• Nomadic Pictures and Jason Priestley are working together again, this time on the drug-smuggling feature Death of a Freerider. Chad Oakes and Mike Frislev of the Calgary production house are on to produce the story, to be reworked from a Rolling Stone article about Sam Brown, a 22-year-old mountain biker from Canada who made a fatal career switch into cross-border drug-running.

‘Jason’s got the rights all sewn up, we’re just look looking for a writer,’ says Frislev. ‘It’s a cool story.’

Nomadic and Priestley previously crossed paths on the MOW Don’t Cry Now and The Last Rites of Ransom Pride. They are looking to shoot Freerider late next year.

• CBC and the Alberta government are reportedly working together on a biopic of Samuel Steele, recounting the adventures of the iconic Mountie. According to Canadian Press, the network, the province and an unnamed independent producer are in development on the TV movie about Steele, a once-famous but now-faded character from the early days of Confederation, known for quashing rebellion and bringing law to the frenzy of the Yukon gold rush. He later fought in the Boer War. A network spokesperson said only that the project is still in ‘early days.’

• Paul Gross is out of work, for the time being, following the cancellation of Eastwick. ABC passed this week on ordering any further episodes of the freshman drama — a reworking of the book and movie The Witches of Eastwick that saw Gross take over for Jack Nicholson — but says it will air the remaining six eps. CTV’s A channels will follow suit. Other cancellations this week include Dollhouse and Hank, seen here on Global and the As, respectively.

• The former Trailer Park Boys have a new show, following a six-episode order at Showcase for something tentatively called The Drunk and on Drugs Happy Funtime Hour. The comedy — breathlessly likened by Showcase to the early glory of Monty Python — stars Mike Smith, Robb Wells and J.P. Tremblay as hosts of a children’s show who are sent into a delusional frenzy by a powerful hallucinogen. Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson also stars.

• CBC’s Linden MacIntyre has won the Giller Prize for his novel The Bishop’s Man, about sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. The esteemed literary prize joins the two Geminis already on MacIntyre’s mantle for his work on The Fifth Estate.

• Hockey Night in Canada has jumped on the iPhone bandwagon and released an app for the mobile device and its little sibling, the iPod. The free app offers live scores and follows recent, similar moves by CBC and the NFB.