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.
Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

AMI launches new wellness focused documentary series Mind Set Go

From a media release:

Six million Canadians struggle with obesity yet less than 5% lose the weight and keep it off. The new documentary series Mind Set Go (8×30′) follows eight brave Canadians as they tackle their obesity over a three-month wellness journey of body, mind, and soul. Fitness experts Lowell and Julie Taylor (Amazing Race Canada) and several famous Canadian Paralympians and athletes, all of whom have used a positive mindset to overcome their own barriers, provide essential insights to participants along the way. An Anaïd Production, Mind Set Go airs Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT starting March 8 on AMI-tv. The series features Integrated Described Video and is accessible to audience members who are blind or partially sighted.

Each episode of Mind Set Go starts with the participant’s backstory – perhaps a health scare or a traumatic event was the catalyst for their weight gain. To bookmark their journey, the participant sets a physically demanding goal – like climbing a mountain – to reveal how their lives and attitudes have progressed after the three months. Lowell and Julie Taylor offer their expertise along the way and bring on one Paralympian or athlete per episode to share their inspiring stories and insights with the participants.

Paralympians and athlete featured in the documentary include Michelle Salt(Calgary, AB), Maya Jones (Vancouver, BC), Josh Cassidy (Toronto, ON), Summer Mortimer (Hamilton, ON), Ness Murby (Salt Island, BC), Greg Westlake (Toronto, ON), Victoria Nolan (Toronto, ON), and Curt Minard (Vancouver, BC).

Mind Set Go airs Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on AMI-tv, starting March 8. Full episodes will also be available to steam online at AMI.ca following the initial broadcast.

Mind Set Go is developed and produced by Anaïd Productions in association with Accessible Media Inc., with the participation of the Canada Media Fund, Rogers Telefund, and the Province of British Columbia, Film Incentive BC, and  with the assistance of the Government of Alberta, Alberta Media Fund and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit.

 

 

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Big Brother Canada

Big Brother Canada returns Wednesday, March 7, on Global

From a media release:

#BBCAN fans can finally mark their calendars as Global announces broadcast details for juggernaut reality series Big Brother Canada, premiering Wednesday, March 7 at 7 p.m. ET/PT. With three recent Canadian Screen Award (CSA) nominations – including Best Reality/Competition Series – the perennial fan favourite returns three nights a week on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. ET/PT, Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT, and Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Global. Building off of the powerful response from #BBCAN fans, viewers can expect Season 6 to deliver big twists, staggering challenges, and of course, lots of drama.

Once again in Season 6, Big Brother Canada selects a group of hand-picked strangers from their homes, sequesters them from the outside world, and places them inside a house outfitted wall-to-wall with cameras and microphones that capture their every move. Competing for a grand cash prize, each week the houseguests battle in a series of challenges that give them power or punishment, voting each other out until the fate of the final two is decided by a jury of fellow houseguests.

Also returning this season is host Arisa Cox who is currently up for the CSA’s Audience Choice Award. Beginning tomorrow, fans can continue to place their vote by clicking here.

Leading up to the premiere on March 7, fans can get their Big Brother fix during a new episode of Big Brother: Celebrity Edition tonight at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Global. Viewers can tune in four nights a week over two-and-a-half weeks until the winner is crowned during the finale on Sunday, February 25 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Additional details about Big Brother Canada Season 6, including this season’s houseguest reveal and the grand prize, will be announced in the coming weeks.

 

 

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Caught, Frontier, Little Dog

Link: Women Behind Canadian TV: Adrianna Maggs

From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:

Link: Women Behind Canadian TV: Adrianna Maggs
“I find that women are such different storytellers, and while there are a lot of men I really adore, I have been lucky to be working with women constantly. It’s partially that it’s what I prefer, but I don’t always have control over it. I don’t know that I’ve ever been the only woman in a room.” Continue reading. 

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Great Canadian Baking Show

CBC announces Season 2 of The Great Canadian Baking Show; plus audition details

From a media release:

Cake, battle and roll! CBC today announced that hit culinary competition THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW will return for season 2 (8×60) as the public broadcaster kicks off a country-wide search for Canada’s best amateur bakers. Starting today, home bakers can apply online at cbc.ca/life/greatcanadianbakingshow for the chance to participate in the upcoming season. Based on the hit British format and produced by Proper Television, season 2 begins production in Toronto in summer 2018 and will air on CBC in the fall. Interested amateur bakers can apply online now until Sunday, March 18, 2018, at 11:59 p.m. ET.

THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW premiered in November 2016 and was the most-watched unscripted series debut on CBC in the past five years, with the series reaching 1.4 million viewers in Canada each week.* Twenty-four-year-old graphic designer Sabrina Degni of Montreal, QC, the youngest baker in the first season, took the inaugural Canadian title after competing against semi-finalists Linda Longson of High River, AB and Vandana Jain of Regina, SK.

Hosted by Daniel Levy and Julia Chan and judged by acclaimed pastry chefs Bruno Feldeisen and Rochelle Adonis, THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW invites bakers to showcase their talents and diverse stories on a national stage as they compete in the kitchen. Competitors on the homegrown series have the opportunity to go up against Canada’s best bakers, while also competing against themselves as they strive to achieve their personal best.

Based on the beloved British format, THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW brings together 10 amateur bakers from across the country to compete in a series of themed culinary challenges. Each episode features three rounds including the Signature Bake, the Technical Bake and the Show Stopper. After the bakes are tasted and critiqued, the judges decide who will become the week’s Star Baker and who will be sent home. The final three bakers compete for the Great Canadian Baking Show title.

THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW is produced by Proper Television in association with CBC and Love Productions. The format is owned by Love Productions and distributed by Sky Vision.  In addition to the original British series, American, Australian, French and Irish versions of the format have also been produced.

 

 

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Vikings

Canadian Eric Johnson joins Season 6 of History’s Vikings

From a media release:

HISTORY® announced today that Alberta-native Eric Johnson is set to star in season 6 of the award-winning drama series, Vikings. Johnson will play “Erik,” a formidable warrior who is an outlaw living on his wits and martial skills.

Season 6 of Vikings is currently in production in Ireland. Broadcast details will be announced at a later date. The celebrated series recently received five Canadian Screen Award nominations including Best Drama Series and Best Lead Actor, Drama Series (Alexander Ludwig).

Eric recently wrapped production on the TNT/Anonymous Content/Paramount TV series The Alienist opposite Daniel Bruhl, Luke Evans, and Dakota Fanning for director Jakob Verbruggen as well as the mini-series Caught with Paul Gross and Allan Hawco. He stars in Universal’s Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed for director James Foley, opposite Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan. He previously starred opposite Clive Owen in Cinemax’s critically acclaimed series The Knick, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Steven Soderbergh. He recurred on Orphan Black opposite Tatiana Maslany and The Girlfriend Experience opposite Riley Keogh. Eric has also starred in Smallville, Rookie Blue, Flash Gordon and made his screen debut in the Oscar-winning film Legends of the Fall, opposite Anthony Hopkins when he was 14.

Michael Hirst serves as executive producer along with Morgan O’Sullivan of World 2000 (The Count of Monte Cristo, The Tudors), Sheila Hockin (The Tudors, The Borgias), John Weber of Take 5 Productions (The Tudors, The Borgias), Sherry Marsh, Alan Gasmer, and James Flynn (The Tudors, The Borgias).

Vikings is an international Canada/Ireland co-production by Take 5 Productions and TM Productions Limited.

 

 

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