TV & Film News – Work culture key to attracting young creatives, says Ontario Creates survey

Ontario Creates and VICE Media Group have released new research that finds work culture and championing mental health and diversity are key to attracting the next generation of young creatives, in addition to mentorship and skills support not being offered in traditional learning environments. VICE surveyed 1,000 young Canadians for The Future of the Creative Workforce – 500 Gen Z (18-24 years old) and 500 Gen Y (25-30 years old) – in both English and French, to better understand awareness and interest in careers in the creative industries. 78% of those surveyed said work-life balance is the most important thing to consider when choosing a job, although they recognized creative industry careers often require long hours on set, in a studio or at the office, so balance may not mean “evenings and weekends free.” Gen Z and Gen Y also express a large desire to see different types of representation (gender, sexual identity, ethnicity, etc.) both in creative and behind-the-scenes roles. Read more here.

CTV and Crave have announced the straight-to-series order for new original drama, Sullivan’s Crossing. From the team behind internationally renowned series, Virgin River, and adapted from the Sullivan’s Crossing novels by Virgin River author Robyn Carr, production and casting details will be revealed in the coming months. With broadcast details still to be announced, the 10 episode, one-hour series will air and stream in both English and French. Reel World Management’s Roma Roth, and Christopher E. Perry will executive produce with Roth also serving as showrunner. 

Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) has added more star power to the lineup of its seventh biennial fundraising special. Airing on Saturday, Aug. 21 at 8 p.m. ET & PT and 7 p.m. CT, Reese Witherspoon and media entrepreneur Jim Toth, are executive producing the special that will be co-hosted by Anthony Anderson, Ken Jeong & Tran Ho, and Sofia Vergara. A special segment during the event will feature appearances from Canadian news and sportscasters Bryan Mudryk (TSN), Carolyn Mackenzie (Global’s The Morning Show), Danielle Michaud (Sportsnet), and Murdoch Mysteries star Yannick Bisson, who share their personal connections to cancer. Other Canadian celebrities supporting the special include Cottage Life’s Adam Holman, Family Feud Canada’s Gerry Dee, 102.1 the Edge’s Kolter Bouchard, ET Canada’s Sangita Patel, along with cast members from CBC’s Heartland and Global’s Family Law and Nurses. The special will air simultaneously on more than 60 participating media platforms across Canada and the United States, and will be available to stream live and on-demand on several streaming platforms.

Benedict Cumberbatch is the recipient of this year’s TIFF Tribute Actor Award. Cumberbatch will next be seen in Netflix’s The Power of the Dog, directed by Jane Campion, and Amazon Studios’ The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, directed by Will Sharpe — both of which will have their Canadian premieres at TIFF. Cumberbatch joins a list of recently announced TIFF honourees, including two-time Academy Award nominee Jessica Chastain; award-winning documentary filmmaker, singer, and activist Alanis Obomsawin, who will be honoured with the Jeff Skoll Award in Impact Media; and Academy Award–nominated French Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, who will receive the TIFF Ebert Director Award at this year’s awards broadcast.

WOW! Unlimited Media has announced that, after a year of record growth, its Mainframe Studios is opening a new virtual studio based in Toronto. Known for its award-winning CG-animated productions, the Vancouver-based studio has grown from 400 to over 650 people since 2020 and continues to grow. The new Toronto studio will be virtually connected to Mainframe’s Global Studio Pipeline without incurring any additional physical lease requirements. Mainframe says its commitment to a long-term work from home strategy provides flexibility for its teams with a strong focus on work-life balance that will provide opportunities for talent across Ontario. Mainframe currently has 12 titles in production, including 11 CG series and the studio’s first 2D animated series, The Guava Juice Show, a YouTube Originals slated for release in late 2021.   

Citytv has set fall premiere dates, continuing as the home for “Bachelor Nation” this fall with all-new series Bachelor in Paradise Canada, starting Oct. 10, featuring Bachelor-alumni Kevin Wendt as the bartender and Jesse Jones as host. KiSS 92.5’s Deepa Prashad and Daryn Jones host The Bachelor After Show: After Paradise. New-to-Citytv is Season 23 of Law & Order: SVU (Sept. 23), new drama Ordinary Joe (Sept. 20) starring James Wolk (Mad Men, You Again), Dick Wolf’s Chicago franchise (Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Chicago P.D.) (Sept. 22) and Law & Order: Organized Crime (Sept. 23).  

New to FX & FX Now are Y: The Last Man (Sept. 13) starring Ben Schnetzer as the last surviving male human on the planet. The highly-anticipated Impeachment: American Crime Story, the third instalment of FX’s award-winning limited series which examines the national crisis that led to the first impeachment of a U.S. President in more than a century through the eyes of the women at the centre of the events: Monica Lewinsky (Beanie Feldstein), Linda Tripp (Sarah Paulson), and Paula Jones (Annaleigh Ashford) premieres Sept. 7. New seasons of Ryan Murphy anthology horror series American Horror Story: Double Feature (Aug. 25) and vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows (Sept. 2) join the roster of new and returning shows.

CTV News’ Question Period returns for its 51st season beginning this Sunday, Aug. 22 at 11 a.m. ET on CTV, CTV News Channel, CTVNews.ca, and the CTV News app. Marquee daily political program Power Play, returned Aug. 16 and will air special extended two-hour editions for the duration of the election, weeknights from 5 – 7 p.m. ET. The new seasons of both programs are led by host Evan Solomon, with CTV News Ottawa Bureau Chief Joyce Napier hosting Power Play on Fridays.