From a media release:

Rezolution Pictures is very proud to announce that APTN has greenlit the third season of GESPE’GEWA’GI: The Last Land for a 9-part, half-hour episode series. Principal photography is set to start in May 2023. It’s hot on the heels of Season 2 of GESPE’GEWA’GI: The Last Land, which has just finished post-production and will be broadcast on APTN in late 2023; the official broadcast date will be confirmed once available.

Gespe’gewa’gi: The Last Land is a fun and engaging television series that is, at its core, character-driven, featuring people who do sometimes volatile, dangerous, yet exciting jobs. The series is a celebration of Indigenous people of Atlantic Canada and the fisheries that sustain them, both culturally and economically. We laugh with them, share their successes and frustrations, and get a glimpse of their life in communities that national audiences rarely get to see.

GESPE’GEWA’GI: The Last Land Season 2 – the 10-part, half-hour documentary series is about the men and women of Mi’kma’ki whose work is connected to the fishing industry. Following larger-than-life characters, we experience the fun and excitement of their lives on and off the water. We also get an inside perspective on how First Nations commercial fishing industries – that were born out of violence and defiance – grew to be a key economic and cultural support for the communities, with conservation at the forefront. The second season takes us to Pictou Landing First Nation and Sipekne’katik in Nova Scotia, as well as Listuguj and Gesgapegiag in Quebec where we meet new characters who will take us harvesting for kelp, fishing for lobster, snow crab, and shrimp, as well as introducing new and exciting species like eel and tuna. This season features a higher proportion of women characters in the industries of commercial fisheries and science.

Season 3 will expand the coverage of Mi’kma’ki, bringing us to different communities in Unama’ki, the Land of the Fog (Cape Breton) and Epekwitk (meaning lying in the water), also known as P.E.I., where we’ll meet captivating people who love their jobs and want to share their stories. They’ll also take us fishing for lobster, snow crab, tuna, trout, eel, and oysters. We’ll continue to learn about the science and conservation efforts surrounding the fisheries, the triumphs and challenges that come with running them, whether it be commercial, Food-Social-Ceremonial or Mi’kmaq Treaty Fishing and the rich cultural and political histories in the context of both modern and traditional Mi’kma’ki.

The first season of the documentary series about the Mi’gmaq fishers of Listuguj, Que., who fish in the breath-taking Gaspé region for salmon, crab, lobster and shrimp, was first broadcast in Winter 2021 and the entire season is available on APTN lumi and CBC Gem.
Upon its premiere in the winter of 2021, of the series received support from major media during its first season, including coverage by the Globe and Mail and CTV’s midday talk show, The Social. Over three months, the trailer garnered over 54,000 views. Watch the Season 1 TRAILER HERE.

GESPE’GEWA’GI: The Last Land Season 2 with English and Mi’kmaq versions, is co-executive produced by Ernest Webb (Cree) and Greg Lawrence, produced by Lisa M. Roth. Season 2 combines the directing talent of Ernest Webb, Greg Lawrence, and Courtney Montour (Mohawk). Heather Condo (Mi’gmaq) returns as Director Trainee and April Maloney (Mi’kmaq) came on board as director of photography trainee.

GESPE’GEWA’GI: The Last Land Season 3 in English and Mi’kmaq is directed by Ernest Webb (Cree) and Greg Lawrence, Heather Condo (Mi’gmaq), Eliza Knockwood (Mi’kmaq); produced by Lisa M. Roth. with Production Supervisor Denis McCready; Production Manager Brittany LeBorgne (Mohawk), and production coordinator Shantae Gibson (Kainai)

About Rezolution Pictures
Rezolution Pictures is an award-winning production company that’s changing the narrative when it comes to diversity and representation in the entertainment landscape. They have established original Indigenous content within mainstream media and sold programming around the world in major markets to broadcasters including GEM, APTN, Superchannel, OMNI, TVO, CBC, RDI, ARTV, Télé-Québec, FNX, Vision Maker and internationally with PBS, Peacock +, ARTE. The Emmy-nominated Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World has won awards at Sundance, Hot Docs and the CSAs and the Gemini- and Peabody-winning Reel Injun has been inducted into the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Museum. The much-anticipated original limited series Little Bird produced with Crave, APTN, OP Little Bird and in partnership with Fremantle premieres on Crave & APTN lumi on May 26 and won the Audience Award Prize at the Séries Mania festival in Lille, France this spring.

Departure, Family Law

New seasons of Canadian original dramas Family Law and Departure return

May 1, 2023 Greg David 1 Comment

From a media release:

Canada’s biggest stars shine bright this summer on Global with the return of Global scripted series Family Law and Departure, plus new reality competition series Superfan adds even more star power to this summer’s hottest schedule. The wait is over for Family Law Season 2, premiering Monday, May 22 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Global and STACKTV. The principal cast including Canadians Jewel Staite, Victor Garber, Zach Smadu, Genelle Williams and Lauren Holly all return for the new season, which was the #1 new Canadian series when it debuted. Then, fresh off five nominations at this year’s Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Drama Series, Departure Season 3 promises to bring the action this summer when it returns Monday, August 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Global and STACKTV. Acclaimed Canadian actor Eric McCormack joins Emmy Award® winner Archie Panjabi and the rest of the ensemble cast as they investigate the sinking of a sea ferry destined for Newfoundland.

Airing Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT beginning May 22, Family Law Season 2 follows Abby (Jewel Staite) and her dysfunctional family as they help other dysfunctional families – all while navigating their own personal dramas. After six months’ probation at her father’s firm, Abby’s getting into the groove of family law –but her marriage is a trainwreck. Harry (Victor Garber), meanwhile, has finally made Daniel (Zach Smadu) a partner – but is he ready to share his firm with his son? Daniel’s quest for approval leads him to a carefree woman who is definitely not his type, or is she? And Lucy (Genelle Williams) is crashing at Joanne’s, hoping she can fix things with a newly-pregnant Maggie –and getting up her older sister’s nose at the same time.

Then later this summer, Departure Season 3 sets sail Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT starting August 7. The all-new, six-part event series follows the investigation into the sinking of a sea ferry, The Queen of the Narrows. It’s a beautiful day in Boston when almost 500 passengers board the ferry destined for Newfoundland, Canada. A few hours into the journey an “explosion” onboard throws passengers into a panic, rushing for lifeboats as the ferry takes on water with alarming speed. What unfolds for many of the passengers is an unimaginable nightmare with serious loss of life as the ship sinks in record time. The investigation team, led by Kendra Malley (Archie Panjabi) begin to unravel the many tangled threads of the investigation all in search of one answer: why did the Queen of the Narrows suddenly sink to the bottom of the sea?

Stay tuned for more summer lineup announcements coming soon, including the premiere date for the much-anticipated new Global Original Robyn Hood from prolific Canadian music video director and renowned TV director and filmmaker Director X. Plus another exciting new season of Big Brother!

Global’s entertaining lineup of hit series are also all available to stream anytime on STACKTV, GlobalTV.com and the Global TV App.

Family Law is produced by SEVEN24 Films (Heartland, JANN) and Lark Productions (Motive, Fortunate Son). It was created by Susin Nielsen (Robson Arms, Cedar Cove), who also serves as executive producer and showrunner. The series is executive produced by Jordy Randall, Tom Cox, Erin Haskett and Andy Mikita. For Corus, Susan Alexander is Production Executive; Rachel Nelson is Vice President, Original Content, Scripted, Factual and Kids; Lisa Godfrey is Senior Vice President of Original Content and Corus Studios; Colin Bohm is Executive Vice President of Content and Corporate Strategy.

Christina Jennings, Scott Garvie, Paul Pope, Jackie May, and Archie Panjabi are Departure’s executive producers, joined by Vincent Shiao and T.J. Scott. Patrick Cassavetti and Julie Lacey are the series producers. Executive producing for Starlings are Chris Philip and Karine Martin, along with Propagate Content’s Ben Silverman; Red Arrow Studios International’s Tim Gerhartz Rodrigo Herrera Ibarguengoytia, and Laura Beetz; and Sleeping Giant’s David A. Stern and D. Matt Geller. Departure is directed by T.J. Scott and created by Vincent Shiao. For Corus, Kathleen Meek is Production Executive; Rachel Nelson is Vice President, Original Content, Scripted, Factual and Kids; Lisa Godfrey is Senior Vice President of Original Content and Corus Studios; Colin Bohm is Executive Vice President of Content and Corporate Strategy.

Industry News

Six-part Crave original series, Sisters, premieres May 17

April 30, 2023 Greg David

From a media release:

Crave announced today that its new, half-hour original dark comedy series, SISTERS, premieres with the entire first season on Wednesday, May 17. Set in Ireland, SISTERS is written by EMMY®-nominee, and Canada’s own Sarah Goldberg (HBO’s BARRY), and Susan Stanley, lead actresses in the series and real-life best friends. SISTERS is directed by EMMY-nominee Declan Lowney (TED LASSO).

Using comedy to explore the series’ themes of family, identity, and culture, SISTERS has already received rave reviews from The Irish Examiner and The Irish Times, with the Examiner comparing Goldberg and Stanley with renowned female screenwriters Phoebe Waller-Bridge (FLEABAG) and Michaela Coel (I MAY DESTROY YOU).

The six-part series explores how the absence of parents can influence adult life in unforeseen ways, and how that void can affect a woman’s relationship to alcohol, men, work, and motherhood (or lack thereof). SISTERS follows Canadian Sarah (Goldberg) and Irish Suze (Stanley), two strangers who find their lives suddenly intertwined with the discovery that they are half-sisters. Determined to connect with their estranged alcoholic birth father, the two embark on a road trip through Ireland to track him down.

Episodic synopses are outlined below:

Episode 1 – They F*** You Up
After the death of Sare’s mother, she decides to travel to Ireland to find her father, but gets more than she bargained for.

Episode 2 – Mind That Child
Suze realises she has run out of options so reluctantly agrees to help Sare find their father.

Episode 3 – This Too Shall Pass
The sisters are on the road but it isn’t long before they find themselves in a compromising position.

Episode 4 – Every Time the Sun Comes up I’m in Trouble
After a betrayal, both Suze and Sare realize they are more alike than they initially thought.

Episode 5 – I Can Change
Suze and Sare are back on their quest to find their father, they travel to Carlingford where they are met by two surprise guests.

Episode 6 – Happy Ever After
In an emotional reunion, the sisters find their father but realize that maybe he isn’t what they needed in the first place.

SISTERS is a Canada/Ireland co-production from Shaftesbury (Canada) and Peer Pressure (Ireland) and in association with Crave, Mermade, Gaze Pictures with the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. SISTERS is executive produced by Angela Squire, Richard Cook, Sarah Goldberg, Susan Stanley, Declan Lowney, Christina Jennings, Scott Garvie, Alexandra Finlay, Kira Carstensen, Melanie Donkers, Ruth Coady, and Justin Healy.

Workin' Moms

Link: I was a writer on ‘Workin’ Moms’ — and wrestling with whether I wanted to become one

April 30, 2023 Greg David

From Karen Kicak, special to the Toronto Star:

Link: I was a writer on ‘Workin’ Moms’ — and wrestling with whether I wanted to become one
In the fall of 2015, a friend working at CBC emailed me an eight-minute sizzle video for a show that had just been greenlit called “Workin’ Moms” with the subject line: “You NEED To Get on This!!!!” Continue reading.

Industry News

BAFTA award winner Sharon Horgan joins the Banff World Media Festival’s Keynote Summit series lineup

April 26, 2023 Greg David

From a media release:

The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) is proud to announce Sharon Horgan as a Summit Series keynote speaker, a premium lineup featuring the boldest voices and the world’s most influential media leaders and recipient of the Award of Excellence. The highly anticipated session will take place on Wednesday, June 14th. The 44th edition of the Festival will take place in person June 11 – 14 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta, Canada.

“Sharon is one of the top creators, showrunners and performers in the business, and her addition to BANFF’s lineup of keynote speakers underscores the Festival’s prominence on the world stage,” said Kevin Beggs, Chair of the Board of Directors for BANFF and Chair & Chief Creative Officer of the Lionsgate Television Group. “We are privileged to be partnered with Sharon on Motherland for the BBC and are beyond excited about its U.S. adaptation that recently received a pilot order at ABC. I’m thrilled that she will be joining us at BANFF.”

“Sharon is one of the most prolific creators of our time, having produced hit after hit of critically-acclaimed content,” said Jenn Kuzmyk, Executive Director, Banff World Media Festival. “As an actor, showrunner, writer, producer and director, she’s made a virtue of being a multi-hyphenate and continues to deliver honest, clever and wildly entertaining portrayals of women on screen. We’re honoured to welcome Sharon to the BANFF stage to discuss her career and thoughts on the ever-changing industry.”

The BANFF Summit Series is a curated, future-focused lineup of keynote sessions that was launched in 2019 in honour of the festival’s four-decade legacy. As previously announced, Fremantle’s CEO Jennifer Mullin and George Cheeks, President and Chief Executive Officer of CBS and Chief Content Officer, News and Sports for Paramount+ are also confirmed as Summit Series keynotes.

Furthermore, Horgan will be presented with the Award of Excellence at the Rockies Gala taking place on Tuesday, June 13th during the Festival. The Award of Excellence acknowledges exceptional achievement through a body of work over an extended period of time. Past honourees include Paul Feig, Jeremy Podeswa, Kenny Ortega, Eugene Levy, Carol Mendelsohn and David E. Kelley.

In addition to Summit Series keynotes, BANFF will return with an array of provocative panel discussions including the recently announced Universal Studio Group Spotlight session featuring Erin Underhill, President of Universal Television, Beatrice Springborn, President of Universal International Studios & UCP and Toby Gorman, President of Universal Television Alternative Studio. As previously announced, multi-faceted entertainer Lilly Singh and World of Wonder co-founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato are confirmed to participate in exclusive ‘In Conversation With’ sessions, respectively.

The Festival will again include celebrity master classes and networking opportunities to connect the global media industry to ignite new projects and support business development. Also returning are the Rockie Awards International Program Competition, one of the world’s most prestigious screen industry competitions, with participation from more than 45+ countries annually including an international jury of 150 industry professionals. Category winners, including the Grand Jury Prize, the Rogers Prize for Canadian Content, the Francophone Prize, and other special prizes, will be announced during the Festival on June 12th.

ABOUT SHARON HORGAN
Sharon Horgan is a dynamic, witty, and talented multihyphenate whose exceptional storytelling skills have brought her international recognition. She is an award-winning creator, writer, producer, and actor who portrays the experiences of strong, female-driven stories.

Sharon is the writer, co-creator, executive producer, and star of the ten-part comedy thriller series BAD SISTERS with Apple TV+, where she has an overall deal. The series, which premiered on August 18, follows a group of five sisters (the Garveys) and the promise they make to always protect each other after their parents’ premature death. The series stars Sharon alongside Eve Hewson, Eva Birthistle, Sarah Greene, Anne-Marie Duff, and Claes Bang. BAD SISTERS is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a 100% critic score and Time has called the series “wickedly funny” and “genuinely poignant.” It has received 29 nominations, some of which include five Baftas, two Critics’ Choice Awards, two WGAs, and 12 IFTAs. She’s currently in production on Season 2.

Up next, she will star in the drama series,  BEST INTERESTS, written by Jack Thorne. It is a story about a family driven to make choices no parent would ever want to make, as well as highlighting the troubled relationship the UK has with disability.  The show will air this year on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Sharon stars opposite Michael Sheen who will play her husband.

Sharon is best known for her multiple award-winning sitcom CATASTROPHE, which she co-wrote and starred in with Rob Delaney.  She won the BAFTA TV Craft Award for Best Writing in a Comedy Series in 2016 and also gained three BAFTA nominations for her extraordinary performance in the show, alongside a Primetime Emmy Award Nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. The final season of CATASTROPHE aired in January 2019 (UK) and in spring 2019 (USA). 

She is also the co-founder, alongside Clelia Mountford, of the TV and Film production company Merman. Under the Merman banner, it was just announced that ABC ordered to pilot DROP OFF, the American adaptation of the award-winning British hit MOTHERLAND. Ellie Kemper and Judy Greer will star in the pilot which is currently in production. Sharon co-created SHINING VALE, an eight-part horror comedy series starring Courteney Cox and Greg Kinnear, which premiered on Starz and is currently in production on its third season. Sharon’s other credits for Merman include executive producing and starring in the animated comedy HOUSEBROKEN on Fox, which stars Lisa Kudrow and was co-created by Clea Duvall, Jennifer Crittenden and Gabrielle Allan. Season 2 just premiered in March 2023. Sharon also executive produced FRANK OF IRELAND (Channel 4/Amazon) and co-wrote and executive produced the BAFTA-winning MOTHERLAND on BBC. She was also an executive producer of FRAYED (Sky/ABC), THERE SHE GOES (BBC/Britbox) and THIS WAY UP (Ch4/Hulu), which she also starred in alongside creator Aisling Bea.

Sharon’s further recognition includes the  BAFTA TV Award for Best Short Form Programme (2018) for MORGANA ROBINSON’S SUMMER: DREAMLAND and an Outstanding Achievement Award for her debut short film THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS.  At the National Comedy Awards, Sharon was awarded the Caroline Ahearne Outstanding Achievement Award. She has also received two BAFTA Award nominations and two British Comedy Awards for her iconic BBC show PULLING which she co-wrote and starred in. She also wrote and directed an episode of Amazon’s anthology MODERN LOVE, “Rallying to Keep the Game Alive” and starring Tina Fey and John Slattery.

On the film side, Sharon can be seen starring opposite Nicolas Cage in THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT, which was released last April. She also starred opposite James McAvoy in the Stephen Daldry-directed film TOGETHER for BBC Two and BBC Film. In 2021, she took on the role of Miss Hedge in the BAFTA-nominated feature film adaptation of the West End musical EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE. She also starred alongside Rachel McAdams, Jason Bateman and Kyle Chandler in the critical and commercial hit feature film GAME NIGHT.  In 2020, she starred in MILITARY WIVES opposite Kristin Scott Thomas and the Irish comedy-drama film  DATING AMBER, for which she won an IFTA for Best Supporting Actress.

Sharon’s further acting credits include  CRIMINAL UK (Netflix), BOB’S BURGERS (Fox),  BOJACK HORSEMAN (Netflix), THE INCREASINGLY POOR DECISIONS OF TODD MARGARET (IFC),  ADVENTURE TIME  (CARTOON NETWORK), PSYCHOBITCHES  (Sky Arts), THE BORROWERS  (BBC),  FREE AGENTS  (C4),  DEAD BOSS (BBC) and  BAD SUGAR  (C4), as well as the films  RUN AND JUMP,  DEATH OF A SUPERHERO, and MAN UP.  Sharon also voices Queen Dagmar in the Matt Groening Netflix series DISENCHANTMENT.

Image courtesy of David Levene.