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TV,eh? What's up in Canadian television
Mary Kills People

Links: Mary Kills People

From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:

Caroline Dhavernas on her new high-stakes drama series Mary Kills People
“I just loved the subject matter and I think this character is very deep, beautiful and compassionate. I love all the gray zones and her contradictions. I’m very drawn to TV shows where the content is interesting and cable television has really showed us that people are there for content.” Continue reading.

From Bill Brioux of the Toronto Star:

Mary Kills People tackles thorny issue of euthanasia
Mary Kills People is one of those TV titles that grabs your attention.

Mary really does kill people, but they are people who want to die.

Tara Armstrong developed the idea for the series while still a student at the University of British Columbia. Continue reading.

From Etan Vlessing of The Hollywood Reporter:

Mary Kills People star Caroline Dhavernas on doctor-assisted suicide: “Dying is not a crime.”
“Dying is not a crime. Personally, it’s someone’s right. If you have nothing but suffering ahead of you, we make choices for ourselves through our lives, and that’s the final one.” Continue reading.

From Bill Harris of Postmedia Network:

New series Mary Kills People finds both drama and comedy in assisted suicide
Mary, Mary, quite contrary.

That could apply both to the lead character in the new Canadian series Mary Kills People, and to the show itself, which debuts Wednesday, Jan. 25 on Global. Continue reading. 

From John Doyle of The Globe and Mail:

Mary Kills People is a killer of a good, provocative drama
Mary Kills People is, yes, definitely, a black-comedy-drama about euthanasia. In advance notices about its arrival on Lifetime, later this year, it is inevitably called provocative.

It sure is that, on several levels. It is also remarkably assured, droll and adult. It’s very smart and utterly intriguing. Watch episode one and you’re sucked into anticipating the second hour with pleasure. Continue reading. 

From Melissa Girimonte of The Televixen:

Caroline Dhavernas on her new series, Mary Kills People
“I’m really happy you’re bringing that up because it can seem like a depressing subject matter. The writers were smart to see that it’s part of life to have these moments of darkness [followed by] laughter because of the density. It’s like a funeral. So many times I’ve been to funerals and then never felt as alive as I do after. We rarely talk about death. When we’re so close to it, we’re reminded how privileged we are to be here and be healthy.” Continue reading.

 

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Pure

Link: A Conversation with ‘Pure’ Star Alex Paxton-Beesley

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From Melissa Girimonte of The Televixen:

Link: A Conversation with ‘Pure’ Star Alex Paxton-Beesley
“If it was about keeping the children alive, Anna would leave. She’d leave if it was life or death. She would fight pretty hard for her community at large, but at the end of the day, her number one priority is her children and her husband, and that family unit. She would do whatever it takes to keep them safe.” Continue reading. 

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Workin' Moms

Link: Katherine Barrell draws inspiration from her new Workin’ Moms role

From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:

Link: Katherine Barrell draws inspiration from her new Workin’ Moms role
“The women-centric aspect was a huge draw for me and having it be a female-centric comedy. It’s such a pleasure getting to work with women, especially on comedy, which is something that I think is really rare and very unique. The fact that it had both those elements for me was a slam dunk.” Continue reading.

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Children's Programming

The Stanley Dynamic Returns to YTV with New Season Beginning February 27

From a media release:

YTV’s  original  series, The Stanley Dynamic, is back with an all-new season (26 x 30) of hilarious adventures airing Monday to Friday at 6 p.m. ET/PT starting February 27, 2017.

In Season 2, twins Luke (voiced by Taylor Abrahamse, George of the Jungle, Beyblade: Metal Fusion) and Larry (Charles Vandervaart, Murdoch Mysteries, Camp Rock 2) are navigating their sophomore year at South Ridge High School. Try as they might, boys will be boys, and the pair find themselves in constant trouble. Luke survives a shark attack, goes undercover as a secret agent, and is nearly launched to the moon. Larry becomes a rodeo clown, starts up an uber-successful ice-cream/skateboard company, and finds himself caught between his best friend Darnell (Isiah Lea, Bruno & Boots: Go Jump in the Pool) and Darnell’s cute sister Mina (Tamina Pollack-Paris, The Next Step). Meanwhile, their sister Lori (2016 Canadian Screen Award-nominee Madison Ferguson, Bellevue, The Shape of Water) falls for a new cartoon puppy, gets locked in a magic chest, and befriends a rebellious kid named Razor. All this, and Grandpa (guest star Michael Gross, Family Ties) comes back for an extended visit.

Other special guest stars for Season 2 include, Alan Thicke (Growing Pains) as himself, Jaleel White (Family Matters) as Principal Webber, David Hewlett (Stargate: Atlantis) as the Astronaut, Geri Hall (This Hour Has 22 Minutes) as Barb Dewhurst, Matt Baram (Shoot the Messenger) as Kale, Pat Thornton (Air Farce, Sunnyside) as the Exterminator, and Charlie Storwick (winner of The Next Star Season 4) as herself.

Recently nominated for a 2017 Canadian Screen Award for Best Writing in a Children’s or Youth Program or Series and a finalist at the 2016 Cynopsis Kids !magination Awards for Best New Series, The Stanley Dynamic is a 26-episode, half-hour, live action sitcom revolving around a typical family with a big twist – one of their teenaged twin sons is animated. But in the eyes of the Stanleys and the world around them, he’s a regular kid, living in a three-dimensional world.

The series also stars Michael Barbuto (Star Spangled Banners, Ash Global) as cartoonist dad Lane Stanley who chronicles his family’s adventures in his comic strip and Kate Hewlett (Remedy, Degrassi: The Next Generation) as overworked mom, Lisa Stanley. Rounding out the cast are Josette Jorge (The Beaverton, Beyond Redemption) as Pam, Bill Turnbull (Todd and the Book of Pure Evil, Home Alone: Holiday Heist) as Doop, Isiah Lea (In Real Life, Bruno & Boots: Go Jump in the Pool) as Darnell, Graeme Jokic (Franklin and Friends, Adam Avenger) as Ronnie, Eliana Jones (Hemlock Grove, Nikita) as Summer, Natalie Ganzhorn (Make It Pop, Wet Bum) as Morgan, and introducing Tamina Pollack-Paris (The Next Step, So You Think You Can Dance Canada) as Darnell’s younger sister, Mina.

Shot in Toronto, The Stanley Dynamic is produced by Amaze Film + Television Inc., in association with YTV. Animation is produced by 9 Story Media Group. The series is co-created by Ken Cuperus, nominated for a 2017 Canadian Screen Award for his writing on The Stanley Dynamic, Jocelyn Hamilton and Jamie Piekarz. Cuperus (Stargate: Atlantis, My Babysitter’s a Vampire) is executive producer/showrunner with Michael Souther (Being Canada, Call Me Fitz) and Teza Lawrence (Being Canada, Call Me Fitz) also serving as executive producers. Victoria Hirst (Away from Her, Mr. Young) is producer. The series is distributed by Nelvana Enterprises.

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What Would Sal Do?

CraveTV’s next Canadian Original Series, WHAT WOULD SAL DO?, begins streaming March 24 exclusively on CraveTV

From a media release:

CraveTV today announced its third Canadian Original series, the satiric WHAT WOULD SAL DO? From New Metric Media, the producers of CraveTV hit comedy LETTERKENNY, the eight-episode, half-hour comedy, about a slacker who discovers he’s the second coming of Christ, begins streaming exclusively on CraveTV on Friday, March 24, as part of the #iCraveFridays weekly roll-out of new content. WHAT WOULD SAL DO? joins a growing list of Canadian Original series exclusive to CraveTV subscribers, which also includes LETTERKENNY and the upcoming RUSSELL PETERS IS THE INDIAN DETECTIVE.

The series received the following three Canadian Screen Award nominations last week: Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Comedic Role (Jennifer Dale); Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role or Guest Role in a Comedic Series (Ryan McDonald); and Best Writing in a Comedy Program or Series (Andrew De Angelis)

WHAT WOULD SAL DO? is a modern-day parable of an entitled underachiever who, for the first time in his life, is challenged to be a good person when he discovers he’s the second coming of Christ. The series stars: Dylan Taylor(ROGUE) as the titular slacker Sal; Jennifer Dale (STREET LEGAL) as his mom, the virgin Maria; Ryan McDonald (2012) as Sal’s best friend; Scott Thompson (THE KIDS IN THE HALL) as an ambitious priest; and in a supporting role, LETTERKENNY’s K. Trevor Wilson. Set in modern-day Sudbury, WHAT WOULD SAL DO? comes from showrunner Andrew De Angelis (MR. D, KILLJOYS), with episodes directed by Samir Rehem (SKINS), and is produced by New Metric Media.

WHAT WOULD SAL DO? joins the growing lineup of CraveTV Originals – series available only to Canadian audiences on CraveTV. Recent notable CraveTV Originals include the recently launched OUTSIDERS, the sophomore season of Canadian sensation LETTERKENNY, as well as SHUT EYE, CASUAL, MANHATTAN, and DEADBEAT, among others. WHAT WOULD SAL DO? bolsters CraveTV’s popular Comedies Collection, streaming alongside LETTERKENNY, SOUTH PARK, and ANGIE TRIBECA.

WHAT WOULD SAL DO? is acquired by CraveTV from New Metric Media. Series is written, created, and executive produced by Andrew De Angelis and directed by Samir Rehem. Additional writers include Kurt Smeaton, Mark Forward, Alex Levine, Mark De Angelis, and Brandy Hewitt. Executive Producers for New Metric Media are Mark Montefiore and Patrick O’Sullivan. The series is produced by New Metric Media, in association with DHX Media and with the participation of the Canadian Media Fund and Ontario and Federal Tax Credits.

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