Television movies drove a 13% increase in the value of English drama funding in the first round of successful applicants at the 2002 Canadian Television Fund, announced in March.

The Licence Fee Program will invest in 23 MOWs in 2002, up from 16 last year, and the value of that production will almost double to $16.3 million – growth attributed to a special MOW incentive this year that boosted the base contribution from 13% to 17%.

As a result, 70% of this year’s MOWs were able to reach the $750,000 cap, compared to last year when only 25% reached the maximum threshold.

CTV has nine MOWs through the first phase of funding, including Burn (Alberta Filmworks, Calgary), Mad Trapper (Buffalo Gal Pictures, Winnipeg) and Poisoned Water (Regina Motion Picture Video & Sound). CBC accounts for eight of the new English MOWs, including Enchanter (Big Motion Pictures, Chester), Hockey Dreams (Credo Enterprises, Winnipeg) and the sequel Jinnah on Crime: Securities (Force Four Productions, Vancouver).

CHUM has two MOWs – Croon (May Street Group, Victoria) and Wired for Sound (Snapdragon Productions, Toronto) and WTN-sponsored Mafia Princess (Brightlight Pictures, Vancouver/The Nightingale Company, Toronto).

Overall, the LFP sorted through a 25% jump in English drama applications asking for 60% more money than last year. Only $54.7 million was committed in English drama, 71% of the funding requested.

Higher caps for English-Canadian series account for the 10% increase in allocations in 2002 over 2001, despite the number of titles dropping from 25 to 17. For instance, returning English-language shows such as Da Vinci’s Inquest (CBC) and Cold Squad (CTV) each received $4.18 million in 2002, while last year they got $2.88 million.

Blue Murder, Global’s only showing in the drama envelope, was allocated $3.58 million.

CTV’s new series The 11th Hour got $3.25 million, while CBC’s new cross-cultural series Escaping (Cirrus Communications) got $1.04 million. Other new series include A Guy/A Girl (WTN), The Holmes Show (CTV), Lord Have Mercy (Vision/APTN), Rideau Hall (CBC) and St. Stratford (Showcase/TMN).

The CBC, meanwhile, has embraced the miniseries format and sponsored six of the seven successful LFP applicants. Among them: Third World (in partnership with Showcase and produced by Force Four Productions) and Hemingway and Callaghan (Shaftesbury Films, Toronto).

The seventh miniseries is The Atwood Stories for WTN. There was only one miniseries funded last year.

English-language children’s and youth programming increased 32% in value to $21 million, while the number of applicants dropped four to 38. (Children’s and youth production funding is split into spring and fall allocations, 70% and 30%, respectively.)

YTV is the busiest broadcaster in the genre with eight productions, including a second season of 2030CE (Buffalo Gal), a second season of Guinevere Jones (Original Pictures, Winnipeg) and a third season of in-house production Bittles. New YTV series include Blast from the Past (Ashdale House Productions) and Phunkee Zee (Savi Media/The Nightingale Company, Toronto).

Family Channel has new series The Secret World of Benjamin Bear (Amberwood Productions, Ottawa) while Teletoon is backing a first season of Silvering (Bardel Animation, Vancouver) and Treehouse is debuting Georgia Goat (Studio B, Vancouver).

The LFP received 22 English-language applications in the variety and performing arts category, up four from last year, but overall funding was down more than 10% to $1.7 million.

Global has three successful applications, the only LFP graduates other than Blue Murder, including Cirque Eos (Cinegraphe Productions, Montreal).

French-language programs

On the French side, the LFP received a total of 98 program submissions representing demand of $48.2 million. Of this, 91%, or 71 program applications, ranked successfully, representing a cumulative LFP contribution of $41.4 million (86%).

Of the 29 ranked dramas (and comedies), 12 are licensed by Radio-Canada, 10 by TVA, two each by Television Quatre Saisons, Tele-Quebec and Astral Media specialty channel Series+, and one by TFO. More than half the dramas, 15, are renewals.

Overall, LFP received 37 drama submissions, with $28.2 million allocated. Demand in ’02 is up 18% over last year.

LFP ranking highlights in drama and comedy series, with contributions of $1 million or more, include three new series: 20 episodes of Annie et ses hommes (producer Sphere Media/broadcaster TVA), $1.1 million; Les aventures tumultueses de Jack Cartier (Productions Cartier/Radio-Canada), $2.2 million; and La Grande ourse (Point de Mire/SRC), $2.75 million.

Top-ranked returning series include Emma III (Productions Point de Mire/TVA), $1.36 million, Quebec’s top-rated drama series starring Sophie Lorain as a police psychologist; Fortier IV (Aetios Productions/TVA), $2.2 million; and episodes seven to 12 of the cabaret drama Music Hall II, starring Veronique Cloutier, (Aetios/SRC), $1.65 million.

Other returning series include episodes 27 to 65 of Les Poupees russes (JPL Productions/TVA), $1.26 million; the historical biography series Simonne et Chartrand (Productions Videofilms/Tele-Quebec), $1.65 million; and Tabou II (Cirrus Communications/TVA), $1.62 million.

Other new shows in drama include 450 (Vendome Television/TQS), Bob la Badluck (Management Encore/SRC), the four-hour bio-miniseries Felix Leclerc (Rose Films/SRC), Hommes en quarantaine (Cirrus/Series+/TVA), the seven-hour TV adaptation of the popular movie Laura Cadieux…la series (Cinemaginaire/Series+), Rumeurs (Sphere Media Plus/SRC) and Trois fois rien (Avanti Cine Video/TQS).

Thirteen children’s and youth series are successfully ranked, including three returning series from producer Vivavision: Macroni tout garni V ($902,725) and Ramdam II ($1.35 million), both licensed by Tele-Quebec, and Watatatow XII, licensed by SRC.

Other high-ranked series include Ayoye! (Telefiction/SRC), $1.06 million; Sciences Point Com III (Productions R. Charbonneau), $885,600; and Paul et Suzanne (Productions Rivard), $421,200.

LFP received 19 children’s and youth series submissions, allocating $7.6 million, with demand up 33% over last year.

Among the 29 variety and performing arts programs to receive LFP support, 10 are from multi-operations producer Societe Spectra-Scene. They include the highly likely Le Grand defi Karaoke (TQS), Country symphonique (SRC/ARTV), National d’impro Juste pour Rire (Tele-Quebec) and Montreal en voix (SRC/ARTV/CBC).

Zone3 has four shows, including Fun Noir (TQS), with a top-up price tag of over $1 million; Les grandes gueules (Super Ecran, TQS); and the entirely hilarious news-spoof show Infoman III (SRC).

The Cine Qua Non Films auteur/arts series Musique de Chambre (10-11) is licensed by SRC, Bravo! TFO and ARTV.

French-language LFP administrators received 42 variety/performing arts program submissions, a small decrease from ’02, representing demand of $7.1 million. This year’s allocation is $5.6 million.

The LFP base contribution, other than for big-budget drama, represents 13% of a production’s budget. The top-up contribution rises to a maximum of 20%, including an additional 2% for small and medium-sized companies (which benefits most applicants) and a 5% bonus for regional producers. The maximum top-up on the French side is 35%.

Telefilm Canada will announce its Equity Investment Program allocations for drama, variety and youth programs by late April. Also in April, LFP announces its successful documentary applicants, who hear about their EIP allocations in May.

The LFP, derived from cable and satellite company remittances, is estimated to be $250 million in 2002, a 7% increase over last year.

For a complete listing of LFP ranked programs go to: www.canadiantelevisionfund.ca