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.
Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Saloon Media signs on to co-produce World’s Most Scenic River Journeys with Argonon’s BriteSpark East

From a media release:

Saloon Media, a Blue Ant Studios company, announces today that it is joining BriteSpark East, part of the Argonon Group, to produce a stunning new documentary series, World’s Most Scenic River Journeys (6 x 60’; HD), taking audiences on explorations of some of the world’s most important and beautiful rivers across Europe and North America. The series will be narrated by Golden Globe-winning actor Bill Nighy (Love Actually, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel). As part of the partnership, Saloon Media will produce episodes featuring rivers in North America while BriteSpark East will cover the rivers in Europe, allowing completion of the series during travel restrictions due to COVID-19. The series is an original commission for Channel 5 in the UK and will also air on Blue Ant Media’s Smithsonian Channel Canada. Global distributor, Blue Ant International will oversee all international licensing outside of the UK and Canada.

World’s Most Scenic River Journeys embarks on a series of unique journeys across spectacular waterways into hidden worlds of landscapes, local characters and surprising stories. Each episode explores one river, travelling from source to finish. Some are iconic, others lesser known, but all the rivers feature spectacular scenery and reveal surprising details about the countries they run through. Audiences meet people who live and work along the riverbank and share inside stories about its history, culture, wildlife and folklore.

World’s Most Scenic River Journeys is executive produced by Tom Porter at BriteSpark, with Series Producer, Helen White. Steve Gamester is Executive Producer and Producer at Saloon Media. Overseeing the series for Channel 5 is Commissioning Editor, Daniel Pearl, and overseeing the series for Smithsonian Channel Canada is Sam Linton, Head of Original Content, Blue Ant Media.

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Awards, Diggstown, Pure

Screen Nova Scotia announces 2020 award winners

From a media release:

Screen Nova Scotia hosted its sixth annual awards gala on Friday, December 4th. Due to COVID-19, the event was held virtually with all video packages available for viewing on Screen Nova Scotia’s Vimeo page (HERE).

The awards gala celebrates the incredible talent, creativity, and passion that are the trademarks of Nova Scotia’s screen industry. Notable awards include the ACTRA Awards for Outstanding Performances, the Film Crew Excellence Award, the Industry Champion Award, the Women in Film & Television Atlantic Award, and the Community Recognition Award, along with the Screen Nova Scotia Awards for best television, film, and animation.

The night’s finale was the Screen Nova Scotia Award for Best Feature Film, which went to the critically-acclaimed indie drama Murmurfrom writer/director Heather Young and producer Martha Cooley. The micro-budget film — funded through the Telefilm Canada Talent to Watch Program — centres on Donna (Shan MacDonald), a lonely, alcoholic woman who is ordered to perform community service in an animal shelter after being arrested for drunk driving. When she rescues an elderly dog from being euthanized, she quickly becomes obsessed with saving animals to the detriment of her own well-being. Young also took home the Best Nova Scotia Director Award from Women in Film & Television – Atlantic.

The second season of Pure (WGN America) from showrunner Michael Amo and Two East Productions was crowned the winner of the Best Television Series Award, while Cory Bowles won the award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Male Role for his role in the series as Detective Jay Gates.

Rebel Road Films’ Wildfire (written/directed by Bretten Hannam) won the Best Short Film Award. The Indigenous Two-Spirit film was adapted into the feature film Wildhood, which recently wrapped filming in Nova Scotia (with a Spring 2021 release date).

Vinessa Antoine won the award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Lead or Featured Female Role for playing lawyer Marcie Diggs in the CBC series Diggstown. Antoine made history in 2019 as the first Black Canadian woman to helm a prime-time drama in Canada. Gay Hauser also won for her role on Diggstown, taking home the award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Female Role.

Allister MacDonald won Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Lead or Featured Male Role for his role as the drag queen Joan of Arkansas in Thom Fitzgerald’s feature Stage Mother. MacDonald starred alongside Jacki Weaver, Lucy Lui, and Adrian Grenier in the film.

The Best Documentary Award went to Conviction from Teresa MacInnes, Ariella Pahlke, and Nance Ackerman. The feature doc envisions alternatives to prison through the eyes of women behind bars and those fighting on the front lines of the decarceration movement. Digital animation was also spotlighted at the awards, with Boomerang’s Care Bears: Unlock the Magic winning Best Animated Series for the Halifax-based Copernicus Studios.

This year’s prestigious Industry Champion Award was awarded posthumously to locations manager Shaun Clarke, accompanied by a tribute video. Shaun worked as a locations manager, scout and actor for over 35 years and was a pillar in the screen industry and community. A snapshot of Shaun’s credits include The Lighthouse, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Black Cop, The Healer, Trailer Park Boys, Mr. D, and Call Me Fitz, along with countless commercials and short films.

Siblings Elizabeth, Joanne, and Robert Hagen won the 2020 Film Crew Excellence Award. Together they have more than six decades of experience working on film, television and commercial productions in Nova Scotia. Joanne works as a script supervisor (recent credits include Books of Blood, The Good House, The Lighthouse); Elizabeth as a production accountant (recent credits include Pure, Cavendish, and Let’s Get Physical); and Robert as an assistant accountant and payroll accountant (recent credits include Escaping NXIVM and Polaroid). The Hagens were nominated for their contribution to the industry and for their positive, kind, and professional demeanour, even when working long hours in high-stress situations. Currently, all three are working on the EPIX series Chapelwaite, filming in N.S.

The 2020 Community Recognition Award went to Brian Shaw, Production Security (Chester, Nova Scotia). For over 20 years, Brian and his team have kept film sets and communities safe, working for productions including  Haven, Cavendish, and Pure.

The Screen Nova Scotia Awards were made possible this year due to the generous support of our sponsors, including Support4Culture, a designated lottery program that supports arts, culture, and heritage in communities across Nova Scotia; and CBC. Special thanks to 902 Post and the Hideout Studios.

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Children's Programming, Industry News

marblemedia goes into production on the third season of All-Round Champion

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From a media release:

marblemedia, one of the world’s leading entertainment companies, announces today the continued growth of their unscripted division with the early green light and start of production on the third season of the widely successful ultimate sports competition series, All-Round Champion (11×60).

Off the back of delivering season 2 to BYUtv/TVOkids/Knowledge, the award-winning production company has been commissioned for a third season of the adrenaline-filled sports competition series that sees ten of the best teen athletes compete against each other in a range of sports other than their own speciality. Production is underway in Toronto and will continue through to late December with broadcast set for late 2021.

Leaders in creating original competition series content, marblemedia’s unscripted team has had great success with the critically acclaimed glass-blowing competition hit Blown Away on Netflix, the cinematic travelogue series Restaurants on the Edge on Netflix; and their upcoming sand sculpting challenge series, Race Against the Tide on CBC.

Returning as host for the third season is Canadian Olympian and World Champion Hurdler, Perdita Felicien. This latest season will feature guest appearances from 4-time MLS Champion and 2011 League MVP, Dwayne De Rosario and the foremost doubles players in tennis history and Olympic Champion, Daniel Nestor.

A total of 10 sport stars will coach and encourage this season’s cohort of teen athletes as they overcome challenges and conquer their fears in sports including Track Cycling, Gymnastics, Inline Skating, Soccer, Tennis, Trampoline, Pole Vault, Competitive Dance, Sport Climbing, and Boxing.

The concept for All-Round Champion was originally conceived from Norwegian public broadcaster NRK’s International Emmy® Kids award-winning series, Best I Mest before marblemedia was granted formal rights to create a North American version from Beta Film.

Executive Producers for the series include Matt Hornburg, Mark J.W. Bishop, Steve Sloan, and Co-Executive Producer Donna Luke (marblemedia); Executive Producers for BYU Michael Dunn, Andra Johnson Duke, Melissa Puente and Jim Bell; and Executive Producer for TVO Marney Malabar.

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Big Brother Canada

Link: Arisa Cox is used to being one of the few people of colour in the room. She’s determined to change that for ‘Big Brother Canada’ and other reality TV contestants

From Libaan Osman of the Toronto Star:

Link: Arisa Cox is used to being one of the few people of colour in the room. She’s determined to change that for ‘Big Brother Canada’ and other reality TV contestants
“Now is the time to take a giant step forward and see if we can make these shows that we love and we watch more equitable and a better experience for everyone.” Continue reading. 

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Industry News

WarnerMedia and the Canadian Academy join forces to provide opportunity for experienced Canadian writers from underrepresented communities

From a media release:

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television (the Canadian Academy) and WarnerMedia announced today that the WarnerMedia x Canadian Academy Global Access Writers Program, a talent activation initiative focused on experienced Canadian writers from underrepresented communities, is now open for submissions through Friday, December 18, 2020 on Academy.ca/WMAccess_Writers.

The WarnerMedia x Canadian Academy Global Access Writers Program is offered in English and French to storytellers of all genders, abilities and identities from underrepresented communities in Canada, including members of Indigenous, Black, racialized groups, people with disabilities, LGBTQ2+ and Francophone minority communities. These creators are experts in their craft but may not have had the opportunity to reach their full industry potential, and whose individual voices and perspectives need to be heard and amplified. Over a period of roughly nine months, the eight to 12 applicants selected will have the opportunity to hone their artistry; gain deeper industry knowledge; and experience invaluable exposure to WarnerMedia executives, creators and established industry professionals, as well as workshop an unfinished script into a viable draft.

Following the closure of submissions on Friday, December 18, 2020, WarnerMedia and the Canadian Academy will conduct internal, peer, and juried reviews to determine the eight to 12 participants of the program. The inaugural class of the WarnerMedia x Canadian Academy Global Access Writers Program will begin in June 2021.

WarnerMedia and the Canadian Academy are jointly committed to elevating the voices of underrepresented Canadian creators on their path to achieving global success and exposure. Following the announcement of a multi-year partnership earlier this year, the WarnerMedia x Canadian Academy Global Access Writers Program is the first in a pair of programs focused on increasing representation and building a more inclusive and innovative industry both in front of and behind the camera. WarnerMedia will be launching several initiatives over the next several months for above and below-the-line talent across the country. The initiatives aim to nurture a sustainable pipeline of Canadian talent as the global demand for unique voices and authentic content grows.

The WarnerMedia x Canadian Academy Global Access Writers Program is a multi-year initiative sponsored by WarnerMedia and administered by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, in collaboration with Telefilm Canada.

Learn more about the WarnerMedia x Canadian Academy Global Access Writers Program and submit your application at Academy.ca/WMAccess_Writers.

For announcements and program details, subscribe to the Canadian Academy’s newsletter at Academy.ca.

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