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

George Cheeks to keynote the 2023 Banff World Media Festival

From a media release:

The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) is proud to announce President and Chief Executive Officer of CBS and Chief Content Officer, News and Sports for Paramount+ George Cheeks is confirmed to participate in the Festival’s Summit Series, a premium keynote speaker lineup featuring the boldest voices and the world’s most influential media leaders. Cheeks will speak on Monday, June 12th, in an exclusive fireside conversation. The 44th edition of the Festival will take place in-person June 11 – 14 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta, Canada.

“George Cheeks has been an innovative business and creative force in the television industry for over thirty years,” commented Kevin Beggs, Chair of the Board of Directors for BANFF and Chair & Chief Creative Officer of the Lionsgate Television Group. “We at the Banff World Media Festival are honored to have George give our keynote and share his views on the evolving industry.”

“In this liminal era of the entertainment industry, George Cheeks is paving an innovative path,” said BANFF Executive Director, Jenn Kuzmyk. “We’re honoured to welcome him to the festival and look forward to hearing his vision for the future of the business as well as insights on some of the industry’s big questions.”

The BANFF Summit Series is a curated, future-focused lineup of keynote sessions that was launched in 2019 in honour of the festival’s four-decade legacy. This powerful speaker roster features the global players who are shaping the future of the media industry. Past Summit Series speakers have included Bela Bajaria, Pearlena Igbokwe, Greg Berlanti, Ted Sarandos, Channing Dungey, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Paula Kerger, Sarah Barnett, Paul Feig, Kenan Thompson, Maverick Carter, David Linde and Seth Meyers.

Cheeks oversees CBS-branded assets within Paramount Global, including the CBS Television Network, which encompasses CBS Entertainment, CBS News and CBS Sports, as well as CBS Studios, CBS Stations, CBS Media Ventures, its first-run syndication business, and CBS-branded digital assets. He is also the Chief Content Officer, News and Sports, for Paramount+, extending the world-class content from CBS News and CBS Sports to the streaming super service. In addition, his leadership portfolio across Paramount Global includes responsibility for BET, Paramount Television Studios and the company’s free-to-air networks in the United Kingdom, Australia, Argentina and Chile.

Prior to joining CBS, Cheeks served more than seven years at NBCUniversal in senior executive positions that spanned creative, business and operational roles. Most recently, he was Vice Chairman, NBCUniversal Content Studios and was also in charge of late night programming for NBC Entertainment. Previously, Cheeks was Co-Chairman of NBC Entertainment and was jointly responsible for overseeing primetime, late night and scripted daytime programming for the network, including business affairs, marketing, communications, scheduling, West Coast research and digital operations, as well as first-run syndication.

Prior to being named Co-Chairman, Cheeks served as Co-President, Universal Cable Productions and Wilshire Studios as well as President, Late Night Programming, NBC Entertainment, where he oversaw the network’s lucrative and successful late night slate. Prior to that role, Cheeks was President of Business Operations and Late Night Programming, NBC Entertainment.

Cheeks joined NBC in 2012 after serving as Executive Vice President, Business Affairs and General Counsel, Viacom Music and Entertainment Groups, Content Distribution and Marketing, as well as Head of Standards and Practices for Viacom Media Networks, in New York. In his first stint with Viacom starting in 1998, he began working as Senior Counsel for MTV Networks in the Business and Legal Affairs Department for the Nickelodeon Group. While there, he ascended to positions of increasing responsibility, and in 2005 he was elevated to Executive Vice President and General Counsel for MTV, MTV2, MTVu, MTV Films, VH1, CMT and LOGO.

In addition to Summit Series keynotes, BANFF will return with an array of provocative panel discussions, celebrity master classes and networking opportunities to connect the global media industry to ignite new projects and support business development. Also returning: the prestigious Rockies Gala honouring the most inspiring executives and talent in the industry; and the Rockie Awards International Program Competition, one of the world’s most prestigious screen industry competitions, with participation from more than 45+ countries annually including an international jury of 150 industry professionals. Category winners, including the Grand Jury Prize, the Rogers Prize for Canadian Content, the Francophone Prize, and other special prizes, will be announced during the Festival on June 12th.

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Pretty Hard Cases

Pretty Hard Cases to end with Season 3

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Pretty Hard Cases has closed its final case.

The show, and its production company, Cameron Pictures, made the announcement via social media on Wednesday afternoon.

“We’re very sad to share that #Season3 of #PrettyHardCases will be our final season,” the series tweeted. “Thank you to all of the amazing cast and crew who have worked with us these last three years and made the show possible.”

Co-created by Tassie Cameron and Sherry White, Pretty Hard Cases stars Meredith MacNeill stars as Sam Waszowski, a guns and gangs detective, and single mom, who finds herself teamed with drug squad detective Kelly Duff, played by Adrienne C. Moore. Together, the pair are trying to take down a neighbourhood gang dealing drugs and weapons.

“This show is more about women who are in their 40s, who had given it all to their career and are finding themselves a little wanting for a full life,” White told us prior to the Season 1 debut. “They’ve sacrificed a lot of their own personal goals in order to have their career, which is totally where Tassie and I were. We wanted to reflect our friendship and we wanted to reflect where we were in our careers and that sort of, what next? How else do we get a full life? We also wanted to have fun. We wanted it to be more in this sort of Paul Feig kind of… the ways he can celebrate women and be really raw and honest and funny about whatever situation they’re in, and I think we accomplished that with the show.”

Pretty Hard Cases airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

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Featured, The Spencer Sisters

Lea Thompson and Stacey Farber shine in CTV’s The Spencer Sisters

The British mystery genre is where I live. When I’m not watching and covering Canadian TV, I’m streaming light crime dramas from across the pond on AcornTV and BritBox. From Whitstable Pearl to Vera, Harry Wild to Murder in Suburbia, I love them all.

Consider The Spencer Sisters, debuting Friday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, as Canada’s foray into the genre.

Like the above, The Spencer Sisters features crimes being committed in a fictional small town—Alder Bluffs, Ont.—two female leads at the helm to solve them, a generous dose of humour and, when they happen, bloodless murders. It’s an irresistible formula for success that is even more pronounced thanks to its leads, Lea Thompson and Stacey Farber. The pair crackle with chemistry from the get-go, playing acclaimed mystery novelist Victoria Spencer (Thompson), mom to hot-headed former police officer Darby Spencer (Farber).

“It starts with character,” Thompson says when asked what attracted her to the shot-in-Winnpeg series. “I really liked the character and I love comedy and the comedic elements to this. This is a really good time for this show.”

Created by Alan McCullough (Private Eyes. Rookie Blue) and co-showrun and executive-produced by McCullough and Jenn Engels (Sort Of, Transplant), Friday’s debut “The Scholar’s Snafu,” finds Darby returning to Alder Bluffs after she quits her big-city police force in frustration. For Darby, who looked up to her late cop father, this was all she wanted to do. Dejected, and with nowhere to stay, Darby returns home where it only takes one backhanded comment from Victoria to let viewers know this mother-daughter relationship isn’t rosy. Unlike their characters, who are pretty bristly in the debut, Thompson and Farber connected immediately.

“She was attached to the show before I was,” Farber says. “We did a chemistry read on Zoom and then we met in Winnipeg, had dinner and clicked immediately. We have a similar sense of humour and we’ve both worked for a long time, we have a lot in common.”

The friction between mother and daughter continues throughout the first season. Darby is struggling with her failure as a cop, moving back home and being forced to acknowledge why she has avoided seeing her mother for so long. And Victoria, who has never agreed with Darby’s career choice, wants to be part of her daughter’s life and finds a way to do it through their partnering to solve crimes committed in the community.

“They do learn to get along more, but no, [that friction] never goes away,” Farber says with a laugh. “It’s realistic in that sense. You can think you’ve moved through or on from an issue, but you haven’t.”

The Spencer Sisters airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV.

Image courtesy of Bell Media.

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Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Pamela Anderson’s journey continues with two new greenlights from Corus Studios

From a media release:

Corus Studios announced today the continuation of their partnership with famed Hollywood icon Pamela Anderson in two new greenlights. Pamela’s Garden of Eden is currently in production on Season 2 (8×60), continuing the renovation of her family’s legacy property on Vancouver Island. Pamela’s presence in the lifestyle space expands with the brand-new food-focused series, Pamela’s Cooking With Love (working title) (8×60), beginning production this summer and scheduled to premiere in 2024 on Food Network Canada. Produced by Fireworks Media Group, these two premium unscripted series spotlight Pamela’s open-book attitude, gift for design and entertaining, and savvy ability to create unique experiences. Corus Studios will distribute both series internationally.

“Corus Studios is proud to collaborate with Pamela Anderson on these two series as we work together to share her passion for food and entertaining with both a Canadian and international audience,” said Lisa Godfrey, Senior Vice President of Original Content and Corus Studios. “Pamela’s Cooking With Love is the perfect companion series to Pamela’s Garden of Eden, and services our commitment to authentic story-telling and building a premium library of content for the global market.”

“Creating elegant and inviting spaces that inspire a compassionate, calm and healthy environment has always been important to me and comes naturally,” said Pamela Anderson. “Corus Studios and I have set mutual goals with good intentions. It’s been a learning curve – and I am confident they will be a positive partner in helping bring my true vision to life.”

In Season 2 of Pamela’s Garden of Eden, Pamela’s quest to transform her grandmother’s six-acre legacy property on Vancouver Island continues, resolving renovation issues from Season 1 and tackling a long list of new projects. Simultaneously, Pamela travels back and forth to Los Angeles to help her son Brandon Lee renovate his newly purchased house. As a first-time homeowner, Brandon depends on his mother’s keen eye for design and renovation to help turn his new house into a home he can truly call his own. The new season follows the successful Canadian launch of the series, which ranked within the Top 10 of Canadian original series across specialty television last fall, and was the #1 entertainment specialty program when it premiered on HGTV Canada.*

Pamela sets the table for a one-of-a-kind dining experience in Pamela’s Cooking With Love (working title). In this new Corus Studios distributed series, Pamela is fueled by a craving to learn more about cooking and how she can use food to take entertaining to the next level. She works with a variety of influential chefs to develop delicious plant-based menus, gather the diverse ingredients, and prepare incredible meals and moments for her friends and family. Whether it is a casual afternoon cocktail party in the garden, an intimate dinner with family, or breakfast following a night around the campfire – Pamela shines as a host and sous-chef.

Pamela’s Garden of Eden and Pamela’s Cooking With Love (working title) are produced by Fireworks Media Group with Jesse Fawcett, Brandon Thomas Lee, and Robert Hardy serving as executive producers for both projects. Pamela Anderson serves as executive producer for Cooking With Pamela (working title).

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

AMI announces the debut of Ness Murby: Transcending, March 8 on AMI-tv

From a media release:

AMI, in partnership with Anaïd Productions (Mind Set Go), is excited to announce the debut of Ness Murby: Transcending.

Debuting Wednesday, March 8, at 8 p.m. Eastern on AMI-tv and on demand at AMI.ca and on the AMI-tv App, the six-part documentary series Ness Murby: Transcending (6 x 30), follows groundbreaking Paralympian Ness Murby as he trains and vies to become the world’s first openly trans man to compete at a Paralympic Games.

This intimate and unflinching series follows Ness and his family as they navigate the emotional and physical challenges of gender transition, juggle the stresses of first-time parenthood and break down barriers in the world of sport. Since completely losing his sight as a teenager, Ness is no stranger to adversity, but in this series, he will be pushed to his limit. Battling social stigma, discrimination and the physical limitations of his transitioning body, Ness bravely attempts to carve a new space for himself in the Men’s discus division on the national team and pave the way for trans acceptance in elite sport. But is the world and sport system ready to embrace this change?

Additionally, behind-the-scenes clips—available at AMI.ca and on the AMI-tv App—give viewers exclusive peeks into Ness’ life. From conversations about fertility inclusivity, misgendering and penile prostheses to struggling with a petulant lawnmower, they spotlight personal moments and conversations.

“We are proud to present Ness Murby: Transcending to Canadians,” said John Melville, Vice-President, Content Development & Operations, AMI-audio/AMI-tv. “Ness’ story is one of acceptance, perseverance and being true to yourself. We look forward to this series furthering the conversation about inclusion for all.”

Synopses for the first two episodes are below:

Episode 1 – “Stepping Into the Arena”
Debuting Wednesday, March 8, at 8 p.m. Eastern
In the debut episode, viewers watch Ness prepare for the lead-up to the Canadian Athletics Championships, his first national competition as an openly trans man. The pressure is on as Ness makes history in the men’s division, but right before the competition, he receives an email that jeopardizes his entire athletics career.

Episode 2 – “Comfortable in My Skin”
Debuting Wednesday, March 15, at 8 p.m. Eastern
Every Tuesday, Ness makes the life-affirming decision to inject his body with testosterone. We hear from Ness how this life-saving medicine has transformed his body, changing his appearance, strength and mindset. On a family walk, Ness has a hard conversation with his partner, Eva, about parenting, and a trip to the vet with Ness’ guide dog, Lexington, doesn’t go as expected.

About Ness Murby
Ness Murby (he/him) is a JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) Brand Strategist and Counselor, Paralympian and the co-founder of TougherThan. Lived experience and common humanity fuel his passion for diversity and inclusion and, with intersecting marginalized identities, he has long been led to push against prejudices, drive for systemic change and challenge the status quo.

Ness has an extensive background and credentials that include anatomy and physiology, applied psychology, business management, education and pedagogy, design, inclusive design, marketing and organizational strategy.

He has represented three countries in three Parasports—Australia, Japan and Canada in Goalball, Powerlifting and Para Athletics —and holds world records as well as world, continental and national titles. In 2020, Ness came out as trans. As the first openly trans Paralympian, Ness is carving out space for future generations. He currently competes in Men’s F11 discus and is aiming for the 2024 Paralympics. An advocate and public figure, Ness is a passionate contributor. His niche is asking “better questions,” he believes “everything is mentionable and from there manageable,” and he advocates “there is enough space for all of us.”

Ness Murby: Transcending airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern on AMI-tv and on demand at AMI.ca and on the AMI-tv App.

Ness Murby: Transcending is developed and produced by Anaïd Productions in association with Accessible Media Inc. and produced with the financial participation of the Canada Media Fund, Rogers Telefund, the Province of British Columbia Film Incentive BC, and Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit.

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