TORONTO (June 8, 2023) – Ahead of today’s 2023 Upfront presentation, Bell Media unveils its English and French-language original content slate for 2023/24, totaling 96 titles and 1037 hours of original content. Produced in partnership with independent production partners and Bell Media Studios, the impressive programming lineup doubles down on returning fan-favourites and beloved franchises, and adds compelling new series from a diverse roster of well-known and emerging Canadian storytellers.
“Our 2023/24 slate illustrates Bell Media’s unwavering commitment to developing and creating original programming,” said Karine Moses, Senior Vice President, Content Development & News for Bell Media and Vice Chair, Québec for Bell. “We take great pride in collaborating with our visionary production partners to deliver compelling content that reflects Canadian experiences, yet resonates around the world.”
Among today’s announcements:
Based on the hit international format THE TRAITORS, English and French-language versions of the psychological reality competition series are greenlit for CTV (THE TRAITORS: CANADA) and Noovo (LES TRAÎTRES). As announced on Tuesday, in a Bell Media first, Karine Vanasse (CARDINAL) will host both the English and French-language versions of the series.
CTV adds new lifestyle reality special THE TAKE BACK, which gives Canadians across the country a second chance at their cancelled celebrations.
Celebrated Canadian comedian Russell Peters hosts THE RP4 HOSTED BY RUSSELL PETERS for CTV Comedy Channel, and is the subject of new Crave documentary RUSSELL PETERS.
CTV Sci-Fi Channel becomes the exclusive home to comedy horror series REGINALD THE VAMPIRE.
New docuseries THE SQUAD unveils the story behind the 1991 arrest of Wanda Holloway in Texas for CTV Drama Channel.
Notable names at the helm of Crave Original series include: KIDS IN THE HALL’s Bruce McCulloch who presents the new sketch comedy series THE DESSERT; Nikolaj Coster-Waldau who hosts the new series THE OPTIMIST’S GUIDE TO THE PLANET WITH NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU; Alex Wolff, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Anna Torv, and Noah Taylor who star in the new international co-production SO LONG, MARIANNE, about the story that inspired Leonard Cohen’s infamous love song; and online legends Jae and Trey Richards who bring hilarious new comedy THE OFFICE MOVERS.
More Crave Originals include: new comedy series THE TRADES from the producers of TRAILER PARK BOYS; first-ever short form series NESTING; Indigenous comedy series DON’T EVEN; and a bevy of ground-breaking documentaries.
Morgan Kohan, Chad Michael Murray, and Scott Patterson return for Season 2 of the #1 new Canadian drama SULLIVAN’S CROSSING.
CTV confirms a new season of FARMING FOR LOVE (Season 2), which joins the previously announced renewals of award-winning and fan-favourite series THE AMAZING RACE CANADA (Season 9), CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING (Season 3), and TRANSPLANT (Season 4).
CTV Life Channel renews award-winning cooking series MARY MAKES IT EASY for a third season.
CTV Comedy Channel leans on the laughs with renewals for hit series ROAST BATTLE CANADA (Season 4) and ACTING GOOD (Season 2).
Award-winning Crave Originals returning for new seasons include: Season 4 of CANADA’S DRAG RACE, coming later this year; Season 2 of CANADA’S DRAG RACE: CANADA VS. THE WORLD; a second season of WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE (EVEN JAY BARUCHEL); and Season 2 of docu-comedy series PILLOW TALK.
Discovery Networks renews popular factual series including FEAR THY NEIGHBOR (Season 9), HIGHWAY THRU HELL (Season 12), LAST OF THE GIANTS (Season 3), and FORENSIC FACTOR (Season 7) from Bell Media Studios.
Originals continue to drive French conventional network Noovo with just announced titles including the return of hit SURVIVOR QUÉBEC for Season 2.
Bell Media Studios orders new seasons of CTV YOUR MORNING, THE SOCIAL, and Canada’s #1 entertainment news program ETALK – along with the just announced new daytime series THE GOOD STUFF WITH MARY BERG hosted by Mary Berg.
Bell Media’s New English and French-Language Primetime Original Entertainment Productions Slate from Independent Producers Includes the Following, With Additional Titles to Be Announced Later This Year. For Returning Series Synopses, Click Here.
New English-Language Series:
BATTLE OF THE GENERATIONS – CTV*previously announced
BATTLE OF THE GENERATIONS not only asks how well you know your own generation, but how well you know your rivals’ generations – ultimately resolving the question of which generation has what it takes to win it all. (Bell Media Studios/GroupM Motion Entertainment)
Premiering June 16, the four-part docuseries explores the unsolved murders of Canadian power couple, Barry and Honey Sherman. The series narrative is driven by leading investigative journalist, and the pre-eminent expert on the case, Kevin Donovan. BILLIONAIRE MURDERS features illuminating interviews and compelling details of the case, including an intimate look at the crime scene, and access to key figures connected to the couple, along with information from confidential sources with insight crucial to the unsolved murder mystery. (Entertainment One)
BRIA MACK GETS A LIFE – Crave*previously announced
A half-hour comedy series that follows Bria Mack, a 25-year-old Black woman, as she navigates adulthood in a predominantly white world – which is made all the more difficult, but also more tolerable – by Black Attack, her invisible hype girl. (New Metric Media)
THE DESSERT – Crave
Bruce McCulloch of THE KIDS IN THE HALL presents the next generation of Canadian sketch comedy with an all-out, boundary pushing expedition to the edge of decency. Starring Isabella Campbell, Shane Cunningham (co-creator), and Jillian Smart, with music by Executive Producer Max Kerman (Arkells), THE DESSERT is an audacious and rapid-fire celebration of the absurd. (LaRue Entertainment)
DON’T EVEN – Crave
After a humiliation at her high school grad, Violet wants to make the most of the summer before university as her best friend, Harley, distracts herself from a big dilemma: She doesn’t know what she wants to do after high school. As the lifelong Indigenous BFFs bask in their newfound freedom, cracks begin to form in their once impenetrable bond. It’s awkward. It’s dramatic. It’s friggin’ Winnipeg. (Pier 21 Films, Frantic Films Manitoba, Sekowan Media)
THE GOOD STUFF WITH MARY BERG – CTV
THE GOOD STUFF WITH MARY BERG, a new talk and lifestyle series, hosted by multiple Canadian Screen Award-winning host and author Mary Berg features lifestyle trends, home hacks, audience games, and inspiring stories – all from top experts. A daily hour of fun, food, and laughs, Berg dives right in from sharing daily, delicious and approachable recipes for the home cook, to cook-a-long sessions with guest chefs, and getting her hands dirty with gardening, DIYs, home renovations and more. As well, Berg welcomes notable guests, including authors, celebrities, influencers, and everyday heroes. (Bell Media Studios)
*not accounted for in total hours of English and French-language content.
I HAVE NOTHING – Crave*previously announced
I HAVE NOTHING follows Carolyn Taylor (BARONESS VON SKETCH) on a quest to choreograph the perfect full length pairs figure skating routine to Whitney Houston’s 1992 iconic hit song “I Have Nothing.” Motivated by a teenaged obsession for the 1988 Calgary Olympics (but with no skating knowledge or ability), Carolyn is aided and abetted on her figure-skating journey by BAFTA-winning actor and comedian Mae Martin (Feel Good) and Emmy-winning figure skating choreographer Sandra Bezic (Battle of the Blades). The season culminates in a live performance of Carolyn’s one-of-a-kind routine for an audience of figure-skating royalty, die-hard skating fans and Carolyn’s teen idols. (Blue Ant Studios in association with Catalyst)
Created by and starring Jasmeet Raina (Jus Reign), the eight-part series, which is loosely inspired by Raina’s life as a Punjabi Sikh millennial and online celebrity, follows burgeoning content creator Jasmeet Dutta as he tries to balance his ambitions for success with his commitment to his family, community, and culture. (Pier 21 Films)
NESTING – Crave
Anna and Rosa, two unlikely best friends for whom the romantic comedy dream hasn’t panned out – no house, no partner, no baby – try to get knocked-up at the same time so they can parent together in a new version of family. As they clumsily and comically search for a baby daddy to fertilize their drying-up eggs, all while trying to find an affordable home in a totally insane housing market, they find their feelings changing from the simplicity of platonic to the complexities of romantic, turning everything they believed about sexuality and ‘happily ever after’ upside down. NESTING is a provocative, funny, unflinching short-form web series about friendship, fertility, the housing crisis, and love. (Project Undertow)
THE OFFICE MOVERS – Crave
From the producers of SHELVED and Bell Media Studios breakout stars and online legends Jae and Trey Richards, THE OFFICE MOVERS follows two college dropout brothers who must pull their struggling office moving company from the brink of bankruptcy to secure a potential buy-out offer from an international logistics conglomerate. (Counterfeit Pictures)
THE OPTIMIST’S GUIDE TO THE PLANET WITH NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU – Crave
THE Optimist’s Guide to the Planet with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau travels the world to find people and projects inspiring hope for the future. (Cream Productions)
PARANORMAL REVENGE – CTV Sci-Fi *previously announced
PARANORMAL REVENGE offers a fresh approach to creepy, hair-raising stories that emanate from the dimension beyond. Each story unfolds from the perspective of a main storyteller – a victim – who has been targeted by a mysterious paranormal entity or entities. What follows is a truly original and compelling approach: a mash-up of the true-crime procedural and terrifying ghost stories. (Sphere Media)
REGINALD THE VAMPIRE – CTV Sci-Fi
Imagine a world populated by beautiful, fit, and vain vampires. Reginald Andres tumbles headlong into it as an unlikely hero who will have to navigate every kind of obstacle – the girl he loves but can’t be with, a bully manager at work, and the vampire chieftain who wants him dead. Fortunately, Reginald discovers he has a few unrecognized powers of his own. (Cineflix Studios, December Films, Modern Story and Great Pacific Media)
THE RP4 HOSTED BY RUSSELL PETERS – CTV Comedy
Join Russell Peters for a landmark Just For Laughs event as he hosts four special galas, each with a star-studded line-up of carefully curated comics. Always uncensored and honest, Russell will be at the helm of shows that will be guaranteed to be provocative, funny, and unforgettable. This year will be the first in the festival’s history where all four galas will be hosted by the same artist. (Just For Laughs)
So Long, Marianne is a new eight-part, co-production from Crave and NRK which tells the legendary love story of Canadian singer and poet Leonard Cohen and his muse Marianne Ihlen. The series is an intimate tale of two, lonely people falling in love during a period of their life when they are trying to figure out who they are and their place in the world, while one is becoming one of the most famous singers of all time. Starring Alex Wolff, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Anna Torv, and Noah Taylor. (Connect3 SLM Productions Inc.)
STAYING INN: HOTEL JULIE – CTV Life *previously announced
STAYING INN: HOTEL JULIE centres around Creative Director Autumn Hachey as she embarks on the biggest project of her career – the redesign of a 19th century inn into a luxury boutique hotel in Stratford, Ont. In a race to be ready for the world-renowned Stratford Festival, Autumn and her team of collaborators have their work cut out for them. She’s taking it all on – marketing and branding strategy, complete suite redesigns, sourcing the perfect vintage pieces, finding the right trades and, most importantly, striving to create the ultimate luxury guest experience. (Alibi Entertainment)
SIGHT UNSEEN – CTV *previously announced
After losing her vision, former homicide detective Tess Burke is haunted by the unsolved cases she left behind. When she meets professional seeing-eye guide Sunny Patel through a visual assistance app, they decide to take action. Using a hidden camera and earpiece, Sunny steers Tess remotely around life’s obstacles – and life’s crimes – as the two challenge preconceptions about ability, trust, and where to draw the line. (Created by Karen and Nikolijne Troubetzkoy. Produced by Blink49 Studios and Front Street Pictures. Distribution handled by Blink49 in the US and Canada, with FIFTH SEASON handling rest of the world)
THE SQUAD – CTV Drama
THE SQUAD reveals the truth behind Wanda Holloway’s arrest in Texas in 1991 for hiring a hitman to kill her daughter’s cheerleading rival. (Cream Productions)
THE TAKE BACK – CTV
In this new CTV special, Canadians across the country receive a second chance after a cancelled celebration. THE TAKE BACK team have one week to create a surprise event for unsuspecting Canadians, giving them an experience that will change their ordinary day to an extraordinary lifetime memory. It’s time for a take back! (McGillivray Entertainment Media, Fremantle)
THE TRADES – Crave
From the producers of TRAILER PARK BOYS, THE TRADES is a comedy series set in a working class community where the stress and high risks of working in a refinery are balanced by the comic, high-wire antics of the plant workers. (Rollercoaster Entertainment, Blink49 Studios)
THE TRAITORS: CANADA – CTV *previously announced
This unscripted competition series, which has become a global TV phenomenon, follows a group of contestants – including some familiar faces – who live together as they complete a series of challenges with the goal of earning a cash prize. The catch? Some of the contestants are traitors who will attempt to deceive and manipulate their way to the prize instead of sharing it amongst the group. In this psychological adventure will the traitors be unmasked in time? (Entourage Télévision. Originally conceived in the Netherlands by IDTV, an All3Media company, the format was further developed with the RTL Creative Unit and produced by IDTV. All3Media International represents format rights for THE TRAITORS.)
Directed by Sean Menard, and with unprecedented access to the MuchMusic archives, the two-hour feature tells the origin story and meteoric rise of the seminal music and pop culture brand, highlighting its beginnings as a scrappy Canadian television upstart. 299 QUEEN STREET WEST is narrated by some of the original trailblazing VJ’s, who at the time had no prior TV hosting experience, received no direction, no scripts, and broadcasted live across the country. The film showcases how MuchMusic’s rise in popularity intersected with rap music entering the mainstream, the birth of grunge and alternative rock, and pop stars caused teenage hysteria at the iconic street level studio. VJ’s and iconic personalities featured include Steve Anthony, Rick Campanelli, Monika Deol, Denise Donlon, Erica Ehm, Namugenyi Kiwanuka, Sook-Yin Lee, George Stroumboulopoulos, Bill Welychka, and Michael Williams. (Menard/Molly Ye)
ANY OTHER WAY: THE JACKIE SHANE STORY – Crave*previously announced
This new documentary tells the tale of the extraordinary life and mysterious disappearance of pioneering soul singer and Black Transgender trailblazer, Jackie Shane. Her story is brought vibrantly to life through intimate recorded conversations with Jackie, and follows her family’s journey to discover her legacy, and the voices of those who were inspired by her tenacity to be herself. Directed by Michael Mabbott and Lucah Rosenberg-Lee, and executive produced by Elliot Page of Page Boy Productions. (Banger Films, National Film Board of Canada)
THE ART OF DANCE – Crave
In a world desperate for hope, THE ART OF DANCE ignites inspiration and dares us to come alive by tracing the evolutionary healing power of movement, music, culture, and community. Innovative and immersive, this cinematic documentary experience awakens our souls, through the beauty and courage of some of the world’s most celebrated dancers on a journey of connection. Featuring Shad, Ken Swift, Lady C, Maria Torres, Maykel Fonts, BBOY Neguin, and Moncell Durden. THE ART OF DANCE is directed and produced by Kevin John Fitzgerald, produced by Anand Ramayya, alongside Executive Producers Lindsay Macadam, Maija Garcia, Aloe Blacc, and Shad. (Hip Hop Films, Karma Film)
AUDIOPHILIA – ADVENTURES IN THE WORLD OF HI-FI – Crave*previously announced
From acclaimed director Ron Mann, AUDIOPHILIA – ADVENTURES IN THE WORLD OF HI-FI is the story about the love of listening to music on the world’s best stereo equipment. The film profiles the inventors, designers, and major-league audiophiles, engaged in the never-ending quest to find audio nirvana. The film is a deep dive into the subculture of sonic obsessives around the world who seek out esoteric electronics that are often visually stunning, and turn their homes into audio sanctuaries. (Sphinx Productions)
BEAUTY KINGS – Crave
Bodybuilding, spray-on abs and gender politics: welcome to the world of BEAUTY KINGS, a documentary exploring the transitioning nature of masculinity through the lives of men from different countries as they compete in a leading international male beauty pageant. Directed by Garry Tutte. Supervising Producer Sarah Fodey, Consulting Producers Evan Wexler and Sarah Sahaigan. Featuring Frankie Cena. (Morro Creative)
MODERN WHORE – Crave
From director Nicole Bazuin, MODERN WHORE is a hybrid documentary that reimagines popular depictions of sex work through the lived experiences of writer, performer, and sex worker, Andrea Werhun. Based on her memoir Modern Whore, Andrea grapples with social stigma and reclaims her narrative in a series of funny, heartbreaking, and surprising stories. Directed by Nicole Bazuin and Produced by Lauren Grant, Nicole Bazuin and Andrea Werhun. (Clique Pictures, Virgin Twins)
NAKED: SEX AND GENDER – Crave*previously announced
A documentary feature film about the gender binary. What is it? How does it manifest itself in our minds and our lives? And how can we go beyond? NAKED follows individuals and communities, experts and artists around the globe who right now, are radically and joyfully redefining gender as we know it. Together, they explore their vision of a future beyond the gender binary. Directed by Stephanie Weimar. Executive Producer is Michael McMahon. Producers are Kevin McMahon and Michael McMahon. (Primitive Entertainment)
POSTNATURAL – Crave
POSTNATURAL is a provocative feature documentary that travels to the freaky frontiers of a new synthetic biological age. Has “nature” ceased to exist? Mingling pop culture with science and humour with horror, this visually inventive film follows Richard Pell, founder of the world’s first Center for PostNatural History, and meets the visionary scientists, artists, and storytellers who are engineering new life forms and imagining a science-fictional future that few of us can fathom. Directed by Brett Story and co-directed Ben Travers, POSTNATURAL is a timely epic that explores our nostalgia for a world that was, while also finding beauty, possibility, and risk in the weird world that could be. Produced by Stuart Henderson. (90th Parallel Productions)
RUSSELL PETERS – Crave
The Russell Peters documentary tells the story of his humble and adversarial beginnings in Brampton Ontario, to his current standing today as one of the world’s top international comedians. Directed by Thyrone Tommy (Learn to Swim), and executive producers are Randy Lennox and Kevin Barton. (Loft Entertainment)
SINGHS IN THE RING – Crave
SINGHS IN THE RING is a feature documentary based on the wildly colourful, outrageously animated, pile-driving phenomenon of the Singh wrestling dynasty. Follow us as we wind back the clock to the infectiously fun 1970s era wrestling and the emergence of a Punjabi immigrant now known as the legendary Gama Singh of Stampede Wrestling, and witness the continuation of that professional wrestling lineage in current day with Gama’s son, Raj. Directed by Akash Sherman and produced by Shane Fennessey, Adam Scorgie, and Sunny Sidhu. (Fennessey Films, Score G Productions, FMT Productions)
SMOKE & GIFTS: IT’S ALL GONNA BREAK – Crave *previously announced
Filmmaker Stephen Chung pulls back the curtain on the Toronto indie music scene through his relationship with his friends in the trailblazing band, Broken Social Scene. This unconventional POV documentary features Chung’s never-before-seen archival footage capturing a creatively rich era in Toronto and paying tribute to the power of indie music, friendship and the artists who started out in Toronto bars before rocketing to global fame. Produced by Ann Shin, Hannah Donegan, Diana Warme. (Fathom Film Group)
WILFRED BUCK – Crave*previously announced
WILFRED BUCK is a hybrid feature documentary centring on a Cree elder and Indigenous star knowledge keeper. Weaving together his harrowing past and his present life with sky stories, this cinematic film explores colonization’s attempts to extinguish Indigenous ways of knowing, the values of interrelationship that shape Indigenous science, and how this worldview paves a healthier path forward for us and our planet. Directed by Lisa Jackson. Producers are Lisa Jackson, Alicia Smith, and Lauren Grant. Executive producers are David Christensen, Nicholas de Pencier, and Jennifer Baichwal. (Door Number 3 in co-production with the National Film Board)
New French-Language Series:
The following new series are part of Noovo, Canal Vie, Z, Canal D, and Crave’s 2023/24 slate, with additional titles to be announced in the coming months.
LES TRAÎTRES – Noovo *previously announced
A group of eager contestants move into a majestic manor. Their goal? To work as a team to complete a series of missions to earn silver bars for their bank. The catch? Some of the contestants are traitors who will attempt to deceive and manipulate their way to the prize instead of sharing it amongst the group. In this gripping psychological format, will they be unmasked in time? Karine Vanasse hosts reality TV. (Entourage Télévision)
APRÈS LE DÉLUGE – Noovo*previously announced
Across six 60-minute episodes, this series, set in the heart of Montreal’s red-light district, tells the story of Maxime Salomon, a rogue cop who takes four young people with troubled backgrounds under her wing — including Dylane, a “bad girl” whose charms are hard to resist. To help them avoid getting a criminal record, Maxime introduces them to mixed martial arts. This decision is far from popular among his colleagues, and Dylane could pay a high price for it. Will fighting fire with fire break the vicious circle of violence in which these young people have been trapped for too long? (Zone3 and ZAMA Productions)
COLOSSE PLAMONDON – Canal D*previously announced
COLOSSE PLAMONDON chronicles the case of Yves Plamondon, found guilty of a triple homicide in 1986 and sentenced to life imprisonment. After years of proclaiming his innocence, he was cleared of all charges in 2014. The docuseries looks back on 30 years of legal twists and turns, allegations of conspiracy and false testimonies. (Productions J)
COUPLES EN SURVIE – Canal Vie*previously announced
To test the strength of their love, couples must survive in a hostile environment for 36 hours. Accompanied by a survival expert and a relationship professional, Kim Rusk hosts this challenging series that tests couples to their limits. The experts and Kim Rusk will provide feedback, analysis and commentary on the participants’ experiences. For their part, the couples will play for all they’ve got: it’s make or break! (Productions Lustitia)
CRINQUÉS : SOUS LE CAPOT – Z*previously announced
Follow Pierre Michaud on a quest driven by passion and mechanical engineering. While fixing up a Pontiac GTO 1966, he takes viewers inside a community of “gearheads” who devote their lives to restoring vintage automobiles. Discover a community where time is no obstacle when pursuing their obsession with the world’s most iconic cars! (TORQ-Océan)
DÉMASQUÉS – Canal D*previously announced
Everyone remembers celebrities whose lies have been publicly exposed. But there are liars everywhere: it could be an uncle, a friend, a colleague. Through the investigations that ripped their web of deceit to shreds, viewers will learn why liars spin their stories and what the consequences are in this docuseries. (KOTV)
LA GUERRE DES FANS – Noovo*previously announced
Hosted by Phil Roy, this epic variety game show with an electric atmosphere promises to be the most thrilling music competition on TV. Each week, four celebrities will compete in highly entertaining musical games, trying to score the maximum number of points and book their place in the next round. While 16 stars will seek to prove they’re the biggest music fan of all, only one will take home the coveted Superfan crown at the end of the ten episodes. (Pixcom)
INSPIREZ EXPIREZ – Crave*previously announced
Sophie and Vicky are young women in their early 30s who belong to the same circle of friends but dislike each other, having nothing in common except the date when they were born. This year, they receive the same birthday present from their girlfriends: a gift certificate for a yoga retreat deep in the woods. It proves disastrous for both, as they struggle with sharing the same cabin. Their enforced downtime takes a shocking turn when the dead body of a participant is found in the forest. When they’re required to stay on site during a police investigation they consider useless, Sophie and Vicky team up to identify the killer, save themselves, and might even learn to appreciate one another. (Avanti-Toast)
LE POIDS DE L’APPARENCE – Crave*previously announced
This unique and powerful documentary explores eating disorders, a problem that affects men and women, both young and old. Following Phil Roy as he wonders about the mental health issues surrounding weight and body image, this documentary seeks to understand the insidious ways that an obsession with physical appearance can become part of our thinking and create extremely troubling problems. (Trinome & Filles)
PLEIN GAZ – Z*previously announced
PLEIN GAZ immerses viewers in the world of recreational auto racing in Québec. From road racing to drifting competitions, the series covers various activities that appeal to speed lovers. It takes viewers inside the lives of entrepreneurs Jason Labrosse and Elie Arsenault, who are major players in ICAR Route 66, while also following Benoit Gagnon’s participation in the Nissan Sentra Cup as he drives that model for the first time. Throughout the series, these two worlds come together through Benoît, Élie and Jason as they share their experiences with each other. (Attraction)
PLUS OU MOINS MISÉRABLE – Noovo*previously announced
Hosted by Eve Côté, PLUS OU MOINS MISÉRABLE is a hilarious game show where one person’s sadness is another’s happiness. Outrageous true stories from around the world are evaluated by experts in human behaviour, who assign these incidents a score from 0 to 100 based on the physical pain and emotional shock suffered by the participants and the potential long-term psychological impacts. Two teams made up of a contestant and a celebrity face off against each other, trying to guess what score was given to each unfortunate — but oh-so-funny — incident on the “misery scale.” From “you were struck by lightning… three times!” to “You accidentally sent a sexy photo of yourself to your mom,” the contestant who makes the most accurate guesses has the chance to win $3,000! (KOTV)
PROJET INNOCENCE – Noovo*previously announced
During an internship at Projet Innocence, law student Stella Launière is supervised by renowned criminologist Armand Coupal. The condemned man whose innocence she must prove, Anderson Jean-Louis, is an infamous criminal responsible for misdeeds just as bad as the murder of which he claims to be falsely accused. Stella will learn the truth of Coupal’s words: “To prove the innocence of the accused, you have to get your hands dirty.” (ALSO)
TAXI PAYANT : L’ESCOUADE – Noovo*previously announced
The only game show that takes place on board a moving vehicle! In this new version of the popular game show CASH CAB, a team of larger-than-life celebrity drivers pick up groups of passengers for the most profitable cab ride of their lives. Throughout the trip, each driver poses general-knowledge questions to the passengers, gradually increasing the difficulty level. Each right answer is worth $25, $50 or $100. But there’s a catch: the passengers are only allowed to get two wrong. The third time, they’ll be kicked out of the cab without any money, even if they haven’t reached the destination. If they complete the trip, the chauffeur will offer them a double-or-nothing question. Will they win big… or lose everything? (Zone3)
TOUT POUR VENDRE – Canal Vie*previously announced
Using the help of the DuProprio, an agent free real-estate assistance service, Mélissa Bédard meets with homeowners who want to sell their home without an agent. She gives them a challenge: estimate how long it will take to sell their property — for a $1,000 prize! To maximize their chances of winning, the sellers are assisted by notaries, real estate experts, sales representatives and appraisers. Designer Jacinthe Leroux proposes two choices for improving the interior of their home, and with a budget of $5,000 and labour, they must decide which option will allow them to make a quick sale at the best price. From appraisal to renovations to open houses, each step in the selling process is covered in this new show that ticks all the boxes. (Zone3)
Source: Numeris, Total Canada, Conventional = BYTD Weeks 3-36 (9/12/2022 to 5/7/2023), Commercial Stations. Final Data.
Toronto, on – Blood in the Snow Film Festival (BITS), a unique and imaginative showcase of contemporary Canadian genre films are pleased to announce the popular Festival is back for its 13th exciting year. The highly anticipated Horror Film festival presented by Super Channelruns November 18th– 23rd at Toronto’sIsabel Bader Theatre. The successful, long running festivaltakes on many different faces this year that include Scary, Action Horror, Horror Comedy, Sci-Fi and Thrillers. Festival goers will be kept on the edge of their seats with this year’s powerful line-up.
Blood in the Snow Festival begins with the return of alumni (Wolf Cop) Lowell Dean’s action horror feature Dark Match featuring wrestling veteran Chris Jericho followed by the mysterious Hunting Mathew Nichols. The unexpected thrills continue with Blood in the Snow World Premiere of Pins and Needles and the Fantasia Best First Feature Award winner, Self Driver. The festival ends this year on a fun note with the Toronto Premiere of Scared Sh*tless (featuring Kids in the Hall’s Mark McKinney). Other titles include the horror anthology series Creepy Bits and Zoom call shock of Invited by Blood in the Snow alumni Navin Ramaswaran (Poor Agnes). The festival will also include five feature length short film programs including the festivals comedy horror program Funny Frights and UnusualSights and the highly anticipated Dark Visions program, part of opening night festivities. Blood in the Snow Film Festival Director and Founder, Kelly Michael Stewart anticipates this year’s festival to be its strongest. “This was the first time in our 13 year history, all our programmers agreed on the exact same eight feature programs we have selected.”
Below is this year’s horror fest’s excitinglineup of features and shorts scheduled to screen, in-person at the Isabel Bader theatre.
**All festival features will be preceded by a short film and followed by a Q&A with filmmakers.
Super Channel is pleased to once again assume the role of Presenting Sponsor for the Blood in the Snow Film Festival. We extend our sincere appreciation to the entire BITS team for their unwavering commitment to amplifying the voices of diverse filmmakers and providing a platform for the celebration of Canadian genre content. –Don McDonald, the CEO of Super Channel
Blood in the Snow Festival 2024 Full screening schedule:
Monday November 18th 7pm – Dark Visions
Shiva (13:29) dir. Josh Saltzman
Shiva is an unnerving tale about a recently widowed woman who breaks with a long-held Jewish mourning ritual in hopes of connecting with her deceased husband.
How to Stay Awake (5:30) dir. Vanessa Magic
A woman fights to stay awake, to avoid battling the terrifying realm of sleep paralysis, but as she risks everything to break free, will she be released from the grip of her nocturnal tormentor?
Pocket Princess (9:45)dir. Olivia Loccisano
A young girl must take part in a dangerous task in order to complete her doll collection in this miniature fairytale.
For Rent (10:33) dir. Michèle Kaye
In her new home, Donna unravels a sinister truth—her landlord is a demon with a dark appetite. As her family mysteriously vanishes, Donna confronts the demonic landlord, only to plunge into a shadowy game where the house hungers for more than just occupants. An ominous cycle begins, shrouded in mystery.
Lucy’s Birthday (9:29) dir. Peter Sreckovic
A father struggles to enjoy his young daughter’s birthday despite a series of strange and disturbing disruptions.
Parasitic (10:00) dir. Ryan M Andrews
Last call at a dive bar, a writer struggling to find his voice gets more than he bargains for.
Naualli (6:00) dir. Adrian Gonzalez de la Pena
A grieving man seeks revenge, unwittingly awakening a mystical creature known as the Nagual.
The Saint and The Bear (6:34) dir. Dallas R Soonias
Two strangers cross paths on an ominous park bench.
The Sorrow (13:00) dir. Thomas Affolter
A retired army general and his live-in nurse find they are not alone in a house filled with dark secrets.
Cadabra (6:00) dir. Tiffany Wice
An amateur magician receives more than he anticipated when he purchases a cursed hat from the estate of his deceased hero.
9:30 – Dark Matchdir. Lowell Dean Horror / Action
A small time WRESTLING COMPANY accepts a well-paying but too good to be true gig.
Tuesday November 19th 7pm – Mournful Mediums
Night Lab (15:00) dir. Andrew Ellinas
When a mysterious package arrives from one of the lab’s field research stations, a promising young researcher uncovers a conspiracy against her masterminded by her jealous boss. She soon finds herself having to grapple with her conscience before making a life-or-death decision.
Dirty Bad Wrong (14:40) dir. Erica Orofino
Desperate to keep her promise to host the best superhero party for her 6-year-old, young mother Sid, a sex worker, takes extreme measures and books a last-minute client with a dark fetish.
Midnight at the lonely river (17:00) dir. Abraham Cote
When the lights go out at a seedy little motel bar, at the crossroads of a seedy little town, nefarious happenings are taking place, and three predators are enacting their evil deeds. Enter Vicky, a drifter who quickly realizes what’s happening right under everyone’s nose. After midnight, In the shadows of this dim establishment, evil begets evil, and the predator becomes the prey.
Mean Ends (14:58) dir. Émile Lavoie
A buried body, a missing sister and an inquisitive neighbour makes for a hell of an evening. And the sun isn’t close to settling on Eric’s sh*tty day.
Stuffy (18:26) dir. Dan Nicholls
A young couple sets off in the middle of the night to bury their kid’s stuffed bunny, as one of them is convinced that the stuffy might be cursed.
Dungeon of Death (18:33) dir. Brian P. Rowe
Torturer Raullin loves a work challenge, especially if that challenge involves hurting people to extract information from them.
9:30 – Hunting Matthew Nichols(96 mins) dir. Markian Tarasiuk
Twenty-three years after her brother mysteriously disappeared, a documentary filmmaker sets out to solve his missing person’s case. But when a disturbing piece of evidence is revealed, she comes to believe that her brother might still be alive.
w/ short: Josephine (6:15) dir. John Francis Bregar
A man haunted by his past seeks forgiveness from his deceased wife, but a session with two spirit mediums leads to an unsettling encounter.
Wednesday November 20th 7pm – BITS and BYTES
Ezra (10:57) dirs. Luke Hutchie, Mike Mildon, Marianna Phung
After fleeing the dark and demonic chains of his shadowy old home, Ezra, a killer gay vampire, takes a leap of faith and enters the modern world.
Head Shop (18:14 episode 1-3) dir. Namaï Kham Po
In a post-apocalyptic world, Anna’s life and work are dominated by her father Sylvestre, a short-tempered mechanic with a terrible reputation for tearing the head off anyone who dares cross him. He decides that she’s old enough to follow in his footsteps, much to her dismay. To prove herself, she must now decapitate her first victim. Can she find a way to defy fate?
D dot H (18 :15 episodes 1-2) dirs. Meegwun Fairbrother, Mary Galloway
Struggling artist Doug is visited by the beautiful and enigmatic H, who claims he holds the power to visiting “inconceivable places.” Still half-asleep, Doug is shocked when H vanishes suddenly and her doppelganger, Hannah, strides past.
Creepy Bits: “Last Sonata” (21:08) dir.
Adrian Bobb, Ashlea Wessel, David J. Fernandes, Sid Zanforlin and Kelly Paoli.
Set among forests, lakes, and small towns, Creepy Bits is a horror anthology series helmed by five innovative filmmakers exploring themes of human vs. nature, the invasion and destruction of the natural world by outsiders, and isolation within a vast, eerie landscape that is not afraid to fight back.
Tales from the Void: “Whistle in the Woods” (24:36) dir. Francesco Loschiavo
Horror anthology TV series based on stories from r/NoSleep. Each tale blends genre thrills & social commentary exploring the dark side of the human psyche.
9:30 – Self Driverdir. Michael Pierro Thriller
Facing mounting expenses and the unrelenting pressure of modern living, a down-on-his-luck cab driver is lured on to a mysterious new app that promises fast, easy money. As his first night on the job unfolds, he is pulled ever deeper into the dark underbelly of society, embarking on a journey that will test his moral code and shake his understanding of what it means to have freewill. The question becomes not how much money he can make, but what he’ll be compelled to do to make it.
A couple on a cottage getaway tries to work on their relationship but ends up getting more than they bargained for when they discover something sinister lurking beneath the surface.
Thursday November 21st 7pm – Funny Frights
Midnight Snack (1:41) dir. Sandra Foisy
Hunger always strikes in the dead of night.
Hell is a Teenage Girl (15:00) dir. Stephen Sawchuk
Every Halloween, the small town of Springboro is terrorized by its resident SLASHER – a masked serial killer who targets sinful teenagers that break ‘The Rules of Horror’ – don’t drink, don’t do drugs, and don’t have sex!
Gaslit (10:36) dir. Anna MacLean
A woman goes to dangerous lengths to prove she wasn’t responsible for a fart.
Bath Bomb (9:55) dir. Colin G Cooper
A possessive doctor prepares an ostensibly romantic bath for his narcissistic boyfriend, but after an accusation of infidelity, things take a deeply disturbing turn.
Any Last Words (14:22) dir. Isaac Rathé
A crook trying to flee town is paid an untimely visit by some of his former colleagues. What would you say to save your life if you were staring down the barrel of a gun?
Papier mâché (4:30) dir. Simon Madore
A whimsical depiction of the hard and tumultuous life of a piñata.
The Living Room (9:59) dir. Joslyn Rogers
After an unexpected call from Lady Luck, Ms. Valentine must choose between her sanity and her winnings – all before the jungle consumes her.
A Divine Comedy: What the Hell (8:55) dir. Valerie Lee Barnhart Dante’s classic Hell is falling into oblivion. Charlotte,
sharp-witted Harpy, navigates the chaos and sets out despite the odds for a new life and destiny.
Mr Fuzz (2:30) dir. Christopher Walsh
A long-limbed, fuzzy-haired creature will do whatever it takes to keep you watching his show.
Out of the Hands of the Wicked (5:00)dirs. Luke Sargent, Benjamin Hackman
After a harrowing journey home from hell, old Pa boasts of his triumph over evil, and how he came to lock the devil in his heart.
The Shitty Ride (9:13) dir. Cole Doran
Hoping to impress the girl of his dreams, Cole buys a used car but gets more than he bargained for with his shitty ride.
9:30 – Inviteddir. Navin Ramaswaran Horror
When a reluctant mother attends her daughter’s Zoom elopement, she and the rest of the family in attendance quickly realize the groom is part of a Russian cult with deadly intentions.
w/ shorts: Defile dir. Brian Sepanzyk
A couple’s secluded getaway is suddenly interrupted by a strange family who exposes them to the horrors that lie beyond the tree line.
+ A Mother’s Love dir. Lisa Ovies
A young girl deals with the consequences of trusting someone online.
Friday November 22nd 7:00 pm – Creepy Bits(anthology horror series)
Creepy Bits is a short horror anthology series that explores pandemic age themes of isolation, paranoia and distrust of authority, serving them up in bite-sized chunks. Directed by Adrian Bobb, Ashlea Wessel, David J. Fernandes, Sid Zanforlin and Kelly Paoli.
9:30 – Pins and Needles (81 min) dir. James Villeneuve Horror / Thriller
Follows Max, a diabetic, biology grad student who is entrapped in a devilish new-age wellness experiment and must escape a lethal game of cat and mouse to avoid becoming the next test subject to extend the lives of the rich and privileged.
w/ short: Adjoining (11:42) dirs. Harrison Houde, Dakota Daulby
A couple’s motel stay takes a chilling turn when they discover they’re being observed, leading to unexpected consequences.
Saturday November 23rd 4pm – EmergingScreams (94 mins)
Apnea (14:58) dir. David Matheson
A single, working mother finds her career and her offbeat son’s safety in jeopardy when she discovers that her late mother is possessing her in her sleep.
Nereid (7:48) dir. Lori Zozzolotto
A mysterious woman escapes from an abusive relationship with earth shattering results.
BedLamer (15:00) dir. Alexa Jane Jerrett
On the shores of a small fishing village lives a lonely settlement of men – capturing and domesticating otherworldly creatures that were never meant to be tamed.
Blocked (6:30) dir. Aisha Alfa
A new mom is literally consumed with the futility of cleaning up after her kid.
Dance of the Faery (10:23) dir. Kaela Brianna Egert
A young woman cleans up her estranged, great aunt’s home after her death. Upon inspection, she soon realizes that her eccentric obsession with fairies was not born out of love, but of fear.
Deep End (7:36) dir. Juan Pablo Saenz
A gay couple’s heated argument during a hike spiral into a nightmare when one of them vanishes, leading the other to a mysterious cave that could reveal the chilling truth.
Ojichaag – Spirit Within (11:21) dir. Rachel Beaulieu
An emotionally devastated woman seeks comfort in her choice to end her life. As she faces death in the form of a spirit, she must decide to let herself go to fight to stay alive.
Lure (9.56) dir. Jacob Phair
A tormented father awaits the return of the man who saved his son’s life.
Let Me In (10:00) dirs. Joel Buxton, Charles Smith
A reluctant man interviews an unusual immigration candidate: himself from a doomed dimension
7:00 pm –The Silent Planet (95 mins) dir. Jeffrey St. Jules Sci-fi
An aging convict serving out a life sentence alone on a distant planet is forced to confront his past when a new prisoner shows up and pushes him to remember his life on earth
w/ short: Ascension (3:57) dir. Kenzie Yango
Deep in a remote forest, two friends, Mia and Riley, embark on a leisurely hike. As tensions run high between the two, a strange humming noise appears that seems to be coming from somewhere in the woods.
A plumber and his germophobic son are forced to get their hands dirty to save the residents of an apartment building, when a genetically engineered, blood-thirsty creature escapes into the plumbing system.
w/ short: Oh…Canada (6:20) dir. Vincenzo Nappi
Oh, Canada. Such a wonderful place to live – WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT. A musical look into the artifice surrounding Canadian identity.
Sometimes, you just have to return to the classics.
That’s especially true as Halloween approaches. While you queue up your spooky movie marathon, here are 10 iconic horror movies from the past 70 years for inspiration, and what AP writers had to say about them when they were first released.
We resurrected excerpts from these reviews, edited for clarity, from the dead — did they stand the test of time?
“Rear Window” (1954)
“Rear Window” is a wonderful trick pulled off by Alfred Hitchcock. He breaks his hero’s leg, sets him up at an apartment window where he can observe, among other things, a murder across the court. The panorama of other people’s lives is laid out before you, as seen through the eyes of a Peeping Tom.
James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter and others make it good fun.
— Bob Thomas
“Halloween” (1978)
At 19, Jamie Lee Curtis is starring in a creepy little thriller film called “Halloween.”
Until now, Jamie’s main achievement has been as a regular on the “Operation Petticoat” TV series. Jamie is much prouder of “Halloween,” though it is obviously an exploitation picture aimed at the thrill market.
The idea for “Halloween” sprang from independent producer-distributor Irwin Yablans, who wanted a terror-tale involving a babysitter. John Carpenter and Debra Hill fashioned a script about a madman who kills his sister, escapes from an asylum and returns to his hometown intending to murder his sister’s friends.
— Bob Thomas
“The Silence of the Lambs” (1991)
“The Silence of the Lambs” moves from one nail-biting sequence to another. Jonathan Demme spares the audience nothing, including closeups of skinned corpses. The squeamish had best stay home and watch “The Cosby Show.”
Ted Tally adapted the Thomas Harris novel with great skill, and Demme twists the suspense almost to the breaking point. The climactic confrontation between Clarice Starling and Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine) is carried a tad too far, though it is undeniably exciting with well-edited sequences.
Such a tale as “The Silence of the Lambs” requires accomplished actors to pull it off. Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins are highly qualified. She provides steely intelligence, with enough vulnerability to sustain the suspense. He delivers a classic portrayal of pure, brilliant evil.
— Bob Thomas
“Scream” (1996)
In this smart, witty homage to the genre, students at a suburban California high school are being killed in the same gruesome fashion as the victims in the slasher films they know by heart.
If it sounds like the script of every other horror movie to come and go at the local movie theater, it’s not.
By turns terrifying and funny, “Scream” — written by newcomer David Williamson — is as taut as a thriller, intelligent without being self-congratulatory, and generous in its references to Wes Craven’s competitors in gore.
— Ned Kilkelly
“The Blair Witch Project” (1999)
Imaginative, intense and stunning are a few words that come to mind with “The Blair Witch Project.”
“Blair Witch” is the supposed footage found after three student filmmakers disappear in the woods of western Maryland while shooting a documentary about a legendary witch.
The filmmakers want us to believe the footage is real, the story is real, that three young people died and we are witnessing the final days of their lives. It isn’t. It’s all fiction.
But Eduardo Sanchez and Dan Myrick, who co-wrote and co-directed the film, take us to the edge of belief, squirming in our seats the whole way. It’s an ambitious and well-executed concept.
— Christy Lemire
“Saw” (2004)
The fright flick “Saw” is consistent, if nothing else.
This serial-killer tale is inanely plotted, badly written, poorly acted, coarsely directed, hideously photographed and clumsily edited, all these ingredients leading to a yawner of a surprise ending. To top it off, the music’s bad, too.
You could forgive all (well, not all, or even, fractionally, much) of the movie’s flaws if there were any chills or scares to this sordid little horror affair.
But “Saw” director James Wan and screenwriter Leigh Whannell, who developed the story together, have come up with nothing more than an exercise in unpleasantry and ugliness.
— David Germain
Germain gave “Saw” one star out of four.
“Paranormal Activity” (2009)
The no-budget ghost story “Paranormal Activity” arrives 10 years after “The Blair Witch Project,” and the two horror movies share more than a clever construct and shaky, handheld camerawork.
The entire film takes place at the couple’s cookie-cutter dwelling, its layout and furnishings indistinguishable from just about any other readymade home constructed in the past 20 years. Its ordinariness makes the eerie, nocturnal activities all the more terrifying, as does the anonymity of the actors adequately playing the leads.
The thinness of the premise is laid bare toward the end, but not enough to erase the horror of those silent, nighttime images seen through Micah’s bedroom camera. “Paranormal Activity” owns a raw, primal potency, proving again that, to the mind, suggestion has as much power as a sledgehammer to the skull.
— Glenn Whipp
Whipp gave “Paranormal Activity” three stars out of four.
“The Conjuring” (2013)
As sympathetic, methodical ghostbusters Lorraine and Ed Warren, Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson make the old-fashioned haunted-house horror film “The Conjuring” something more than your average fright fest.
“The Conjuring,” which boasts incredulously of being their most fearsome, previously unknown case, is built very in the ’70s-style mold of “Amityville” and, if one is kind, “The Exorcist.” The film opens with a majestic, foreboding title card that announces its aspirations to such a lineage.
But as effectively crafted as “The Conjuring” is, it’s lacking the raw, haunting power of the models it falls shy of. “The Exorcist” is a high standard, though; “The Conjuring” is an unusually sturdy piece of haunted-house genre filmmaking.
— Jake Coyle
Coyle gave “The Conjuring” two and half stars out of four.
Fifty years after Sidney Poitier upended the latent racial prejudices of his white date’s liberal family in “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” writer-director Jordan Peele has crafted a similar confrontation with altogether more combustible results in “Get Out.”
In Peele’s directorial debut, the former “Key and Peele” star has — as he often did on that satirical sketch series — turned inside out even supposedly progressive assumptions about race. But Peele has largely left comedy behind in a more chilling portrait of the racism that lurks beneath smiling white faces and defensive, paper-thin protestations like, “But I voted for Obama!” and “Isn’t Tiger Woods amazing?”
It’s long been a lamentable joke that in horror films — never the most inclusive of genres — the Black dude is always the first to go. In this way, “Get Out” is radical and refreshing in its perspective.
In Ari Aster’s intensely nightmarish feature-film debut “Hereditary,” when Annie (Toni Collette), an artist and mother of two teenagers, sneaks out to a grief-support group following the death of her mother, she lies to her husband Steve (Gabriel Byrne) that she’s “going to the movies.”
A night out with “Hereditary” is many things, but you won’t confuse it for an evening of healing and therapy. It’s more like the opposite.
Aster’s film, relentlessly unsettling and pitilessly gripping, has carried with it an ominous air of danger and dread: a movie so horrifying and good that you have to see it, even if you shouldn’t want to, even if you might never sleep peacefully again.
