Tag Archives: Featured

Featured

The Canadian networks’ 2015-16 season announcement scorecard

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The Canadian network upfront dust has settled and 2015-16 schedules have been revealed. How does their Cancon stack up in terms of quantity, before we’re able to judge much on quality? Let’s take a closer look based on their recently announced lineups for fall and winter:

CBC

  • Canadian scripted shows:  9 1/2
  • New: The Romeo Section, This Life, Young Drunk Punk
  • Returning: Heartland, Murdoch Mysteries, Rick Mercer Report, 22 Minutes, Schitt’s Creek, Mr. D, X Company
  • Grade: B+

The public broadcaster’s lifeblood is original programming, making it unique among the major networks. Budget woes mean more creativity, if you can call reduced seasons an example of creativity, but also new arts and factual programming as well as international acquisitions. CBC gets a half point for airing City’s original production Young Drunk Punk; I admire the cooperative spirit that allows both networks to spread out their Cancon spending without the benefit of appropriate specialty channels of their own, like the biggest private networks who can air one show across multiple channels. With additional factual and news programming, including new shows this summer, CBC is the home of hope for a homegrown television lover.

City

  • Canadian scripted shows:  1 1/2
  • New: Mr. D
  • Returning: Sunnyside
  • Grade: D+

I’m grading on a curve for this smallest of the networks, and hoping they have more originals up their sleeve despite their minimalist fall announcement. Seed, Package Deal and Meet the Family are dead, but they recently ordered more episodes of sketch comedy show Sunnyside for fall. While Young Drunk Punk will benefit from CBC’s bigger reach, Mr. D may get some new eyeballs but a larger audience than its CBC run is highly unlikely.  A second season of Young Drunk Punk hasn’t been announced yet, and City didn’t take the upfronts as an opportunity to do so.

Global

  • Canadian scripted shows:  Zero
  • New: Nothing
  • Returning: Zilch
  • Grade: Is there such thing as an F-?

They recently cancelled homegrown medical drama Remedy while picking up the requisite American medical drama, and Rookie Blue may or may not be ending this summer.  Unless Global rushes their greenlit The Code and Houdini and Doyle into production and finds a cancellation in its simsub schedule during the regular television season, they’re unlikely to have any scripted original shows until at least spring 2016 — on par with their 2014/15 schedule.

CTV

  • Canadian scripted shows:  2
  • New: Nothing
  • Returning: Saving Hope, Motive
  • Grade: C+

Original productions on CTV are positively abundant compared to their rival Global — though some credit goes to their increased Cancon spending requirements after Bell’s purchase of Astral. Even then, they have one scripted show each starting in fall and winter, with Saving Hope out of the gate first in a plum timeslot. They still have a produced season of the sadly tainted Spun Out waiting in the wings. Will they schedule it when gaps appear in their simulcast schedule due to U.S. cancellations, or burn it off quietly some Saturday evening, or kill it entirely? Would they be able to kill it entirely without  issues with the funding agencies? Will we hear soon about more new original series for CTV? So many questions, and we can only wait for answers.

 

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Featured, Rookie Blue

Comments and queries for the week of June 5

Cracked actor makes an impact on Rookie Blue

I started out watching all the reruns of Rookie Blue. I fell in love with the show and the cast. I could not wait to see the next episode. — Jennifer

Welcome to RBParty! I think going on a RB marathon will really allow you to see how many of the many relationships have developed and how each of the characters have grown so much. — Diane

I actually started watching Rookie Blue this season. With so many passionate fans I decided to give it a try and I was surprised to see I really liked it. Best thing is the episodes are syndicated on so many channels I might get all of them on my DVR so I can watch from the beginning. — Alicia

CTV’s unwavering support for Saving Hope

Thank you CTV! Saving Hope is by far my favourite show right now and I’m glad it’s getting such strong support. I hope it catches on here in the U.S. on ION channel, and I hope the prime time slot will help with any loss of viewers over the Season 3 ending. — Hallie

 

Got a comment or question about Canadian TV? Email greg@tv-eh.com or via @tv_eh.

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Featured, Rookie Blue

Review: A mother’s pain on Rookie Blue

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Last week, David Sutcliffe dropped by Rookie Blue to play a father who went a little too far when it came to controlling his kids. This week it was Mary Walsh (22 Minutes) who hopped into the sandbox to play … and ended up having quite the impact on Gail.

I’ve watched enough seasons of prison series to know that not all convicts are deadly, but I admit I worried for Gail’s life when she first came upon Odelle (Walsh) in the room where the prison riot had taken place. I kept waiting for Odelle to take Gail prisoner in a bid to get out of Pine Valley, you know, like what had happened to Andy and Juliet with Kenzie. Turns out Odelle was a lonely woman with a tragic story: she was in prison for murdering her husband after he’d accidentally set their house on fire and killed their children. Odelle implored Gail to embrace every day as if it was her last and our favourite blonde cop did just that, pinching Lauralee’s bottom when the two ran into each other at the precinct.

Raise your hand if you knew right away that even though Kenzie was labelled the belligerent convict that it was really Rachelle that Nick should have kept his guard up for? Yeah, me too, though it was still interesting to learn (and see) how she got everyone’s guard down and then attacked. Her plot to kill a fellow inmate almost came to fruition; if the assault team—aided by Shaw and Diaz—hadn’t arrived when they did the situation would have had a much bleaker conclusion.

Prison riots are claustrophobic scenes where I suspect something bad it going to happen, so I was glad when Andy and Juliet emerged unscathed. Well, as unscathed as you can be when a knife is being held to your throat. “Uprising” (directed by Gregory Smith) allowed for the two to get to know each other a little more, especially Andy, who learned as we already have that Juliet is not exactly who she appears to be. Kenzie recognizing Juliet means she was in Vancouver and involved with a drug dealer who worked for a gang. Juliet said things got messy, and I wonder if she became so involved in the gang she got addicted to drugs or even witnessed a murder and failed to intervene. Whatever it was, it was enough she appears to be an unwilling participant in an internal investigation into the precinct. (Erin Karpluk is the queen of playing awkward characters, so it was a joy to see she and Missy Peregrym going back and forth in the car about Nick and the baby.)

Speaking of the baby, I’m betting that although things appear to be OK spine-wise for the little girl so far, a major health issue for she and/or Marlo will threaten to tear the tenuous relationship between Marlo, Swarek and Andy apart. This is Rookie Blue after all, and there can’t always be happy endings.

Notes and quotes

  • “Is it true that Peck has retractable fangs?” That line from Duncan had me giggling for minutes. His body roll? Disturbing.
  • “No one’s seen a pirate in a cop costume before?” — Shaw
  • Speaking of Shaw, only Matt Gordon could rock an eyepatch like that. Fingers crossed the eye infection lasts another week or two so that we can get more images like this:

Rookie_Blue_Shaw

Rookie Blue airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on Global.

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Featured, Industry News

Where Are They Now (wonk version)?

So a few weeks ago I tweeted that I had gotten lost on Google for a couple of hours because it had been suggested to me that ‘someone’ should report on where former CRTC Commissioners are now.   It’s like a wonky version of Zap2It’s ‘Degrassi: TNG Season 1 Cast – Where Are They Now?’ post. So here’s my Zap2It/Buzzfeed style update on more recent former CRTC Commissioners. As you can see, some leveraged their CRTC experience to move on to interesting new positions, some went back to what they had been doing before and many are consultants (a very honourable profession in my opinion). Some are consulting more than others. The further back you get the harder it is to find info online so I called it quits at Charles Dalfen. [Note – if anyone, including a former Commissioner, would like to update their listing, please feel free to contact me and I will edit.]

Louise Poirier (2008 – 2013)

Poirier continues as Chair of the Gatineau Sport Development Board (Conseil de Dévelopment du Sport de Gatineau) http://www.sportgatineau.ca She had been a Gatineau city councilor before the Commission.

Suzanne Lamarre (2008 – 2013)

Prior to the Commission Lamarre had a long career at the CBC as an engineer and a lawyer. She has now shifted to the consulting world as a Strategy and Regulatory Affairs Advisor. According to her LinkedIn page she is keeping very busy advising and teaching telecommunications and broadcasting regulation.

Timothy Denton (2008 – 2013)

Prior to his stint at the Commission, Denton was a consultant and executive focused on all things Internet and he has returned to that focus as Chair of the Internet Society of Canada and Principal of The Windermere Group (telecomm, broadcasting and internet law and policy consulting practice). He is also blogging at www.tmdenton.com

Marc Patrone (2008 – 2013)

Prior to the Commission, Patrone had a long career as a reporter at CTV Atlantic. He returned to the news first at Sun News Network as director of news for Western Operations until it folded and now freelance, writing articles and posting videos for Ezra Levant’s Rebel Media blog and YouTube channel.

Len Katz (2007 – 2012)

Katz appears to be fully retired after he left the Commission due to health issues after a short term as interim Chair of the Commission and four years as Vice-Chair of Telecommunications.

Michel Morin (2007- 2012)

Morin was a journalist and news executive with Radio-Canada prior to the Commission. He has returned to the news as a Journalist for TVA Nouvelles.

Konrad von Finckenstein (2007 – 2012)

After a distinguished career as a Federal Court Judge and before that Chair of the Competition Bureau, von Finckenstein spent a term as the Chair of the Commission. He is now an independent arbitrator for commercial disputes at JAMS, a global provider of commercial arbitrators and a Senior Fellow at the independent think tank C.D. Howe Institute.

Helen Ray Del Val (2005 – 2008)

Ray Del Val was a commercial and telecommunications lawyer prior to her three year term as the BC Regional Commissioner. She is now Chair of BC’s Financial Institutions Commission and of the Community Care and Assisted Living Appeal Board.

Michel Arpin (2005 – 2010)

After a lengthy career primarily in radio broadcasting, Arpin was the Commission’s Vice-Chair Broadcasting for five years. After his term he spent one year as a lecturer at Université de Montréal and is now consulting.

Elizabeth Duncan (2005 – 2014)

Duncan served two terms as Commissioner after a career in regional cable. She appears to now be retired.

Rita Cugini (2005 – 2012)

Cugini also served two terms on the Commission. She currently is active as a strategic planning and media consultant with clients like APTN, Blue Ant, the Competition Bureau and the Ontario Ministry of Culture and Tourism. In 2013, along with Trina McQueen, Cugini conducted an independent review of the game Pipe Trouble commissioned by TVO, to see if it complied with TVO’s Programming Standards.

Richard French (2005 – 2007)

After two years as Vice-Chair Telecommunications, French left the CRTC and now holds the CN Paul M. Tellier Chair on Business and Public Policy at University of Ottawa.

Joan Pennefather (1998 – 2007)

After two terms with the CRTC, Pennefather is now a mediator with the Mediation Centre of Southern Ontario and a senior associate with the Institute on Governance.   She also sits on a number of boards.

Stuart Langford (1998-2007)

Langford spent two terms at the CRTC but seems to have fallen off the map at least as far as Google is concerned. Prior to the CRTC he practiced law, worked as a political staffer and wrote crime novels.

Andrée Noel (1998-2007)

Prior to her nine years with the CRTC, Noel was an executive with a telecommunications company and a publishing company. Noel is now a broadcast and telecommunications consultant and the National Chair of the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council.

Charles Dalfen (2002-2006)

After his term as Chair of the CRTC, Dalfen was counsel at Tory’s, the firm he practiced with prior to his term at the CRTC. Dalfen died May 26, 2009 from a heart attack.

Thank you to Bram Abramson for being way better than a hive mind and directing me to the Privy Council Office page that aggregates Commissioner appointments.

 

 

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Degrassi, Featured

Degrassi cancelled after 14 seasons

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The doors are closing on Degrassi High … at least for now. The long-running teen drama will come to and end in Canada on MTV and in the U.S. on TeenNick. The second half of Season 14 begins on Monday, July 20, at 9 p.m. ET on MTV and will conclude with an hour-long series finale preceded by a special entitled “It Goes There, Degrassi’s Most Talked-About Moments.”

“Thank you to Linda Schuyler and Stephen Stohn, and all the cast and crew at Epitome Pictures for delivering Bell Media with 14 years of creative and engaging content that truly captured the spirit of Canadian youth through truthful and provocative stories,” said Phil King, president of CTV, Sports and entertainment programming. “We are immensely proud of Degrassi, and our longstanding partnership with Linda and Stephen. We wish the entire Epitome team the best of luck, and look forward to working with them again in the future.”

“Few producers are as blessed as we have been, working with so many talented and creative individuals at TeenNick for 14 seasons of Degrassi; including 385 episodes and over 100 pieces of original short-form web content,” executive producer Stephen Stohn stated. “We thank all those at TeenNick who have worked so hard over the years to help us create a television series that changes with the times and continues to authentically connect and interact with the youth audience.”

But later in the day came this intriguing statement from DHX Media, apparently keeping the door open for more Degrassi: “Degrassi is one of DHX Media’s marquee brands and we expect to be able to provide an update in the days ahead for fans, the media and the market. The Degrassi fan base runs deep worldwide and the longevity of the series speaks for itself.  Stay tuned for further developments regarding Degrassi.”

Is Degrassi being shopped around to other networks—like the DHX-owned Family Channel—or will it head online as a web exclusive? Stay tuned.

The Degrassi franchise celebrated its 35th anniversary this year. Co-created by Linda Schuyler, the series has won accolades and awards—including two International Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award— for telling no-nonsense stories of teen love and angst through an unflinching lens.

The latest incarnation has churned out an impressive list of cast members who have moved on to careers in the entertainment industry, including rap superstar Drake, Nina Dobrev (The Vampire Diaries), Declan Coyne (Terra Nova), Shenae Grimes (90210), Stacey Farber (Saving Hope) and Justin Kelly (Between). Current cast include Eric Osborne, Ana Golja, Sara Waisglass, Andre Kim and Ainslinn Paul.

The franchise began with The Kids of Degrassi Street (1982-86), followed by Degrassi Junior High (1987-89) and Degrassi High (1989-91).

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