New CTV original comedy Shelved announces Lyndie Greenwood, Chris Sandiford, Dakota Ray Hebert and Paul Braunstein as series leads

June 29, 2022 Greg David

From a media release:

CTV, together with award-winning independent production company Counterfeit Pictures, announced today the cast joining the new original comedy series, SHELVED. Created by Playback Magazine’s 2021 Showrunner of the Year recipient Anthony Q. Farrell (THE OFFICE), Lyndie Greenwood (THE EXPANSE), Chris Sandiford (WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS), Dakota Ray Hebert (Run Woman Run), and Paul Braunstein (BARONESS VON SKETCH) are confirmed to lead the cast of the eight-episode, half-hour series. With production currently underway in Toronto, Taylor Love (MOST DANGEROUS GAME), Varun Saranga (WYNNONA EARP), and Robin Duke (SCHITT’S CREEK) round out the ensemble cast.

Executive produced by Farrell, SHELVED is a single-camera workplace comedy centred around the lives of the employees and patrons at the Jameson Public Library in Parkdale as they go about their lives in this unassuming yet extraordinary place. Greenwood stars in SHELVED as Wendy, Head of the Jameson Branch. Wendy is an energetic dreamer who always sees the best in people and cares passionately about her library and the community of Parkdale. The staff at Jameson Public Library also includes the fastidious and judgmental Howard (Sandiford), who begrudgingly joins the team after getting transferred from the prestigious Midtown branch; social rights activist Jaq (Hebert), who is obsessed with dystopian Young Adult novels and calling out micro-aggressions; and Assistant Branch Head, Bryce (Braunstein), a conservative devoted to conspiracy theories and following the letter of library law.

Lyndie Greenwood
Lyndie Greenwood has appeared in several regular and reoccurring roles for television including THE EXPANSE, S.W.A.T., STAR, SLEEPY HOLLOW, and NIKITA. Greenwood’s feature film roles include The World Without You, Cut To The Chase, and This Movie Is Broken. Greenwood is repped by Management 360.

Chris Sandiford
Chris Sandiford is an actor and comedian whose television credits include multiple seasons of Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS for FX, GHOSTS, CAVENDISH, TALLBOYZ, and the recent Netflix series GOD’S FAVORITE IDIOT. Sandiford was also recently seen in the feature Moonfall. He is repped by A3 Artists Agency and Play Management.

Dakota Ray Hebert
Dakota Ray Hebert is an actress and comic who recently starred in the award-winning feature film Run Woman Run, for which she won the Best Actress Award at last years’ American Indian Film Festival and the Vancouver Film Festival. Her first televised stand-up set will be on the upcoming COMEDY NIGHT WITH RICK MERCER. She is repped by Oscar, Abrams, Zimel, & Associates.

Paul Braunstein
Paul Braunstein is a familiar face from Canadian film and television whose TV credits include BARONESS VON SKETCH, BURDEN OF TRUTH, MURDOCH MYSTERIES, and OCTOBER FACTION. He is repped by The Characters.

Alongside Farrell, SHELVED is executive produced by Dan Bennett, Shane Corkery, and Anton Leo of Counterfeit Pictures. Jay Vaidya serves as co-executive producer, Sadiya Durrani as co-producer, and Colin Brunton produces. Aleysa Young (THE KIDS IN THE HALL, RUN THE BURBS) serves as executive producer and pilot director. Additional directors for SHELVED’s first season include Cory Bowles, Joyce Wong, Cazhhmere, and Samantha MacAdam.

Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Marblemedia’s groundbreaking competition series Blown Away returns for Season 3 on Netflix

June 28, 2022 Greg David

From a media release:

Blown Away is back for Season 3 on Friday, July 22, on Netflix, with some of the glass world’s heaviest hitters, all competing for the title of Best In Glass.

Ten glass artists have come to North America’s largest hot shop to push themselves to their creative limits. In each episode, the glassblowers must impress the evaluators or risk being eliminated. At stake is a life-changing prize that will send their careers to new heights.

YouTube science influencer Nickpedia and former NBC’s America’s Got Talent contestant Nick Uhas hosts the series alongside resident glass evaluator and overall glass master Katherine Gray.

Blown Away was filmed in the largest glassblowing studio in North America, designed and built specifically for the scope and scale of the competition

The series was commissioned by Netflix (global) and Blue Ant Media (Canada). The Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY, serves as a key consulting partner on the series and took part in the series.

This season’s competitors include:
• Claire Kelly (Corning, NY)
• Trenton Quiocho (Fircrest, WA)
• John Sharvin (Pittsburgh, PA)
• Rob Stern (Miami, FL)
• John Moran (Gent, Belgium)
• Brenna Baker (Weston, FL)
• Dan Friday (Shoreline, WA)
• Grace Whiteside (Brooklyn, NY)
• Maddy Hughes (Stourbridge, England)
• Minhi England (Seattle, WA)

Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Cottage Life’s latest original special, The Roanoke Mystery: New Evidence, goes on a quest to solve the 400-year-old mystery of a lost English colony

June 26, 2022 Greg David

From a media release:

Cottage Life’s original documentary special, The Roanoke Mystery: New Evidence, follows renowned British archeologist Professor Mark Horton and local historian Scott Dawson as they dig for evidence that could help solve one of America’s oldest and most controversial mysteries: what happened to the first English colony on Roanoke Island? Featuring fascinating interviews, never-before-seen archeological evidence and cutting-edge scientific analysis, the special offers compelling theories on the fate of the first European colonists in the Americas, who settled on Roanoke Island in 1587 and suddenly vanished without a trace three years later. The Canadian broadcast premiere of The Roanoke Mystery: New Evidence airs Friday, July 1 at 9 p.m. ET/PT as a two-part documentary special on Cottage Life.

In 1587, a group of 117 men, women and children set sail for America from England. Arriving three decades before the Mayflower, they were on track to become American heroes. Instead, they became the subject of America’s first mystery. According to myth, many of the colonists were murdered; the rest had fled. One of the only clues to their fate: a coded message carved into a tree. The Roanoke Mystery: New Evidence gives audiences exclusive access to a new excavation site on the Island, piecing together centuries-old clues and compelling archeological evidence for the first time to reveal the truth of the settlers’ disappearance. The documentary unravels a story filled with hope and inspiration, reflecting a bond between the English settlers and an Indigenous Croatoan tribe that will forever change the history books.

The Roanoke Mystery: New Evidence is a co-production between Saloon Media, a Blue Ant Media company and BriteSpark Films, part of Argonon Media. Nick Godwin, Michael Kot, Betty Orr and Steve Gamester serve as Executive Producers. Overseeing the series for Cottage Life TV is Sam Linton, VP, Head of Original Content for Blue Ant Media’s Canadian channels. Blue Ant International oversees licensing for The Roanoke Mystery: New Evidence.

The Roanoke Mystery: New Evidence premieres on July 1st as part of Cottage Life’s “Mystery Marathon” programming stunt during the Canada Day long weekend. The two-part special will air alongside popular series Mysteries from Above, What on Earth?, Unearthed, Strange Evidence and Mysteries of the Abandoned.

Cottage Life is a Blue Ant Media multi-platform brand, with its own dedicated Cottage Life specialty television network celebrating the people, activities and places that make leisure time special.

Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Blue Ant Media unveils new greenlights for its Canadian TV platforms

June 26, 2022 Greg David

From a media release:

Blue Ant Media announced today three new greenlights and one renewal set to air across its homegrown Canadian specialty TV platforms: Cottage Life, T+E and Love Nature. The new wave of greenlights reinforces Blue Ant Media’s ongoing commitment to creating premium, engaging content with global reach and scale. Overseen by Sam Linton, VP, Head of Original Content, Canadian Media, Blue Ant Media, the originals lineup includes a mix of world broadcast and Canadian premieres with all four series available for licensing globally by Blue Ant International.

Love Nature’s commitment to creating emotional connections between its audience and the natural world is realized once again through its latest original series, Cub Camp (World Broadcast Premiere), which introduces passionate animal lovers to the orphaned cubs at Black Bear Rescue Manitoba. Produced by Merit Motion Pictures, the six-part series offers audiences the unique opportunity to follow adorable orphaned black bear cubs, from the moment they’re rescued to the day they’re released into the wild. Cub Camp is a Love Nature global commission slated to air in Canada and roll out worldwide on Love Nature’s branded linear and streaming platforms. Filming begins spring/summer 2023.

The second greenlight is American Doomsday (wt) (Canadian Broadcast Premiere), slated to air on Cottage Life alongside an existing roster of successful extreme weather and survival series. The new three-part documentary series examines Mother Nature’s sheer power of destruction in an in-depth analysis on weather phenomena and natural forces and its effects on humans and the geology of our planet. Renewed for Cottage Life is the hit original investigative series, Mysteries from Above (Season 2; World Broadcast Premiere) which will land on the channel in summer 2023. The second installment comes off the back of Season 1’s success, which currently sits as the #1-rated new series on Cottage Life this year. The series captures breathtaking, aerial footage from modern sites to remote and untouched locations across the globe, revealing fascinating insights and never-before-seen footage to the viewers.

Finally, on T+E, Canada’s home to paranormal programming, Blue Ant Media has greenlit the original series Haunted Lost and Found (wt)(World Broadcast Premiere), a treaty co-production between Singaporean producers Beach House Pictures, Momo Film Co. and Vancouver-based De Vries Production. The new six-part series features first-hand accounts from unlucky individuals who purchased, found or were gifted an item, only to discover their newfound possessions were haunted or cursed. Each episode features three mysterious and chilling stories, ranging from items found on the dark web to those discovered in dark alleys.

For a full list of original programming highlights, please see below.

LOVE NATURE

Cub Camp (6×60’; HD)
World Broadcast Premiere
Producer: Merit Motion Pictures
Cub Camp gives viewers an inside look at the Black Bear Rescue Manitoba rehabilitation program, a unique centre that rescues and rehabilitates black bear cubs left orphaned as a result of losing their mothers due to human encroachment on their territories and natural disasters. The cameras follow adorable orphaned cubs, from the moment they’re rescued to the day they’re big enough to be released back into the wild. Distributed by Blue Ant International.

COTTAGE LIFE

American Doomsday (wt) (3×90’; HD)
Scheduled for spring 2023 • Canadian Broadcast Premiere
Producer: Wildflame/Saloon Media, a Blue Ant Media company
A three-part documentary series that looks at how the epic rise of super weather phenomena and natural forces and how it could devastate those living in New York, Miami and the entire west coast. The series provides fascinating insights and grave predictions, which include New York City underwater by 2050, the entire city of Miami sinking into the sea, and a mega-earthquake poised to hit the west coast from California to Canada. Distributed by Blue Ant International.

Mysteries from Above, Season 2 (8×60’; HD)
Scheduled for summer 2023 • World Broadcast Premiere
Producer: Saloon Media, a Blue Ant Media company
Mysteries from Above takes to the skies to offer Canadian audiences a chance to see the world from fresh and exhilarating perspectives. The series explores remote, hard-to-reach locations as drones explore strange geological occurrences, unique man-made structures, curious creatures and lost civilizations, revealing fascinating insights and never-before-seen footage to the viewers. Distributed by Blue Ant International.

T+E

Haunted Lost and Found (wt) (6×60’; HD)
Scheduled for spring 2023 • World Broadcast Premiere
Producers: Beach House Pictures, a Blue Ant Media company, Momo Film Co. and De Vries Production
Haunted Lost and Found explores what happens when a found, purchased or gifted object brings terror into the lives of those who acquired it accidentally without knowing its sinister past. The six-part documentary series features first-hand accounts and dramatic reenactments of those whose lives took a horrific turn as a result of their newfound possessions being haunted or cursed. Each hour-long episode features three chilling stories ranging from items found on the dark web to those discovered in dark alleys. Distributed by Blue Ant International.

Industry News

The Canadian Academy expands successful Women in Post program in its second year, now offering training and guidance to Francophone creatives

June 23, 2022 Greg David

From a media release:

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television (the Canadian Academy) announced today that applications are now open for the sophomore iteration of Women in Post, a talent development initiative designed to bolster the skills and knowledge of creatives who identify as women or non-binary working in post production. Applications can be submitted here through Monday, July 25, 2022.

Building on the success of the inaugural edition, the second year of Women in Post will expand from six participants to ten and will include a French-language component for Francophone individuals, offering placement opportunities at a post-production house located in Quebec. Women in Post provides in-depth industry access and professional development for emerging to mid-level creatives working in English and French in all areas of post-production. Participants are granted the opportunity to develop their technical, creative, and leadership skills through strategic learning modules led by industry experts, and a hands-on mentorship at a post-production company in Canada that aligns with their area of expertise.

The Canadian Academy is also pleased to announce that the Canada Media Fund and the RBC Foundation in support of RBC Emerging Artists have joined the Women in Post program as supporting partners, which is presented by Netflix and supported by industry partners Company 3 and Rocket Science VFX.

“There exists an urgent need to create a more equitable post-production landscape for creators who identify as women or non-binary, and we are thrilled to be part of this moment of change for the next generation of English and French Canadian creatives with the expansion of the Women in Post program,” said Louis Calabro, Interim CEO of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. “This expansion would not have been possible without the continued support of Netflix, and our new partners, the Canada Media Fund and RBC Foundation in support of RBC Emerging Artists, who share our common goal of creating a more inclusive and diverse creative industry in Canada.”

Following the closure of submissions on Monday, July 25, 2022, the Canadian Academy will conduct internal, peer, and juried reviews to determine the participants. Between eight and ten applicants will be selected to join the second cohort of Women in Post, which will be announced in the coming months.

Launched in October 2021 with the support of Netflix, the inaugural edition of Women in Post featured six English-speaking creators with a range of expertise from across the creative spectrum who received training from industry specialists and hands-on experience at Company 3 and Rocket Science VFX.

The Canadian Academy seeks to foster industry growth, knowledge, inclusion, and mentorship through a series of talent development programs aimed at creating a more equitable screen-based industry in Canada. In addition to Women in Post, programs include the WarnerMedia Access x Canadian Academy Writers Program as well as the WarnerMedia Access x Canadian Academy Directors Program, a pair of talent activation initiatives focused on experienced Canadian writers and directors respectively from underrepresented communities, and the Executive Residency Program, an initiative dedicated to providing executive-level access for mid-career industry professionals who are Black, Indigenous, or persons of colour.

Learn more about Women in Post and submit your application at Academy.ca/WomenInPost.