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What they were thinking
Charles Dalfen seems to do most of his talking from behind a podium, usually in some cavernous convention hall, delivering one of a small number of stock speeches about TV drama, or third-language satellite services, or the merits of the Broadcasting Act.
CRTC: specialties drive viewers to Cancon
Canada watched less television but more indigenous programming in 2004, according to the CRTC’s recent Broadcast Policy Monitoring Report, which assesses the impact of the regulator’s rules and policies.
NSI announces TV teams
The Winnipeg-based National Screen Institute-Canada has selected the participants for its sixth Totally Television program – including Toronto writer David ‘Sudz’ Sutherland and producer Marilyn Gray.
People
* Ted Rogers has said he will step down as CEO of Rogers Communications when his contract expires in June 2008. A successor has not been confirmed, but the company says the selection process is underway.
Jump Cuts
Bell shells out $1.7M
Playback Readership Poll Results
Really, they love him. In a recent online Playback readers poll asking ‘Which net has the most exciting new program for the fall?’, CHUM’s Everybody Hates Chris won out with 35% of the votes. This was followed by CTV’s Invasion with 28%, CBC’s Trudeau prequel miniseries with 25%, and My Name Is Earl from Global/CH with 12%.
What about T.O.’s mid-sized studios?
The City of Toronto must step up in support of its production studios. Not just some, but all.
Les Boys franchise shoots number four
Montreal: Les Boys en prolongation, the fourth installment in Quebec’s top movie franchise about a team of misfit amateur hockey players, is underway for producer/creator Richard Goudreau of Montreal’s Melenny Productions.
‘Everything’s been going very well. We’re having a lot of fun as usual. The actors are happy to be together again,’ said Goudreau on the eleventh day of shooting.
Features
Sarin takes Partition to India
Blueprint done Playing House
Toronto: Blueprint Entertainment has nearly wrapped its romantic comedy Playing House, and – after a few exterior shoots this month in New York and editing by Teresa Hannigan – will deliver to CTV by September.
Service
Aftershocks in Montreal
To Russia, with love for Bailey’s Billion$
Toronto: What do Russia and Las Vegas have in common? If you answered ‘a high demand for children’s movies,’ you’ve probably been talking to the distributors of Bailey’s Billion$, the G-rated feature from Toronto’s Devine Entertainment that, next month, will debut in Canada, the U.S. and on 20 screens in Mother Russia.
‘They’re dying for kids films in Russia,’ says producer and director David Devine. ‘They just don’t get them there.’
Briefly
*Fremantle International Distribution has bought the world rights to seasons one and two of Godiva’s by Keatley Entertainment. Season two (13 x 60) is now shooting in Vancouver and expected on Bravo! in 2006. SD
Toronto megastudio finally ready?
After several false starts, construction finally appears set to begin later this year on Toronto’s long-delayed film and TV ‘megastudio,’ now expected to open in late 2006 or early 2007.
Servicing a busy summer slate
For the Canadian production services sector, it looked like the industry had hit rock bottom in 2003, and then it got worse. As Hollywood productions were lured by new tax credits throughout the U.S. and abroad, Canadian service providers were hit hard by the downturn.
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