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.
Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: HGTV’s Hot Market showcases the GTA’s loftiest properties

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Back in 2016, I did a write up on Buying the View, W Network’s documentary peek into high-end homes being purchased in the Toronto area and across Canada.

Now Corus Entertainment is back with a new series along the same vein. Debuting Monday at 11 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada, Hot Market spotlights buying and selling expensive abodes in Southern Ontario. What sets Hot Market apart from its fellow Corus creation?

The cast. Whereas Buying the View featured more buttoned-down agents letting the properties be the star, Hot Market—from Architect Films, the folks behind Custom Built, Fire Masters and Home to Win—celebrates the agent as much as it does the properties. Rana, for instance, has become a successful real estate agent as her second career. Rizwan, meanwhile, is the youngest senior vice-president of sales at his luxury real estate company. And Odeen is a real estate agent and real estate developer.

After driving home that the Greater Toronto Area is chockfull of buyers and a dearth of sellers, we follow Odeen as she shows off a 2,000 square foot home in the Roncesvalles area. It’s unique, modern, sun-drenched … and $3 million. She meets up with Brittney and Luke, a young couple with a $3.5 million budget. A hideaway kitchen and 23-foot ceilings appear to have hooked the pair, but will a skinny lot size scare them off?

Listen, Hot Market isn’t for everyone. I’m moving out of the city because, among other reasons, it’s getting too expensive to live here. And seeing people swan around a place I’ll never be invited to for dinner, let alone own, can be a put-off. But if you like seeing how the other half lives and want to plan ahead for that dream home when your lottery numbers come up, give Hot Market a shot.

Hot Market airs Mondays at 11 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada.

Image courtesy of Corus Entertainment.

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Children's Programming, Industry News

Scott Brothers Entertainment partners with Sinking Ship Entertainment on animated pre-school series Builder Brothers’ Dream Factory

From a media release:

Sinking Ship Entertainment and Scott Brothers Entertainment are pleased to announce a deal to co-develop a new preschool animated series, Builder Brothers’ Dream Factory, based on HGTV stars and New York Times bestselling authors, Drew and Jonathan Scott, or as they are most commonly known, the Property Brothers. The series will be distributed by Sinking Ship Entertainment’s growing distribution arm.

Builder Brothers’ Dream Factory centers around 10-year-old twins, Drew and Jonathan. A pair of regular kids whose extraordinary imagination, creativity, grit and heart – coupled with a big dose of “twin-spiration” – help solve problems in their neighborhood by dreaming big…..really big…sometimes too big! Along with their dog Moose and best friends Mel, Cee-Cee and Aiden, the Builder Brothers navigate the highs and lows of trying to make the world a better place – one big dream at a time.

Though it’s a character-driven comedy series at heart, the series doesn’t shy away from real kids’ issues and what they go through in navigating life’s ups and downs. It encourages kids to share their ideas, dream big, and not to be disheartened. That element of resilience and problem-solving is what sets the show apart.

About Sinking Ship Entertainment Inc.
Sinking Ship Entertainment is an award-winning production, distribution and interactive company specializing in family and kids’ live action and CGI blended content. Since opening its doors in 2004, Sinking Ship has produced over 500 hours of content, and through their globally recognized in-house distribution division, has sold to over 200 countries internationally. In 2019 they set their sights on growth and launched a new animation series division. The company has rapidly earned a global reputation for high quality, ground-breaking original series and companion interactive experiences. Overall, Sinking Ship has won 17 Daytime Emmy® Awards and a variety of other international awards including Canadian Screen Awards, Youth Media Alliance Awards, Fan Chile Awards, Parents Choice Awards, the Shaw Rocket Prize, and the Prix Jeunesse International. In addition to production, Sinking Ship operates a cutting edge VFX and Interactive Studio, creating multi-platform digital experiences and interactive content for audiences around the world. The Toronto-based company is home to over 175 shipmates. www.sinkingship.ca.

About Scott Brothers Entertainment.
Scott Brothers Entertainment (SBE) is a multifaceted production company that strives to develop cutting-edge entertainment by combining years of experience in film, television, and digital media. Winner of the Most Innovative Producer of the Year Award at the 2019 Banff World Media Festival, SBE is the brainchild of co-founders Drew and Jonathan Scott and has evolved from start-up to competitive content creator with a laser-sharp focus on innovation, expansion, and working with like-minded partners. For more information, visit www.sbentertainment.com.

About Drew and Jonathan Scott
Entrepreneurs, authors and twin television personalities, Drew and Jonathan Scott are co-founders of Scott Brothers Global, which includes Scott Brothers Entertainment, the home furnishing company Scott Living, and the design-inspiration e-commerce platform, Casaza. Best known as the hosts of multiple top-rated HGTV series including the Emmy-nominated and Canadian Screen Awards-winning Property Brothers and Brother vs. Brother, among others, Drew and Jonathan’s shows are enjoyed by millions of viewers in over 160 countries. Dream Home, It Takes Two: Our Story, and their children’s lit series Builder Brothers are all New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers. In 2017, the brothers were named Habitat Humanitarians, the highest recognition offered by Habitat for Humanity. Most recently, they launched a top-rated mobile game, Property Brothers Home Design, and a quarterly lifestyle magazine, Reveal, published by Meredith Corporation. For more information, please visit thescottbrothers.com or follow @MrSilverScott and @MrDrewScott.

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Industry News

Broadcasting & Telecommunications Panel releases Canada’s Communications Future: Time to Act

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From a media release:

Today, the federal Broadcasting & Telecommunications Legislative Review Panel (BTLRP) released Canada’s Communications Future: Time to Act, its final report and recommendations to government.

Created in June 2018, by the Ministers of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and Canadian Heritage, the six-member Panel reviewed Canada’s decades-old Broadcasting, Telecommunications and Radiocommunication Acts and made recommendations for modernizing the legislation and regulatory framework.

“Advanced technology is transforming the ways we communicate, entertain and inform ourselves as well as driving economic opportunities and new business models that enhance competitiveness domestically and internationally. These unprecedented opportunities also expose us to significant risks including the growing – and global – threat of privacy breaches, the spread of harmful content and the impact of Big Data on all dimensions of our lives,” said Janet Yale, Chair of the Broadcasting & Telecommunications Legislative Review Panel. “A Canada, where everyone benefits from the social, creative and economic potential this new world presents, requires a legislative framework that responds to the challenges of today, while also being flexible enough to address the unknown challenges of tomorrow. Our recommendations for reform are practical and actionable providing the legislative powers and regulatory tools necessary to seize the opportunities and address the risks of the digital age.”

“The legislation we were asked to review is foundational to our ability as a country to ensure that, in a world of endless choices and voices, there is space for Canadian culture, stories and perspectives including the ability to showcase our diversity,” said BTLR Panelist Monique Simard. “Our recommendations enshrine the right to a free and open Internet while creating an appropriate framework for the support and promotion of Canadian content.”

The Panel’s work was informed by a diverse range of people and organizations from across the country, in addition to a series of original research. In response to the Panel’s Call for Comments on how the country’s legislative framework for communications should be updated, more than 2,000 letters and written submissions were received, many of which included concrete recommendations which have been incorporated into the final report. The Panel also held in-person meetings across the country.

“By engaging with such a diverse range of industry players, creators, Indigenous and official language minority communities, public interest and accessibility groups we gained the insights needed to provide government with practical recommendations that will be adaptable to change in an increasingly borderless digital world,” added Yale.

Canada’s Communications Future: Time to Act contains 97 specific recommendations touching on four themes:

  • Reducing barriers to access by all Canadians to advanced telecommunications networks;
  • Supporting the creation, production and discoverability of Canadian content;
  • Improving the rights of the digital consumer; and
  • Renewing the institutional framework for the communications sector.

The submission of Canada’s Communications Future: Time to Act fulfills the Panel’s mandate and brings to a close its work for the federal government. The Panel thanks the government for the opportunity to put its experience and expertise in the service of Canadians on these increasingly important matters. Continue reading. 

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Coroner

Link: Coroner: Sean Reycraft talks “Unburied”

From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:

Link: Coroner: Sean Reycraft talks “Unburied”
“What’s also so exciting about Coroner is that it’s run by women. And even though it’s in the crime/thriller genre, Morwyn made it clear from Day 1 that she wanted to avoid the trope of ‘dead-girl-of-the-week’. And focus the stories on crimes that are more personal, specific and, more importantly, allow us to have something to say.” Continue reading.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

HGTV Canada’s Island of Bryan returns for a hotly anticipated second season

From a media release:

After breaking HGTV Canada ratings records this past Spring to become the network’s most watched series of the past 10 years*, the #1 Specialty Canadian Original Program** Island of Bryan (8×60) returns for its second season on Sunday, February 23 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The new season will continue Bryan and Sarah Baeumler’s family adventure in the Bahamas, as they race to put the finishing touches on their beach front resort, after a roller coaster year of construction. Viewers can catch up with a Season 1 marathon on HGTV Canada in the lead up to the premiere, beginning at 12 p.m. ET/PT on February 23.

Season 1 captivated viewers generating a 9% increase in audience growth from the premiere episode to the finale.*** The success has continued online, with a show reveal gallery receiving more than 3.2 million page views to date, while the Top 15 most-viewed videos on HGTV.ca belong to the series.****

With the budget maxed out and more at stake than ever, Season 2 will see Bryan and Sarah tackle the seemingly impossible task of transforming the Caerula Mar Club into their spectacular vision. It’s a race against time to complete the clubhouse, spa, and hotel block with the grand opening date set – but when tragedy strikes the Bahamas impacting the progress, Bryan and Sarah launch a fundraising effort to support the communities affected by Hurricane Dorian. Giving viewers an all-access pass to step-by-step renovations and designs, this season will see big reveals, behind-the-scenes chaos as they hire and train their large hospitality team, and capture memorable family moments when it comes to crunch time for the resort’s opening day.

Island of Bryan is produced by Si Entertainment in association with Corus Entertainment’s HGTV Canada.

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