CANNES, France–This was the MIPCOM that never was. On Saturday–two days before I arrived in Cannes–terrible storms whipped this Mediterranean seaport, dumping 120 days worth of rain in two hours. Delegates who arrived early, some to attend children’s TV marketplace MIP Junior, were caught in dangerous floodwaters. Some waded out of restaurants in water past their
CANNES, France–I met a new Facebook friend at MIPCOM–Nicola Mendelsohn. She is Facebook’s Vice President EMEA and she delivered a “Media Mastermind Keynote” address Wednesday in the Palais’ Grand Auditorium. The main thrust of her comments is that “TV and Facebook are happy bedfellows.” She says social media activity peaks when TV viewing peaks, in
CANNES, France–Montreal-based Muse Entertainment confirmed Wednesday at MIPCOM that Jackie, their sequel to the controversial 2011 miniseries The Kennedys, is a firm go. The four-hour drama will again star Katie Holmes as the glamorous former First Lady. Tut bad guy Alexander Siddig will get padded up to play her filthy rich second hubby, Aristotle Onassis. The story will
CANNES, France–Chris Carter was asked Tuesday night at the world premiere of The X-Files miniseries: How long will Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny keep coming back to playing Scully and Mulder? He answered without hesitation: “Until they’re wheeled off the stage.” The creator and executive producer was the star attraction at the MIPCOM screening of the Fox
CANNES, France–“Geek culture is taking over.” That was the message Aaron Ashmore brought to Cannes Tuesday along with fellow cast members from Killjoys and Between. Ashmore wasn’t talking about reporters like me who get to hang with the buyers and sellers this week on the French Riviera. The 35-year-old B.C.-native was explaining the appeal of
I spent 24 hours in Los Angeles over the weekend to say goodbye to a great friend: Dave Pearson. Thirty years ago, when I moved to LA for a short time to write and arrange photo shoots for TV Guide Canada, Dave lived in the Sherman Oaks apartment next door. He worked over 50 years
Is there an art to getting viewers to watch arts programming on television? We’ll find out this season as CBC launches an aggressive new arts initiative. Taking the high road on arts seems like a kamikaze mission for a broadcaster given all the shiny distractions on other channels. Covering Canada’s thriving national arts scene has one big
This week, CHML’s Scott Thompson wanted my reaction to Trevor Noah’s first week as host of The Daily Show. Mindful of Tim Goodman’s edict to never review a late night talk show until 100 episodes or so, I do have some quick first impressions. It’s still The Daily Show, with the same crew and writers