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TV,eh? What's up in Canadian television

Eagle Vision and APTN’s 7TH GEN returns for Season Two

From a media release:

Eagle Vision and APTN’s factual series 7TH GEN returns for season two with ten new episodes featuring some of the most inspiring young Indigenous leaders from across the country. The series returns for season two on APTN in English on Friday, October 13th at 8 pm (PST/ET) and on Monday, October 9th at 8:30 pm (PST/ET) and again on Tuesday, October 10th at 7:30 am (PST/ET) in Cree. 

The idea from which 7TH GEN was sparked was the vision that positive stories of young Indigenous leaders need to be told. There are countless stories of young Indigenous people committed to making a powerful mark on the world, who are not only making an impact in their communities, but are doing so by reclaiming their culture.. Every day, the successes that emerge from this generation are inspiring other young people to share their gifts, to overcome the obstacles they face, and to inspire others by living their best lives. There are so many young Indigenous people who want to share their inspiration with others and celebrate their culture. 7TH GEN celebrates their accomplishments and honours the Elders and Knowledge Keepers who have supported them in their journeys. 

The series is hosted by dynamic Cree hosts Ivana Yellowback, Darcy Waite and Lorraine George and follows subjects including performer, motivational speaker, educator and advocate Laura Grizzlypaws (a descendant of the Stʼatʼimc Nation, from the Bear Clan community of Xwísten, and from Lillooet, BC), hockey coaches and NHL athletes Brandon and Jordan Nolan (from Garden River First Nation), entrepreneur, chef and community leader Melissa Brown (an Anishinaabe Ojibway-Jamaican woman from Winnipeg who grew up in the inner city), athlete, coach/educator, live-stream gamer Jon-Ross Merasty-Moose (Cree from O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation, Brochet and Thompson, Manitoba), advocate and post-secondary student Makaela Blake  (Inuit-Punjabi, originally from Gander, Newfoundland), and music producer and recording artist Matthew Monias aka Mattmac (an Oji-Cree, blind recording artist from Garden Hill First Nation).

7TH GEN also features multidisciplinary artist Taalrumiq (an Inuvialuk and Gwich’in from Tuktoyaktuk, Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Northwest Territories), environmental and clean energy developer Mihskakwan James Harper (Cree from Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation), artist, poet, writer, musician and activist Natasha Kanapé Fontaine (Innu from Pessamit, now living in Montréal), and two spirit, drag performer and content creator Layten Byhette, otherwise known as Chelazon Leroux (Dene from Buffalo River Dene Nation and Fond Du Lac First Nation).

The series is accompanied by a strong element of language reclamation in both the series and online, with Cree-versioned episodes, and a Cree language-learning web series. 7TH GEN also provides a showcase for young Indigenous filmmakers, writers, directors, producers, editors and others who have been given the opportunity to share their gifts and gain more experience in the industry by creating content that focuses on Indigenous stories, culture, and spiritual lessons for an audience of all people around the world.

7TH GEN is written, directed and showrun by Dinae Robinson (True Story), co-creator/executive producer and director is Lisa Meeches (The Sharing Circle), co-creator/executive producer, writer and director is Rebecca Gibson (Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On), co-creator/executive producer Kyle Irving (Capote), associate producer/writer/director Cynthia Murdock (DJ Burnt Bannock), producer Hannah Johnson (Diaspora), writer/director Jessica Landry (List of a Lifetime), director Ervin Chartrand (The Redemption Artist), writer and head of archival research Damian Panciera (True Story Part Two), writer Katarina Ziervogel (Finality of Dusk) and director of photography is Gabriel Levesque (El Toro). 

7TH Gen was made possible through the support of the Canada Media Fund, APTN, the Indigenous Screen Office, MIGIZI Distribution and Eagle Vision Canada.  

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Casting for Season 10 of CTV’s The Amazing Race Canada now open

From a media release:

Following THE AMAZING RACE CANADA’s landmark 100th episode and Season 9 finale, and the Season 10 renewal announcement, CTV has confirmed that casting is now open for the upcoming season. Beginning today, aspiring competitors can apply for their chance to experience the adventure of a lifetime at CTV.ca/TheAmazingRaceCanada.

Those looking to experience this unforgettable adventure are invited to pair up with a teammate – a friend, sibling, parent, grandparent, partner, or anyone else they share a relationship with – and submit their application for this once-in-lifetime opportunity. Further casting details, including instructions on how to submit an application, are available at CTV.ca/TheAmazingRaceCanada, with additional updates on the show’s official accounts on FacebookX, and Instagram

Customized and wholly integrated brand partnership opportunities are currently available for Season 10 of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA. 

Hosted by Olympic gold medallist Jon Montgomery, Season 9 of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA is the most-watched program of the 2022/23 broadcast year among total viewers and the key A25-54 demo with an average audience of 1.7 million viewers. The series is also the Top Summer Program and the most-watched Canadian Program for the 2022/23 broadcast year among total viewers and in all key demos, and ranks in the Top 5 on CTV.ca and the CTV app. 

Previous seasons of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA are available for streaming on CTV.ca, the CTV app, and Crave.

THE AMAZING RACE CANADA is produced by Insight Productions Ltd. (a Boat Rocker Company) in association with CTV. John Brunton is Executive Producer and Mark Lysakowski is Executive Producer and Showrunner. 

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Co-creators of Sort Of announce the acclaimed series will end with Season 3

From a media release:

Bilal Baig and Fab Filippo, co-creators, executive producers and showrunners — with Baig also the star — of the Peabody-winning CBC and Max original comedy SORT OF, today announced that the upcoming third season will be the final season of the series. The final eight-episode season will make its world premiere in Canada on the free CBC Gem streaming service beginning Friday, November 17 (two episodes will be available per week), with the series finale set for Friday, December 8.

Statement from Bilal Baig and Fab Filippo:

“To our dear Sort Of community, we’ve got an announcement to share with you all. Along with the producing team behind Sort Of, we have chosen to end the series with this upcoming third and final season. We want to thank you for welcoming this show so graciously into your worlds and for celebrating our work with generosity. 

We know how much the series means to a lot of you — it means so much to us too. It’s been such an incredible privilege to make this show for these last three years, working with every single person, cast and crew, who helped make our vision a reality. We feel incredibly fortunate to have received your love and enthusiasm and passion for all things Sort Of and to be totally real, to end the show was a very difficult decision to make.

We set out to tell a story about a kind of transition in Sabi’s life, and how those around them also change  — and we feel in this coming  season that story came to an end in a way that felt right for us. 

We’re aware that series like ours, shows that feature queer and trans characters, tend to get cancelled early on, and we know that’s been happening a lot recently. We want to say that’s not what’s going down here. We made this third season knowing it would be our last. A big shout-out to Sphere Media, CBC and Max for believing in the story and for helping us tell it over these last few years. 

We’re also aware that this show is ending at a time when trans communities continue to be targeted and trans rights are being constantly attacked. Our hope is that this series can continue to affirm lives and spark conversations well after the final season drops. Sort Of will always exist, despite all the transphobia in our world. 

The final season will make its world premiere in Canada on the free CBC Gem streaming service beginning November 17th and in early 2024 on Max and soon after all over the world. We hope you love watching this season as much as we loved making it. 

Thank you for sharing in the laughter and the tears with us. Take care out there, and goodbye for now!”

Produced by Sphere Media, SORT OF has made its way into the hearts of viewers from around the world since its debut on CBC in 2021, with many lives having been positively impacted by its authentic and unapologetic approach to queerness and the universal experience of transition. The final season will also air on CBC TV in Winter 2024. Seasons 1 and 2 of SORT OF are currently available to stream for free in Canada on CBC Gem.

The third and final season shows Sabi Mehboob (Baig) coming to terms with feelings of grief and an unexpected sense of freedom following the death of their father. Without the constraints of living up to their father’s expectations Sabi confronts big questions about their identity, prompting some massive life choices. In a season that has the entire ensemble grappling with aftermaths, a rebirth comes in a sort of messy, sort of hopeful, sort of ‘Sort Of’ way.

In addition to Baig, returning cast members include Gray Powell as Paul; Amanda Cordner as 7ven; Ellora Patnaik as Raffo; Supinder Wraich as Aqsa; Kaya Kanashiro as Violet; Aden Bedard as Henry; Raymond Cham Jr. as Wolf; Becca Blackwell as Deenzie; Ali Hassan as Shehraz; Kareem Vaude as Kareem; Varun Saranga as Izzy; Ayesha Mansur Gonsalves as Mumtaz; and with Grace Lynn Kung as Bessy.

Internationally acclaimed author, poet, comedian and public speaker Alok Vaid-Menon, and accomplished writer, producer and actor Angelica Ross (American Horror Story, Pose) will make cameo appearances in the final season.

The acclaimed dramatic comedy cemented its place in the comedic landscape by winning seven 2023 Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Comedy Series. Baig also recently received the CMF Trans Barrier Breaker Award during the 2023 TIFF Trans Filmmakers Summit. This is in addition to the series having won a Peabody in the Entertainment Category at the 82nd Annual Peabody Awards, as well as receiving a second Peabody nomination for the upcoming 83rd Annual Peabody Awards, and receiving the Banff Rockie Award for Program of the Year. The series also won three 2022 Canadian Screen Awards for Best Comedy Series, Best Writing, Comedy, and the Members’ Choice Series Ensemble Award. Baig and Filippo received a Writer’s Guild of Canada Screenwriting Award in 2022. SORT OF also received a GLAAD Media Award nomination for Outstanding New TV Series in 2022 and 2023.

SORT OF features Sabi Mehboob (Baig), a gender expansive millennial who is so over-editing themselves to make others comfortable. From love to family to career, Sabi feels like they’re in transition. SORT OF exposes the labels people once poured themselves into as no longer applicable…to anyone.

A CBC/Max original series, SORT OF is produced with the participation of the Canada Media Fund. Bilal Baig and Fab Filippo are creators, executive producers and co-showrunners and Jennifer Kawaja is executive producer along with Bruno Dubé for Sphere Media. Directors for the final season are Fab Filippo (Save Me) and Shamim Sarif (Despite the Falling Snow). Andrea Glinski and Laura Perlmutter are co-executive producers. Baig and Filippo were joined by writers and co-executive producers Ian Iqbal Rashid (Touch of Pink) and Tricia Fish (New Waterford Girl). 

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Links: SurrealEstate, Season 2

From Heather M. of TV Goodness:

Link: Previewing SurrealEstate Season 2 Premiere “Trust the Process”
We’re a week out from the return of our favorite supernatural real estate squad as SurrealEstate Season 2 begins on Syfy in the US and CTV Sci-Fi and Crave in Canada. It’s been a circuitous route – cancelled soon after the first season finale in October 2021 and then uncancelled with a surprise announcement in May of 2022. May you live in interesting times, y’all. Continue reading.

From Meredith Jacobs of TV Insider:

Link: ‘SurrealEstate’: Luke’s Struggling, Susan’s Taking Charge & More Season 2 Scoop (VIDEO)
The Roman Agency is once again open for business, but things are different. SurrealEstate is back for its second season on Syfy on October 4, though it almost didn’t get one. Continue reading.

From Greg Archer of Movieweb:

Link: Exclusive: Tim Rozon Says the Demons in Season 2 of Surreal Estate Are So Much Scarier Than Before
SyFy’s Surreal Estate has plenty of frights and mystery in escrow. The quirky hit show won audiences over in season one as real estate agent Luke Roman was bombarded with surprises at The Roman Agency. Continue reading.

From Heather M. of TV Goodness:

Link: Previewing SurrealEstate “The Butler Didn’t” with George R. Olson
“One of the things that makes Luke such a great character for me is that he has this combination of pragmatism and compassion. One of the really nice discoveries that we walked into or, or kind of found our way into about Luke, was that even without his powers, it doesn’t change the fundamental compassion of the guy and the way he looks at this other world, which he’s been given a rare glimpse into.” Continue reading.

From Heather M. of TV Goodness:

Link: Danishka Esterhazy talks SurrealEstate: “The Butler Didn’t”
“We [knew] the right actor can make this scene so amazing. Somebody who’s got great comic timing and a real personality and range. If you give this scene to just an average Joe, it won’t sing. We needed somebody who’s really, really special. So when we were casting, we found out Patrick was available.” Continue reading.

From Heather M. of TV Goodness:

Link: George Olson and Danishka Esterhazy Talk SurrealEstate “I Put a Spell on You”
“But I think because of a natural love of female-driven gothic horror, the penultimate scene in Kay’s attic was my favorite that I just loved putting together. I loved that set that we built. And I love Tara Yelland’s performance. I think she’s so charismatic and fascinating and scary and wonderful.” Continue reading.

From Heather M. of TV Goodness:

Link: Spencer Creaghan Talks SurrealEstate Season 2 Soundtrack Volume 1
“I come from a soundtrack background. I like soundtrack music. I listen to a lot of soundtrack music. A lot of the people that I listen to on a daily basis are film composers and TV composers. Growing up, I listened to The Lord of the Rings soundtracks and The Pirates of the Caribbean soundtracks and all these kinds of things.” Continue reading.

From Heather M. of TV Goodness:

Link: Previewing SurrealEstate “Set Your Flag On Fire” + Talking Character with Spencer Creaghan
“And Luke was probably the most interesting because the piece that I wrote as my pitch was supposed to be Luke’s theme. But as I watched the show and as I spoke with George, I learned that Luke’s a pretty deep guy. Then that riff wasn’t gonna be enough to really capture who he was.” Continue reading.

From Heather M. of TV Goodness:

Link: Tim Rozon Talks SurrealEstate Season 2 + a Preview of “Dearly Departed”
With just two episodes left this season, SurrealEstate is entering the home stretch of its second season. Continue reading.

From Heather M. of TV Goodness:

Link: Spencer Creaghan Talks About Creating SurrealEstate’s Signature Sound
SurrealEstate is winding down its second season, with two episodes left, and just as in Season 1, Spencer Creaghan’s music continues to be a character unto itself. Continue reading.

From Heather M. of TV Goodness:

Link: George R. Olson, Tim Rozon, and Sarah Levy Talk the SurrealEstate S2 Finale
How’s everyone doing after the finale? As we close out the second season of SurrealEstate, some of our merry band of misfits are scattering to the winds–Zooey to law school, Phil to the Vatican, and Augie back to his think tank with Rochelle, while Lomax stays on in the new Roman Ireland Agency. Continue reading.

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This October, CTV Sci-Fi Channel embraces spooky season with new and returning series

From a media release:

Beginning October 4, CTV Sci-Fi Channel’s October schedule is possessed by ghosts, vampires, some unlikely heroes, and…real estate agents! With a slate of new and returning series, first to hit the market is Season 2 of CTV Sci-Fi Original series SURREALESTATE, returning Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET beginning Oct. 4, with new original series PARANORMAL REVENGEhaunting Fridays at 9 p.m. ET beginning Oct. 6 on CTV Sci-Fi, CTV.ca, and the CTV app.

Joining SURREALESTATE on Wednesdays, and making its Canadian broadcast debut, REGINALD THE VAMPIRE sinks its fangs into the 9 p.m. ET timeslot beginning Oct. 11. DOOM PATROL also returns to the CTV Sci-Fi schedule beginning Oct. 12 as the final six episodes of the series air Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. ET.

New episodes of SURREALESTATE, PARANORMAL REVENGE, REGINALD THE VAMPIRE, and DOOM PATROL are available to stream on CTV.ca and the CTV app.

New and Returning Series:

SURREALESTATE Season 2 
Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET beginning October 4 

Without his special abilities to see, hear, and speak to the supernatural entities that complicate his clients’ real estate transactions, Luke Roman (Tim Rozon, WYNONNA EARP) leans heavily on his eccentric team, even as his associate Susan (Sarah Levy, SCHITT’S CREEK) becomes captivated – and captured – by a mysterious home of her own.

SURREALESTATE is produced by Blue Ice Pictures in association with Bell Media and SYFY with the participation of PictureNL. George Olson developed the series for television and serves as showrunner and executive producer. Lance Samuels, Daniel Iron, Armand Leo, Danishka Esterhazy, Neil Tabatznik, Cosima von Spreti, and Kevin Anweiler also serve as executive producers. For Bell Media, Sarah Fowlie is Head of Production, Original Programming; Carlyn Klebuc is General Manager, Original Programming; Pat DiVittorio is Vice-President, CTV and Specialty Programming. Justin Stockman is Vice-President, Content Development & Programming, Bell Media. Karine Moses is Senior Vice-President, Content Development & News, Bell Media and Vice Chair, Québec, Bell.

Season 1 of SURREALESTATE is available to stream on CTV.ca and the CTV app, beginning September 28

PARANORMAL REVENGE *New Series*
Fridays at 9 p.m. ET beginning October 6

PARANORMAL REVENGE offers a fresh approach to creepy, hair-raising stories that emanate from the dimension beyond. Each story unfolds from the perspective of a main storyteller – a victim – who has been targeted by a mysterious paranormal entity or entities. What follows is a truly original and compelling approach: a mash-up of the true-crime procedural and terrifying ghost stories.

PARANORMAL REVENGE is produced by Sphere Media in association with Bell Media. For Sphere Media, Robin Bicknell is the Series Producer; Bruno Dubé, Marlo Miazga, Corinna Lehr, Andrea Griffith, Aidan Denison, and Sean Connolly are Executive Producers. For Bell Media, Rachel Goldstein-Couto is Head of Development; Danielle Pearson is Senior Production Executive, Original Programming; Sarah Fowlie is Head of Production, Original Programming; Carlyn Klebuc is General Manager, Original Programming; Pat DiVittorio is Vice-President, CTV and Specialty Programming. Justin Stockman is Vice-President, Content Development & Programming, Bell Media. Karine Moses is Senior Vice-President, Content Development & News, Bell Media and Vice Chair, Québec, Bell.

REGINALD THE VAMPIRE *New Series, Canadian Broadcast Premiere*
Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET beginning October 11

Imagine a world populated by beautiful, fit, and vain vampires. Reginald Andres (Jacob Batalon, Spider-Man: No Way Home) tumbles headlong into it as an unlikely hero who will have to navigate every kind of obstacle – the girl he loves but can’t be with, a bully manager at work, and the vampire chieftain who wants him dead. Fortunately, Reginald discovers he has a few unrecognized powers of his own.

REGINALD THE VAMPIRE is produced by Great Pacific Media, Modern Story Company, December Films, and Cineflix Studios and executive produced by Harley Peyton, Jeremiah Chechik, Todd Berger, Lindsay Macadam, Brett Burlock, and Peter Emerson. Produced in Association with SYFY, the series is based on the on the Fat Vampire series of novels by Johnny B. Truant. Cineflix Rights acts as worldwide distribution partner.

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