Mike's Bloggity Blog

Yes!
Yes!
Yes!

That was my immediate reaction when I heard that SHAW announced that the cameras will soon be rolling on “The Real Housewives of Vancouver!” Puhhlease, as if a tingle of sheer joy/terror didn’t just run down your spine. This has trashy camp disaster written all over it and I for one think Canadian TV could use a little more trash, don’t you?

Shockingly, the show won’t air on SUN TV, instead SLICE will be airing the show that is still in the casting phase. I’m not too familiar the socialites of Vancouver, but you can bet there will be a hockey wife or two in the mix!  Perhaps Gina Luongo, the beautiful wife of Roberto?

There were rumours of a Real Housewives series in Toronto but it seems they’ve opted for Vancouver to go fist. Maybe the warmer temps bring out the bitchier women? One can only hope, one can only hope.

The Real Housewives of Vancouver will air in 2012!

(Story via TV-eh)

Okay, so it’s not the Canadian editions of Survivor and The Amazing Race that we’ve been waiting for, but two big announcements today, makes me feel like we are at least a little closer.

Earlier today, Rogers Media announced that CITY TV would add the Canadian twist to two of it’s very popular american properties.

Canada’s Got Talent!
America’s Got Talent has long been a rating’s hit for City TV and today the network announced that in 2012, they’ll open the door to Canada’s most talent with a spin-off series Canada’s Got Talent! Looks like that 700 person petition in 2008 finally won! We’re obviously a long ways away from announcing the judges and host, but it’s a safe bet that Howie Mandel will probably pull double duty.  As the lone Canadian on the American panel, he makes the most sense to return home and hold down the ship. Who else will fill the two other seats is anyone’s guess.  Brett Wilson, Jann Arden, Rick Campenelli, Sass Jordan, Rick Mercer, Dan Levy and Blake McGrath are all in as my picks for judges.   I think any of those people would make interesting judges.  It’s probably a safe bet to assume that BT Toronto’s Dina Pugliese will host, but maybe the network might want to launch someone else’s career.  BT Calgary’s Jill Belland did just win her third straight AMPIA award for Best Host.  Just sayin…Audition dates will be announced shortly.

Secret Millionaire Canada!

City TV also announced that we’ll soon be treated to a Canadian edition of the surprise reality show, where millionaires live among us “normals’, only to reveal their millionaire status and then donate a shwack load of money.  This show is originally from the UK and has appeared on two different networks in the States.  It will be intersting to see if millionaires will be able to keep the secret.  FYI, if you happen to notice someone really rich talking to you and you’re surrounded by cameras, chances are you are on Secret Millionaire Canada.

What do you think the chances that Brett Wilson will be on this show too?

Okay, but after these two shows we’re going to get The Amazing Canadian Race and Survivor North, right?

CTV has long owned /A\ channel but the name never changed.  I’m guessing this confused a lot of people, since so much of CTV’s programming would eventually end up on harder to find network.  Well today the largest Canadian network announced a name change for /A\, which now be referred to as CTV Two.  Which kinda leave the door open for potty jokes, but I won’t go there…yet. Fret not loyal Canadian TV viewers, the newly branded network will continue to service most of the country including: Vancouver, Toronto, Southwestern Ontario, Ottawa and Atlantic Canada.  The new schedule hasn’t been announced yet, but last year the /A\ featured some of CTV’s biggest properties including Criminal Minds, Vampire Diaries and Two and A Half Men.

Does the name change mean anything to those outside of the industry?  Only time will tell!

If you know me at all, you know that sometimes it’s hard living in Calgary. Well, correction, it’s hard living here because everyone thinks we are hicks and cowboys.  Literally.  The problem, at least for me, is that I’m not from here.  But that doesn’t seem to matter, because every time I go to Toronto or Vancouver and say that I live in Calgary, I get looks like that I just said I was the president of the Ben Mulroney fan club.

If you’ve never been to this city, I promise it’s not what you think it is. It’s fun, diverse and yes, pretty cool.

That’s why I’m loving this new video by Calgary hip-hop artist Transit. Yes, we have hip-hop artists.  In my six years of living in Calgary, I’ve never felt more represented by a song about this city.  And I lived here during the “save a horse, ride a cowboy” days.

If you’re from Calgary, you’ll love the lyrics and all the cameos from some of our favourite bands…and yes, that is Jann Arden you hear singing.  Keep an eye out for a super quick Nenshi cameo too!  If you live elsewhere, I ask that you have a listen.  Hopefully it will change your mind about us just a little bit.  Now…where did I put my cowboy hat?

Technical difficulties:  Click here to watch the video.

When CTV’s Hiccups premiered last year it was a ratings hit. Thanks to constant promotion during the Olympics, the first episode was watched by more than two million Canadians. That is a huge hit. The comedy tells the story of a eccentric children’s book author, Millie Upton (Nancy Roberston) who enlists the help of a life coach, played by series creator Brent Butt. The audience and critics seemed pretty receptive to the show, but then after a relateively quiet first season, Hiccups…disappeared.

Well it took a more than a year, but Hiccups has finally returned to the CTV line up just in time for the network’s revamped summer schedule. The good thing about coming on in the summer is that the competition is far less scary, so it could potentially give a really a hilarious show a chance to shine, Hiccups is not that show…but it’s oh so close.

The chemistry between Butt and Robertson is as solid as always, (working beside your real-life husband will do that), they let the zingers fly almost non-stop and Nancy’s character Millie is gloriously ridiculous and kooky. The two really could (and should) just have their own show. Which is perhaps this show’s biggest problem.

Where Hiccups stumbles is that it focuses too much on the supporting-characters that simply aren’t funny. Nancy Robertson and Brent Butt are obviously stars and some might argue comedic geniuses. So why doesn’t Hiccups just focus on them instead on the rest of the cast that simply can’t keep up. And you can’t really blame them, Laura Soltis, David Ingram, Emily Perkins and Paula Rivera are all known for their dramatic and sci-fi projects, it just feels like a really weird fit. For many, the lulls in laughter, will end up making the whole show not worth watching.

The show’s comparison’s to Corner Gas are unavoidable, the entire cast could deliver a joke and had amazing comedic timing, so much so, that it didn’t matter if the leads weren’t in the scenes, Hiccups isn’t there yet and I’m just not sure it’s worth the wait.

Hiccups premieres tonight on CTV

So unless you live in Alberta, chances are you’ve never heard of the AMPIAS before.  So let me break it down for you, the AMPIAS are essentially the Emmy and Oscars of Alberta all rolled into one night.  They are handed out by Alberta Media Production Industries Association. You don’t win an AMPIA, you win a ROSIE, but you get a ROSIE at the AMPIAS.

Clear as mud?

Well last night in Edmonton, the 37th annual AMPIAS were held and the cream of Alberta’s entertainment crop were celebrated with dozens of awards.

As expected, CBC’s rating’s blockbuster Heartland walked away with the most awards, a total of five, including Best Dramatic Production and Best Actor (Edmonton’s Shaun Johnston.)

Here are some of the other night’s highlights:

BEST DOCUMENTARY SERIES
Rodeo – Life on the Circuit

BEST NEWS INFORMATION SERIES
Breakfast Television
Jennifer Baier, Producer
Citytv Calgary

BEST DRAMATIC SERIES
Heartland
Tom Cox & Jordy Randall, Producers
SEVEN24 Films

BEST DRAMATIC FEATURE
Fubar II
George Baptist, Shirley Vercruysse & Dave Lawrence, Producers
FU2 Productions

BEST CHILDREN’S PROGRAM or SERIES
Anash and the Legacy of the Sun-Rock, Cycle II
Josh Miller, Producer
Panacea Entertainment

BEST CORPORATE VIDEO
Avenue 15
Robert Kelly, Producer
Kelly Brothers Productions

BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Gord Bamford: My Daughter’s Father

BEST MUSICAL OR VARIETY SPECIAL
Canadian Country Music Awards 2010

BEST ALBERTA ACTOR
Shaun Johnston
Heartland – “Lost Song”

BEST ALBERTA ACTRESS
Roseanne Supernault
Blackstone – “White Bread Red Class”

BEST TV HOST
Jill Belland
Breakfast Television
Citytv Calgary

Click here for a complete list of award winners!

Look, I know that I’m pretty much the only person over the age of twenty-five that regularly gets excited about anything to do with Degrassi.  (I still have a very clear memory of watching the first episode during my first year of university, I had a Degrassi party. There were three people there. It was a big deal.)  So now, eleven years later, even I’m surprised that I’m still invested in the show as much as I am.  It really is the Coronation Street of my generation.

Well in a few weeks, the series will kick off its eleventh season and if the new trailer is any indication, Degrassi is in fine form.  Much like last year, the trailer plays more like a music video, with lots of hints and clues about the forthcoming story lines.  It’s like a magic eye with pretty people.  (I can say teens are pretty…right?)

I will say, the trailer isn’t as exciting as last year’s carnival themed trailer, but this one has its moments too.  The young love! The fighting…oh and a gun!  It really does feel like a new season of The O.C, doesn’t it?

Take a look at the  trailer, featuring Augustana’s newest single “Steal Your Heart.”

The new season of Degrassi premieres on July 18th on MuchMusic, with four episodes a week for seven weeks.  Now that’s what I call a great summer vacation!

In case you haven’t heard, Calgary is essentially under water.  It’s been raining for days, but the good news is, is that there are still lots of amazing things going on!

As always, I’ve asked Mark “Calgary’s Most Social Person Ever” Hopkins to do up a list of his favourites!:

It’s a festival-heavy weekend, but before we get to the big dogs, I want to give a shout-out to Raleigh’s CD release party on Saturday night. Raleigh is a fantastic and beloved local band, and this should be an unforgettable event!

Now, on to the festivals:
Calgary International Children’s Festival
May 24-28, 2011
www.calgarychildfest.org

Whether or not you have children, Kid’s Fest is one of the most joyful, adventurous and exciting festivals in Calgary. (Though bringing a niece or cousin sometimes helps you feel less awkward!) This year’s festival includes clowns and samurais, hungry caterpillars and pre-school dance parties, and one show with an jaw-dropping title: “Performance In Which Hopefully Nothing Happens”. Love it.

Fairy Tales Queer Film Festival
May 26-June 3, 2011
www.fairytalesfilmfest.com

Have you ever been puzzled by the mother of all acronyms, LGBTQA? It stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Questioning and Allied (with Two-Spirit, Transvestite and others variously thrown in) – basically, it’s a term that welcomes every imaginable sexuality and gender. Fairy Tales is Calgary’s destination for queer film and community celebration, featuring everything from romance to horror to documentary… not to mention a special appearance by Mr. Savage Love himself, Dan Savage!

Lilac Festival
May 29, 2011
10:00 am-6:00 pm
4th St SW, between 12th and 26th Ave
www.4streetcalgary.com/lilacfestival

I wish every community in Calgary had a Lilac Festival, a day where musicians and vendors and entertainers and throngs of people fill city streets with energy and excitement. But since it’s not everywhere – yet – you owe it to yourself to check out Lilac Festival, which showcases Calgary at its best. Kicking off with an exuberant parade in the morning, this celebration takes over 4th Street with an incredible display of community spirit – and it wouldn’t be the same without you!

Women in power.

It’s something we often talk about in Hollywood and politics, less so in Calgary.  If you’ve never been here, chances are you may have noticed this city really is a man’s world.   From City Hall, to the Stampede and beyond, it seems like it takes  are a really special women to break through the testosterone crust that covers this city.  (Side note: Grossest visual ever?)

In this week’s column, I wanted to highlight two kick-ass women who are not only doing cool stuff, they are making us look cooler to every one.  And it’s what people think about you that really matters.

Click here to read my column on why I think Kelly Oxford and Connie DeSousa are really the ones in charge!

Believe it or not, summer is just around the corner.  You wouldn’t know it from looking outside, but another sure sign is the Calgary Stampede entertainment announcements are coming in at a furious pace!

The Coke Stage just announced their line up and as per usual, it’s a mix of “Cool!”, “Really?”, “Who?” and “Awesome!”

Here’s the bands announced so far:

The Trews, These Kids Wear Crowns, For The Weekend, Marianass Trench, The Dudes, Kevin Costner (yes, that Kevin Costner), State of Shock, Mother Mother, Alyssa Reid, Shawn Desman, Fefe Dobson, Justin Nozuka, Lights, Finger Eleven, Down With Webster, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

Yeah, so that’s quite a mix, eh?  Who would you file under what?  I think Kevin Costner will be pretty cool.  I’m also kinda groovin’ on Justin Nozuka and Lights too.  The Trews are always pretty sweet and as the sole maritime band, they are my best bet at getting someone to bring me out a McLobster this summer.

Click here for the line up and schedule for the Coke Stage!

If you weren’t planning on going to the Calgary Stampede this year, will you now?