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

CBC greenlights Catherine Reitman comedy Workin’ Moms

From a media release:

CBC announced today a 13-episode order of WORKIN’ MOMS, a new original half-hour comedy series created by Catherine Reitman.  Based on her personal experiences with motherhood, Reitman will star in WORKIN’ MOMS and will also direct. An alumna of The Groundlings Theatre, Reitman is esteemed both for her work on screen (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Blackish) and off. She recently wrote, directed and starred in 100 episodes of her own YouTube show, Breakin’ it Down With Catherine Reitman. Reitman’s producing partner and husband, Philip Sternberg, will produce with Reitman, through their company Wolf and Rabbit Productions. They are repped by Tina Horwitz of Vanguarde Artists Management Ltd. The series will begin production in Toronto in July 2016, and is slated to debut on CBC in fall 2016.

Can you have it all? For these workin’ mothers, some days you can and some days… not so much. When longtime friends Kate (Reitman) and Anne meet Jenny and Frankie in a judgmental mommies’ group, the four quickly band together and form an unlikely friendship. While the women might not necessarily have started off as friends, at this critical moment in their lives they appear to be fighting the same fight: to continue personal growth in the face of challenging relationships, insatiable babies, horrific co-workers and lastly, a Mommy and Me class filled to the brim with disapproving mothers. Whether it be rediscovering their sexuality or merely having the will to stay alive in the face of postpartum depression, these badass women are doing everything they can to make it to the end of each day in one piece.

Additionally, Reitman and Sternberg have another Reitman-penned project in development with the CBC, half-hour scripted comedy series STARTING OVER; a hilarious look at life post-separation. After April discovers her husband has slept with the majority of her friends and boss, her comfortable and predictable life is put into a tailspin. With nowhere else to turn, she moves back home to her impulsive twin sister and lonely father and in a moment of late night desperation enlists an unorthodox life coach named Georgina Stone.

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Industry News

CRTC releases report on state of Canadian broadcasting industry

From a media release:

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today released the final part of the 2015 Communications Monitoring Report, which provides information on the state of the broadcasting industry in Canada. The Communications Monitoring Report is now available in its entirety.

While the time spent watching conventional television declined slightly across all age groups in 2014, the overall average remained stable at 27.4 hours each week compared to 27.9 hours in 2013. Canadians aged 18 and over also watched 2.7 hours of television content over the Internet, an increase from 1.9 hours the previous year. Eight percent of Canadians report watching television exclusively online.

The percentage of Anglophones who watched Internet video content on a tablet grew from 20% in 2013 to 26% in 2014, while among Francophones it increased from 16% to 25% during the same period. The amount of Internet video content consumed on a smartphone grew from 23% in 2013 to 38% in 2014 for Anglophones, while it increased from 16% to 27% during the same period among Francophones.

The percentage of Canadian households subscribing to cable, satellite or Internet Protocol television (IPTV) services went from 83.7%, or 11.8 million households, in 2013 to 82%, or 11.6 million households, in 2014.  IPTV, a relatively new means of receiving television services, grew more than four-fold to over 1.7 million subscribers in the last 5 years.

Canadians also had access to a variety of radio stations and audio services. In 2014, there was a small decline in the average time spent listening to radio stations across all age groups. As a result, Canadian listeners in markets measured by diaries consumed 18.8 hours of radio content per week in 2014, compared to 19.3 hours in 2013. Twenty-two percent of Canadians also streamed an AM or FM station’s signal online, and 18% used personalized online music streaming services.

In 2014, total broadcasting revenues increased 1.4% to reach $17.3 billion. The broadcasting sector invested nearly $3 billionin the creation of new television content made by Canadians, as well as nearly $60 million in new Canadian audio content and to support Canadian artists.

The 2015 Communications Monitoring Report provides a detailed overview of the Canadian communication industry, as well as industry data and information, including emerging trends and issues.

This year, the CRTC released the report in three parts. The first part deals with the state of the Canadian communication system and the second part focuses on the telecom sector. With today’s release of the third and final part, the full version of the report is now available.

Quick Facts

Choice of services

  • In 2014, there were 663 authorized television services, including 392 Engligh-language services, 84 French-language services and 187 services in other languages.
  • In 2014, there were 1,107 authorized radio services, including 846 English-language services, 222 French-language services and 39 services in other languages.

Television

  • Average weekly viewing of traditional television remained consistent, coming in at 27.4 hours in 2014 compared to 27.9 hours in 2013.
  • The adoption of television content over the Internet among Anglophones grew from 42% in 2013 to 47% in 2014, while among Francophones it increased from 39% to 42% during the same period. Nationally, 46% of adults watched Internet TV in 2014.
  • Revenues for the television sector increased by 2%, going from $6.5 billion in 2013 to $6.6 billion in 2014.

Radio

  • Revenues for the radio sector held steady at $1.61 billion in 2014, a 0.5% decrease from $1.62 billion in revenues in 2013.
  • The percentage of Canadians that subscribe to satellite radio grew from 15% in 2013 to 16% in 2014.
  • In 2014, 22% of Canadians streamed an AM or FM station’s signal over the Internet, compared with 20% the previous year.
  • The percentage of Canadians who streamed a personalized Internet music service was unchanged at 18%.

Television service providers

  • Sixty-three percent of television service subscribers had a cable subscription, 22% a satellite subscription and 15% had an IPTV subscription
  • In 2014, Canadian households spent an average of $53.95 per month on television services provided by a cable, satellite or IPTV company.
  • Revenues for television service providers increased by 1.4% from $8.9 billion in 2013 to $9 billion in 2014.
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Murdoch Mysteries

Murdoch Mysteries scores Ed Asner, Brendan Coyle & Kelly Rowan for holiday special

From a media release:

Ring in the holidays with the world premiere of “A Merry Murdoch Christmas,” the first-ever MURDOCH MYSTERIES holiday special, airing Monday, December 21 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC-TV. When a philanthropist is found dead before the holidays and the presents he distributes to Toronto’s orphans go missing, it’s up to Murdoch (Yannick Bisson), Ogden (Hélène Joy) and the team at Station No. 4 to solve the mystery and save Christmas. Guest stars include Brendan Coyle (Downton Abbey, Spotless), Kelly Rowan (Perception, The O.C.), Peter Mansbridge (The National) and film and television legend Ed Asner (Up, Elf, The Mary Tyler Moore Show) as a man who believes he’s Santa Claus. Produced by Shaftesbury, written by MURDOCH MYSTERIESexecutive producer and showrunner Peter Mitchell and directed by Michael McGowan (Between, Still Mine), the special is currently being filmed on location in Ontario until early November.

On a snowy night before Christmas, Murdoch and Ogden are attending a party at the McGowan mansion with Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig), his wife Margaret (Arwen Humphreys) and Constables Crabtree (Jonny Harris) and Higgins (Lachlan Murdoch). The evening’s guests, who include orphans and patients from the Hospital for Sick Children, are being treated to a production of The Little Match Girl featuring a young Mary Pickford (Peyton Kennedy) in the title role. But for the children the real treat is when Mr. Rankin (Brendan Coyle) and hostess Mrs. Millicent McGowan (Kelly Rowan) introduce their special guest, St. Nick. Unfortunately, when the curtain lifts to reveal Alister McGowan, the philanthropist host in a Santa suit, he’s lifeless and the generously donated gifts for the needy children have been stolen.

As Murdoch investigates McGowan’s murder, he learns the local business tycoon was avowed enemies with his former partner Cyrus Lynch. The Toronto Constabulary is unable to locate their prime suspect, but has little difficulty finding the missing booty, which is being handed out on the street by a man claiming to be the real St. Nick (Ed Asner). Despite the protestations of his helper, Mary Pickford, they arrest him.

For Brackenreid, the crime brings up sour memories of childhood Christmas disappointments, leading him to admonish Constable Jackson (Kristian Bruun) for putting up holiday decorations in the stationhouse. Meanwhile,Crabtree is sullen when his own plans go awry and it appears he will be alone for the holidays. But when nefarious forces intent on tarnishing the spirit and goodwill of the season suddenly appear, Murdoch realizes that in addition to solving a terrible crime, he must also save Christmas.

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Saving Hope

Link: Saving Hope’s Michelle Nolden on how Dawn will bounce back from tragedy

From Christy Spratlin of The TV Junkies:

Saving Hope’s Michelle Nolden on how Dawn will bounce back from tragedy
“It was slightly horrifying, but I had positive reaction in a sense that we were delving in to Dawn’s life. I knew from the beginning that that was probably where it was going to go, and I feel very grateful that the writers have given me such great stuff as an actor to play. But actually having to do it was horrifying.” Continue reading. 

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Featured, The Nature of Things

The Nature of Things explores obesity and our guts

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Turns out our gut bugs may be creating oversized guts. That’s one of the suggestions given as to why some suffer from obesity while others don’t. Airing Thursday under CBC’s The Nature of Things banner, “It Takes Guts” posits the 100 trillion microbes living in our digestive system influence obesity in some.

The story begins with Adrianna, who has always battled her weight. Tired of being “the fat girl,” she started an exercise regimen in her 20s and cut fast food from her diet. She didn’t lose any weight. That’s because, according to obesity expert Dr. Arya Sharma of the University of Alberta, some bodies are predisposed to being that way thanks to the microbes inside them.

Geneticist Professor Tim Spector is up next, explaining microbes influence how we eat, what we eat, how we get energy from our food, protect our immune system, help us harvest calories and produce key vitamins and nutrients. These super-small spirals, blobs and other shapes are integral in our lives, and aren’t all bad.

“It Takes Guts” offers a lot of information in an interesting way, mixing expert interviews with colourful graphics while explaining how eating processed foods is like dropping a nuclear bomb on microbes—courtesy of Spector’s son, Tom—and what we can do to cultivate and enrich the critters in our gut on the path to better health. And that artificial poop machine at the University of Guelph? Make sure you tune in for that.

The Nature of Things airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. on CBC.

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