Tag Archives: Bell Media

Killjoys

Production begins on Season 2 of Space’s Killjoys

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From a media release:

– Stars Hannah John-Kamen, Aaron Ashmore, and Luke MacFarlane return as the dynamic trio of interplanetary bounty hunters –
– Michelle Lovretta returns as showrunner; new directors include Martin Wood, Stefan Pleszczynski, Ruba Nadda, Jeff Renfroe, and Grant Harvey –
– Shot in Toronto, Season 2 is set to premiere in 2016 on Space and Syfy –

Space announced today that production has begun on Season 2 of its most-watched original series ever, KILLJOYS. Created by showrunner Michelle Lovretta (LOST GIRL) and produced by Temple Street Productions (ORPHAN BLACK) in association with Space and Syfy, the 10-episode, one-hour adventure drama is set to premiere in 2016 on Space. Shot in Toronto, the critically acclaimed ratings hit continues to follow interplanetary bounty hunters – or “killjoys” – Dutch (Hannah John-Kamen, THE HOUR), Johnny (Aaron Ashmore, SMALLVILLE), and D’avin (Luke MacFarlane, BROTHERS AND SISTERS), as they chase deadly warrants throughout the Quad, a distant planetary system on the brink of a bloody class war.

Returning to direct this season are Paolo Barzman, and Peter Stebbings. New to direct this season are Martin Wood, Stefan Pleszczynski, Ruba Nadda, Jeff Renfroe and Grant Harvey. Spearheaded by Lovretta, the writing team includes Adam Barken, Jeremy Boxen, Jon Cooksey, Julian Doucet, Sean Reycraft, and Priscilla White.

In Season 2, the trio is on the move to uncover Dutch’s duplicitous and mysterious childhood mentor, Khlyen’s (Rob Stewart, SUITS) secret agenda. As shocking truths are revealed, Dutch, D’avin, and Johnny realize the Quad’s notorious criminals are no match for the threat within the Reclamation Apprehension Coalition (RAC). The Killjoy’s loyalties are tested as they struggle to find the balance between politics, family, and the good of the Quad. With so much on the line, they begin to wonder if the warrant is indeed all.

Season 1 of KILLJOYS culminated with an audience-high 560,000 viewers for the season finale. Throughout its run, KILLJOYS averaged nearly 450,000 viewers in its timeslot, making it Space’s most-watched original series of all time.

Executive Producers are David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg of Temple Street Productions and Karen Troubetzkoy. D.J. Carson serves as Producer. Universal Cable Productions distributes the series worldwide except Canada.

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Cardinal

Billy Campbell and Karine Vanasse cast in CTV’s Cardinal

From a media release:

CTV, alongside producers Sienna Films and Entertainment One (eOne), announced today that Golden Globe® nominee Billy Campbell and the multiple Genie Award-winning actress Karine Vanasse have been cast as series leads in CARDINAL (working title), the network’s recently announced serialized, six-part, one-hour drama. The cinematic murder mystery series stars Campbell (THE KILLING) as the intelligent, reflective, and dogged detective named John Cardinal, from the northern city of Algonquin Bay, who is burdened by a wrong he committed years ago. Quebec native Vanasse (REVENGE) is confirmed to play Cardinal’s partner Lise Delorme, a shrewd, tough, imaginative, and gifted investigator from the town’s French Canadian community. CARDINAL is a gripping, character driven drama set to premiere as part of CTV’s 2016/17 schedule, with production set to begin in February 2016.

Most recently,well-known actor Billy Campbell starred in AMC’s hit series THE KILLING as Seattle City Councilman, and eventually mayor, Darren Richmond. Campbell is also known for his role as Rick Sammler on the beloved ABC drama ONCE AND AGAIN, which he received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Dramatic Series and won a People’s Choice Award for Favourite Male Performer in a New Television Series for his performance. He is also known for his roles in THE 4400, and National Geographic Channel’s docudrama KILLING LINCOLN. Campbell’s most notable films include:  the cult classic The Rocketeer, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and Enough.

Karine Vanasse is an award-winning Canadian actress. Her recent television credits include ABC’s PAN AM and REVENGE, and the upcoming French series BLUE MOON. Over the course of her career she has had lead roles in over a dozen films, including the 2009 Canadian film Polytechnique, for which she earned a Genie Award for Best Female Performance. Vanasse also served as co-producer on the film and was the driving force behind the film, which was awarded eight other Genie Awards in 2010, including Best Picture. Vanasse was also nominated for an ACTRA Award for Outstanding Female Performance in 2006 for the mini-series October 1970 and in 2010 for her performance in Polytechnique.

CARDINAL is adapted from the award-winning novel Forty Words for Sorrow, the first of the John Cardinal Mysteries series, a series of six bestselling crime novels written by Ontario native and award-winning author Giles Blunt. The series begins with the discovery of Katie Pine, a missing 13-year-old whose body is discovered in the shaft-head of an abandoned mine. CARDINAL follows detective John Cardinal (Campbell) as he attempts to uncover the mystery of what happened to the young girl. At the same time, unbeknownst to Cardinal, he comes under investigation by his new partner, Lise Delorme (Vanasse), a tough investigator in her own right.

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Industry News

Bell Media and HBO to embark on new original co-production partnership

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From a media release:

Bell Media, Canada’s leading broadcaster, and HBO, the world’s most successful pay TV service, announced today an unprecedented agreement in which Bell Media will become the exclusive Canadian home of all HBO programming on all subscription platforms into the next decade.

Under the comprehensive, long-term agreement, the first of its kind for HBO in Canada, Bell Media will have the ability to deliver current-season, past-season, and library HBO programming exclusively on its linear, on-demand, and over-the-top (OTT) platforms in English and French. The agreement also marks the first time HBO has granted exclusive subscription video on demand (SVOD) rights for first-run programming throughout Canada. As a result, Bell Media will have the flexibility to provide current HBO content such as GAME OF THRONES, GIRLS, and VEEP over-the-top in Canada on its platforms. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

BCE announced today that Bell Media will expand The Movie Network into a national pay TV service and become the sole operator of HBO Canada. As a result, all HBO content will be delivered nationwide by one company for the first time ever in Canada. French-language HBO programming will continue to be seen on Bell Media’s Super Écran pay service.

Bell Media and HBO also announced today a new original production development program, with the goal of co-producing premium, made-in-Canada content for the world stage.

Bell Media and HBO will further bolster their new partnership with a landmark programming and production arrangement. The two companies will co-develop original, Canadian drama, comedy, and factual productions for their platforms and for distribution around the world. Several projects have already been selected for development from production companies Inverted Pictures/Artists Studio, Rhombus Media, and Force Four Entertainment. Additionally, new HBO Comedy specials featuring established and emerging Canadian comedians will also be considered.

Earlier this year, Bell Media announced its premium TV streaming service CraveTV would become available to all Canadians with an Internet subscription in January, 2016. In September, 2014, Bell Media announced it had exclusively acquired the national multi-platform rights for the entire off-air library of HBO’s iconic programming catalogue, which is now featured on CraveTV.

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Uncategorized

Link: Marilyn Denis hits 1,000 episodes, once again

From Geoffrey Vendeville of the Toronto Star:

Marilyn Denis hits 1,000 episodes, once again
When you’ve been in front of the cameras as long as Marilyn Denis has, it’s easy to lose count of the episodes you have made. She didn’t know the 1,000th episode of The Marilyn Denis Show was approaching until her producers told her. It airs Tuesday at 10 a.m. on CTV.

Denis was surprised despite having already passed that milestone as the face of City TV’s Cityline morning show for 19 seasons. Continue reading.

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Cardinal, Featured

CTV orders serialized drama with Giles Blunt’s Cardinal

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CTV is getting into the serialized drama game, beginning with Giles Blunt’s award-winning John Cardinal mysteries.

Bell Media announced the ordering of the six-part Cardinal (working title) from Toronto-based Sienna Films and Entertainment One. Adapted from Forty Words for Sorrow, the upcoming project—set to bow as part of CTV’s 2016-17 broadcast schedule—follows detective John Cardinal and his new partner, Lise Delorme, as they investigate the death of Katie Pine, a 13-year-old discovered in an abandoned mine. Production on Cardinal is scheduled to begin in February 2016 in Northern Ontario; casting has not been announced.

Forty_Words

“This was one of those projects that we really thought would appeal to our audience,” Corrie Coe, senior vice-president of independent production tells TV, Eh exclusively. “There is something really great about this world that Giles Blunt has created. Cardinal has made mistakes, but he’s an honourable man and isn’t a cliché detective who’s drinking too much and his family life is in the skids.” Coe notes the character of Delorme will stay true to the printed word as a French Canadian and filming will be in the north because that region plays a big part in the novels.

Cardinal is being developed for CTV by showrunner and executive producer Aubrey Nealon (Orphan Black); Daniel Grou (19-2) will direct.

A six-part limited-run series makes total sense. The success of serialized dramas like Fargo and Broadchurch signals a North American audience pumped for compressed projects like Cardinal.

Will you tune in to Cardinal when it hits the small screen? Comment below.

 

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