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TV,eh? What's up in Canadian television
Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

New documentary series, DirtFarmers, highlights farm life in unique and hilarious ways

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From a media release:

Farming is hard work and working with family can make it even harder. And for the Simpson brothers, that’s especially true. Working together to run the family farm in Ruthilda, Saskatchewan, Trevor, a chainsmoking, coffee swilling oil rigger and his younger brother Jason, a good farmer who procrastinates on everything, the two find themselves in some interesting scenarios.

Produced by Angel Entertainment of Saskatoon, DirtFarmers aims to give viewers a peek into the life of a farmer in an entertaining and relatable way. Known for biting off more than they can chew, the two brothers and their team of friends and family, work to keep the farm running. From dealing with rising costs to struggling with falling crop prices, the brothers highlight all sides of what farming means.

Viewers can expect to see a few shenanigans, learn new unique farming-related catchphrases and watch a family come together through thick and thin, all in the name of a successful harvest. The premiere episode will be aired on CityTV Saskatchewan at 10:00 p.m. CST on March 10, 2020. Miss an episode? Don’t worry, you can stream them online.

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Industry News

Canada Files interview series will air on U.S. public television

From a media release:

A new series of television interview programs focusing on outstanding Canadians will launch on several Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) stations in the United States, beginning in February.  The series, entitled CANADA FILES, will be hosted by veteran Toronto broadcaster James Deeks, and produced by his Toronto-based production company.

Initially accepted for broadcast by WNED-TV, the Buffalo, NY, affiliate of PBS, CANADA FILES is currently in production.  Confirmed guests include Booker Prize-winning novelist Margaret Atwood, former CBC National News anchor Peter Mansbridge, Vancouver business tycoon Jim Pattison, rock legend Robbie Robertson, and several others.

One of the underlying purposes of CANADA FILES is to make American audiences aware and appreciative of the Canadian heritage of so many of the guests they would recognize.  As well, to provide a better understanding of the role that so many Canadians play on the North American stage.

The initial series will consist of 13 half-hour episodes, featuring one-on-one discussions between Deeks and his guests.  Production of the series has been underwritten by private Canadian donors, and by the Central Canadian Public Television Association (CCPTA), a registered Canadian charitable organization.  CCPTA’s mission is to advance education through the production, distribution, and promotion of non-commercial television programs, films and other communications that are educational in nature.

A former television journalist and news anchor at CTV Toronto, Jim Deeks most recently co-hosted a program on RogersTV Toronto called Toronto Files.  He’s also well-known to WNED viewers as one of its regular, on-air Pledge Drive fundraisers.

CANADA FILES will be aired on WNED on Sunday evenings at 6:00 pm, starting on February 9th.  Other PBS affiliates will determine their own broadcast times for the series.  The programs will also be streamed online on www.canadafiles.ca.

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Featured

Comments and queries for the week of March 6

Absolutely love Making It Home and Dave and Kortney!!! Would love them to come and renovate my main living space. —Lisa

This show is not nearly as good as Masters of Flip. Perhaps it is because Kortney and Dave cannot boost the sale price if they go over budget but must stick to what the homeowners have decided to spend. I find the opening of the show annoying – the constant joking and laughing detracts from people who are supposed to be professionals. Next, having the owners come in with their eyes closed is kid’s birthday party stuff. Let them come in without all that. Lastly, Dave seems like a level-headed guy. Is it really necessary for Kortney to put him down, pick up on tiny mistakes and generally demonstrate that he is necessary but not really appreciated? —S

I agree that some of the contestants [on Family Feud Canada] aren’t very bright, but what surprises me is the answers given by the 100 surveyed Canadians! Some of their answers are not what an average person would say. Do they give dumb answers in order to hinder the contestants? So many reasonable answers get X’d. Also, how could the Popeye question be a reasonable one as there could be only one correct answer. I think it was a promo stunt. —Kit

Got a question or comment about Canadian TV? Email greg.david@tv-eh.com or via Twitter @tv_eh.

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Industry News

Just For Laughs’ Stand Up & Pitch ’20 launches

From a media release:

Submissions are now open for the largest and longest-running comedy pitch program, the 11thannual Just For Laughs’ Stand Up & Pitch in Montreal. Project 10 Productions and Tubefilter return as presenters of this unique program, running from July 22-25, 2020 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, TV or OTT concept to a panel of seasoned development and production executives, in a room filled with over 100 comedy industry tastemakers and accredited industry professionals. One winner will be selected from each session format and will be invited back for the 2021 edition of Just For Laughs ComedyPRO. They 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.

Stand Up & Pitch showcases projects from across the comedy spectrum, from a diverse range of comedy creators. Projects have come from creators such as festival favourites Andy Kindler and Jay Oakerson, YouTube sensation Epic Lloyd Ahlquist (Epic Rapp Battles), notable Netflix performers Keisha Zollar and Dwayne Perkins, JFL New Face Leonard Chan, Award-winning producer Lauren Corber and First Nation Canadian star Darrell Dennis.

Open to comedians, writers, producers and creators, Stand Up & Pitch offers two (2) formats for submission:

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 animated series. These pitches are intended for television programs running 30mins. This year’s prestigious panellists confirmed to date include Devin Griffin (Executive Vice President & General Manager of BET+), Kate Adler (Executive Vice President of Comedy Development, CBS Television Studios) and Chris Kelley (Production Executive, Original Programming, Comedy, Bell Media), moderated by Ben Murray (President of Project 10 Canada). Previous panellists for this program have included executives from other esteemed companies including Amazon, 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. This year’s prestigious panellists include Deniese Davis (COO of ColorCreative), Ally Engelberg (Director of Development and Production at Above Average), Jennifer Danielson (Senior Vice President of Digital Content at Comedy Central) and Zadi Diaz (Founder of Major Digital Studios), moderated by Drew Baldwin (Founder and CEO of Tubefilter, Creator and Executive Producer of the Streamy Awards).

Deadline to submit projects for this year’s event is May 8, 2020 at 11:59pm PST.

For additional details, full submission guidelines, and to submit for the 11th annual Stand Up & Pitch program, visit the Just For Laughs ComedyPRO website at www.comedypro.hahaha.com/submissions.

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