From Geek Girl Diva of Blastr:
Link: Killjoys showrunner Michelle Lovretta on the season finale and what’s coming in Season 3
“Oh, man, I’m fiercely in love with Aneela already, to be honest, at least my gestating S3 version of her.  She’s oddly fragile and very, very different from Dutch, so I think Hannah will get a kick out of that variety and do brilliant work with it.” Continue reading.Â
Jonny Gray has established himself as a bona fide star for YTV. He leapt onto the network as co-lead on Max & Shred and most recently became Bruno in the Bruno & Boots franchise. Now he’s utilizing his real-life horse-riding skills as Josh Luders in the channel’s newest series, Ride.
But Ride, debuting its first episode of 20 half-hours this Monday on YTV, isn’t all about Gray. Instead, he’s part of an ensemble in the equine-themed family drama about Katherine “Kit” Bridges (Kendra Timmins, Wingin’ It), a young lady who swaps Canada for England when her father, Rudy (Mike Shara), accepts a gig as an equestrian supervisor at Covington Academy, an elite riding school. The Canada-England co-production, between Breakthrough Entertainment and Buccaneer Media in the UK, was created by writers Jill Girling (Life with Derek) and Lori Mather-Welch (Queer As Folk) and has a direct lineage to series like Heartland and Anne of Green Gables.
Like Heartland, there are horses and a lot of time is spent on them. It’s a horse riding boarding school after all, so that makes sense, and the beautiful beasts are certainly celebrated. Director Stefan Scaini, a stalwart of Canadian TV from Heartland and Odd Squad to Avonlea and Wind at My Back, spends several moments capturing their movement in Monday’s debut.
But Ride feels more to me like an update of Anne of Green Gables. Kit has a flowing, unruly mane of reddish hair, bursts with enthusiasm and energy, and thinks nothing but the best of people. That, of course, causes her to run afoul of uppity rider Elaine (Alana Boden) and school marm Lady Covington (Sara Botsford). Kit does make a friend rather quickly: a wild and unpredictable horse named TK everyone is afraid of.
There’s a lot to like in Ride. Aside from strong writing—in the first 60 seconds of the debut we know why Kit and Rudy are in England, how they feel about it and their reservations—and the performances (Timmins, in particular, is fantastic), there’s the setting: rolling green English countryside, gnarled tree branches and moss-covered castles.
Check Ride out and let me know what you think.
Ride airs Monday to Thursday at 7 p.m. ET/PT on YTV.
Cast image courtesy of Corus.
From Sabrina Furminger of Westender:
Link: Finding the BC in CBC television
A homegrown comedienne, a locally produced documentary series about a BC high school, and a Vancouver-centric espionage thriller will represent the 604 in CBC Television’s fall line-up. Continue reading.Â
Is SnapShots returning to CBC?
I have enjoyed the SnapShots show. My daughters would be interested in participating. Are there going to be any more episodes of SnapShot? If so, will there be any more auditions and where and when will they be? —Lisa
SnapShots will be back for another season on Sept. 10 on CBC. for auditions and other information, go to the CBC Kids’ Facebook page.
Readers react to the CRTC’s changes to Certified Independent Production Funds
I live in Australia and most of my favourite TV shows were/are filmed in Canada, frequently with Canadian creatives—Stargate (SG1, Atlantis & Universe), Arrow, Dark Matter and The X-Files. Many are set in the U.S. but are still very Canadian. In fact, I’ve seen so much that I can often look at a film without knowing and say that’s British Columbia—the forests, streets, generally the look and feel.
Canadian creatives are every bit as talented as those in other countries. While my mother and I were initially attracted to Stargate because it was American actor Richard Dean Anderson’s new show, we loved the show itself and all of the actors to which it introduced us. In fact, Canadian Michael Shanks was my late mother’s favourite. For genre television fans like myself, some of the names of creatives that I follow from project to project aren’t necessarily well-known names in mainstream television. Examples: James Bamford, Ivon Bartok, Joseph Mallozzi, Brad Wright, Robert Cooper, Amanda Tapping, Michael Shanks, Kavan Smith, Paul McGillion, David Hewlett, Ryan Robbins and Patrick Gilmore, etc.
So I want to see more Canadian creatives names on-screen. —Webgurl
Bad news indeed. Should the Levys, Reitmans and Balcer be given shows in Canada since they clearly have spent their lives and careers in the USA? Never mind that some of them have no experience producing or writing … leaving local talent unemployed and without opportunity. So tomorrow Kiefer Sutherland, his U.S. career having faded, comes to Canada and gets shows/money thrown at him at the expense of lesser-known local creatives? And then Hart Hanson… What constitutes Canadian and what is fair? Is this question too Harperian in nature?
Canadian tax dollars should be spent on creatives residing locally … too few shows get made and far too often the same Canadian writers/producers get those shows. The executives are largely to blame for this turn of events. How do you develop talent, then, given the new regulations and the collusion of executives to deprive local creatives of opportunities and enhance their own reputation by funding American-Canadian U.S.-based talent? —Mir
One of the best, if not the best, truly Canadian series is ending. The unusual twist of victim/killer made this dramatic very intriguing! Kudos to the crew and cast got an outstanding run! Sorry to see you go! —Brenda
My favourite show is ending. So sad. Hope they will renew it in the future. —Bo
Such a shame that a great show has to end. Well, I can only hope it’s replaced by another great Canadian show! God knows there’s not enough of “our” stuff—and too much of everybody else’s! —Stephen
Got a question or comment about Canadian TV? Email Greg.David@tv-eh.com or via Twitter @tv_eh.
From a media release:
Global News is pleased to announce that its flagship newscast, Global National is expanding to four additional television stations. Starting today, Global National will air on CKSA, a Newcap-owned television station in Lloydminster. Beginning Tuesday, September 6, the show will also run on three additional Corus-owned stations: CKWS Kingston, CHEX Peterborough and Channel 12 Durham. The program will be broadcast at 5:30 p.m. local time in each city.
Global News is also delighted to unveil new local versions of the network morning program, The Morning Show. Launching on Monday, October 17 on CKWS Kingston and on Monday, October 24 on CHEX Peterborough, the show will air from 6-9 a.m. With these programs, CKWS and CHEX will deliver local morning news to their respective viewers for the first time in history. The Morning Show will feature local news and community interviews with network cut-ins from Global’s national team in both markets.
Global National with anchor Dawna Friesen is Canada’s only early-evening national newscast. The multiple award-winning program offers a distinctive voice and approach to the day’s top stories.
With bureaus and correspondents in every major Canadian city, Washington, London and around the world, the Global National team provides Canadians with in-depth analysis and perspective on important national and international events, connecting with audiences coast-to-coast and bringing clarity to the issues and news of the day.
CKWS-TV is Southeastern Ontario’s news leader with videographers covering stories throughout the region. The on-air team, which began broadcasting in 1954, brings experience, commitment and insight to the coverage of news, sports, weather and special events.
Since 1955, CHEX Television has been serving the Kawartha Lakes and east-central Ontario from its studios in Peterborough. CHEX is available on 52 cable systems throughout the province and across the country.
Channel 12 has been serving the Durham Region in Ontario since 1993. Channel 12 is the only local, conventional television station in the region and has taken on a leadership role in promoting and covering hundreds of events each year.
