TV & Film News – Global News introduces refreshed branding

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Global News has introduced a new look and sound as the network refreshes its branding. The changes include modification of the Global News logo, text and other visual elements. Incorporating the brand’s distinct red, black and white, new fonts and graphics are being used throughout Global’s platforms, including a new show opening. Read more here.

Diggstown’s series finale will air Nov. 16 on CBC. The six-episode fourth and final season tackles mental health, the plight of migrant workers, the treatment of a pregnant trans man within the healthcare system, sterilization of Black women and Indian Day School abuse, among other true to life stories. Joining the cast this season are John Maucere (No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie), Fiona Highet (Rookie Blue), with Rigo Sanchez, Donald Maclean Jr., Zahra Bentham, and Dorren Lee.

Shaftesbury has announced that production is now underway on Macy Murdoch (8×11), a new CBC Gem original tween series following the adventures of Detective William Murdoch’s time-travelling great-great-great- granddaughter. A spinoff of the long-running Murdoch Mysteries, based on novels written by Maureen Jennings, the series is currently shooting in Toronto and set to debut in spring 2023. Canadian Screen Award-winner Shailyn Pierre-Dixon (Pretty Hard Cases, The Book of Negroes) co-leads the series with Beau Han Bridge and Raffa Virago. Shanice Banton (“Mrs. Violet Hart”) and Lachlan Murdoch (“Constable Henry Higgins-Newsome”) from the CBC series will appear as guides to help the young detectives absolve Murdoch of a crime he did not commit.

Catalyst, the Toronto-based development and funding company focused on content created by women, has announced its latest commission, a new unscripted comedy series from Carolyn Taylor (6×30), best known as the star and co-creator of CBC’s Baroness von Sketch Show. The series is commissioned by Bell Media’s Crave, and produced by Catalyst and Blue Ant Studios as part of their strategic partnership to develop female-generated programming for the global marketplace. Slated to premiere on Crave in 2023, the series is inspired by Katerina Witt and the 1988 Calgary Olympics, following Taylor’s unlikely quest to choreograph the perfect pairs figure-skating routine. Despite having zero figure-skating knowledge or skill, Taylor manages to convince an A-list cast of skaters to help her achieve her dream, including two-time Olympic Gold Medallist Ekaterina Gordeeva, Olympic Gold Medallist David Pelletier, four-time World Champion Kurt Browning, two-time Olympic Silver Medallist Brian Orser, World Champions Barbara Underhill & Paul Martini, Olympic Silver Medallist Elizabeth Manley, World Silver Medallists Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, U.S. Champion Adam Rippon, and social media skating sensation Elladj Baldé. 

The HISTORY Channel commemorates diverse heroes of World War I and II with new Canadian Original docuseries, Our War. Over two, one-hour episodes premiering back-to-back on Nov. 11, the stories of these forgotten heroes are told through their modern-day descendants, who discover the harrowing secrets of their ancestors. Developed and produced by Lark Productions, Our War takes viewers on a real-life genealogical investigation from deciphering a deathbed confession to unearthing the truth behind a family legend. The premiere episode begins with the great-great granddaughter of one of Canada’s first Black servicemen as she searches for a memorial plaque awarded to the next-of-kin of those killed in World War I. 

marblemedia has announced that production is underway on a third season of sand sculpture competition series, Race Against The Tide. Filmed on New Brunswick’s New River Beach on the Bay of Fundy, the new season will premiere on CBC in 2023. Season 3 sees the show introduce an all-new format with more competitors and the return of Maestro Fresh Wes as host. He’ll be joined by returning judges, Karen Fralich, a five-time World Champion; and Rusty Croft, a seasoned sand sculptor who holds the Guinness World Record for the “tallest sand castle” as a member of the Sand Guys.                         

Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana, together with Lambur Productions, have started production on the third and final season of The Hardy Boys (8x60min). Based on the books by Franklin W. Dixon, the Daytime Emmy-nominated mystery drama started production in September in Toronto and Southern Ontario. Bailee Madison (Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, Just Go with It) guest stars on the final season. The Hardy Boys picked up 2022 Canadian Screen Awards for Best Children’s or Youth Fiction Program or Series and Best Direction, Children’s or Youth. Season 2 secured the number one program ranking on YTV this past Spring, according to data provided by Corus, and is currently the number one YTV show streamed on STACKTV. The final season will premiere on Hulu in the U.S. and YTV and STACKTV in Canada in 2023, with more international networks to be announced.

Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas returns to W Network, beginning Oct. 21. This year, 36 new holiday movies premiere every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, starting Oct. 28 through Dec. 18 with back-to-back films every day until New Year’s Eve. Last year, nearly 13 million Canadians tuned into Countdown to Christmas, according to Corus Entertainment. Canadian stars returning in this year’s slate of movies include Andrew Walker, Benjamin Ayres, Brennan Elliott, Luke Macfarlane, Paul Campbell, and Tyler Hynes. Lacey Chabert, who stars in a record-breaking twelfth Christmas movie for Hallmark this year, is also joined by Alison Sweeney, Ashley Williams, Erin Cahill, Jonathan Bennett, Kristoffer Polaha, Marilu Henner, Nikki DeLoach, Ryan Paevey, Tamera Mowry-Housley, Taylor Cole, and Will Kemp. Featuring titles from Hallmark Channel, Lifetime and UPtv, W Network’s movie schedule boasts 25 Canadian productions including A Magical Christmas Village (Lighthouse), The Royal Nanny (Leif Films), and A Fabled Holiday (Studio BRB (AFH Productions Inc.)).

APTN, CBC and the Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) have announced their support of three Indigenous scripted series that will soon be in pre-development through the CBC-APTN Early Stage Scripted Development Program in association with the ISO. The creative team for each series will have access to CBC and APTN executives, who will provide custom-tailored support for all three projects. The selected projects for 2022-23 are: The Break (Drama), Producers: Lisa Jackson, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Katherena Vermette, Manitoba; Rez in the City (Comedy), Producer: Gail Maurice, Ontario; Misty Dior (Drama), Executive Producer: Jessica Matten, Alberta. 

Bell Media has unveiled its expanded multiplatform slate of original programming, ahead of MIPCOM 2022, to be made available worldwide this fall. Adding eight titles to Bell Media Distribution’s growing roster, the offering includes newly-announced unscripted series East Harbour Heroes (Discovery) and Staying Inn: Hotel Julie (CTV Life). Shooting now with host Mena Massoud, the previously announced Evolving Vegan also joins Bell Media Distribution’s slate of unscripted titles currently available to broadcasters and platforms in more than 100 markets worldwide, including all five titles in Discovery’s “MIGHTY” franchise, Mud Mountain Haulers, Pets & Pickers, and We’re All Going to Die (Even Jay Baruchel). 

The Raccoons, which originally ran from 1985-1991 on CBC in Canada and on Disney Channel in the U.S., has returned to the small screen with newly digitally remastered content, now available on Crave. The restored content includes all 60 half-hour original episodes and four animated specials including The Christmas Raccoons, The Raccoons on Ice and The Raccoons and the Lost Star. Seasons 1 and 2 dropped Oct. 8, while Seasons 3, 4 and 5 plus the animated specials will follow at a later date. The remastered series will roll out in additional markets in 2023. Created in 1985, The Raccoons series was known for its strong environmental theme, following the day-to-day life of three raccoons — Bert, Melissa & Ralph, their friend Cedric the aardvark, and his Dad, Cyril Sneer, whose hunger for a quick fortune causes conflict inside the Evergreen Forest. Read more here.

Riceboy Sleeps, Anthony Shim’s coming of age story, captured Best Canadian Film at the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF). Other awards went to Charlotte Le Bon, Director of Falcon Lake, who won Best Emerging Director; Baba from Anya Chirkova and Meran Ismailsoy, which won Best Canadian Short Film; Sophie Jarvis’ Until Branches Bend awarded the Best BC Film Award, while Jacquelyn Mills’ Geographies of Solitude won the Best Canadian Documentary Award. Read more about this year’s winners here.