Nlogic has released its Spring TV 2017 Hot Topic report, which shows share growth of 1.3 per cent for conventional stations for A25-54, over Fall 2016. The report shows Montreal Franco EM still has the highest viewing levels with Ind2+ watching on average 28.3 hrs per week during Spring 2017, compared to an average of 23.3 across English Canada. History moves to number 3 specialty station in Canada (behind Sportsnet and TSN). Big Bang Theory remains the number 1 conventional show in Canada for all Ind2+. TVA + Sports ranks first among Canadian digital stations, outperforming SportsnetOne +. Three French-language programs were among the 10 most-watched programs in Canada for adults, aged 2 and up.
Rogers is shutting down G4 (formerly G4TechTV) on Aug. 31 after a 17-year run. The technology-focused channel had shifted to more general interest programming over the past year. Multiple factors for the channel’s demise have been cited, including the restrictions of the CRTC license and the end of their deal with EP Media (formally Greedy Productions) to carry EP Daily and Reviews on the Run. The Canadian iteration of the channel outlasted both its American mother network and Esquire Network, G4’s intended replacement, which ended all operations on June 27, 2017 in the U.S.
BuzzFeed senior writer and author Scaachi Koul will be writing and executive producing a half-hour comedy series based on her autobiographical book of essays One Day We’ll All Be Dead And None of This Will Matter. First Generation Films has acquired the rights to the book about Koul’s upbringing as the daughter of Indian immigrants in Canada. This is her first foray into television writing.
Portfolio Entertainment has signed a raft of new deals that will see their animated and live action series launch in the Ukraine, Middle East and North Africa, and the US. Ukraine’s Niki Kids signed on to the hit comedy Freaktown, while Ultra Kids (Ex-Yugoslavia) has acquired the first two seasons of the animated expedition-adventure, pre-school series, DOKI. In the Middle East and North Africa, Discovery Kids and E Junior have acquired Mack & Moxy, a preschool series featuring guest voices like Hank Azaria, Josh Duhamel and Rachel Ray. Starz (USA) has picked up, for its on-demand and online platforms, both seasons of docu-series Do You Know? hosted by YouTube tech vlogger Maddie Moate.
Bravo has struck a deal to become the exclusive Canadian production partner for the new, detective procedural Carter, the newest original Canadian series for the channel. Carter will premiere on Bravo in early 2018 before joining the Crave TV lineup. Starring Jerry O’Connell and Sydney Tamiia Poitier, the 10-episode, one-hour drama began production this month in North Bay, ON.
CraveTV has announced that production is underway on another six-pack of its most-watched series, Letterkenny. The half-hour comedy, produced by New Metric Media in partnership with DHX Media, shoots on location in and around Sudbury until early August. New to the writer’s room this season are 19-2 veterans Jesse McKeown and Lynne Kamm. Jonathan Torrens returns to write two episodes.
Québecor Content and Fair Play have announced original, Quebecois dance competition series Revolution. The show is set to air on TVA in 2018.
Following fan response to a planned hiatus, Global is adding Big Brother Canada to its 2018 schedule. Season 6 of the reality show will return to the network earlier than anticipated with casting to be announced at a later date.
The Canadian Media Producers Association, Directors Guild of Canada, Canadian Media Guild, Writers Guild of Canada, and 15 other creative industry groups and unions have signed an open letter, printed in The Hill Times on July 24, urging Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly to overturn a CRTC decision streamlining spending on programs of national interest (PNI). The letter states “Over the broadcasters’ full five-year licence term, the CRTC’s decisions will potentially lead to a decrease of $911 million in independent PNI production activity across Canada, which translates to a reduction in excess of $1.1 billion to Canada’s GDP. Lastly, the CRTC’s decisions seem to run counter to what you are working to achieve through your Canadian Content in a Digital World review – namely to promote and support Canadian culture, to capture a greater share of global markets, and to embrace culture’s unrealized potential as a driver of economic growth.”
According to Numeris, the Season 7 premiere of Game of Thrones on July 16 drew more than 1.8 million viewers, making it the most-watched episode in HBO Canada and Canadian Entertainment Specialty and Pay TV history. That’s a four per cent increase over the Season 6 premiere, which held the previous record. The episode can now be watched on TMN GO and HBO Canada OnDemand.
Space has committed to a third season of western-horror drama, Wynonna Earp. SEVEN24 Films will produce another 12 episodes, slated to premiere in 2018.
TSN has announced the broadcast schedule for the 2017 Canada Summer Games from Winnipeg. TSN will air 40 hours of live coverage, beginning with the Opening Ceremony on July 28 with broadcast segments featuring soccer, beach volleyball, indoor volleyball, baseball, basketball and softball. Vic Rauter, two-time Olympic gold medalist and Canada Games alumna Catriona Le May Doan, Olympic medallist Kaylyn Kyle, TSN’s Sara Orlesky, Paul Hollingsworth, Meghan McPeak and Greg Sutton are set to provide coverage. The full broadcast schedule is available at TSN.ca.
CTV has opened casting for Season 5 of culinary competition series Masterchef Canada for the 2017/2018 broadcast season. Casting for home cooks looking to follow their culinary dream is now open at MasterChefCanada.CTV.ca/Casting, with production set to begin this fall in Toronto on a new 12-episode season from Proper Television.
