From Manori Ravindran of Variety:
Link: ‘Baroness Von Sketch Show’ producer buys back company from embattled Kew Media Group
“Baroness Von Sketch Show†producer Frantic Films has bought back the company from embattled parent Kew Media Group.
Frantic Films founder Jamie Brown has personally financed the deal to reacquire 100% ownership of the firm, which was bought by Kew in March 2017. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. Continue reading. Continue reading.Â
From a media release:
Shaftesbury, the award-winning production company behind the global hit TV series Murdoch Mysteries, is partnering with the BAFTA-winning U.K. producer Company Pictures (Wolf Hall, Inspector George Gently, Shameless) to option Canadian author Steve Burrows’ book series Birder Murder Mysteries. The international partnership, which will bring together a roster of both Canadian and U.K. screenwriters, is the first joint venture for the two production companies.
The series’ protagonist is Domenic Jejeune, a Canadian detective and avid birdwatcher who has been transplanted to the town of Saltmarsh, in Norfolk, U.K. Domenic has become a poster boy for the U.K. police service, using clues from the world of birding to give him a unique perspective on the most complex crimes.
I saw the first episode of Tribal last night and thought it was great. I’ve really liked Jessica Matten in Frontier and Burden of Truth and she deserves a leading role. Brian Markinson was great too in bringing the bigoted white guy to the series. They had great chemistry together. I expect by the end of the series the two characters will be drinking beers on the porch reminiscing about their cases. The script was well written too. I look forward to many more years of this show. —John
We are lucky to have our cable provider carry the CBC here in Ohio. My mom introduced me to the detective looking for “finger marks†and we have enjoyed the characters and mysteries. Watts is fantastic, Murdoch is wonderful, Margaret a hoot. So much to enjoy.
It is, however, not without disappointment. The loss of Parker feels wrong. One can recognize human complexity and that people do bad things and still know when a line is crossed. I feel the this temptation of Julia maybe an unnecessary line to cross. I compare her actions to Brackenreid. When Margaret left him, he was with a woman, but stopped and voiced his love for his wife and respect for his marriage. Julia? Only a phone call prevented anything from escalating with Dixon. On top of this, hearing William, the supposed love of her life, did not give rise to regret or a voice of her love for husband and her marriage. It was Dixon that left without her asking him to leave. Thirteen years of this couple and then that reaction?
I hope if the writers choose this cheating route they have the guts for the fallout. The fallout probably should include the marriage ending. How can he ever trust her again? Another pretty face comes along to tempt her, then what? I hope Murdoch isn’t left pining for her or even having to fight for her; let her fight for him. Invest in a love interest for him too. People do bad things and there are consequences. Julia decides to cheat, there needs to be consequences. —Jennifer
Got a question or comment about Canadian TV? Email greg.david@tv-eh.com or via Twitter @tv_eh.
From a media release:
On the heels of the Nurses Season 2 start of production release, Global proudly announced today principal photography and casting for its latest scripted original series, new legal drama Family Law. With filming beginning March 2 in Vancouver, Family Law is produced by SEVEN24 Films (Heartland, Wynonna Earp) and Lark Productions (Motive, Fortunate Son), created by Canadian award-winning author Susin Nielsen (Robson Arms, Cedar Cove), with Jordan Canning (Nurses, Schitt’s Creek) directing the pilot episode.
Set to premiere on Global later this year, the 10-episode, one-hour drama follows a group of flawed family members who reluctantly work together at their father’s law firm in downtown Vancouver. The legal procedural stars a talented all-Canadian cast including: Jewel Staite (Firefly), as recovering alcoholic Abigail ‘Abby’ Bianchi; Victor Garber (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow) as Harry Svensson, Abby’s estranged father and head of the firm; Zach Smadu (The Expanse) as Daniel Svensson, Abby’s half-brother who is displeased to be working with Abby; and Genelle Williams (The Expanse) as Lucy Svensson, Abby’s half-sister and considered dad’s favourite child. Additional casting will be announced at a later date.
Set in Vancouver, Canada, Family Law follows lawyer and recovering alcoholic Abigail ‘Abby’ Bianchi (Staite) struggling to put her career and family back together after hitting rock bottom. As a condition of her probation, Abby is forced to work at her estranged father’s (Garber) firm, Svensson and Associates, and practice in family law for the first time while forging new relationships with the half-brother (Smadu) and half-sister (Williams) whom she’s never met. The result is a dysfunctional family law firm operating to help other families with their own dysfunctions.                Â
Produced by SEVEN24 Films (Heartland, Fortunate Son) and Lark Productions (Motive, Fortunate Son), with Susin Nielsen (Robson Arms, Cedar Cove) serving as showrunner, Family Law is executive produced by SEVEN24′s Tom Cox and Jordy Randall, Lark’s Erin Haskett and Andy Mikita. eOne will handle distribution for the series outside of Canada.
From The Suburban:
Link: Laurence Leboeuf from CTV’s Transplant talks about new medical drama premiering February 26th
“She knows everything, talks fast, she’s by-the-book, and she’s someone who cares a lot… maybe too much. She puts everything into her work, which is one of her faults: she puts too much emotion into it.” Continue reading.
From Melissa Hank of Postmedia:
Link: Transplant star Hamza Haq celebrates 20 years in Canada as new show debuts
I think the goal of the show was to go for the feeling of what it’s really like to be a refugee, not a sensationalization. Some of these stories are taken directly from our consultants, many of who are Syrian refugees. But it’s safe to say that Transplant tells the story of one specific refugee. This is Bash’s story.” Continue reading.
From Aparita Bhandari of The Globe and Mail:
Link: Canadian actor Hamza Haq, star of CTV’s Transplant, on his immigrant parents, studying neuroscience and playing a doctor on TV
From an extra who blends into the background to the lead character in the new CTV medical drama Transplant, Hamza Haq has slowly and steadily worked his way up in an industry known for its fickleness. Continue reading.
From John Doyle of The Globe and Mail:
Link: Transplant is a medical drama with its own energy and voice
Transplant is far more ambitious and on the evidence of early episodes sometimes reaches what it aims for. Continue reading.
From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:
Link: Transplant stars on why the new medical drama feels so real
“So much of this is just a personal show. Every director that came in gave us their all. Every actor gave it their all. It’s such a phenomenal cast.” Continue reading.Â
From Bill Brioux of Brioux.tv:
Link: Haq and Higgins breathe life into CTV’s terrific Transplant
The character lifts this show beyond the usual miracle-of-the-week medical rut and into a dialogue on the changing face of Canadian society. This is a series as much about refugees and immigration as it is about universal health care and waiting rooms. Continue reading.
From Charles Trapunski of Brief Take:
Link: Interview: Transplant’s John Hannah
“I thought it was really interesting for the time and it was interesting that it was the Canadians that were ahead of the curve on dealing with immigration in a positive story arc, rather than necessarily seeing it as something unfortunately in which a lot of the world has lurched a bit further to the right, it was a very positive story and I think that we’re in a time in which we really need to focus on that.” Continue reading.
From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:
Link: Transplant stars on the gift of second chances
“A lot of times, in these stories of displacement, people spend a lot of time readjusting and acclimate to a life they aren’t used to.” Continue reading.
