Showing posts with label canadian television. Show all posts
Showing posts with label canadian television. Show all posts
Monday, April 29, 2013
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
For all you broken-hearted TV writers out there...
Because I was feeling a little blue about the state of Canadian Television this afternoon:
I re-read this post from our pal Denis... just to perk myself up.
Mistake.
I re-read this post from our pal Denis... just to perk myself up.
Mistake.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Hey-- My Hiccups is Gone!
Every show I work on, I am constantly amazed with how much I learn and how many crazily talented-- and occasionally dysfunctional-- people there are in this industry.
The sad, but long anticipated news that Hiccups was cancelled arrived today... it was fantastic experience in all ways.
Thanks to Brent, Nancy, Laura, Arvi and David and all the cast and crew and folks in the office... and especially to Andrew Carr and Dylan Wertz who made me piss myself on a regular basis.
Good times.
The sad, but long anticipated news that Hiccups was cancelled arrived today... it was fantastic experience in all ways.
Thanks to Brent, Nancy, Laura, Arvi and David and all the cast and crew and folks in the office... and especially to Andrew Carr and Dylan Wertz who made me piss myself on a regular basis.
Good times.
Thursday, September 08, 2011
Did you hear...
... all the buzz about this years Gemini Award winners that were announced last night?!!?
Yeah, me neither.
I like international co-productions. I love stories about other countries and cultures. I love those stories when they're well-told by Canadians... or anybody else!
It's not that I think shows like The Tudors or The Borgias are bad... I think they're great. They give lots of Canadian Film Service Providers lots of work.
I just don't think they should be eligible for a Gemini Award for best Canadian program.
Yeah, me neither.
I like international co-productions. I love stories about other countries and cultures. I love those stories when they're well-told by Canadians... or anybody else!
It's not that I think shows like The Tudors or The Borgias are bad... I think they're great. They give lots of Canadian Film Service Providers lots of work.
I just don't think they should be eligible for a Gemini Award for best Canadian program.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Friday, June 13, 2008
Feeding the Writer in Banff!... Dave's Yes/No Restaurant Review
Chicken Wings at the St. James Gate: Yes!
Chicken Wings at the Rundle Lounge of the Banff Springs Hotel: No!
Delegate Breakfast: No... (I had to wrestle a fellow delegate for half a bagel!)
Breakfast at McDonald's: No... the labour shortage is so bad in Banff you'll arrive at 10am for your Egg McMuffin, finally get to the front counter at 11am only to be told they've stopped serving breakfast. Grrrrrrrrrr. Daddy needs his Bacon and Egg Bagel!
Chicken Souvlaki at El Toro: Yes!... A delicious meal with the fantastic folks from Omnifilm! Don't let the schizo menu and cafeteria style furniture fool you. The food (mostly Greek with a little French and Spanish??? thrown in) was delicious.
The Maple Leaf Grill: Yes! The best restaurant of the trip. I dined on Steak upstairs with the great poeple from Ocean Entertainment, while, downstairs, Omnifilm wined and dined broadcasters at their No Pitch Dinner. Classy!
The Elk and Oarsmen: Nookay. (although I had an awesome evening with all the people from the showrunner program and plus I got to sit next to Christine Shipton for the first two courses!) the bison steak was fine but the desserts (of which I sampled plenty) and the appetizers (of which I had one, an endive salad) tasted like they were prepared a few days earlier.
Raisin Bran from the Husky Gas Station across the street: No. But that was only because the best before date had long since passed. Which is more than I can say for my.... never mind.
Chicken Wings at the Rundle Lounge of the Banff Springs Hotel: No!
Delegate Breakfast: No... (I had to wrestle a fellow delegate for half a bagel!)
Breakfast at McDonald's: No... the labour shortage is so bad in Banff you'll arrive at 10am for your Egg McMuffin, finally get to the front counter at 11am only to be told they've stopped serving breakfast. Grrrrrrrrrr. Daddy needs his Bacon and Egg Bagel!
Chicken Souvlaki at El Toro: Yes!... A delicious meal with the fantastic folks from Omnifilm! Don't let the schizo menu and cafeteria style furniture fool you. The food (mostly Greek with a little French and Spanish??? thrown in) was delicious.
The Maple Leaf Grill: Yes! The best restaurant of the trip. I dined on Steak upstairs with the great poeple from Ocean Entertainment, while, downstairs, Omnifilm wined and dined broadcasters at their No Pitch Dinner. Classy!
The Elk and Oarsmen: Nookay. (although I had an awesome evening with all the people from the showrunner program and plus I got to sit next to Christine Shipton for the first two courses!) the bison steak was fine but the desserts (of which I sampled plenty) and the appetizers (of which I had one, an endive salad) tasted like they were prepared a few days earlier.
Raisin Bran from the Husky Gas Station across the street: No. But that was only because the best before date had long since passed. Which is more than I can say for my.... never mind.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
What am I doing this afternoon instead of writing?
...having my eyes pried opened and my heart rate pushed up by reading a blog about Canadian Film and Television. Yeah, I know.
If you've ever looked at a Canadian TV show or feature film and asked: Why?
You'll find the "because" here.
If you've ever looked at a Canadian TV show or feature film and asked: Why?
You'll find the "because" here.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Hey, Ma! Look at Me!
I dunno.
Maybe for some writer's it's when they get their first paying gig.
For others it may be when they get their WGC card.
But for me... that feeling of having arrived... having written something that somebody actually wants to see-- just arrived in my google alerts.
"Geeks in Love" AKA "Robson Arms S03E02" has been Bit Torrented.
So long, suckers!
Maybe for some writer's it's when they get their first paying gig.
For others it may be when they get their WGC card.
But for me... that feeling of having arrived... having written something that somebody actually wants to see-- just arrived in my google alerts.
"Geeks in Love" AKA "Robson Arms S03E02" has been Bit Torrented.
So long, suckers!
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Where the writer talks of what he little knows.
I've been asked a lot lately about the WGA writers' strike. Is there some way the strike will benefit us, film and television writers north of the border?
All I know about it I've been reading from Denis's website.
Although I can't honestly say what effect the strike will have on Canadian writers, the effects are certainly rippling through the Canadian film and television industry.
And they're not good.
We're in the middle of shooting the last five episodes of season three and on set this morning I was told that there are no fewer than three shows have been canceled or put on indefinite hiatus here in Vancouver: Bionic Woman, Aliens in America, and... break heart, I prithee, break... BattleStar Galactica! And that's just today. Hundreds of jobs, poof.
So, no, it's not good for the men and women, our friends and co-workers, trying to make a living in production services here in Canada. How could that be good for us?
Sadly, our brothers and sisters in the WGA have a hard fight ahead of them and it's not going to be over quickly I'm afraid.
Keep the faith.
All I know about it I've been reading from Denis's website.
Although I can't honestly say what effect the strike will have on Canadian writers, the effects are certainly rippling through the Canadian film and television industry.
And they're not good.
We're in the middle of shooting the last five episodes of season three and on set this morning I was told that there are no fewer than three shows have been canceled or put on indefinite hiatus here in Vancouver: Bionic Woman, Aliens in America, and... break heart, I prithee, break... BattleStar Galactica! And that's just today. Hundreds of jobs, poof.
So, no, it's not good for the men and women, our friends and co-workers, trying to make a living in production services here in Canada. How could that be good for us?
Sadly, our brothers and sisters in the WGA have a hard fight ahead of them and it's not going to be over quickly I'm afraid.
Keep the faith.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
New Television Season
Inspired by Denis's musings on the new season I thought I'd get off my ass and take a lazy stand of some of the new shows. I'm trying to enjoy myself while I can, because in a couple weeks when we get back from hiatus there's not gonna be a lot of television time.
Pushing Up Daisies: Off to a bad start. One of the most talked about shows of the new season, haven't seen it. Don't know when it's on. Don't know where it's on. When I think of it I go: So it's 6 feet Under kinda? And everybody else goes: No! Okay. Okay.
K-ville: Watched five minutes. To be honest felt like it was too early in the season. I wasn't ready to commit.
Journeyman: I love Kevin McKidd but this is Quantum Leap written by somebody who watched Life on Mars and liked all the bad parts. Underwire pointed out on DTOS comments what I really bumped on the other night too... WTF with the wife? Her husband disappears on board an effin' PLANE IN FLIGHT and she pretends she's not with him?! WHAT?! And he doesn't say: See! I'm not crazy! And there's this whole dirty feeling that comes with him obviously still hot for his dead wife who is extra-dimensional or whatever and while he's trying to have a kid with his brother's ex-wife. Next.
Life: The second last scene of the opener had that moment that Denis talks about... what the hell is that moment called, Denis? You know the one that makes you go: I'm in. In Life that was the moment you effing knew was coming, that closet of mystery, the big picture he's slowly putting all together...you see people you haven't met yet, and people you've just met that are put into a whole new light... yeah, baby. I'm a little worried about the faux documentary stuff. It's gonna get tiresome if it keeps seeming so scripted. Plus Damian Lewis, who is awesome and his partner who's also good. Green means go, baby.
Dirty Sexy Money: It's gonna be my guilty pleasure this season. I love Krause, and Sutherland and the Unmarried Woman herself, Jill Clayburgh! The show seems to be taking itself a lot less seriously than the previews indicated. And that's good. It's all the fun stuff that we love to hate rich people for. However-- we all know smokin' hot wives are a hollywood staple, but please, there must be a couple bucks to actually hire somebody's wife (smokin' or not) to give the script a once over just to avoid the constant barrage of cliched husband/wife scenes out there. I'm talking to you too Journeyman! The wife as "supportive but needs to be convinced" gal is done. Ps. That's right, tranny is the new whore.
Bionic Woman: Maybe because my expectations were lowered by all the disappointed talk before the show actually aired, I didn't mind it. I like Jamie, I like Starbuck (and the many other BSG alumi that filled out the cast). Did I miss Oscar Goldman? I mostly liked the special effects. The only thing I worry about is that it's playing like a Femme Nikita meets Alias thing. I want something new. Story, spin or relationship wise. I don't want to see the same stories with a bigger budget. I'm sensing a lot of writers/producers/whoever pitching updated versions of their favorite shows-- they've already been made, folks! I'll watch a couple more episodes.
Intelligence: Not a new show but a great season opener. Season one was a little 'deliberately paced' especially at the beginning. But it's cooking with propane now. I'm loving this show... and nobody I know is watching it. This is great tv, period. I'd be watching it if it was made in Bosnia, yeah?
Pushing Up Daisies: Off to a bad start. One of the most talked about shows of the new season, haven't seen it. Don't know when it's on. Don't know where it's on. When I think of it I go: So it's 6 feet Under kinda? And everybody else goes: No! Okay. Okay.
K-ville: Watched five minutes. To be honest felt like it was too early in the season. I wasn't ready to commit.
Journeyman: I love Kevin McKidd but this is Quantum Leap written by somebody who watched Life on Mars and liked all the bad parts. Underwire pointed out on DTOS comments what I really bumped on the other night too... WTF with the wife? Her husband disappears on board an effin' PLANE IN FLIGHT and she pretends she's not with him?! WHAT?! And he doesn't say: See! I'm not crazy! And there's this whole dirty feeling that comes with him obviously still hot for his dead wife who is extra-dimensional or whatever and while he's trying to have a kid with his brother's ex-wife. Next.
Life: The second last scene of the opener had that moment that Denis talks about... what the hell is that moment called, Denis? You know the one that makes you go: I'm in. In Life that was the moment you effing knew was coming, that closet of mystery, the big picture he's slowly putting all together...you see people you haven't met yet, and people you've just met that are put into a whole new light... yeah, baby. I'm a little worried about the faux documentary stuff. It's gonna get tiresome if it keeps seeming so scripted. Plus Damian Lewis, who is awesome and his partner who's also good. Green means go, baby.
Dirty Sexy Money: It's gonna be my guilty pleasure this season. I love Krause, and Sutherland and the Unmarried Woman herself, Jill Clayburgh! The show seems to be taking itself a lot less seriously than the previews indicated. And that's good. It's all the fun stuff that we love to hate rich people for. However-- we all know smokin' hot wives are a hollywood staple, but please, there must be a couple bucks to actually hire somebody's wife (smokin' or not) to give the script a once over just to avoid the constant barrage of cliched husband/wife scenes out there. I'm talking to you too Journeyman! The wife as "supportive but needs to be convinced" gal is done. Ps. That's right, tranny is the new whore.
Bionic Woman: Maybe because my expectations were lowered by all the disappointed talk before the show actually aired, I didn't mind it. I like Jamie, I like Starbuck (and the many other BSG alumi that filled out the cast). Did I miss Oscar Goldman? I mostly liked the special effects. The only thing I worry about is that it's playing like a Femme Nikita meets Alias thing. I want something new. Story, spin or relationship wise. I don't want to see the same stories with a bigger budget. I'm sensing a lot of writers/producers/whoever pitching updated versions of their favorite shows-- they've already been made, folks! I'll watch a couple more episodes.
Intelligence: Not a new show but a great season opener. Season one was a little 'deliberately paced' especially at the beginning. But it's cooking with propane now. I'm loving this show... and nobody I know is watching it. This is great tv, period. I'd be watching it if it was made in Bosnia, yeah?
Monday, October 01, 2007
TV-eh Podcast
For anybody interested in Canadian Television (that's right capital "C" and "T"): you should check out the podcasts on TV-eh. Diane Wild has put together a lot of great pieces. Last week there was a discussion about the new season and Denis McGrath interviewed Corner Gas's Mark Farrell. This week is about the new season of Intelligence. All kinds of little insider stuff that's fun for TV geeks like me.
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