All posts by Diane Wild

Diane is the founder of TV, eh? She loves books, movies, TV, science, space, traveling, theatre, art, cats, and drinking multiple beverages at the same time.
Awards

Canadian Screen Awards announce special award winners

From a media release:

Academy Announces Special Award Winners and
the Inaugural John Dunning Discovery Award

  • Tantoo Cardinal, Simcha Jacobovici and Randall Okita
    to be honoured

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television today announced three Special Award recipients for the 2017 Canadian Screen Awards. Artist and filmmaker Randall Okita will be honoured with the inaugural John Dunning Discovery Award for The Lockpicker and additional Special Awards will be presented to prolific actor Tantoo Cardinal (Earle Grey Award), award-winning filmmaker and journalist Simcha Jacobovici (Gordon Sinclair Award for Broadcast Journalism). The Canadian Screen Awards will be broadcast live on CBC from Toronto’s Sony Centre for the Performing Arts on Sunday, March 12, 2017 at 8 pm (9 pm AT; 9:30 pm NT).

“Each year, the Academy recognizes a uniquely talented group of people for their indelible contributions to the Canadian media landscape,” said Beth Janson, CEO, Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. “This year’s winners embody the spirit of Canadian artistry and we are honoured to celebrate their outstanding achievements, creativity and talent.”

“The Academy is proud to recognize this year’s recipients for their contribution to our screen-based industries. Voices such as theirs are reflective of Canada’s diverse range of talent and narratives,” said Academy Chair Martin Katz.

The John Dunning Award was created in collaboration with his son Greg Dunning to honour the legacy of the pioneering Canadian producer who co-founded Cinepix, the forerunner of Lionsgate, and boosted the careers of David Cronenberg and Ivan Reitman.

“My father always gave young people the opportunity to work in his productions. I am grateful to the Academy that we can continue his legacy with this award. This is a wonderful way to keep his enthusiasm alive by helping the careers of a new generation of filmmakers,” said Greg Dunning.

These Academy Special Awards—as well the previously announced Lifetime Achievement Award (Christopher Plummer) —will be presented during Canadian Screen Week (March 6 –12, 2017).

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Bad Blood

City Announces Cast and Production Wrap of Original Limited Series Bad Blood

From a media release:

City Announces Cast and Production Wrap of Original Limited Series Bad Blood

  • Inspired by true events, Bad Blood follows the life and death of notorious underworld figure Vito Rizzuto

Rogers Media announced today the completion of principal photography of City’s original limited event series, Bad Blood. The six-part, 60-minute scripted series stars Anthony LaPaglia (Without a Trace) as Montreal crime boss Vito Rizzuto, Kim Coates (Sons of Anarchy) as Vito’s right-hand man Declan Gardiner, Paul Sorvino (Goodfellas) as family patriarch Nico Rizzuto Sr., and Enrico Colantoni (Flashpoint) as Bruno Bonsignori. Produced by New Metric Media and Sphère Média Plus in association with DHX Worldwide, Bad Blood will debut this fall on City.

Directed by Alain DesRochers (Bon Cop Bad Cop 2, Nitro), production began in Montreal and wrapped in Sudbury, Ont. this past December. The series is inspired by reputed mobster Vito Rizzuto and based on the best-selling book, Business or Blood: Mafia Boss Vito Rizzuto’s Last War by world-renowned organized crime experts Antonio Nicaso and Peter Edwards. Nicaso and Edwards both served as consultants on this true-crime event series.

Bad Blood is a story of family, loyalty, deceit, power, greed and ultimately revenge. Montreal Mafia boss Vito Rizzuto is a criminal anomaly – the only man to bring peace among the disparate wings of the Montreal crime world who would serve as a de facto CEO while ensuring a lucrative payday for all. When Rizzuto is suddenly arrested and extradited to Colorado’s Supermax Prison for the 1981 murders of three Bonanno crime family members, the powerful empire he built begins to crumble. Rizzuto watches helplessly as his family and friends are killed one by one. Upon his release from prison in October 2012, a Shakespearean-level revenge tale unfolds, leading to the brutal murders of his closest companions, and ultimately, to the death of Rizzuto himself.

Additional cast includes Brett Donahue (The Kennedys: After Camelot), Maxim Roy (19-2), Tony Nappo (Shoot The Messenger), Frank Schorpion (Arrival), Joris Jarsky (The Art of More), Michelle Mylett (Letterkenny), Clauter Alexandre (Trauma) and Vincent Leclerc (19-2).

Bad Blood makes it world-wide debut on City and FX this fall, followed by a Radio-Canada broadcast in French. The series is distributed internationally by Sky Vision.

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Featured, Podcast

TV, eh? podcast episode 219 – Back to the Wild

In the first podcast of 2017 Anthony and Diane … wait, what? Diane? Yes, Greg is on holidays so Anthony and Diane chat about Canadian TV news and what’s coming up in a busy winter premiere season. Check out the calendar for all the details.

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

Want to support TV, eh?’s work? Become a Patreon!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Schitt's Creek

Link: The success of Schitt’s Creek marks a turning point for the CBC

From David Berry of the Globe and Mail:

The success of Schitt’s Creek marks a turning point for the CBC
Daniel Levy has clearly put some thought into this. “I looked at the first two seasons as just sort of exploring the place,” he says, speaking with care. “It was just how these people related to their environment, this world they had no understanding of. Now they’ve settled into this place, and it’s about figuring out who they are.” Continue reading.

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