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Death of a President survives in Canada
Death of a President – the controversial mock doc from director Gabriel Range – may have bombed in the U.S., but its fictionalized assassination of George W. Bush has fared better in Canada where Maple Pictures distributes.
Low ratings for B.C. Gemini Awards
Vancouver: When was the last time the Toronto press referred to the Gemini Awards as a ‘historic and dazzling ceremony?’
Top 20 TV programs
Top 20 TV Programs tracks ratings for the top 20 television shows in Canada for the period Oct. 23-29, 2006.
Slow fall for SRC
Montreal: It’s not just English Canadians who aren’t watching this country’s public broadcaster. Nearly two months into the fall TV season, most French-speaking Canadians aren’t tuning in to Radio-Canada’s latest slate of homegrown drama, either.
Whistler spotlights docs
Local documentaries and Quebec films will grab the spotlight when the Whistler Film Festival returns to the B.C. ski resort Nov. 30 to Dec. 3 for its sixth edition, backed by a new documentary conference and three Quebec films in the running for its Borsos Award.
People
* Doug Smith has been promoted to EVP of Motion Picture Distribution.
ThinkFilm exit opens door for competition
The distribution landscape in Canada is facing significant changes following last month’s sale of ThinkFilm and moves by Alliance Atlantis to unload its Motion Picture Distribution.
CFC rebrands
The Canadian Film Centre has rebranded and rolled out new plans for the future that include a multi-platform project with NBC Universal and a video website similar to MySpace.
Geminis fine to milk U.S. star power
The Gemini Awards’ first foray outside of Toronto proved to be a good move on the part of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television and the B.C. industry that contributed so much to make it happen. The excitement of finally hosting the nation’s TV awards in a different Canadian production center was palpable on the West Coast – it certainly provided a breath of fresh air when you consider the jaded attitude the mainstream Toronto press has brought to the festivities in recent years.
Kudos all around
Thank you for including me in your Oct. 16 feature ’20 people, events, trends and things that made a difference.’ I was truly flattered (especially as my photo on the front page was positioned so closely to the lovely Avril Lavigne).
Readership poll results
Our readers think it’s mostly about the product. In a recent online Playback poll asking ‘Why do you think CBC shows are drawing low ratings?’, 39% of voters say it’s the quality of the shows, followed by 31% who blame poor promotion, and 24% who think tough competition is the main culprit. Finally, 6% feel it’s been hard for the network to bring viewers back after last year’s lockout.
Correction
Corner Gas does not receive financing from the Canadian Television Fund, as stated in the Oct. 30 issue.
Barna-Alper gets Kinky
Two years after its brief appearance on VisionTV, Da Kink in My Hair is set to make a comeback on Global, which has a comedy based on the hit stage play shooting this month in Toronto.
Aaron Martin’s Best work
Blueprint Entertainment hopes its college-set The Best Years – now underway in Toronto for Global and The N in the U.S. – will connect with viewers from different age groups, bringing in teens, twentysomethings and those of us for whom school is a distant memory. Something like The O.C.
Fox eyes Tournament redo
The creators of The Tournament have signed a deal that could see the series retooled and reborn on Fox. The network has ordered a pilot script from creators Howard Busgang, Marty Putz and Howard Nemetz for an Americanized version of the sports comedy – with Little League Baseball replacing the original’s junior league hockey.
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