TV & Film News – Umbrella Academy S2 stimulated 1,120 jobs in Ontario

Oxford Economics has released new data highlighting the significant economic impact of The Umbrella Academy in Ontario with more than $77.3 million spent on production for Season 2 alone. The analysis found that local wages and salaries accounted for the majority (59%) of production spending, with the remaining 41% ($31.9 million) spent on local goods and services. From the procurement of props and costumes to transportation and accommodations, The Umbrella Academy supported more than 980 Ontario-based businesses. From Southwest Ontario to Sault St. Marie, production spending contributed a total of $111 million to Ontario’s GDP. Oxford’s analysis found that for every 100 people employed on the production, a further 80 jobs were created across the province. In total, Season 2 stimulated 1,120 jobs in Ontario, including 620 direct jobs for local artists and technicians. The Ontario-shot series is produced by NBC Universal’s Universal Content Productions for Netflix and is available to watch in more than 190 countries. Season 3 of The Umbrella Academy hit Netflix on June 22.

Wolf + Rabbit Entertainment have started principal photography on the seventh season of original comedy series Workin’ Moms (13×30). Creator and Executive Producer Catherine Reitman (Black-ish, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), who also stars in the lead role of Kate Foster, has also announced this will be the show’s final season. The new season, currently shooting in and around Toronto, will premiere on CBC and CBC Gem in Winter 2023, followed by a global release everywhere outside of Canada on Netflix. Reprising their roles are Dani Kind as Anne; Jessalyn Wanlim as Jenny; Philip Sternberg as Nathan; Ryan Belleville as Lionel; Sarah McVie as Val; Sadie Munroe as Alice; Peter Keleghan as Richard; Nikki Duval as Rosie; and Enuka Okuma as Sloane Mitchell.

CTV has revealed the farmers hoping to find true love in new dating series Farming For Love. Selected via an open casting call earlier this year, a group of single British Columbia-based farmers, growers, ranchers, a horse trainer, and a vintner were selected for the inaugural season of the new CTV Original series. Based on Fremantle’s long-running format The Farmer Wants A Wife, the franchise has led to 191 weddings and 445 children since its inception. Singles from across Canada interested in dating one of the selected farmers can apply and find more info here.

Global is set to launch Season 2 of Departure on July 13 at 9 p.m. ET, with an encore presentation July 15 on Global and July 18 on Showcase. Departure stars Emmy-winner Archie Panjabi and the late Christopher Plummer, in his last onscreen role. The intense conspiracy series follows the investigation into the mysterious crash of a controversial new high-speed train travelling between Toronto and Chicago. Back for a six-episode season, Departure was a Top 20 hit with total viewers and the #1 Canadian series across all key demos when it premiered in 2020, according to data provided by the network.

The Amazing Race Canada returns to CTV Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET, beginning July 5. Host Jon Montgomery returns for Season 8 as an all-new cast of racers competes. Teams this season include Broadway performers Catherine Wreford Ledlow and Craig Ramsay; Canadian Olympic cross-country skier Jesse Cockney and his sister, Inuvialuk actress Marika Sila; and JUNO Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter Jully Black and her close friend, Kathy Hunter. Read more here.

Global will debut Season 24 of Big Brother on Wednesday, July 6 at 8 p.m. ET, and available to stream live and on demand with STACKTV, the Global TV App and Global TV.com. The 90-minute live premiere episode will follow a group of all-new houseguests as they move into the Big Brother house. Hosted by Julie Chen Moonves, episodes will air Thursday at 9 p.m. ET, featuring live evictions, and Sundays and Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET. 

The Weather Network is airing Power to the People, a weekly documentary series that explores the renewable energy revolution empowering Indigenous communities across Canada. Each week, host Melina Laboucan-Massimo features renewable energy or sustainable living projects driven by Indigenous Peoples, from wind farms and solar power plants to run of river hydroelectric projects and tidal energy initiatives. Licensed from RealWorld Media, the Power to the People content series is an additional opportunity for The Weather Network to raise awareness of the impact of climate change on Indigenous communities in Canada. Six weekly episodes will air on Fridays (7 p.m., 10 p.m., 1 a.m.), starting June 17. The series is also available on The Weather Network’s Climate section online and IPTV platforms. More episodes will follow in Fall 2022.

Super Channel Original docuseries Secrets of Big Data, from Shark Teeth Films, will premiere July 4 on Super Channel Fuse. All six episodes will be available to binge watch or stream on Super Channel On Demand, the same day. The series tells the stories of the future that big data is bringing to our doorsteps. In four stories each episode, experts contribute their hypotheses as the story is told through archive imagery, stock footage, and a data driven approach to motion graphics and CGI. 

Cottage Life’s original documentary special, The Roanoke Mystery: New Evidence, follows renowned British archeologist Professor Mark Horton and local historian Scott Dawson as they dig for evidence to help solve one of America’s oldest and most controversial mysteries: what happened to the first English colony on Roanoke Island? Featuring interviews, never-before-seen archeological evidence and cutting-edge scientific analysis, the special offers compelling theories on the fate of the first European colonists in the Americas, who settled on Roanoke Island in 1587 and suddenly vanished without a trace three years later. The Canadian broadcast premiere airs July 1 at 9 p.m. ET/PT as a two-part documentary special on Cottage Life. The special is a co-production between Saloon Media, a Blue Ant Media company and BriteSpark Films, part of Argonon Media. 

FuboTV has secured exclusive Canadian broadcast rights for the Premier League for the 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25 seasons. The action starts Aug. 6 and runs through May 28 as the league launches into its first round of matches, featuring Crystal Palace v Arsenal, Everton v Chelsea, and West Ham v Manchester City. Matches will be available live and on demand through the FuboTV platform.

Screen Nova Scotia hosted its eighth annual awards gala June 18 at Casino Nova Scotia in front of a sold-out crowd as the awards show made its in-person return for the first time since 2019. The Screen Nova Scotia Award for Best Feature Film went to Night Blooms from writer/director Stephanie Joline and producers Marc Tetreault and Jason Levangie (Shut Up & Colour Pictures). Joline also took home the Best Nova Scotia Director Award from Women in Film & Television – Atlantic, while actor Alexandra McDonald took home an ACTRA Maritimes Award for Outstanding Performance for her role as Laura in the film. The first season of CBC original comedy Moonshine from showrunner Sheri Elwood and producer Charles Bishop (Six Eleven Media) won Best Television Series. Find the full list of winners here.

ACTRA has launched new campaign, You’re in Good Company, which gathers well-known Canadian faces like Jayne Eastwood, Jean Yoon, and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as the performers’ union raises awareness of its fight to maintain the National Commercial Agreement, governing performers who make commercials. A series of videos will be rolled out over the coming weeks, featuring these and other performers across Canada.