All posts by Greg David

Prior to becoming a television critic and owner of TV, Eh?, Greg David was a critic for TV Guide Canada, the country's most trusted source for TV news. He has interviewed television actors, actresses and behind-the-scenes folks from hundreds of television series from Canada, the U.S. and internationally. He is a podcaster, public speaker, weekly radio guest and educator, and past member of the Television Critics Association.
Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

OUTtv and Fuse announce premiere date and cast for Shine True

From a media release:

OUTtv, the world’s first and Canada’s only LGBTQ2+ television network and Fuse, the leading Latino-owned and managed media brand, announced today the premiere date and cast for new original series, Shine True.

Previously announced (with the working title Clothes Minded), Shine True is a co-production from OUTtv, Fuse Media and VICE Studios (Flee, Dark Side of the Ring, 1994). The series tracks the journeys of trans and non-binary young adults leading up to a big life event. Shine True is hosted by Canadian transgender musician, artist, activist and life-coach Lucas Silveira (The Cliks) and gender non-conforming influencer, activist and model Richie Shazam. Gender expression can be challenging to navigate for trans and non-binary young adults. In each episode, Lucas Silveira and Richie Shazam, along with mentors and role models, guide someone who is trans or gender non-conforming as they explore their inner identity and passions, which they convert into authentic self-expression and the ability to “Shine True.”

The half-hour series premieres on OUTtv in Canada and on Fuse in the U.S on Monday, March 22 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

The first season cast is made up entirely of young people from Canada and the U.S. They are (listed in alphabetical order, with their pronouns):

  • Azul (they/them) — confronts generational trauma and finds the “punk mariachi” within before their big art show.
  • Fran (they/them) — connects with their inner skaterboi, their Filipinx heritage, and surprises their girlfriend with a romantic date night for their first anniversary.
  • Jaden (they/them) — discovers ways to dress their new silhouette after recent top surgery, and then throws a New Moon party in Toronto to release the past.
  • Juan (they/them/he/him) — learns about queerness and gets in touch with his feminine side with a little help from the Latinx community in Georgetown, Ontario.
  • LaDon (he/him/she/her) — finds his inner diva on the south side of Chicago for a glamorous photoshoot with help from a drag legend.
  • Prism (they/them) — meets an inspiring fat activist in and surprises their friends with a name change party.
  • Ronnie (they/them) — gains a confidence boost and style upgrade to coincide with a new life chapter, inviting their Caribbean parents along for the ride.
  • T (he/him/they/them) — steps out of the bedroom studio in Toronto and onto the stage after conquering their fears of shopping and performing with a gender-bendy makeover.

To promote the series and drive viewers to tune-in via linear, the first episode will also be made available for free starting March 17 in Canada on OUTtvGo (outtvgo.com) and the U.S. on video-on-demand (VOD), as well as on select digital platforms including Fuse.tv.

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Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Flat Out Food highlights Saskatchewan food, farmers and chefs

From a media release:

A new, made-in-Saskatchewan docuseries is putting homegrown ingredients, and everyone from local farmers, chefs and foragers, to Indigenous food sovereigntists in the spotlight.

Flat Out Food is a six-episode documentary series that traces unique Saskatchewan ingredients from the field (or forest) to the plate, hosted by journalist and author Jenn Sharp. Flat Out Food is based on her 2020 book, Flat Out Delicious: Your Definitive Guide to Saskatchewan’s Food Artisans.

The docuseries visits a regenerative grain farmer, a beekeeper and even mushroom foraging chefs in an adventure that spans the province while exploring Saskatchewan’s diverse agriculture and local food scene. Each episode ends with a stunning meal created using the highlighted ingredient.

Saskatoon chefs Jenni Lessard (Wanuskewin Heritage Park) Thayne Robstad and Beth Rogers, owners of Hearth and Regina’s Milton Rebello (Skye Café & Bistro) are a few of the local chefs that join Sharp on her quest to gain a deeper appreciation for ingredients like lentils, chanterelles, fiddleheads, nettles, bison and more.

Flat Out Food is produced by Regina-based HalterMedia, owned by Adrian Halter. The series was filmed in over a dozen locations all over the province. Nearly the entire production and post-production team are from or are living in Saskatchewan.

The first episode airs February 24 at 10 pm CST on Citytv Saskatchewan and streams online at citytv.com. The timing couldn’t be more perfect as food-lovers across the country celebrate Canada’s Agriculture Day and food producers on February 23.

Flat Out Food is produced by HalterMedia Inc. in association with Citytv Saskatchewan and Rogers Media Inc. with assistance from the Canada Media Fund and Creative Saskatchewan.

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Transplant

Production begins on Season 2 of acclaimed CTV original series Transplant

From a media release:

CTV, in association with NBCUniversal International Studios and Sphere Media, today confirmed that production is underway on Season 2 of hit CTV Original drama series TRANSPLANT, which is also set to air on Noovo in a translated French version. Filming in Montréal, Season 2 consists of 13, one-hour episodes.

The first season of the critically acclaimed series saw TRANSPLANT become the most-watched Canadian series among total viewers, with an average audience of 1.4 million. Ranking in the Top 20 overall and in the key A25-54 demo, TRANSPLANT experienced growth during its first season, with the finale watched by 1.7 million Canadians. Resonating with audiences across the country, TRANSPLANT was the biggest new Canadian drama since 2015.

TRANSPLANT continues the story of Dr. Bashir “Bash” Hamed (Hamza Haq), a talented doctor and Syrian refugee who fled to Canada with his younger sister, and earned a second chance to practice Emergency Medicine at York Memorial Hospital in Toronto.

Season 2 picks up almost immediately where Season 1 left off, with Bash and his fellow residents reeling after the hospital’s Chief of Emergency Medicine, Dr. Jed Bishop (John Hannah), suffered a possible stroke. With life at the hospital destabilized, the place Bash was starting to consider home suddenly feels precarious. As the team at York Memorial welcomes new colleagues while managing the challenges of family life, unexpected faces from the past leave Bash seriously doubting whether or not his ‘transplant’ into this new world was successful. Bash’s hard work, compassion, and hopefulness tell a universal story about the human ability to not only survive, but ultimately thrive, within new circumstances.

Returning cast starring alongside Hamza Haq (My Salinger Year) are Laurence Leboeuf (19-2) as Dr. Magalie “Mags” Leblanc; John Hannah (MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.) as Dr. Jed Bishop; Ayisha Issa (Polar) as Dr. June Curtis; and Jim Watson (DESIGNATED SURVIVOR) as Dr. Theo Hunter. Also back for Season 2 are Sirena Gulamgaus (ORPHAN BLACK) as Amira Hamed; Torri Higginson (DARK MATTER, THIS LIFE) as Claire Malone; Linda Smith (19-2) as Dr. Wendy Atwater; Kenny Wong (PRETTY HARD CASES) as Arnold De Luca; and Sugith Varughese (Kim’s Convenience) as Dr. Aajay Singh.

Writers on Season 2 of TRANSPLANT include Joseph Kay, who is also Executive Producer and Showrunner, Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern, Adam Barken (EP), Rachel Langer, Julie Puckrin, Tamara Moulin, Anusree Roy, Sami Khan, and Carmine Pierre Dufour. Directors are Stefan Pleszczynski, who also serves as Executive Producer, Daniel Grou (PODZ), Chloé Robichaud, Bosedé Williams, and Kim Nguyen.

Cultural consultants on Season 2 of TRANSPLANT, providing valuable insight and feedback on scripts and character development, include Dr. Khaled Almilaji, Ahmad Meree, Manar Chabouk, Dr. Yusra Ahmad, and Muzna Dureid.

Developed at CTV, TRANSPLANT is produced by Sphere Media in association with CTV and NBCUniversal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group. All distribution rights are handled by NBCUniversal Global Distribution, with the series airing on NBC in the U.S. The series is produced with the participation of the Canada Media Fund, the Bell Fund, and the IPF’s Cogeco Television Production Fund, as well as SODEC.

TRANSPLANT is created by Joseph Kay who also serves as Executive Producer and Showrunner. For Sphere Media, Executive Producers are Bruno Dubé, Jocelyn Deschênes, Virginia Rankin, Josée Vallée, and Tara Woodbury.

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Featured, Murdoch Mysteries

Murdoch Mysteries: Christina Ray talks “The Ministry of Virtue”

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[Spoiler alert! Do not continue reading until you have watched “The Ministry of Virtue.”]

Christina Ray is one of two new additions to the Murdoch Mysteries writer’s room for Season 14. No stranger to Canadian television, Ray has penned and/or produced for series like The Collector, The Best Years, The Pinkertons, Blackstone and Tribal. And, on Monday night, she turned in one heck of a script for Murdoch.

Amid a main storyline about arranged marriages was a tragic blow to the Watts/Jack relationship, as well as a major jump forward in Miss Hart’s bond with Arthur Carmichael. We spoke to Christina Ray, via email, about “The Ministry of Virtue.”

Welcome to the Murdoch Mysteries writer’s room! Give me your backstory. I know you’ve written for shows like The Pinkertons, Blackstone and Tribal. How did you end up in writing in the Canadian TV industry?
Christina Ray: A lot of Canadian writers seek their fortunes down in L.A., but I did the opposite. After winning a screenwriting award in Austin, Texas, I married a Canadian and moved here. I have no regrets. I love Canada.

And how did you end up on Murdoch Mysteries?
CR: I’d worked with executive producers Paul Aitken and Peter Mitchell years ago when we were developing a show about Bulgarian vampires. Alas, that show never came to be and the world will forever be deprived of our Bulgarian vampire brilliance. Flash forward 10 years and I get called in to an interview for Murdoch. I was thrilled by the prospect of working with Peter and Paul again, because they are such witty, fun and generous collaborators.

Where did the idea for the main storyline, arranged marriages, come about? Was it inspired by research you did or was it pitched in the virtual room by someone?
CR: Executive producer Simon McNabb had discovered an article published in The Globe and Mail in 1906 about “Salvation Girls,” women who’d been convicted of various offences in England who were offered the chance to start new lives in Canada as servants, wives and mothers. This was an actual program sponsored by the Salvation Army at the time, and we felt the concept of mail order brides was a juicy one to explore as a Murdoch storyline.

Detective Watts has evolved into a complicated character and he does a lot of heavy lifting with story in this episode. What’s it been like writing for him? Daniel is fantastic in the role.
CR: I loved writing the Watts and Jack scenes. The arc of their relationship is especially heart-wrenching in this episode. Watts is wonderful, quirky and complex in a way that is quite lovable. It’s compelling to watch him navigate the difficult reality of a being gay man at a time when his very identity was against the law.

Miss Hart is another interesting character on Murdoch Mysteries. People love, or hate, her. What’s your take on Miss Hart? Is she just misunderstood?
CR: Violet Hart is a sly, feisty survivor. Despite the challenges of being a woman of colour during the turn of the century, she pursues the life she wants, and I admire her moxie. She’s surprising and mysterious. Her personal dynamic is unlike anyone else in the show. She’s definitely polarizing, but I love her character.

Miss Hart and Arthur Carmichael shared a kiss that was not shown on-camera. Was that a reflection of the shock of the time? Was it written in the script that way or was that a decision director Mina Shum made?
CR: You can thank COVID-19 for that! I would have loved to have shown the kiss on screen, but the pandemic affected our creative choices. As one of our many pandemic related precautions this season had a ‘no kissing’ rule! Many other precautions were taken to keep everyone in our cast and crew safe: daily health check questionnaires, temperature checks, location disinfection, mask requirements, etc. Shaftesbury really knocked it out of the ballpark when it comes to finding a way to continue production during this crisis.

Jack Walker’s butcher shop was vandalized and he and Watts broke up. How could you break them up?!
CR: The course of true love never did run smooth, said Shakespeare. The fact the audience cares that we broke them up is exactly why we broke them up! It’s called drama. Hearts and flowers all the time would be dreadfully dull. All I can say is we’re not done with Jack and Watts. Stay tuned for future twists and turns!

What kind of writer are you? Do you prefer a noisy coffee shop (remember those?) or a quiet room? Do you like to play music while you write? What works for you?
CR: I could never work in a noisy coffee shop. I like a quiet room, with as few distractions as possible. I do listen to music, but it can’t have lyrics. No words, just instruments. I need to hear the dialogue that’s going on in my head without interruption. I love all kinds of music, but while I’m writing what works for me is to listen to ambient electronic grooves like Fila Brazilia, Tosca, or Kruder and Dorfmeister.

Murdoch Mysteries airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on CBC.

Images courtesy of CBC.

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Industry News

Mad Samurai Productions options Eric Walters’ novel series The Rule of Three

From a media release:

Vancouver-based Mad Samurai Productions announced today the company has teamed up with writer Lynne Kamm (Transplant, 19-2) to acquire the exclusive television rights to award-winning Canadian novelist Eric Walters’ YA book series THE RULE OF THREE.

With over 400,000 copies sold in North America alone, THE RULE OF THREE novels include the three in the series, along with the spin off novel Fourth Dimension that takes place within THE RULE OF THREE universe. Walters is a bestselling author with more than 120 international awards for his work and is recipient of the prestigious Order of Canada.

THE RULE OF THREE begins with a bang – a catastrophic event permanently shuts down everything computerized worldwide, communication is cut-off, resources dwindle, crises mount, and chaos descends. A fiercely independent teenage pilot bands together with their dysfunctional family and friends to protect their small suburban community against outside dangers and enemies within. Set in contemporary day, THE RULE OF THREE is a page turning drama-thriller that chronicles the difficult choices of a close-knit community as it struggles to adapt and survive a total global reset.

Developing alongside Executive Producer Matthew Cervi, Kamm is attached as EP/Showrunner and will write the pilot with Walters attached to consult.

Kamm is repped by Vanguarde Artists Management, Walters is represented at Transatlantic Agency.

ABOUT THE TEAM

Lynne Kamm brokers in unique. A versatile and prolific writer and producer, she creates both powerful one-hour dramas and standout half-hour comedies. LK is known for her boundary pushing episodes on the hit NBC/CTV series Transplant, the iEmmy nominated series 19-2, CBS Ransom and for writing some funny stuff on Hulu’s Letterkenny. Lynne has multiple original projects in development. Her work has garnered her a WGA nomination as well several Canadian Screen Award nominations.

Matthew Cervi of Mad Samurai Productions is an award-winning producer who has worked in the entertainment industry for more than 20 years. Matthew’s past producing credits include the features The Colony, starring Laurence Fishburne, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Zegers, Cruel & Unusual in partnership with Entertainment One and Juggernaut, starring Jack Kesy, Amanda Crew, David Cubitt and Peter McRobbie. Mad Samurai currently has multiple projects in development including THE RULE OF THREE project.

Eric Walters has written more than 100 novels and picture books and has won more than 100 awards internationally. He was awarded the Order of Canada in 2015, the UNESCO Award for Literature in Service of Tolerance and The Christopher Award. Eric is a three-time winner of the Ontario Library Association Silver Birch and four-time winner of the Red Maple Award. He received the prestigious Children’s Africana Book Award – Best Book for young children – for his book The Matatu presented in a ceremony at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. and most recently, has been nominated for the 2021 TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award and the 2021 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award – the “Nobel Prize” for children’s literature.

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