fascinating way of life lived far beyond the bounds of civilization.

Natural Born Outlaws (10x60min)
Fall 2015
Canadian Original, World Broadcast Premiere
Natural Born Outlaws details the rise and fall of history’s most notorious criminals, including Bonnie and Clyde, Al Capone, and John Dillinger, through the heroic tales of the lawmen who brought them to justice. The series explores the true stories of iconic desperados and the epic manhunts that would eventually bring them down.

Brand new seasons of returning series on HISTORY this fall include: American Pickers, American Restoration, Counting Cars, The Curse of Oak Island,Ice Road Truckers, Mountain Men, Pawn Stars,and War Junk III. Winter 2015 returning series include: Vikings and Yukon Gold.

Showcase

Brand new seasons of returning series on Showcase this fall include: Continuum (September 4), Lost Girl (September 6), and Haven (October).

HGTV Canada

Unusually Thicke: Under Construction (14x30min)
September 3
Canadian Original,World Broadcast Premiere
The Thicke family is going through some major changes. America’s favourite TV dad Alan Thicke is thinking of retiring so he can tackle some projects around the house, while Tanya thinks it is the perfect time for them to have their first child, and wants him to add a new nursery to his reno plans. Meanwhile, Carter is getting ready for the leap into manhood, also known as college.

Breakneck Builds (14x30min)
October 11
Canadian Original, World Broadcast Premiere
Waiting months for a delayed and expensive build to be finished is a thing of the past. The house of the future is ingenious: durable, designer and done in a day.Breakneck Builds demonstrates the next generation of home construction for families who need a home in a hurry. The series follows construction crews as they build pre-fabricated homes before transporting and reassembling them on site for new homeowners in only two days.

The House That HGTV Built (10x60min)
Spring 2016
Canadian Original,World Broadcast Premiere
The House That HGTV Built is a revolutionary, new ten-part series that celebrates the Canadian HGTV experience as network celebrities all gather under one roof to renovate a home that will be ultimately be awarded to an HGTV viewer! From purchase to plan, design to reveal, fans across the country will follow the epic journey of The House That HGTV Built, all culminating in a live, one-hour challenge episode, hailing the home and its new owners.

Brand new seasons of returning series on HGTV Canada this fall include: Beachfront Bargain Hunt, Custom Built, The Expandables,Fixer Upper, Flip or Flop, Hawaii Life, House of Bryan, House Hunters off the Grid, House Hunters Renovation, House Hunters: Where Are They Now?,Island Hunters, Island Life, Leave It To Bryan,Tiny House Hunters, Property Virgins, and Vacation House for Free. Series returning later this year include: Ellen’s Design Challenge and Timber Kings.

Food Network Canada

Chef in Your Ear (26x60min)
August 31
Canadian Original, World Broadcast Premiere
In Chef In Your Ear, two of the country’s hottest chefs swap their tools for an earpiece as they go head-to-head to see who can create the best restaurant quality dish without ever stepping foot into the kitchen. The catch? Two absolute kitchen rookies, with a long list of culinary disasters, will be doing all the cooking for them. Tensions run high as all participants are taken out of their comfort zones. With reputations on the line in this edge-of-your-seat culinary series, the winning chef decides the loser’s fate and the loser must oblige. Starring Jordan Andino (Harlow Sag Harbor), Devin Connell (Delica Kitchen), Craig Harding (Campagnolo), Rob Rossi (Bestellen), Cory Vitiello (The Harbord Room), and Greg Komorowski.

Chopped Canada Teen Tournament (5x60min)
Fall 2015
Canadian Original, World Broadcast Premiere
In this special five-part series, 16 talented teens battle it out to earn one of four spots in the grand finale episode and a chance to walk away with $20,000 and the title, Chopped Canada Teen Grand Champion.

Food Network Canada’s Great Canadian Cookbook (4x30min)
Fall 2015
Canadian Original, World Broadcast Premiere
Chef Lynn Crawford and Noah Cappe are heading across the nation and into Canadians’ homes and communities on a mission to define, document, and celebrate Canadian Cuisine.

The Incredible Food Race (working title) (6x60min)
Fall 2015
Canadian Original, World Broadcast Premiere
In each episode, two different families battle it out in a super-charged race full of fun food challenges and a main event: the family versus family cook-off in our ultimate outdoor stadium. One ticking clock, two eager families, and a kid-approved meal prepared in front of a live and hungry audience. The winning family takes all – groceries for an entire year!

Brand new seasons of returning series on Food Network Canada this fall include: Bake withAnna Olson, Beat Bobby Flay, Carnival Eats, Chopped Canada, Chopped: Teen Tournament, Cutthroat Kitchen: Superstar Sabotage, David Rocco’s Dolce Vita, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Farmhouse Rules, Food Factory, Great Food Truck Race, Guy’s Grocery Games, Halloween Wars, Holiday Baking Championship, Mystery Diners, Pioneer Woman, Top Chef, Southern at Heart, and You Gotta Eat Here!.

Slice

First Dates (14x30min)
September 1
Canadian Original, World Broadcast Premiere
First Dates documents hopeful singles in their quest for love. A restaurant is filled with real people on real first dates and the ensuing drama is captured on over thirty remote-controlled cameras. For some daters there is instant, and very apparent, attraction, but for others it’s clear that there is never going to be a happy ending. Each episode captures the hope, charm, awkwardness, heartfelt humour and potential spark of a first date with smiles, tears and everything in between. Each date is a mini-drama that plays out in front of the cameras before each couple is filmed side by side after the final course and reveal whether or not they are attracted to each other and if they want to meet again.

Brand new seasons of returning series on Slice this fall include: Million Dollar Listing: LA, Ladies of London, Manzo’d With Children,Don’t Be Tardy, Mob Wives, andGirlfriends’ Guide to Divorce.

DIY Network Canada

Brand new seasons of returning series on DIY Network Canada this fall include: Barnwood Builders, Bath Crasher, Building Alaska, Garage Gold,House Crashers, I Hate My Kitchen, Income Property,Leave it to Bryan, Man Caves, Renovation Realities,Salvage Dawgs, Texas Flip and Move, and Timber Kings.

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Coming soon-ish: The Code and Houdini & Doyle

While Global has no scripted Canadian series in its just-announced fall lineup,  and they recently cancelled Remedy, the network did use the opportunity to — look, shiny thing over there! —  remind us they have a couple of new shows coming up at some unspecified point in the future (aka when they’ve been produced and when Global has a spot open in its schedule that doesn’t have an American simulcast in it) .

Besides a new cycle of Big Brother Canada and rumours of an unexpected new season of Rookie Blue, Global has a couple new series in the works — The Code and Houdini and Doyle — and gives us some tidbits.

The Code is the working title of a  procedural drama series starring Jason Priestley,  who is also an executive producer. He plays “an ex-pro hockey player who uses his celebrity status and reputation as an enforcer on the ice in his new gig as a crime-solving PI.” Because Canadian TV has a dearth of crime procedurals with a “twist” apparently. But I’m open to seeing what’s next for the actor, late of my beloved Call Me Fitz. I presume someone will be writing the show, too, but no word on that.*

House creator David Shore and fellow House writer David Hoselton bring us the supernatural crime series Houdini and Doyle, a co-production that will apparently also air on Fox and the UK’s ITV and is “inspired by the real-life friendship between Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini.” I’m pretty much on board with anything from the people behind the show that started my online TV writing habit.

Global hasn’t committed to scheduling for any of their Canadian series yet but if the past is any indication, don’t hold your breath until at least spring 2016.

 

* EDIT: A Twitter follower points out it must be an adaptation:

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Link: CBC Upfront 2015: making a little seem like a lot

From Bill Brioux:

CBC Upfront 2015: making a little seem like a lot
CBC could have been excused for holding their session at a downtown Turner & Porter chapel. Last June at Upfront time, the public broadcaster had just lost its big revenue ticket, NHL hockey, to Rogers. A short time later came the Ghomeshi scandal, a non -consensual kick in the nuts.

Instead, the broadcaster put on quite a show up in one of their cavernous 10th floor studios. I was standing at the back and the light show was ACC impressive. Continue reading.

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