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TV,eh? What's up in Canadian television
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Comments and queries for the week of November 30

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What’s next [on Murdoch Mysteries]? Will all the usual gang have their own ‘one-man show’ specials? Will Crabtree have to go back to his hometown and run his aunty’s business? Will Higgins have to set up a new money-making scheme with his wife to replace her lost fortune? After 12 years, there mustn’t be many fresh crime tales to tell. —Andrew

What happened to the promise of a Murdoch-Ogden crime-solving team? By the wayside now? I have always loved the other characters as part of the ensemble working around the power couple of Murdoch and Ogden, but not, as Andrew puts it, as a ‘one-man show’ each. Ogden did not even put in an appearance in this one. I always liked Brackenreid but not to the point of caring to learn about his past (same as for Watts). Not much of an incentive to continue watching the show if such a trend is the way it is going. Hélène Joy is a talented actress I’m sure she can do better than just having her name shown in the credits. —Noele

Noele, I missed Julia too, but if the ensemble; William, Julia, Brack and George (don’t consider anyone else a part of the main group) each gets a show about their backstory, I’d love to see it. I want to know more about every one of them, when they were kids, their parents, their love life, work, relationships (all kinds). With 11 years worth of storylines, there’s so much character history the writer’s can explore. I like the mystery part of MM, but I love the character-driven part even more. So, as much as I missed seeing Julia, I’m so excited to see what her episode or ‘secret/lie’ will be. And what I’d love to see even more is William and Julia’s shared past explored, even going back to earlier seasons. Season 2: What did William say to Julia in the hot air balloon ride? Season 6: At the Queens Hotel, what did they talk about, or do after playing dominoes? To me, that’s be really interesting! —Crystal

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

Michel Bissonnette named as Interim Executive Vice-President of CBC

From a media release:

Catherine Tait, President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada, announced today that Michel Bissonnette would be taking over as Interim Executive Vice-President of CBC, following the departure of Heather Conway in the coming days.

Mr. Bissonnette is currently Executive Vice-President of Radio-Canada and will perform both functions until Heather Conway’s successor is chosen in the new year.

Mr. Bissonnette will assume his interim role on December 8, until the new Executive Vice-President of CBC is identified.

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Vikings

Link: Vikings’ Alexander Ludwig on why Bjorn’s dark season is his favourite one yet

From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:

Link: Vikings’ Alexander Ludwig on why Bjorn’s dark season is his favourite one yet
“Bjorn has totally been displaced. They are all homeless and incredibly angry. It’s definitely gotten past the point of no return and it’s become incredibly personal. This season, in particular, is about Bjorn fighting for everything he was brought up to believe in.” Continue reading.

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Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Discovery Canada renews Thunderbird Entertainment’s Highway Thru Hell for an eighth season

From a media release:

Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc. (TSXV:TBRD) (“Thunderbird” or the “Company”), a global multiplatform entertainment company with offices in Los Angeles, London, Vancouver, Ottawa and Toronto, is pleased to announce the hit series Highway Thru Hell has been commissioned for an eighth season on Discovery Canada. The new season will consist of 17 inspiring episodes and begin airing in late 2019.

Highway Thru Hell follows the heroes of the highway as they fight to keep some of the most economically important and inhospitable trucking routes in North America open to traffic. The current season airs Tuesday nights on Discovery Canada. Highway Thru Hell is Discovery’s most-watched factual series, dominating Canadian entertainment specialty channels in its timeslot.

Thunderbird has produced more than 100 episodes of Highway Thru Hell and its spinoff series Heavy Rescue 401. The series can be watched in over a dozen languages in more than 170 countries worldwide.

Series executive producer Mark Miller, who is also the president of Thunderbird Entertainment, attributes the success of Highway Thru Hell to its cinematic storytelling and rich character development. “This series has raised the bar for factual documentaries around the world. In addition to attracting top ratings on Discovery in Canada, it is also a worldwide staple on Netflix,” he explains. “Viewers connect with the day-to-day struggles of these heroes of the highway, which makes their stories highly relatable and visually entertaining.”

Highway Thru Hell has consistently attracted impressive audiences, ranking as a Top 10 series on entertainment specialty television in Canada for total viewers and the A25-54 demographic. The series has made Discovery Canada the most-watched entertainment specialty channel in its timeslot among total viewers as well as the A25-54 and A18-49 demographics.

Highway Thru Hell is produced by Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc. in association with Discovery Canada. Wendy McKernan is the producer and Neil Thomas the series producer.

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