Vinessa Antoine, Vincent Leclerc and Sarah Booth to star in the second season of the CBC original drama series Plan B

September 20, 2023 Greg David

From a media release:

CBC today announced a second season of the time-bending original drama series PLAN B (6×60) from KOTV. An adaptation of the popular French-language drama series of the same name (now in its fourth season for Radio-Canada), season 2 will focus on a completely new story, starring Vinessa Antoine (Diggstown, Interrogation), Vincent Leclerc (lxe-13, The Revenant), and Sarah Booth (Three Pines, Heartland).

The new season follows Mia Coleman (Antoine), a Montreal police officer. Mia is approaching her fortieth birthday and grieving the end of her relationship with her ex, and her ex’s son, whom she embraced as her own. At work, the constant injustice she faces gnaws at her own sense of purpose. Mia’s already tumultuous life is turned upside-down when a seemingly routine intervention in a family crisis involving Paul (Leclerc) and Keri Whitman (Booth) results in the worst imaginable outcome. What if Mia and her partner Tyler had the evidence that would have prevented this life-altering event? Through Plan B, a strange agency that can take her back in time, Mia will stop at nothing to prevent a family tragedy, and will embark on a journey during which she’ll delve deep into her own psyche, confronting buried emotions and an unresolved past. Could Mia’s chosen path be a desperate but subconscious attempt to heal her own wounds? Season 2 of PLAN B explores the mind of a woman who, in her efforts to change a family’s destiny, discovers her own.

A CBC original production, PLAN B is produced by Quebec-based production company KOTV, with international distribution by Red Arrow Studios International. Jean-François Asselin, who co-created the original French-language series, directs and also co-writes, with Celeste Parr, this English adaptation. Asselin also serves as Showrunner and Executive Producer, alongside Louis Morissette. For KOTV, Louis-Philippe Drolet, Celeste Parr, Mélanie Viau, Jacques Drolet and Aisling “Ash” Chin-Yee are Executive Producers. For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports; Trish Williams is Executive Director, Scripted Content; Sarah Adams is Director of Current Production, Drama; and Nicola Makoway is Executive in Charge of Production.

Plan B Internationally
The French series is enjoying great success on the international market. Adapted and broadcast by TF1 in France in May 2021, the made-for-France adaptation of the series starring Julie De Bona rose to the top of the charts. In Flemish Belgium, the adaptation broadcast in March 2021 was also a great success. Additionally, Season 2 won Best Scripted Format at the 2020 C21 International Format Awards.

Pier-Luc Funk (Genesis, Matthias & Maxime) stars in Season 4 of the original Quebecois version of the series. This new season is available in the Vero.tv section of ICI Tou.tv Extra and currently airing on ICI Télé.

About KOTV
For over a decade, Montreal-based company KOTV has partnered with renowned creators to bring a multitude of programs in fiction, documentary, variety, magazine and youth to the screen. A leader in the field of production, adaptation and television distribution, KOTV is distinguished by its ability to renew itself. Its ambitions know no borders and the company continues to ascend by opening up to new markets via original English-language productions through international co-productions, and by exploiting its drama and variety formats around the world.

Amazing Race Canada

CTV orders landmark 10th season of The Amazing Race Canada

September 19, 2023 Greg David

From a media release:

In advance of tonight’s pulse-pounding, show-stopping, and inspiring Season 9 finale of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, CTV announced today that the nation’s favourite summertime adventure series is returning for a landmark 10th season. Following an action-packed race that saw 10 teams travel across six provinces, 11 cities, and more than 12,000 kilometers from coast-to-coast, THE AMAZING RACE CANADA celebrates yet another milestone as tonight’s (Sept. 19) Season 9 finale, airing at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV.ca and the CTV app, marks the 100th episode for the series.

Aspiring racers from coast-to-coast-to-coast looking for an adventure of a lifetime can follow @AmazingRaceCDA on social media and/or visit CTV.ca/TheAmazingRaceCanada for further Season 10 casting details, with updates to be announced soon.

Along with today’s announcement, customized and wholly integrated brand partnership opportunities are now 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 Top Summer Program among total viewers and all key demos, and the Top Canadian Program for the 2022-23 broadcast year, with a season average of 1.7 million viewers.

Season 9 of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA joins previous seasons of the series available for streaming on CTV.ca and the CTV app. Season 9 will also be available on Crave, beginning Friday, Sept. 22.

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.

Bria Mack Gets a Life

Fantastical new Crave original comedy series, Bria Mack Gets a Life premieres October 13

September 18, 2023 Greg David

From a media release:

On the heels of its world premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, the Crave Original series BRIA MACK GETS A LIFE premieres on Crave on Friday, Oct. 13. The hysterical six-episode, half-hour comedy is the vision of creator and showrunner Sasha Leigh Henry, who was named one of Variety’s “10 Canadians to watch” in 2022 and is behind critically acclaimed short films Black Bodies and Sinking Ship. BRIA MACK GETS A LIFE follows a 25-year-old Black woman as she navigates adulthood in a predominantly white world, made all the more difficult, but also more tolerable, by Black Attack, her invisible hype girl.

Episodes 1-3 of BRIA MACK GET A LIFE drop on Friday, Oct. 13 with episodes 3-6 dropping on Friday, Oct. 20. The official trailer for the series is available HERE.

After seven long years in University, fresh graduate and newly minted valedictorian, Bria McFarlane (Malaika Hennie-Hamadi), moves back home to the suburbs ready to finally take a break. But when her mother Marie (Leslie Adlam) shares her plan to retire early – and soon – Bria must coordinate her life, friends, dating, a place to live, and most importantly, a job, to fund it all, before time runs out. With her hype girl and most-trusted imaginary confidant, Black Attack (Hannan Younis), by her side, the series follows the pair as they take on the world… one microaggression at a time.

Led by Hennie-Hamadi and Younis, the unfiltered comedy features a predominantly BIPOC cast including Adlam; Manuel Rodriguez-Saenz; Amalia Williamson; Marlee Sansom; Preeti Torul; Robert Bazzocchi; Nia Cummins; Robert Clarke; Femi Lawson; Shannon Jardine; Catherine De Sève; and Mark Forward. Over the course of the season, the series illustrates the varied ways navigating adulthood can manifest anxiety, especially for a young, clever, Black woman. Punctuated by inner monologues and fantasies, BRIA MACK GETS A LIFE acutely explores what it feels like to figure out who you want to be in a world too eager to tell you who you are.

On Thursday, Oct. 12, New Metric Media hosts the special event, BRIA MACK GETS A LIFE LIVE! at Comedy Bar in Toronto. The event features stand-up comedy, musical performances, and a screening of episode 1 and 2. For more information, please visit www.BriaMackGetsALife.tv.

BRIA MACK GETS A LIFE is produced by New Metric Media in association with Bell Media’s Crave with the participation of the Bell Fund. Executive producers are Sasha Leigh-Henry, Mark Montefiore, and Tania Thompson; Angelique Knights and Tamar Bird serve as producers; and directors are Sasha Leigh-Henry and Kelly Fyffe-Marshall.

Featured, Industry News

Attend The Film on TV Project 1977 & 1979

September 15, 2023 Greg David

From a media release:

Step back in time as rare, 16mm film clips from TV shows from the ‘60s and the ‘70s are projected onto the theatre’s giant screen.

See the 1963 Fall Preview promotional film “CBS: The Stars Address” featuring Lucille Ball, Jack Benny, Ed Sullivan, Dick Van Dyke, Alfred Hitchcock, Clint Eastwood from “Rawhide,” The Beverly Hillbillies, Walter Cronkite and others.

Then there’s 1972’s “CBS Where the Good Times Are,” welcoming a string of new hits that year including M*A*S*H, Maude, The Waltons, The Bob Newhart Show and a show that should have run longer, Bridget Loves Birney. Other clips include scenes from All in the Family, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Carol Burnett Show and many more.

Bill Brioux, TV columnist, curator and podcaster, puts these rare films from his private collection into context. Come ready to answer TV trivia questions and win prizes!

Two matinee showings: Saturday, Sept. 23 at 1 p.m. and Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 1 p.m.

Go to thewestdale.ca for tickets and more information.

Transplant

Award-winning CTV original drama Transplant concludes with Season 4, beginning October 6

September 13, 2023 Greg David

From a media release:

As TRANSPLANT returns for an all-new season, which finds everyone at York Memorial Hospital encountering bold emotional medical cases while facing personal upheaval and unexpected new beginnings, CTV announced today that the acclaimed original drama will conclude following its upcoming fourth season. The award-winning series returns to CTV’s fall schedule, airing Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app, for an exciting conclusion to Bashir “Bash” Hamed’s (Hamza Haq, Viking) emotional journey to start his life over again, beginning Oct. 6. Consisting of 10 one-hour episodes, TRANSPLANT is produced by Sphere Media in association with CTV and Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group.

“I’d always intended a four-season window into Bashir’s life as he completes his medical residency for a second time, sets down roots in Canada, and learns to shed some of his past, and it’s incredibly fulfilling to be able to tell his complete story,” said Joseph Kay, TRANSPLANT Creator, Executive Producer, and Showrunner. “This series is a labour of love for the great many of us who make it, and we’re excited for people to keep finding it for years to come. Thank you to our partners at Bell Media and Universal International Studios for the unyielding support.”

“From the beginning viewers embraced Bash’s story and the incredible world Joseph created, and we’re incredibly proud to have been part of the journey,” said Justin Stockman, Vice-President, Content Development & Programming, Bell Media. “As Season 4 brings this story to a fulfilling end, we want to thank the extraordinary cast and crew, and our partners at Sphere Media and Universal International Studios, for bringing this unforgettable series to life.”

Currently filming in Montréal, Season 4 of TRANSPLANT finds Bashir “Bash” Hamed (Haq) on the precipice of finishing his residency at York Memorial and officially re-qualifying as a doctor. With his future uncertain once again, Bash and his sister Amira (Sirena Gulamgaus, CHAPELWAITE) are Canadian citizens now, but are still trying, with everything they have, to build a life in their adopted country.

TRANSPLANT stars Hamza Haq as Dr. Bashir “Bash” Hamed; Laurence Leboeuf (SHORESY, 19-2) as Dr. Magalie “Mags” Leblanc; Ayisha Issa (POLAR) as Dr. June Curtis; Jim Watson (DESIGNATED SURVIVOR) as Dr. Theo Hunter; Rekha Sharma (YELLOWJACKETS) as Dr. Neeta Devi; Sirena Gulamgaus as Amira Hamed; Torri Higginson (DARK MATTER, THIS LIFE) as Claire Malone; Kenny Wong (PRETTY HARD CASES) as Arnold De Luca; Sugith Varughese (KIM’S CONVENIENCE) as Dr. Aajay Singh; and Gord Rand (ORPHAN BLACK) as Dr. Mark Novak.

Since its debut in 2020, TRANSPLANT has routinely ranked as a Top 20 series on CTV and has remained the most-watched Canadian drama series each broadcast year. To date, the series has amassed 23 Canadian Screen Award nominations, and has been honoured with 15 wins, including two wins for Best Dramatic Series and three consecutive wins for Hamza Haq in the Best Lead Performer, Drama Series category.

Seasons 1 through 3 of TRANSPLANT are available for streaming on CTV.ca and the CTV app, currently available with no subscription or sign-in required until Oct. 6, as well as on Crave. Exclusive videos are available throughout the season on @CTV and @TransplantCTV social channels, and on CTV.ca and the CTV app, providing viewers with exclusive digital content including behind-the-scenes moments, interviews with the cast, and more.

In the premiere episode of Season 4, titled “Crete” (Friday, Oct. 6 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app), Bash (Haq) and Mags (Leboeuf) team up to save a John and Jane Doe found in the woods. A fully qualified surgeon now, June (Issa) sees her old mentor in a new light. Suspended from the hospital, Theo (Watson) longs for the action while treating patients virtually. Devi (Sharma) makes a budget cut decision, which will have major consequences for the Emergency Department.

Writers on Season 4 of TRANSPLANT include Joseph Kay, who is also Executive Producer and Showrunner; Rachel Langer (EP); Kinana Issa (Executive Story Editor); Ahmad Meree (Executive Story Editor); and Basheer Amin (Junior Story Editor). Directors are Stefan Pleszczynski, who also serves as Executive Producer, Chloé Robichaud, Jeanne Leblanc, Caroline Labréche, and Samir Rhem.

Cultural consultants on Season 4 of TRANSPLANT, providing valuable insight and feedback on scripts and character development, include Ahmad Meree, Kinana Issa, Bahar Ahmadi, and Kutaiba Hajirah

TRANSPLANT is created by Joseph Kay who also serves as Executive Producer and Showrunner.