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

Spring has sprung! AMI-tv announces exciting original series and documentaries to celebrate the season

From a media release:

The snow is melting, the days are growing longer, and Canadians are excited about the arrival of spring. Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) is too. Today, AMI-tv unveiled new original and acquired television series and documentary programming designed to shake off the cold, invigorate and motivate.

In keeping with AMI’s mandate of making accessible media for all Canadians, the original series and documentaries utilize Integrated Described Video (IDV) to make them accessible to individuals who are blind or partially sighted.

Highlights of AMI-tv’s upcoming spring programming include:

Heart to Heart (Friday, March 15, at 7 p.m. ET)
We love a good love story and Heart to Heart has them. This AMI original special tells the tale of three couples—Olivia and Carolyn, Terry and Anne, and Brian and Krista—who all share something in common: one of the partners has a disability. Offering an honest, insightful and light-hearted dive into what love can look like, Heart to Heart proves one thing: love is awesome.

Reflect and Renew with Kevin Naidoo (Saturday, March 16, at 9 a.m. ET)
Prepare yourself for mind and body rejuvenation through Reflect and Renew with Kevin Naidoo. Those with all levels of mobility can join host Kevin Naidoo on a journey through thoughtful meditation and yoga practices. These will lay the groundwork for mental and physical wellness and positivity providing clarity, focus, balance, inner strength, and greater mobility. Start your day with this AMI original to see and feel a new you!

Our Community, “Paralympic Sports Association” (Thursday, March 21, at 8:30 p.m. ET)
Based in Edmonton, the Paralympic Sports Association (PSA) is a charitable, volunteer-driven organization that provides sport and recreation opportunities for children, youth, teens, adults and seniors of all abilities. In this episode of the AMI original, Our Community, participants and volunteers explain why programs like this must exist, and we explore how the Paralympic Sports Association has created a community within its walls for over 30 years.

Level Playing Field (Friday, May 10, at 7 p.m. ET)
This AMI original documentary series, hosted by Greg Westlake, showcases and celebrates the power of sport by introducing audiences to the athletes, community groups, healthcare professionals and grassroots innovators who demonstrate a desire to help drive positive social change through sport. This month we travel to Kelowna, BC, to meet Rob Shaw, an international wheelchair tennis champ from North Bay, ON, who is ranked Top 10 in the world in quad wheelchair tennis.

Without Limits: Australia (Saturday, May 18, at 8 p.m. ET)
This inspiring two-part BBC documentary observes ex-army Captain Martin Hewitt as he leads a team of British and Australian ex-servicemen and women with disabilities as they embark on an extraordinary nearly 1,000-mile expedition across Western Australia’s remote Kimberley region.

Seen & Heard (Friday, May 24, at 5 p.m. ET)
Filmed in English, American Sign Language (ASL) and Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ), Seen & Heard follows a troupe of actors and stage crew —who are Deaf and hearing—as they present a unique Deaf-themed version of The Little Mermaid. Many of the cast and crew have little or no theatre experience, and most of the Deaf actors use LSQ and are unfamiliar with ASL or English. Will the group unite and pull off this once-in-a-lifetime performance? The special presentation of the acquired program Seen & Heard leads into AMI-tv’s Friday night movies.

All AMI-tv originals are available post-broadcast on demand at AMI.ca or the free AMI-tv App.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Industry News

Just For Laughs’ Stand Up & Pitch ’19

From a media release:

Submissions are now open for the largest and longest-running comedy pitch program, the 10th annual Just For Laughs’ Stand Up & Pitch in Montreal. CBC Comedy, Project 10 Productions and Tubefilter return as presenters of this unique program, running from July 24-27, 2019 during ComedyPRO, Just For Laughs’ elite comedy industry conference.

With submissions being accepted from all over the world, Stand Up & Pitch: The Comedy Content Search will offer five finalists in each category the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pitch their digital or TV concept to a panel of seasoned development and production executives, in a room filled with over 100 comedy industry tastemakers and accredited industry professionals. Furthermore, a total of five Canadian projects will be selected to pitch directly to CBC executives and members of the Canadian creative community as part of the CBC Comedy Originals Pitch Program.  One winner will be selected from each session format and will be invited back for the 2020 edition of Just For Laughs ComedyPro. He/she will receive one (1) free trip to the Just For Laughs Festival, including flight, a hotel room for up to three (3) nights, and a festival pass.

Several successful digital and TV series got their start during Just For Laughs’ Stand Up & Pitch, including Fatal Murder Mystery (Shaftesbury/Just For Laughs), That’s My Bus (FOX), My 90-Year-Old Roommate (CBC Comedy), Newborn Moms (CBC Comedy) and Epic Studios (Maker Studios).

Open to comedians, writers, producers and creators, Stand Up & Pitch offers two (2) formats for submission, in addition to the CBC Comedy Originals Pitch Program:

From Set to Screen: TV, OTT, SVOD and More

Presented by Project 10 Productions, submissions are now being accepted for single or multi-camera scripted sitcoms, game shows, reality shows, variety, sketch or animation series. These pitches are intended for television programs running 30mins. Previous panelists for this program have included executives from esteemed companies including Amazon, Bell Media, CBS, Comedy Central, FOX, HBO and more.

Beyond the Box: Playing It Short

Presented by Tubefilter, submissions are now being accepted for digital-first shows aimed for YouTube or other digital platforms, including scripted, animation, factual, variety and sketch. These pitches are intended for shows running 15mins or less. Previous panelists for this program have included executives from notable companies including Above Average, Adult Swim, Bell Media, Funny or Die, YouTube, and more.

CBC Comedy Originals Pitch Program

Presented by CBC Comedy, submissions are now open for Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

Projects will be drawn from both Stand Up & Pitch formats (Beyond The Box and From Set to Screen). The CBC is a long-time partner of Just For Laughs ComedyPRO, having helped develop the following programs from previous years in this program including How To Buy A Baby, Newborn Moms, My 90-Year-Old Roommate and the upcoming Diversity League.

Deadline to submit projects for this year’s event is May 6, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. PST.

 For additional details, full submission guidelines, and to submit for the 10th annual Stand Up & Pitch program, visit the Just For Laughs ComedyPRO website at www.comedypro.hahaha.com/submissions.

 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Featured, Podcast, Private Eyes, Second Jen

TV Eh B Cs Podcast 88 — Awards season with Samantha Wan

Samantha Wan is a Toronto-based actor and filmmaker. Samantha found her passion for film and acting at a young age in high school. From there, she was accepted into the country’s top theatre school, the National Theatre School of Canada, which boasts a number of notable of alumni including award-winning actress Sandra Oh.

Samantha Wan recently received a 2019 Canadian Screen Award nomination in the category of Best Comedy Series for her sitcom Second Jen.

Second Jen is a buddy comedy about two second-generation millennials making it on their own in the big city. Season 1 aired on the major Canadian network Citytv and Season 2 was later picked up by OMNI Television. The show was produced by Don Ferguson Productions, the production company famously known for creating the Royal Canadian Air Farce. Samantha developed the series with actress and screenwriter Amanda Joy. The two became the youngest televisions creators in Canada.

Samantha is also known for her role as Zoe Chow in the comedy-drama television series Private Eyes starring alongside Jason Priestley and Cindy Sampson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
The Order

Links: The Order, Season 1

From Ariana Romero of Refinery29:

Link: The Order Is The New Netflix Treat That’ll Dominate Your Weekend
Still missing Teen Wolf nearly two full years after it wrapped on MTV? Wish you didn’t have to wait months for new episodes of The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina? Well, Netflix has heard your prayers and responded with The Order, the weirdo young adult supernatural drama you didn’t know you needed to while away the (hopefully) last few cold weather weekends of the year. Continue reading.

From Joel Keller of Decider:

Link: Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Order’ On Netflix, A Horror Series About A School’s Secret Fraternity And A Whole Bunch Of Dead Pledges
The Order, created by Dennis Heaton (Ghost Wars) and Shelley Eriksen (Continuum), has got a lot going for it. It’s got the story of a working-class kid infiltrating the rich kids at a university’s most secret fraternity, and trying to defeat the evil performances from within. Continue reading. 

From Samantha Nelson of The Verge:

Link: Netflix’s dark fantasy The Order is an absurdist match for What We Do in the Shadows
The first episode of Netflix’s new horror series The Order, which premieres on March 7th, reads like a pretty straightforward supernatural drama with a touch of dark humour. The second episode starts to get a little weird, and by the third instalment, the show transitions into a flat-out hilarious mashup of college and horror comedy. Continue reading. 

From Charles Trapunski of Brief Take:

Link: Interview: The Order’s Sarah Grey
“This has all been really new and exciting for me. I hope that a lot of people watch this show and I hope that a lot of people enjoy it and have the same experience that we had filming it, which was such an amazing time.” Continue reading.

From Heather M. of TV Goodness:

Link: Rachel Langer talks Netflix’s The Order
“When he did send the creative, I thought it was the next best thing to having started my career early enough to write on Buffy. When I heard. ‘warring secret societies,’ I thought, ‘Oh, this is going to be so great. I’m very proud of the show because it’s so much fun.” Continue reading.

From Travis Clark of Business Insider:

Link: Netflix’s ‘The Order’ pits werewolves against dark magic, and is its latest original show off to a hot start
“The Order” is ranked fifth on this week’s “binge report” from television-tracking app, TV Time, based on its 12 million global users. The “binge report” tracks the top 10 streaming shows on various services. It’s the only Netflix show on this week’s list aside from “The Umbrella Academy,” which premiered last month. Continue reading.

From Heather M. of TV Goodness:

Link: Showrunner Dennis Heaton talks The Order’s creative team and casting
After this past week, I’d recommend a healthy dose of escapism TV and luckily Netflix is obliging with the new supernatural-themed, secret-society-in-college series The Order. Continue reading. 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Masterchef Canada

MasterChef Canada returns with a special two-hour premiere, April 8 on CTV

From a media release:

Who will be named Canada’s next MasterChef? CTV today revealed the Top 18 MASTERCHEF CANADA home cooks competing for a chance to be one of six in the elite group of title holders and take home the $100,000 cash prize. A 2019 Canadian Screen Award nominee, Season 6 of MASTERCHEF CANADA kicks off with a special two-hour premiere on Monday, April 8 beginning at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CTV before settling into its regular Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT timeslot. Viewers can then stream all episodes anytime on CTV.ca and the CTV app.

Keeping the heat on high for this season’s Top 18 are esteemed judges Michael Bonacini (O&B restaurant empire), Alvin Leung (Bo Innovation in Hong Kong), and Claudio Aprile (Copetin Restaurant & Bar). With only a limited number of white aprons up for grabs, the home cooks have to prove they have the culinary skills to cut it in the MASTERCHEF CANADA kitchen. In a new twist this season, each judge selects six home cooks to invite to the Top 18, with each member receiving personal invitations delivered via courier.

Below are the Top 18 home cooks vying for a white apron and ultimately contending for the MASTERCHEF CANADA title.

  • Alyssa LeBlanc, Former Public Servant, from Tusket, N.S.
  • Andre Bhagwandat, Hospital Housekeeper, from Scarborough, Ont.
  • Chanelle Saks, Entrepreneur, from Calgary, Alta.
  • Cliff McArthur, IT Support Analyst, from Scarborough, Ont.
  • Colin Buckingham, Car Salesman, from St. John’s, N.L.
  • Cryssi Larocque, Former Airline Agent, from Thunder Bay, Ont.
  • Jamie Mayer, Healthcare Portfolio Manager, from Toronto, Ont.
  • Jennifer Crawford, Senior Policy Analyst, from Kingston, N.S.
  • Jenny Miller, Stay-at-Home Mom, from Havre Boucher, N.S.
  • Josh Miller, Youth Care Home Manager, from Regina, S.K.
  • Kimberly Fitzpatrick, Writer, from Ottawa, Ont.
  • Laurie Dingwall, Retired, from Lac Saguay, Qué.
  • Lena Huynh, Lash Technician, from Burnaby, B.C.
  • Marie Le Bel, Entrepreneur, from Westmount, Qué.
  • Mark Hamilton, Firefighter, from Mission, B.C.
  • Rozin Abbas, Digital Marketer, from Toronto, Ont.
  • Steven Lapointe, International Figure Skater, from Acton Vale, Qué.
  • Tony La Ferrara, Soccer Coach and Retired Teacher, from Whitby, Ont.

In each episode of MASTERCHEF CANADA, the home cooks have their culinary expertise tested through a series of Mystery Box Challenges, Team Challenges, and Pressure Tests, with the judges providing direction and feedback throughout the process. At the end of each episode, at least one home cook is eliminated from the competition until only two remain, culminating in a battle during the finale for a chance to take home $100,000 and the sought-after title of MASTERCHEF CANADA

Throughout the season, fans are invited to visit CTV.ca/MasterChefCanada for exclusive content, including background on the Season 6 finalists and the MASTERCHEF CANADA judges, as well as interviews, highlights, recipes, and more. CTV.ca also offers viewers a behind-the-scenes look at this season’s challenges, delectable dishes, victories, and defeats.

Before Canadians take a bite into the new season, CTV invites viewers to relive all the culinary action from previous editions of MASTERCHEF CANADA, now streaming on Crave and available on demand at CTV.ca and on the CTV app. New episodes of MASTERCHEF CANADA are available on-demand the day following the broadcast premieres on CTV.

The MASTERCHEF format and finished programs are represented internationally by Endemol Shine Group. This includes MASTERCHEF JUNIOR, which airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT beginning March 12 on CTV2. With over 60 local adaptations broadcast in more than 200 countries, MasterChef is the world’s most successful cookery television format. MasterChef was created by Franc Roddam.

MASTERCHEF CANADA is produced by Proper Television in association with CTV. Proper’s Co-President Cathie James is the Executive Producer and Showrunner and Co-President Lesia Capone is Executive Producer.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail