Dan Levy to receive GLAAD honour

Schitt’s Creek co-creator Dan Levy will be the recipient of GLAAD’s Davidson/Valentini Award, which is given to an LGBTQ individual who has helped promote acceptance in the media. Levy, who is also up for an Emmy thanks to Schitt’s Creek‘s Best Comedy nomination, has been outspoken about how Schitt’s Creek intentionally depicts a community free of homophobia and racism. At the 2019 Canadian Screen Awards, while accepting the Best Comedy Award, Levy remarked on how the series “shines a light” on the question of why everyone shouldn’t be able to “love out loud.” Levy will accept the award at the 2019 GLAAD Gala San Francisco at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco on Sept. 28. Previous recipients include Don Lemon, Lee Daniels and Adam Lambert.

Canadian expat chosen for NBC director initiative

Montreal-born writer/director Kris Lefcoe has been selected for NBC’s Female Forward initiative, created to give directing opportunities to women and people of diverse backgrounds. Participants in the program are guaranteed to direct at least one episode of a scripted comedy or drama. Lefcoe, a Canadian Film Centre alumnus, is attached to direct the comedy Superstore. Canadian director Nisha Ganatra is a previous participant in NBC’s Emerging Director program and is a member of the Female Forward advisory council.

How to Buy a Baby returns

Season two of digital series How to Buy a Baby is set to premiere on CBC Gem on Aug. 23. The LoCo Motion-produced series, which originally premiered on CBC Comedy’s YouTube channel, has garnered awards success for CBC, picking up Best Web Program or Series, Fiction at the 2019 Canadian Screen Awards and earning an International Emmy nom under the best short form series category. Season two follows Jane (Megan Heffern) and Charlie (Marc Bendavid) as they move on from conception to adoption. How to Buy a Baby is produced by LoCo Motion’s Lauren Corber, written by creator Wendy Litner and directed by Adriana Maggs.