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

Blue Ant Media unveils its 2019/2020 programming slate of new and returning original series

From a media release:

Blue Ant Media unveils its 2019/2020 schedule of new and returning Canadian original productions for some of its most popular channels, T+E, Cottage Life, Smithsonian Channel, and Makeful. Haunting paranormal programming, cottage and outdoor lifestyle series, intriguing documentaries, and creative competition series dominate the schedule, with several programmes available for licensing globally by Blue Ant International. Overseen by Sam Linton, Head of Original Content, Blue Ant Media, the new and returning series start hitting airwaves in fall 2019, with the majority of programs being world broadcast premieres.

Popular paranormal programming dominates T+E’s new slate. New series include Hotel Paranormal (world broadcast premiere), a series that brings encounters with hotel-lurking paranormal entities to life. The previously announced series, The Witches of Salem (Canadian premiere), also joins the schedule as a four-part series about the mass hysteria surrounding America’s 17th-century witch trials. Returning favourites include Haunted Hospitals (season two, Canadian premiere), and Paranormal 911 (season two, Canadian premiere).

The love of all things cottaging and the outdoors feature heavily on Cottage Life’s new programming grid. New series include the previously announced series, Life Below Zero: Canada (world broadcast premiere), the Canadian version of the hit BBC Studios format. Additionally, a new short-form digital web series Cottage Coach (world premiere), sees DIY expert Adam Holman give useful how-to tips with a cottage lifestyle vibe. Returning series include viewer favourite Hope For Wildlife (world broadcast premiere) who is back for an impressive tenth season of rehabilitating animals. Meanwhile, even freakier weather gets the spotlight on season two of The Weather Files (world broadcast premiere).

The honourable way of the samurai leads Smithsonian Channel’s new schedule with the premiere of Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan (Canadian premiere), a new docudrama series that highlights Japan’s Golden Age of the Samurai. Also new is High Maintenance (Canadian premiere), a series that takes a look at the death-defying work of the crews who keep our roads, bridges, and highways safe.

The competition series Landscape Artist of the Year Canada (world broadcast premiere), showcasing the unique work of talented artists who vie for the coveted title, heats up Makeful’s schedule. Handmade Hotels (world broadcast premiere) also returns for a second season of even more creative short-term rentals.

For a full list of programming highlights, please see below.

T+E

New Original Series 

Hotel Paranormal (8×60’; HD) (spring 2020) (world broadcast premiere)
Real-life accounts, dramatic recreations, and expert insight, bring encounters with ghosts to life in this new thrilling series. Every year, millions of people book hotel rooms. But most are unaware that some hotels hold dark secrets connected to a tragic past. Get shivers as guests and staff alike recall their spooky occurrences on camera. Produced by Saloon Media, part of Blue Ant Studios. Distributed by Blue Ant International.

The Witches of Salem (4×60’; HD) (October 2019) (Canadian broadcast premiere)
The Salem Witch Trials is one of the most gripping real-life dramas in history. It began in February 1692. A group of young girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts, claimed to be possessed by the devil. Then, they started accusing local women of witchcraft. In just 220 days, 200 were accused and 20 were executed. It was a period of mass hysteria that opens a window into the darkest side of human nature. This four-part documentary series draws on historical documents and court records to bring this gripping drama to life. Sociologists, psychologists, and cultural historians also illustrate how communities are susceptible to the same hysteria today. Produced by Saloon Media, part of Blue Ant Studios, in association with Talos Films, Travel Channel, and T+E. Distributed by Blue Ant International. (previously announced)

Returning Series 

Haunted Hospitals (season two; 13×60’; HD) (winter 2020) (Canadian broadcast premiere)
Hear the chilling stories of paranormal activity inside hospitals, nursing homes, and morgues. In each episode, doctors, nurses, and patients give first-hand accounts of the supernatural, such as deceased patients who come back from the grave. Dead doctors who insist on tending to their patients. Spirits who stalk corridors to warn of impending danger. As the personal stories unfold, the mysteries behind the troubled souls and hauntings become more alive than ever. Produced by Bristow Global Media.

Paranormal 911 (season two; 13×60’; HD) (spring 2020) (Canadian broadcast premiere)
Each year, first responders rush to over 250 million 911 calls in North America. But what happens when these emergencies lead to paranormal encounters? Find out in season two of Paranormal 911. Hear the first-person accounts of first responders who came face-to-face with the supernatural. Produced by Bristow Global Media.

COTTAGE LIFE

New Original Series

Life Below Zero: Canada (8×60’; HD) (spring 2020) (world broadcast premiere)
Long, dark, frozen winters. Sweltering, bug infested summers. Canadians who live ‘off the grid’ grapple each day with limited means to find food, water, and shelter. Life Below Zero: Canada captures the rugged day-to-day trials of Canadians who live in the remote Canadian north. Find out how they survive in the most unforgiving environments using various means, from makeshift problem solving to traditional survival skills. This is the Canadian version of the hit BBC Studios format Life Below Zero. Life Below Zero: Canada is produced by Saloon Media, part of Blue Ant Studios. (previously announced.)

Cottage Coach (digital series; 6×7’) (fall 2019) (world premiere)
Cottagelife.com DIY expert Adam Holman coaches viewers on how to tackle cottage issues in this exclusive new short-form series. From fixing a broken pipe to replacing a rotten deck board, each episode offers essential tips. And in true cottage lifestyle form, Adam mixes in some fun in the process. Fishing anyone?

Returning Series

Hope For Wildlife (season 10; 10×60’; HD) (summer 2020) (world broadcast premiere)
Fan-favourite wildlife advocate Hope Swinimer and her team are back. This season, the team continues to rescue animals in need. They use her Halifax-based wildlife refuge to rehabilitate them. Once they are strong enough, the team releases the animals back into the wild. Produced by Arcadia Content. Distributed by Blue Ant International.

The Weather Files (season two; 8×60’; HD) (spring 2020) (world broadcast premiere)
This season of The Weather Files puts the most unusual and freakish weather on the planet in the spotlight. First-person testimony and actual footage combined with scientific insight give viewers an in-depth and up-close and personal look at the dangers of extreme and unusual weather. Produced by Saloon Media, part of Blue Ant Studios. Distributed by Blue Ant International.

SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL 

New Original Series

Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan (6×60’; HD) (winter 2020) (Canadian broadcast premiere) This series follows the life of legendary samurai, Date Masamune, an iconic figure, known as the One-Eyed Dragon, who fought alongside the three founding fathers of Japan. Together, these warlords led fierce armies of samurai against each other to unite the nation. This series brings this extraordinary era to life. It shows how powerful warriors, master swordsman, and lethal ninjas came together in deadly battles to create Japan’s golden age of the Samurai, a period that still resonates today. Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan is produced by Cream Productions.

High Maintenance (8×60’; HD) (winter 2020) (Canadian broadcast premiere)
From subways to bridges to power dams, High Maintenance is about the hard-working crews who do the death-defying work to keep these structures safe. The series features engineering feats including the Sir Adam Beck Hydroelectric Generating Stations in Niagara Falls, the Montreal Metro, and the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway in California. Each episode profiles two such structures or systems – and the brave, behind-the-scenes workers who run them. Co-produced by Frantic Films and Kew Media Distribution.

MAKEFUL 

New Original Series

Landscape Artist of the Year Canada (4×60’; HD) (winter 2020) (world broadcast premiere)
Professional and amateur Canadian artists vie to win the title of Landscape Artist of the Year in this new Makeful competition series. Each episode features a different landscape painting challenge. Expert judges determine the winner of each competition until the best landscape artist remains. Time-lapse segments ensure viewers don’t miss any of each artist’s progression from blank canvas to finished work. Based on the UK format distributed by Banijay Rights and originally produced by Storyvault Films. Landscape Artist of the Year Canada is produced by marblemedia. (Previously announced.)

Returning Series 

Handmade Hotels (season two; 6×30’; HD) (spring 2020) (world broadcast premiere)
Viewers get to peek inside even more unique and charming short-term rentals in season two of this series with host and professional house flipper, Katie Herbert. In each episode, Katie explores three unique spaces that showcase the creativity of homeowners and give viewers inspiration on how they can add artistic touches to their own homes. Produced by Architect Films. Distributed by Blue Ant International.

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Industry News

Massive film and TV production hub heading to Hamilton, Ontario

From a media release:

Aeon Studio Group (ASG) announced today a plan to build Hamilton, Ontario into an international hub for film, television, and digital media production.

The cornerstone of the plan is the Hamilton Studio District, a live-work-play development that will include:

  • Film and television production campus with purpose-built modern soundstages, production offices, support facilities, backlot
  • Other studios for post-production, animation, visual effects, game development, music
  • Crew training facility, HQ for the local talent pool and job creation effort
  • Office buildings for film industry suppliers, and media, digital and tech companies
  • Collaborative, affordable and creative workspaces geared towards the enrichment of the artistic and creative industry community
  • Residential/retail space, including two residential towers, and public open space that is pedestrian oriented and provides community connectivity

ASG, through its affiliate Hamilton Studios Ltd., and the City of Hamilton have signed a City Council ratified memorandum of understanding that lays out the business framework for the purchase and sale of the City-owned Barton-Tiffany lands, which are located by the intersection of Barton Street West and Tiffany Street, and abutting the new West Harbour Go Train station near the bay in Central Hamilton.

ASG partner Mike Bruce told media industry stakeholders at a press conference today that “Hamilton is the perfect place for a production hub in the west-end of the Greater Toronto Area because of its proximity to diverse filming locations, thriving arts and culture workforce, limited traffic congestion and because productions that film there qualify for additional provincial tax credits.”

“This film and production hub will create high-value, high-paying jobs for people in the film industry right here in Hamilton,” said Mayor Fred Eisenberger.  “It will see the rejuvenation of a brown field located in the heart of our City, and see this area transformed into a beautiful, campus-like environment, fully accessible to the community and conveniently located next to the West Harbour GO station and near our future LRT.”

The Hamilton Studio District will be designed consistent with the City’s economic plan for the Barton-Tiffany lands area.

“This is a win-win for the community,” said Ward 2 Councillor Jason Farr. “Not only are we getting a new investment worth hundreds of millions of dollars, but we will be remediating a former industrial site that has sat vacant for years.  Fantastic news for this area!”

Today’s announcement is the result of the shared vision and hard work of a coalition that includes Hamilton City Council, NABET 700-M UNIFOR, the Director’s Guild of Canada – Ontario, Mohawk College, McMaster University, Workforce Planning Hamilton, Ontario Creates, Interactive Ontario, and the Government of Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, among others.

The ASG plan will contribute to the existing dynamism and rejuvenation underway in Hamilton. It will clean up and develop the Barton-Tiffany lands and add new vitality to the West Harbour area. And it will create hundreds of local construction jobs and thousands of local jobs in the media, digital, and supporting industries. To that end, ASG and its coalition partners are working to build a pipeline of talent from local schools into full membership in the industry unions.

“Creative industries are very much one of our key focuses in Hamilton and this investment means new jobs, new taxes and new focus on this city,” said Hamilton Economic Development Director Glen Norton. “We look forward to finalizing this purchase agreement and start the development process as soon as possible.”

ASG plans to build 500,000 square feet of stage space in Hamilton, the first 150,000 of which will be operational within a year.

About Aeon Studio Group (ASG)
ASG is developer and operator of film & television studios and related spaces. Its principals are Robbie David, Mike Bruce, Jeff Anders, Phil Lefko, Stephany Mandin and Mark Sakamoto.

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Featured, Hudson & Rex, Republic of Doyle

Hudson & Rex: Tony Butt reveals the secrets to scouting locations

After a few weeks away, Hudson & Rex returned to Citytv last week on a new night. Now airing on Thursdays, Charlie, Rex, Sarah, Joe and Jesse are back at it, taking a bite out of crime (I know, I’m sorry) in and around St. John’s, Newfoundland.

This week’s new episode is “Fast Eddies,” and Rogers Media has this to say about the storyline:

After a reviled restaurateur’s food truck explodes, killing one of his employees, Charlie and Rex find themselves with a few too many suspects. Plus, a flirtation has Charlie torn between a possible new love interest and Rex, who makes no secret of his feelings on the matter.

The return of Hudson & Rex also marks the return of our behind-the-scenes interviews with the cast and crew. This week we caught up with locations manager Tony Butt.

A man and a woman face each other, standing on a boat.How did you get into the industry in the first place?
Tony Butt: I had spent my 20s in the oil industry and I quit because I didn’t like what I was doing and didn’t know what I was doing. I went on a motorcycle trip and was sitting in a theatre in New Orleans, watching a film festival and said, ‘That’s what I’ll do.’ So, I came back to St. John’s and started dabbling in the incredible co-operative called the Newfoundland Independent Film Co-operative. I walked in one day and they were training for films and the only job left was locations, so I took it. I’ve spent a bunch of years doing that.

I’ve worked in other departments and have been out of the industry for six or seven years and then I [joined Hudson & Rex].

Where does the location manager fit into the production schedule? You’re somewhere between the initial script and the filming.
TB: The script comes down and the art director vets it. We sit down together and bring in the director as soon as possible and we look at everyone’s vision. I then go out and scout locations, keeping in mind practicality, aesthetics and the needs of both the director and the production. And then I present as many options as I can get. And you try and cluster locations as much as you can. There were some challenges on Hudson & Rex because they wanted a cosmopolitan feel with a lot of modern buildings. We don’t have a lot of that, per se, so we had to work with those restrictions. And we shot in winter but they didn’t want to see snow. That didn’t have much to do with me, but it did have some. Everyone pulled together and I was really impressed.

Have you got locations in your back pocket for reference so you have an idea of a place as soon as you see it in a script?
TB: Absolutely. And, also, St. John’s is a small city that has developed in segments. You know the neighbourhoods. This one was developed in the 80s, this one was developed in the 60s, so you can really narrow down your search. And then, you try to build a day around one location without having to move the unit, ideally. And you have people to help you, like real estate agents and people who manage properties. So, yeah, you have properties that you go to first and then go further if you have to.

Hudson & Rex airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Citytv.

Images courtesy of Rogers Media.

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Mary Kills People

Link: The Mary Kills People EPs on what shaped the final season

From Melissa Girimonte of The Televixen:

Link: The Mary Kills People EPs on what shaped the final season
“Ben is in a different state of mind after what he went through, and is at a different point in his life. As much as we were able to strip Mary down to who she is with Ben, the reverse is also true. He’s stripped of being a cop, so he meets Mary again on very raw terms.” Continue reading.

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Blackstone, Tribal

Link: Blackstone creator Ron E. Scott filming First Nations crime drama Tribal in Calgary

From Eric Volmers of the Calgary Herald:

Link: Blackstone creator Ron E. Scott filming First Nations crime drama Tribal in Calgary
There are worse dilemmas for a television creator.

But Ron E. Scott’s previous project, the Edmonton-shot TV drama Blackstone, was so dark and singular that it’s hard to imagine how he might top it with a followup. The series ran for five seasons on Showcase and APTN, offering an unflinching and often harrowing look at the corruption, addiction and violence that plagued a fictional Alberta First Nations reserve. Continue reading.

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