Vancouver: Rae Hull is the new regional director of CBC Television in British Columbia, replacing Donna Logan.
A native of Edmonton, Hull has 15 years in television including three years as head of program development for cbc in Vancouver. In that time, she oversaw projects such as parenting series Spilled Milk and The Broadcast Tapes of Dr. Peter (a documentary nominated for a 1994 Oscar). For the past two years, she has worked as an independent producer.
‘My goal is to have b.c. better represented in the network schedule,’ says Hull, adding that the right show proposals will get the funding needed. ‘But it won’t happen overnight.’
On the production side, Hull wants to focus on dramatic series, movies and specials and use the resources of freelancers and independents to do it.
As for jobs, she says: ‘We have a commitment for stable funding. People left here can look forward to the corner being turned in the cbc’s future.’
Hull’s appointment – in a contract position – is effective March 9 when interim director Ian Munro will return to his regular position as regional engineer.
– Wishes can come true
Federal Revenue Minister Herb Dhaliwal met with the b.c. chapter of the cftpa, the local animation association and a roundtable of other industry representatives and producers in Vancouver Jan. 16. The topics: the ctcpf renewal and the b.c. industry. Dhaliwal toured Mainframe Entertainment, Bardel Animation, Rainmaker Digital and The Bridge Studios before getting an earful from the more than 20 local industry people ready to convince him to push Cabinet to renew the ctcpf.
He has also requested a comprehensive overview of the b.c. film industry.
The federal tax credits for film fall under his purview.
– Parachuting death update
A B.C. Coroner’s inquiry says skydiver Keith Perepelkin died as a result of not having the proper equipment or altitude needed for a safe parachuting jump on the set of the Twentieth Century Fox film Firestorm last year. It’s speculated that the experienced skydiver wanted to impress the film producers because he was trying to break into stunt work.
According to the report, Perepelkin jumped from a helicopter only 325 meters above the ground; Transport Canada guidelines require 670 meters. He was also not using specialized low-altitude equipment and had attached to him a 22-kilogram dummy made to look like a woman clinging to him.
Producers Glenn Wilder and Louise Rosner are charged with violating the Workers Compensation Act, but have not returned to Canada to face the charges, which go to trial in August.
In response to the accident, the Workers Compensation Board is establishing a film industry committee to improve safety on sets.
Howie Long stars in the film about a forest firefighter.
– Forefront moves on
Vancouver’s Forefront Entertainment broke new ground with a record nine Gemini nominations. Madison, airing its final season on wic, received six nominations (the most of all Western productions) and The Adventures of Shirley Holmes, produced with Credo Entertainment in Winnipeg, earned three nominations.
Forefront principal Helena Cynamon says the move into the best drama category for Madison highlights the show’s transition to more adult stories. Shirley Holmes, meanwhile, will be picked up for a third season of 13 episodes, she says. The youth-oriented mystery program began airing its second season on ytv Jan. 4.
Forefront is in development with several projects including Magician’s House – six half-hours for kids based on the British novels of the same name – for Baton and the initial tv movie pilot for Timber, a proposed lumber-baron series for wic.
– Eat your Wheaties
Competition for the local morning tv watcher is heating up with bctv launching its own 90-minute morning show Feb. 16. Airing between 5:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. weekdays, the BCTV Morning News will be anchored by Jill Krop, Zack Spencer and Sara Daniels and will comprise cycles of news, sports, traffic and weather reports.
bctv’s latest offering will join existing morning shows on vtv and bctv’s sister station chek in Victoria.
In other wic news, WIC Television has signed a three-year deal to air King World International’s new version of Hollywood Squares in Canada on the nine wic stations. The weekday program is scheduled to begin airing in September.
– In-flight meals
TSC Film Distribution has sold Yaletown Productions’ documentary Out of Bounds – about two golden-aged female pilots in a race from New York to Argentina – in 130 territories including Germany, Spain, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand. Leslie Nielsen narrates.
tsc has also acquired the worldwide rights to The Cooking Game, a 26-episode, Vancouver-made cooking game show that will be offered for sale at natpe. In the show, players get $30 and 30 minutes to make a better meal than their opponent.
– Tarmack tales
The lead-up to pilot season, if ‘pilot season’ actually exists anymore, is looking lukewarm for b.c., but that doesn’t mean business isn’t gearing up anyway.
Only one tv movie, Futuresport, is identified as a pilot on the B.C. Film Commission film list.
Commissioner Pete Mitchell says there are fewer and fewer pilots being shot because more shows are going straight to series, like Stargate. ‘And who knows which mows are actually so-called `back-door’ pilots,’ says Mitchell, referring to tv movies that become series such as Once a Thief. ‘How does it look?’ he asks. ‘The commission is hopping. We have a couple of series and mows sniffing around right now.’
Futuresport, an mow set in 2025 about the next hot spectator sport that takes over from hockey and basketball, shoots for abc Feb. 16 to March 19. It features film star Wesley Snipes and Dean Cain (Lois and Clark).
Lou Gossett Jr. stars in the Showtime mow The Inspectors. About postal inspectors, the production is scheduled Feb. 17 to March 17.
Netnapped, a tv movie for USA Network, shoots between Feb. 9 and March 5. It stars Cheryl Ladd (Charlie’s Angels) and her real-life daughter in a story about a troubled girl who is seduced via the Internet by a man who turns out not to be as advertised.
And an nbc mow, Sin of Silence, about a teen sexually abused by her high-school coach, shoots Feb. 4-25