Brandon Tartikoff — last century’s John Landgraf — once said that TV ratings had become the box score of the ’90s. I’ve made a career buying in to that. There was a time when I tweeted out overnight TV ratings estimates every single day. I also wrote weekly ratings columns for a couple of years
A Canadian drama about drug smuggling mennonites? Based on true stories? That could never last, right? Well, yes and no. CBC order it then cancelled it after a short, six-episode season. It’s now three years later and two other networks — Super Channel in Canada and WGR in the United States — are premiering a
There are plenty of season finales this month as there always are at this time of year, but the big one is the 279th and final episode of The Big Bang Theory. The No. 1 series in Canada and the U.S. signs off for good May 16. Details on that and many other May highlights
Here’s a happy report on a Canadian series with a second lease on life: Pure. The drug-running drama about Mennonites and the mob is miraculously back after being canceled in 2017 by CBC. Distributor Cineflix wouldn’t quit on the show, needing a second season at least to land deals in America (at WGN) and elsewhere.
Wednesday night, Fox kicked off the annual mid-season blitz of new TV shows with The Masked Singer. The series is like America’s Got Talent meets The Gong Show, with real singers hidden in goofy and elaborate, sports team-like mascot costumes. Youpee or whoever sings, and a panel of judges (one of them being Robin Thicke)
Last July when I was in Halifax to interview the cast and producers of Pure I squeezed in a second set visit opportunity. A few kilometers away, Gerry Dee and the cast and crew of CBC’s Mr. Dee were wrapping up their eighth and final season, so I thought I’d better hurry on over before
Pure fans, your prayers have been answered. Super Channel has resurrected thee Mennonite mob drama for a second season. The series seemed deader than a Roseanne revival after CBC walked away after six episodes. That was a blow to the Halifax production community, coming on the heels of other series shut downs in the wake of
CBC is back in business with The Junos! Much was made of this re-acquisition at CBC’s Upfront Wednesday in Toronto. Canada’s annual music awards showcase did seem to shed viewers the last few years at CTV, and CBC won praise for that Tragically Hip concert (to be re-broadcast June 24), so why not. Let’s bring back