News

Bridge Stretching Down Under

Australian streamer Stan has acquired rights to both seasons, totaling 20 episodes, of the Malaysian adaptation of Scandinavian crime series “The Bridge.” The agreement, brokered by Lyle Bettson-Barker, SVP Australia and New Zealand from Banijay Rights, represents the first time that Stan has acquired a Malaysian drama series.

The Asian version of “The Bridge” was initially commissioned by Viu and HBO Asia in 2018, after Double Vision, part of the Vision New Media group, introduced Viu to the format. It broadcast to across 23 territories in the combined footprints of Viu and HBO Asia and was also shown on Viu in South Africa.

The title has garnered more than 20 regional awards and nominations across its two seasons, making it the most awarded drama in Malaysian history.

Season one faithfully follows the original show, and sees a dead body found on the border between Malaysia and Singapore, necessitating an investigator...

Principal photography has started in Montreal, Canada, on female detective series “Wong & Winchester.” The show is backed by Citytv and Pixcom in association with 3 Arts and Lionsgate Television and will premiere mid-season on Citytv and Citytv+.

Starring Grace Lynn Kung and Sofia Banzhaf the show is set up as a police procedural built around a bitter ex-cop turned private investigator and a naïve but ambitious newcomer.

The series, with showrunner by Chris Pozzebon creator and co-showrunner Hollis Ludlow-Carroll, is produced by Nathalie Cécyre and directed by Stephan Beaudoin. Executive producers are Nicola Merola, Charles Lafortune and Sylvie Desrochers from Pixcom and Trevor Rotenberg and Luke Maxwell from 3 Arts.

The show marks the first collaboration of 3 Arts’ new office in Canada under the Lionsgate-3 Arts partnership. Lionsgate will handle all rights sales outside Canada.

The unlikely partnership stems from the moment when Sarah Winchester (Banzhaf) is accidentally hires as Marissa Wong (Kung)’s driver.

Québécois auteur Florence Longpré has scored a triple, landing her newest series “Aubrey’s Back” in the main competition at Canneseries after enjoying selections at both the Berlinale Series Market and Series Mania with her tragic comedy “Last Summer of the Raspberries.” Written during the Covid-19 lockdowns, the new series follows Audrey, played by Longpré, a young woman emerging from a decades long coma following a traumatic brain injury.

The series was co-authored by Guillaume Lambert (“Adulthood”) and their collaboration carries the story forward in this heartfelt journey of rediscovery.

The first Canadian series selected in long form competition at Canneseries, “Audrey’s Back” is produced by Pixcom’s Nicola Merola, Charles Lafortune, and Marie-Ève Pelletier. Former collaborator Guillaume Lonergan directs the series, having also directed Lambert’s series “Adulthood,” which was nominated for the International Emmys. Original score is by Alexandra Stréliski. Beta Film will handle international distribution for the series,...

One of Europe’s most formidable TV forces, Zdf Enterprises, the international distribution and co-production arm of German public broadcaster Zdf, has swooped on world sales rights to “White Night” (“Nuit Blanche”), the anticipated new show from screenwriter Julie Hivon who broke out in fall 2019 with “Amber Alert,” a big audience and critical hit in French-speaking Canada.

Commissioned by CBC/Radio-Canada, Canada’s national public broadcaster, “White Night” is created by Hivon and produced by Pixcom, one of Canada’s biggest TV production houses which also backed “Amber Alert.”

It goes into production this spring, directed by Sébastien Gagné (“Lacher Prise”). Its premise looks set to deliver some kind of verdict on the legacy of big business and Canada’s past in a current world. In 1970, a Zdfe plot synopsis runs, a pivotal encounter with her soon-to-be mentor, Aidrian Flanagan, allows Louise Hébert to become a supermodel and eventually launch her first perfume,...

The winners of the 26th Artis Gala, Quebec's own People's Choice Award in television, were announced yesterday on Tva, a Quebecker TV network. Besides hosting the event, Charles Lafortune even won the award for best host of a game show.

Here's the list of winners.

Best news anchor: Pierre Bruneau (Tva 18 heures)

Best host of a public affair show: Charles Tisseyre (Découvertes)

Best host of a service show: Gino Chouinard (Mon plan Rona)

Best host of a variety show: Véronique Cloutier (Les enfants de la télé)

Best host of a talk show: Guy A. Lepage (Tout le monde en parle)

Best host of a game show: Charles Lafortune (Le cercle and La classe de 5e)

Best host of a sport show: Marie-Claude Savard (La série Montréal-Québec and Le défi des champions)

Best actor in a TV series: Claude Legault (19-2)

Best actress in a TV series: Hélène Florent (La...

Do you live in Quebec? Can you speak French? Tva, a Quebecker TV network, announced that it's looking for participants for its reality show La classe de 5e, the Quebecker version of the American show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?.

For those who don't know what this show hosted by Charles Lafortune is all about, an adult is invited to test his knowledge (taken from the elementary class curriculum) against Grade 5 students. Moreover, he/she might win $250,000. However, if the candidate stumbles, he has to look at the camera and say: "My name is [Xyz] and I'm not smarter than a Grade 5 student."

In order to send your candidacy, you must fill a form and send a short video in which you present yourself before May 10, 2010. This can be done online at tva.canoe.ca or by mailing. Moreover, if you're chosen, you must be available for filming between July 26 and August 6.

Finally,...