The Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame has announced its 2023 inductees including the cast of SCTV, Steve Smith (aka Red Green), Jim Carrey, Eugene Levy, Martin Short, and Billy Van of The Hilarious House of Frightenstein fame. Smith is the first inductee to be recognized in both the Performer and Creator categories.
CTV Original crime drama Sight Unseen is set to debut as part of a series premiere event following the NFL Divisional Playoffs, on Sunday, Jan. 21. An encore presentation airs Monday, Jan. 22 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, as the series moves to its regular time slot. Filmed in Vancouver, the series was created by sisters Karen Troubetzkoy (Killjoys, Orphan Black) and Nikolijne Troubetzkoy (Skymed, Transplant), and stars newcomer Dolly Lewis as homicide detective Tess Avery, alongside Agam Darshi (DMZ) as seeing eye-guide Sunny Patel.
Jasmeet Raina makes his return to the screen with the debut of Crave’s new eight-part original comedy series Late Bloomer, premiering Friday, Jan. 19. Created by and starring Raina, it follows burgeoning content creator Jasmeet Dutta (Raina) as he tries to balance his ambitions with his commitment to his family, community, and culture. Raina is joined onscreen by an ensemble cast including newcomers Baljinder Singh Atwal (Des Pardes) and Sandeep Bali as Jasmeet’s parents; alongside Ashley Ganger (Grand Army); Sugenja Sri (The Handmaid’s Tale); Sachin Mahashi and Ahamed Weinberg (Insecure).
Global celebrates the New Year with the addition of two new unscripted series joining the network’s previously announced Winter/Spring 2024 programming. Kicking things off is trivia conquest game show The Floor hosted by Rob Lowe, which premiered Tuesday, Jan. 2, while Anthony Anderson and his mother, Doris Bowman, co-host new music-based competition series We Are Family, on Global and STACKTV. Lowe takes The Floor as host and producer of the new quiz show, created by John de Mol’s Talpa (Big Brother, Deal or No Deal, The Voice), in which 81 contestants stand on 81 squares on a massive game show floor, competing for a $250,000 prize. We Are Family will showcase non-famous relatives of celebrities in solo performances and duets with their hidden famous family member. The new series join Global’s other January premieres, I Can See Your Voice and Raid The Cage.
Corus Entertainment specialty networks, Showcase and W Network, have announced new and returning series coming this winter, including the previously announced Ted from Seth MacFarlane; limited drama series Apples Never Fall, based on Liane Moriarty’s bestselling novel, starring Annette Bening and Sam Neill; drama series Unwanted; comedy series Gold Diggers; and romantic comedy Smothered. Returning shows include Dr. Death starring Edgar Ramírez and Mandy Moore, and a new season of Hallmark Channel drama The Way Home.
Hollywood Suite has announced that the sixth season of their original documentary series A Year in Film has begun production. Premiering next spring, the next collection will look at some of the big screen highlights of 1968, 1972, 1981, 1996 and 2008. Alongside in-house experts Alicia Fletcher, Cameron Maitland and Emily Gagne, those featured include film critic Radheyan Simonpillai (CTV’s Your Morning and CBC Radio), journalist and Designing the Movies host Nathalie Atkinson, and TIFF Director of Programming Robyn Citizen discussing the significance of selected films and their impact on film history.
The National Screen Institute (NSI) has issued a call for applications for a new program for refugees and newcomers living in Manitoba called NSI Intro for Production. The pilot training program is designed to provide entry-level knowledge and hands-on experience in film and TV production. Ten participants will learn about careers in film and TV production and make a short film, empowering them to share personal stories, discover career possibilities, foster industry connections and further develop their storytelling passion.
The OYA Black Arts Coalition (OBAC) is actively seeking partners to increase job placement opportunities, following the relaunch of the Career Leap program. Career Leap provides work placement opportunities for Black film/TV crew to help satisfy union eligibility requirements and advance their careers. OBAC is calling on production companies across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area to join the program.
