The family behind successful restaurants Thai House Cuisine (downtown Toronto, Port Credit) and Thay Thai Bar, are introducing a one-of-a-kind boxing-themed venture, Muay Thai Restaurant and Bar. Located in the neighbourhood of Queen West (325 Queen St. West), owners Inchai Tabun and Thanyaporn Tinthanasan have created a hub that marries Thai culture, food and martial arts. Muay Thai Restaurant and Bar will have its grand opening to the public on March 9, 2024 from 12:00pm to 2:00pm, complete with celebratory free pad thai for customers (while supplies last) and Thai-themed trivia with cash prizes.
Chef Inchai Tabun has years of experience working with Thai cuisine. He started his culinary journey as a trainee and was eventually promoted to chef de partie at a five star Thai restaurant in his hometown of Chiang Mai. Chef Tabun moved to Toronto in 2002 and worked as a head chef at various restaurants before taking the leap and opening his own initial establishment in 2012.
“My menus are most inspired by sharing ideas with other chefs and finding the freshest ingredients throughout my travels. I combine my hometown cooking skills with modern techniques to create Thai dishes that are both relevant and authentic,” says chef Tabun.
As Thai food is a staple and source of fuel for many fighters, Tabun wanted to blend his passion for cooking with his love for Muay Thai.
“Food is a universal language. We look forward to showcasing popular local dishes from different parts of Thailand that connect Muay Thai fighters on a daily basis. Our menu will incorporate sharing platters which are popular among fighters from Esarn with my own hometown recipes and popular Thai street food,” says chef Tabun.
Menu items include Crispy Miang Kham (savoury leaf wraps), Crispy Catfish Flake Salad, Thai Street Pad Thai Shrimps & Hoy Tod (crispy fried mussel pancake, pictured above), and hero item Vancouver Crab Fried Rice (pictured above).
Much like food, the drink offerings do not fall short. Signature drinks including the Knock Out Punch (pictured above), Spicy Boxer (pictured above) and Thai Tea Martini accompany a list of Thai beers and mocktail options. Hero cocktail Beautiful Boxer (pictured above) is inspired by Thai boxer and former champion, Parinya Charoenphol. The ingredients (vodka, coconut, mango) and presentation were curated to represent Charoenphol: strong, beautiful and sexy.
The interior decor is decked out from top to bottom with traditional Thai colours and Muay Thai elements including murals and paintings done by a Thai artist, Muay Thai punching bags and boxing ring-style rope along the perimeter.
With unique sporting decor, friendly service and Thai menus not quite done the same elsewhere, Muay Thai Restaurant and Bar is excited to become part of the Toronto culinary, mixology and sports community.
Reservations for Muay Thai Restaurant and Bar will be available to book through OpenTable once the website is finalized. Delivery and pick-up will be available through UberEats, SkipTheDishes, DoorDash, Ritual and an online portal directly through the website.
(Photo credit: Ananta Gulati)
Cast your sights on North America’s largest indoor boat show coming to Toronto’s Enercare Centre next week! The 66th edition of the Toronto International Boat Show officially launches January 19th to 28th, 2024, to connect consumers and the boating community with the industry’s top boat dealers, manufacturers, retailers, services, and experts over a million sq.ft. of space at Exhibition Place.
NEW this year – Glow in the Dark Boating! The world’s largest indoor lake for boating (and wakeboarding) is back, and cooler than ever. Transforming the ice rink in Coca-Cola Coliseum with over a million gallons of water, boaters will enjoy an all-new glow in the dark immersive boating experience with colourful LED lights. The Lake will also offer free boat rides and demonstrations, stand up paddleboard races, seaflea races, and exhilarating wakeboarding and waterskiing shows.
The annual 10-day show kicks off on First Look Friday (Jan. 19) when organizers anticipate dozens of product unveilings across the show floor among 500 exhibitors; and welcomes the boating public to rendez-vous, re-connect, and rev up for the upcoming season.
No other show in Canada can boast the most product launches from the marine industry, the most comprehensive offering of educational resources for new boaters, and the most-ever seminars and hands-on demonstrations for a wide array of boating interests and lifestyles. The 2024 show just announced more than 440 free seminars, 8 seminar locations throughout the show, and new engaging speakers including record-breaking solo kayaker Mark Ervin Fuhrmann who just completed his 11,000km adventure at 65 years young.
Returning highlights include the Great Canadian Fish Tank, Antique & Classic Boats, Boating Resource Centre, Cottage Country for accessories, and the Ontario Sailing Booth where visitors can try virtual sailing, and learn about sailing programs for women, sustainable initiatives, and the newest in sail technology and sports including kiteboarding and windsurfing.
The Indoor Wakeboard Canadian Championship takes over on Opening Weekend (Jan. 19 – 21) when the best riders from across the country converge to compete, including reigning Canadian champions Riley Dillon (Men) and Kelsey Chiappa (Women).
Visitors can whet their appetites après-boating at the NEW Traeger Grills Flavour Stage featuring cooking demonstrations, bbq recipes, and sampling!
Canada’s Official Boating Event of the Year
Enercare Centre, Exhibition Place
Jan. 19 – 28
66th Annual Toronto International Boat Show Gets Ready to Debut Glow-in-the-Dark Boating!
Demand for electric boats, wind and surf sports, and inflatables are among top trends for 2024
Connecting consumers, industry and the boating community for more than 65 years
Toronto, ON (January 11, 2024) – Cast your sights on North America’s largest indoor boat show coming to Toronto’s Enercare Centre next week! The 66th edition of the Toronto International Boat Show officially launches January 19th to 28th, 2024, to connect consumers and the boating community with the industry’s top boat dealers, manufacturers, retailers, services, and experts over a million sq.ft. of space at Exhibition Place.
NEW this year – Glow in the Dark Boating! The world’s largest indoor lake for boating (and wakeboarding) is back, and cooler than ever. Transforming the ice rink in Coca-Cola Coliseum with over a million gallons of water, boaters will enjoy an all-new glow in the dark immersive boating experience with colourful LED lights. The Lake will also offer free boat rides and demonstrations, stand up paddleboard races, seaflea races, and exhilarating wakeboarding and waterskiing shows.
The annual 10-day show kicks off on First Look Friday (Jan. 19) when organizers anticipate dozens of product unveilings across the show floor among 500 exhibitors; and welcomes the boating public to rendez-vous, re-connect, and rev up for the upcoming season.
No other show in Canada can boast the most product launches from the marine industry, the most comprehensive offering of educational resources for new boaters, and the most-ever seminars and hands-on demonstrations for a wide array of boating interests and lifestyles. The 2024 show just announced more than 440 free seminars, 8 seminar locations throughout the show, and new engaging speakers including record-breaking solo kayaker Mark Ervin Fuhrmann who just completed his 11,000km adventure at 65 years young.
Returning highlights include the Great Canadian Fish Tank, Antique & Classic Boats, Boating Resource Centre, Cottage Country for accessories, and the Ontario Sailing Booth where visitors can try virtual sailing, and learn about sailing programs for women, sustainable initiatives, and the newest in sail technology and sports including kiteboarding and windsurfing.
The Indoor Wakeboard Canadian Championship takes over on Opening Weekend (Jan. 19 – 21) when the best riders from across the country converge to compete, including reigning Canadian champions Riley Dillon (Men) and Kelsey Chiappa (Women).
Visitors can whet their appetites après-boating at the NEW Traeger Grills Flavour Stage featuring cooking demonstrations, bbq recipes, and sampling!
DATES:
January 19 – 28, 2024
LOCATION:
Enercare Centre, Exhibition Place
TICKETS:
Ticket prices range from $5 to multi-day passes; General Admission tickets are $25. Kids 16 and under attend for FREE.
WEBSITE: www.TorontoBoatShow.com
The great Nick Fury returns for one last time in Marvel Studios’ SECRET INVASION. He’s back and he’s a wanted man. Samuel L. Jackson reprises the role of Nick Fury – now a remarkable fourteenth appearance -in this upcoming Disney+ Series, coming June 21, 2023.
So thrilled to join a press junket with the Cast and Creators of Marvel Studios’ SECRET INVASION. Joining us today were:
Samuel L. Jackson tells us where we find him at in SECRET INVASION as we enter the fifth phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Jackson: “This is my second appearance post-‘Snap’ and he’s kinda been gone for a while. He’s a little tired, a little vulnerable coming back to earth because he’s been summoned. And we’ll see what happens. He’s got a bad knee now.”.
Ben Mendelsohn retuns as Talos. We get to see his family and where he is in the present day. The Actor has the distinction of having appeared in the Spider-Man franchise, in addition to Captain Marvel.
Mendelsohn: “We find Talos in a difficult time. It’s a bad time. And Nick‘s been away a bit.”.
Jackson: “Yeah but if I hadn’t been away you wouldn’t have had that other job.”.
Mendelsohn: “Yeah, that’s actually true. I got to do a lot of things while he’s been away.”.
Cobie Smulders returns as Maria Hill, a long-recurring role in the MCU and she tells us where her character is at in SECRET INVASION.
Smulders: “Working with Sam is my favourite thing. He laughs, but it’s true. So it was really exciting to come back. But speaking of strain, I think the relationship is quite strained. She’s been calling and he hasn’t been answering.”.
Don Cheadle returns as Rhodey and comments on the first post-Stark-era in the MCU. This leads to his next project in the MCU, Armor Wars.
Cheadle: “I think we’re just finding out what’s happening with Rhodey as the Series goes on. He’s in a different role and we see him more as a political animal than we have in the past. We’ve seen him as a military man but now he’s in ways a right-hand of the President. A special envoy in that regard, but I’m looking forward to getting under the hood of who he is, seeing how this relationship with Nick Fury and the other Cast members evolves.”.
Kevin Feige tells us how exactly SECRET INVASION fits into Phase Five of the MCU.
Feige: “It’s present day MCU is what we’re calling it. It exists along the timeline the shows come out in. So post She-Hulk, post Blip and this exact present day in the MCU.”.
“There’s story points see over the course of the Series. Jonathan came into my office years ago when we were thinking about the kind of shows we wanted to do on Disney+. We thought about translating the story lines of SECRET INVASION in the comics into a darker, grittier Spy Show, which we hadn’t done. We love to do different genres for everything. This was an attempt to dive back into things we touched upon in The Winter Soldier, Captain America 2 but hadn’t in a while. And really delving into the tone of a Spy Show and seeing a different dynatmic between Fury and Talos in our ’90s Action Movie, Captain Marvel.
Jackson talks about finally unlifting a bit of mystery in Nick Fury.
Jackson: “The more you find out about him, the more you like him. It’s just like peeling the onion, and having a good time. You meet people I know and I’ve never had an in-depth scene with Don so that was like Manna. I’ve been waiting to do this for years. It was wonderful to do and have that abrasive thing and it’s great to have that relationship where I assumed it was that. And we go to his house. What kind of furniture does Nick Fury have? Does he have an island in his kitchen? Can he cook? Cooking with Fury!”.
Emilia Clarke tells us about what attracted her to joining the MCU here as G’iah.
Clarke: “All the people sitting right here. Who on earth would not want to be sitting right here with all these incredible people? Even just a single one of these people on their own is enough. Altogether, it’s completely undeniable.”.
Academy Award winner Olivia Colman also joins the MCU and is a scene-stealer. She talks about her character Sonya Falsworth’s and her relationship with Nick Fury.
Colman: “She works for MI6, she likes wearing red and she’s quite funny and potentially a little bit not that nice sometimes.”.
“I can’t really think of Nick and Sonya. I’m just so excited to meet Samuel L. Jackson! They have a lovely friendship although she does like do bully you with her heavies. It doesn’t strike me as much of a friendship, but they’ve got history. They trust each other I think, but maybe they don’t. I’ve already blown it. I won’t be invited back to another Press Conference. I can’t tell you anything about it, you’ll just have to wait and see!”.
Marvel Studios’ SECRET INVASION arrives June 21, 2023 on Disney+ Canada.
(Photo/video credit: Marvel Studios/Disney)
The Toronto Jewish Film Festival is back June 1-11, 2023 digitally and online! The Festival will feature more in-person screenings (from downtown Toronto to North York) with guests, after navigating the Pandemic. This 31st edition of the Festival boasts 77 films/series (including 28 Canadian premieres) from across the globe covering a variety of topics, including The Man in the Basement, which will open the Festival on June 1st, 2023 at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema with Director Philippe Le Guay in attendance.
Among the other events and screenings you won’t want to miss are An Afternoon with Saul Rubinek, Nina and Friends (Nina Keogh is one of the Puppeteers behind Canadian classics Today’s Special and Mr. Dressup) and highly-acclaimed film Karaoke.
Our George Kozera (@PartyG) has had the pleasure of previewing a few selections from this year’s Festival. He shares his thoughts below with us.
The Toronto Jewish Film Festival opening night movie, THE MAN IN THE BASEMENT, is a gripping and provocative exploration of anti-Semitism coupled with the crumbling of what once was an idyllic familial dynamic. Parisian condo owners, Simon and Helene Sandberg (Jeremie Renier and Berenice Bejo, respectively) are in the process of selling their storage basement unit to a former history teacher Jacques Fonzic (Francois Cluzet) who wants to use it to store his recently deceased mother’s belongings. Whereas the deed to the property had not yet been executed, the all-too-trusting Simon signs a promissory note, cashes the cheque and hands over the key. Then, it begins. First, a neighbour advises Simon that Fonzic is not using the unit for storage, but actually lives in it. Then Fonzic starts to question the Sandberg’s daughter Justine (Victoria Eber) about her religion and ends with him calling the owner of a nearby bistro “A dirty Arab”. Along with the family, the audience learns that Fonzic is not only a conspiracy theorist but a Holocaust denier. We watch in horror and dread as the Sandbergs’ life crumbles in trying to legally evict this reprehensible person.
I wasn’t mesmerized with THE MAN IN THE BASEMENT, as my feelings went deeper than that. This Movie had me hypnotized as the plot advances with terrifying circumstances alongside its twists and turns. This is also due to the exceptional performances by the three leading Actors. Francois Cluzet, best known to North American audiences for starring in “The Intouchables”, is superb with a level of intensity and twisted logic that is genuinely frightening. Berenice Bejo (Oscar-nominated for “The Artist”) is equally impressive as Helene becomes more obsessed with the anti-Semitism she never realized existed, which includes comments made by her father. Jeremie Renier, whose career I have followed for years, excels in a role where he must carry innumerable emotions with finesse. From being sweet natured to ultimately being called a “self-hating Jew” by his older brother, then becoming borderline psychotic, prone to violence, this is Renier’s best screen performance to date.
The vicious ideologies espoused and the almost unknowing racist comments made by secondary characters are hard to wrap your brain around, but taking into account what is happening with our neighbours to the south, THE MAN IN THE BASEMENT is essential viewing.
Tickets and showtimes here.
We first meet Viv (Shaina Silver-Baird) in a bar, breaking every Yom Kippur tradition. She is drunker than a barrel full of monkeys, snorting copious lines of coke in the washroom and is scarfing down bacon with a passion of someone finding water in a desert. Welcome to the hyper-comedic world of LESS THAN KOSHER, a movie so great that will make you salivate with anticipation as to what unique situation you will see next. The following morning, the still living at home with her parents and younger sister, Viv is “encouraged” to go with the family to the synagogue to observe the holiday. While there, she is overwhelmed by a song performed by the cantor and begins to sing along in a voice so powerful, it stuns the congregation. After the service, she is approached by the handsome and witty Ash (David Reale) and there is an immediate attraction which is somewhat ruined when Viv learns that he is the Rabbi’s (David Eisner) son who coerces her to being his cantor for a number of upcoming events.
There are innumerable delicious scenes and circumstances that I am loathe to reveal as the pure joy of watching this set in Toronto movie is discovering what will happen next. That said, you haven’t lived until you’ve heard a Disney classic sung to a Judeo-Pop beat (kudos to composer Ari Posner whose work can also now be heard on the TV Shows “Sullivan’s Crossing” and “Ride”) or attend a Tiki-themed Shiva. Furthermore, in the current cinematic landscape where filmmakers feel the need to tell their story in over three hours, Director Daniel Am Rosenberg brilliantly tackles many storylines with finesse in a scant running time of 65 minutes. Bravo!
Don’t let the title LESS THAN KOSHER mislead you…this Movie IS perfect.
Tickets and showtimes here.
Inspired by Director Asaf Saban’s personal history of travelling from Israel to Poland as a teenager to learn about the Jewish suffering there during World War II, THE DELEGATION brings a unique youthful perspective of not only the tragedies that occurred in the concentration camps of Majdanek and Auschwitz and how it affects the teenagers of this high-school mandated trip as they struggle with their own hormonal and growing pains as well.
Frisch, Nitzan and Ido (Yoav Bavly, Neomi Harari and Leib Lev Levin respectively) are the centerpiece of this Movie as a part of the group exploring the forests and graveyards scattered throughout the country, oftentimes wearing oversized white hoodies with the Star of David emblazed in the back and carrying the flag of Israel. Afterwards they are encouraged to talk about what they were feeling by the adult supervisors on the trip as well as listen to Frisch’s grandfather’s (Ezra Dagan) first-hand accounts of how he became a survivor. Left to their own devices after their excursions, these teenagers are rambunctious and looking to party the night away.
Saban nicely maneuvres what could have been overly melodramatic plot lines with dexterity. I was particularly moved by Frisch’s storyline where he eschews going to Auschwitz with the delegation, is picked up by a Polish truckdriver while hitchhiking who, first takes him to his home and have his wife feed the young man and then is taken to the destroyed remnants of an ancient synagogue where he asked, by the many people there, to recite a Jewish prayer. The Director beautifully intersects the effects these youngsters have after seeing the historical atrocities with their own romantic turmoils.
I highly recommend THE DELEGATION for its nuanced and original approach.
Tickets and showtimes here.
Based on true events, first-time Director and Co-Writer Marvin Samel brings the audience an unapologetic love story tribute to his family with iMORDECAI. It also reunites two stars from the classic TV show “Taxi”, both Oscar nominees, Judd Hirsch and Carol Kane where their combined talents elevate this movie above the schmaltz it could have been. Mordecai (Hirsch) is a retired plumber, pushing 80, when his son Marvin (Sean Astin) finds his dad with a jackhammer in the washroom, wanting to give his wife Fela (Kane) a walk-in shower. Marvin also notices that his dad’s flip phone is held together with electrical tape and takes him to a local (not Apple) store to buy a new iPhone being sold by (not Apple Geniuses) but very friendly and knowledgeable “Einsteins”. Confused that there are no numbers visible on the phone, Mordecai gets lessons on how the iPhone works from Nina (Azia Dinea Hale) and the two develop a strong bond and budding friendship. With this new technology, Mordecai can access a whole new world.
In the interest of full disclosure, had I been reviewing this Movie with my Critic’s hat on, I would have gone on about how there are just one too many coincidences to advance the plot that made my head spin. The Yiddish accents are exaggerated to an embarrassing hilt. Sean Astin and Broadway Superstar Stephanie J. Block are sadly underutilized. But you know what, Bubeleh? I liked it. A lot. Sue me!
I enjoyed that Mordecai’s history during WWII is presented in animation. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen Miami with all its colourful and vibrant exterior shots and I was swept away in all its pastel glories. The movie is very amusing but it also delves into some serious issues (Treblinka, Dementia) with genuine pathos. Lastly, I encourage all to the bask in the astonishing performances from Hirsch and Kane as they are truly a masterclass.
I may not be the most unbiased person to write about THE ACCUSATION as I’ve always been obsessed with French Cinema, as they tend to weave emotionally complex subject matters without fear and with finesse. Furthermore, I am a Courtroom Drama junkie, whether they are movies or television shows as they incline to be riveting and gripping. Director Yvan Attal brings to life a part legal procedure and part portrait of complex characters of all kinds from the social and economic stratosphere.
We first meet Alex Farel (played by Ben Attal, the real-life son of the Director and his Co-Star Charlotte Gainsbourg and grandson to Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg) arriving in Paris from the States, where he studies engineering at Stanford, to attend his father, acclaimed TV Journalist, Jean’s (Pierre Arditi) Legion of Honour induction ceremony. Finding only the housekeeper in his father’s opulent apartment, Alex goes to visit his mother Claire (Gainsbourg), who we quickly learn has separated from Jean and is living with her new boyfriend Adam (Mathieu Kassovitz, best known for his role in “Amelie“). Alex also meets Mila (Suzanne Jouannet), Adam’s 17-year-old daughter, and is encouraged to take her to a party he was attending to reunite with his old, well-to-do high school friends. The following morning Alex is awakened by the police and charged with rape.
THE ACCUSATION is broken into four chapters. The first two concentrate on Alex’s and Mila’s version of what happened, the third brings us into the courtroom, 30 months after the incident and concludes with their respective lawyers’ closing arguments and the jury’s verdict. The fourth chapter also brings us flashbacks on what happened and may have happened that faithful night.
THE ACCUSATION had me spellbound. There are no heroes nor villains but genuinely flawed, contrite, arrogant, and confused individuals. I also appreciated how Yvan Attal manipulates the viewing audience to feel like a member of the jury as we also struggle to ascertain what is truthful or misleading. The performances are exceptional throughout but special attention must be given to Suzanne Jouannet for reasons best kept undisclosed. The 138 minute running time may seem unyielding to some, but I found myself thinking afterwards that a savvy Producer should buy the rights and make a mini-series and flesh-out many supporting characters that have minimal, but truly effective screen time. THE ACCUSATION is an astonishing, adult-themed movie that must be seen.
Tickets and showtimes here.
Real life husband and wife, Lee Biran and Eliana Tidhar bring charm and complexity to Director Yaron Arazi’s Musical Rom-Com OUR STORY. In it, Biran plays Tal, a successful, high-powered Music Agent working for his mother’s agency. Forced into damage control due to inappropriate behaviour from his popular Artist Shaked (Eden Meiri), it is decided to return to a boarding school situated in a desert miles away from Tel Aviv that the singer attended as a youth for a photo op and positive press clippings.
Thinking he was an intruder, Tal is bonked on the head with a cast iron pan at the office by the school’s music teacher Ori (Tidhar). Ori is an encouraging teacher, insisting her students strive towards greatness despite never performing her own songs in public. Following well established Romantic Comedy conventions, the Movie leads us down a path of very familiar circumstances.
That said, I enjoyed the sweet natured OUR STORY and admit to laughing out loud whenever the school’s Administrator Maayan appeared on-screen. Adi Havshush’s impeccable comedic timing and expressive facial features rock! Whether expounding on her fantasy relationship with Shaked or hoping her culinary originality, which includes spinach and vanilla cupcakes, will land her a spot on a cooking competition show, she is a wonderful comic foil. The desert scenes are filmed sumptuously, the music is pure finger-snapping Pop and the chemistry between the two leads is addictive.
Tickets and showtimes here.
For more on tickets and scheduling at TJFF ’23, click here.
Corus Studios announced today the continuation of their partnership with famed Hollywood icon Pamela Anderson in two new greenlights. Pamela’s Garden of Eden is currently in production on Season 2 (8×60), continuing the renovation of her family’s legacy property on Vancouver Island. Pamela’s presence in the lifestyle space expands with the brand-new food-focused series, Pamela’s Cooking With Love (working title) (8×60), beginning production this summer and scheduled to premiere in 2024 on Food Network Canada. Produced by Fireworks Media Group, these two premium unscripted series spotlight Pamela’s open-book attitude, gift for design and entertaining, and savvy ability to create unique experiences. Corus Studios will distribute both series internationally.
“Corus Studios is proud to collaborate with Pamela Anderson on these two series as we work together to share her passion for food and entertaining with both a Canadian and international audience,” said Lisa Godfrey, Senior Vice President of Original Content and Corus Studios. “ Pamela’s Cooking With Love is the perfect companion series to Pamela’ s Garden of Eden, and services our commitment to authentic story-telling and building a premium library of content for the global market.”
“Creating elegant and inviting spaces that inspire a compassionate, calm and healthy environment has always been important to me and comes naturally,” said Pamela Anderson. “Corus Studios and I have set mutual goals with good intentions. It’s been a learning curve – and I am confident they will be a positive partner in helping bring my true vision to life.”
In Season 2 of Pamela’s Garden of Eden, Pamela’s quest to transform her grandmother’s six-acre legacy property on Vancouver Island continues, resolving renovation issues from Season 1 and tackling a long list of new projects. Simultaneously, Pamela travels back and forth to Los Angeles to help her son Brandon Lee renovate his newly purchased house. As a first-time homeowner, Brandon depends on his mother’s keen eye for design and renovation to help turn his new house into a home he can truly call his own. The new season follows the successful Canadian launch of the series, which ranked within the Top 10 of Canadian original series across specialty television last fall, and was the #1 entertainment specialty program when it premiered on HGTV Canada.*
Pamela sets the table for a one-of-a-kind dining experience in Pamela’s Cooking With Love (working title). In this new Corus Studios distributed series, Pamela is fueled by a craving to learn more about cooking and how she can use food to take entertaining to the next level. She works with a variety of influential chefs to develop delicious plant-based menus, gather the diverse ingredients, and prepare incredible meals and moments for her friends and family. Whether it is a casual afternoon cocktail party in the garden, an intimate dinner with family, or breakfast following a night around the campfire – Pamela shines as a host and sous-chef.
Pamela’s Garden of Eden and Pamela’s Cooking With Love (working title) are produced by Fireworks Media Group with Jesse Fawcett, Brandon Thomas Lee, and Robert Hardy serving as executive producers for both projects. Pamela Anderson serves as executive producer for Cooking With Pamela (working title).
Devour! The Food Film Fest is back for another year of film and food fusion. The 12th instalment, celebrating this year’s theme, The Future of Food, an introspective of new food choices that continues to emerge throughout the world.
The festival will span 53 events over 7 days running from October 24th to 30th, 2022.
“We are extremely excited about the programming at this year’s Devour!,” said Chef Michael Howell, Executive Director of Devour! “This year marks the return of fan favourites, from the elevated chef dinners to the large-scale and expanded outdoor events, while also looking at some of the less talked about challenges in the food industry.”
Devour! is thrilled to announce the headlining film, Sorry We’re Closed, directed by Pete Ferrerio. Chef Elizabeth Falkner sets out to check in with her renowned chef and restaurateur colleagues during the pandemic.
Chef Faulkner and director Pete Ferrerio will both participate in the Gala and post-screening interview hosted by festival favourite and award-winning Food Network celebrity, Bob Blumer.
Devour! 2022’s theme will serve up some of the hard-hitting facets of The Future of Food, such as plant-based cuisine, sustainable fishing and farming and more.
“We’re not shy about tackling some hard-hitting topics to raise awareness about important food issues,” said Lia Rinaldo, Managing Director of Devour! “This year’s program is a wonderful balance of films about the future of food to entertaining food focused films that Devour! attendees know and love.”
This year’s film highlights include:
Chefs and Shorts – This signature Devour event brings celebrity chefs together to create delicious five-course dinners inspired by five short films shown directly to diners at Devour Studios. The Devour! Chefs & Short Gala Dinner features Jason Lynch, Doug McNish, Lora Kirk, Lynn Crawford and Stephanie Ogilvie will create a menu inspired by films Arturo Enciso of Gusto Bread, Ceres Community Project, Meal on the Plate, BBQ at Josée and Serge’s, Wild Bumblebees.
The Closing night film is The Kitchen Brigade directed by Louis-Julien Petit. Cathy, a headstrong 40-year-old sous-chef is finally about to fulfill her lifelong dream by opening her own restaurant. But nothing goes as planned. Facing serious financial difficulties, she reluctantly accepts a job in the cafeteria of a shelter for young migrants, run by Lorenzo. While she is frustrated by her new position, Cathy’s skills and passion for cuisine start to change the kids’ lives. And they also have a lot to teach her.
Youth and student programming is also a staple at Devour! and this year is no different, with in-person and live-streamed school programming. This includes the Big Picture Program, impactful films curated specifically for youth, and the Nourish Nova Scotia & CBC Youth Food & Film Challenge where the winning film will be screened on opening night!
Festival favourite in-person celebrity chef dinners return this year with Spotlight Gala Film Love, Charlie inspiring Chefs like longtime fest friend Norman Van Aken, Jason Bangerter, Michel Nischan, Peter Dewar & Mary Sue Milliken.
The boozy Bourbon Lunch returns to Le Caveau with Norman Van Aken, Martin Ruiz Salvador and Jason Lynch.
All visiting chefs will host workshops covering everything from foraging to youth cooking masterclasses to vegan wines, donairs and alternative foods.
Food Highlights also include the Devour! Street Food Rally hosted by Canadian Culinary students and Chef Lauren Marshall of Halifax’s Real Fake Meats who will deliver $5 plant-based bites and on Saturday the Devour! Down Home Lobster Supper presented by Chef Peter Dewar and the NSCC culinary program.
Festival favourite Devour! Chowder Smackdownis alsoreturning this year, where award-winning chefs invite guests to sample a generous helping of each of their chowders to be crowned this year’s Chowder Champion!
The 12th edition of Devour! will also deliver several established community give-back events like The Mayors’ Bike Ride for Devour! and The Great Devour! Community Supper in support of regional food banks.
Devour! 2022 will welcome prominent chefs and guests to conducts popular workshops including: Bourbon and Bites, Foraging, Vegan Cookery with Chef Lauren Marshall and Cooking classes for Youth.
The full program and ticket information will be available online at www.devourfest.com on September 22, 2022. Our advice? Don’t wait!
Based on the best-selling, debut novel from Author, Science Editor and Copywriter Bonnie Garmus, “Lessons in Chemistry” will make its global debut on Apple TV+ in 2023. The Series stars Oscar winner Brie Larson, who also produces.
Starring alongside Larson and rounding out the cast for the highly anticipated drama are:
-Lewis Pullman (“Top Gun: Maverick,” “Outer Range”) as ‘Calvin’
-NAACP Image Award-winner Aja Naomi King (“How to Get Away with Murder,” “Sylvie’s Love,” “The Upside,” The Birth of a Nation”) as ‘Harriet Slone’
-Stephanie Koenig (“The Flight Attendant,” “The Offer”) as ‘Fran Frask’
-Patrick Walker (“Gaslit,” “The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey”) as ‘Wakely’
-Thomas Mann (“Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,” “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”) as ‘Boryweitz’
-Kevin Sussman (“The Big Bang Theory,” “The Dropout,” “Better Call Saul”) as ‘Walter’
-Multi Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Beau Bridges (“Acting: The First Six Lessons,” “Homeland,” “Goliath,” “Bloodline,” “Masters of Sex,” “The Fabulous Baker Boys”) as ‘Wilson’
Synopsis:
Set in the early 1950s, “Lessons in Chemistry” follows Elizabeth Zott (played by Larson), whose dream of being a scientist is put on hold in a society deeming that women belong in the domestic sphere, not the professional one. When Elizabeth finds herself pregnant, alone and fired from her lab, she musters the ingenuity only a single mother has. She accepts a job as a host on a TV cooking show, and sets out to teach a nation of overlooked housewives – and the men who are suddenly listening – a lot more than recipes… all the while craving a return to her true love: science.
Hailing from Apple Studios, “Lessons in Chemistry” is produced by Aggregate Films. Six-time Emmy Award-nominee Lee Eisenberg (“WeCrashed,” “Little America”) serves as showrunner. The series is executive produced by Academy Award-winner Brie Larson and co-executive producer Elijah Allan-Blitz of their The Great Unknown Productions; Emmy Award-winner Jason Bateman and Michael Costigan (“Ozark,” “A Teacher”) executive produce for Aggregate Films; and, Academy Award-nominee Susannah Grant (“Unbelievable,” “Erin Brockovich”). Natalie Sandy executive produces through Piece of Work Entertainment alongside Eisenberg. Louise Shore also serves as executive producer and Bonnie Garmus serves as co-EP.
(Photo credit: Apple TV+)
Bell Media held their annual Upfront, previewing their upcoming 2022/2023 programming slate of returning and new programming across their family of networks, and also streaming service Crave. The event returned in-person at Meridian Hall, giving a glimpse for the for the first time many new acquisitions and confirmations. Here to ring-in the occasion were some recognizable names like Chad Michael Murray, Scott Patterson, Mena Massoud, Will Yun Lee, Meg Donnelly, Rebecca Romijn and several more!
CTV‘s Fall 2022 Programming Schedule has been firmed-up, all times are listed in Eastern Time:
MONDAYS
7 p.m. ETALK
7:30 p.m. THE BIG BANG THEORY (S)
8 p.m. CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING
8:30 p.m. BOB HEARTS ABISHOLA (S)
9 p.m. THE CLEANING LADY (S)
10 p.m. THE GOOD DOCTOR (S)
TUESDAYS
7 p.m. ETALK
7:30 p.m. THE BIG BANG THEORY (S)
8 p.m. THE RESIDENT (S)
9 p.m. LA BREA (S)
10 p.m. THE ROOKIE: FEDS (S)
WEDNESDAYS
7 p.m. ETALK
7:30 p.m. THE CONNERS
8 p.m. THE MASKED SINGER (S)
9 p.m. THE AMAZING RACE (S)
10 p.m. BIG SKY (S)
THURSDAYS
7 p.m. CALL ME KAT
7:30 p.m. YOUNG SHELDON
8 p.m. STATION 19 (S)
9 p.m. GREY’S ANATOMY (S)
10 p.m. ALASKA (S)
FRIDAYS
7 p.m. ETALK
7:30 p.m. THE BIG BANG THEORY (S)
8 p.m. SHARK TANK (S)
9 p.m. TRANSPLANT
10 p.m. BLUE BLOODS (S)
SATURDAYS
7 p.m. W5
8 p.m. CTV Movie
SUNDAYS
7 p.m. NFL (cont’d)
8 p.m. CELEBRITY JEOPARDY! (S)
9 p.m. EAST NEW YORK (S)
10 p.m. THE ROOKIE (S)
Daytime and Late-Night
CTV’s premium daytime and late-night lineups return, including CTV YOUR MORNING, LIVE WITH KELLY AND RYAN, THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW, THE SOCIAL, DR. PHIL, THE VIEW, and ETALK.
Also returning to CTV are THE DAILY SHOW WITH TREVOR NOAH and the final season of THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH JAMES CORDEN, with THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON and LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS on CTV2.
Awards and Live Events
CTV is home to appointment viewing live events, including the 95th OSCARS®, the 74th EMMY® AWARDS, the AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS, and the CMA AWARDS on CTV2.
As Bell Media is the exclusive television broadcast partner of the NFL in Canada, CTV delivers extensive coverage of the NFL regular season, the NFL playoffs, and the biggest broadcast event of the year, SUPER BOWL LVII.
CTV News
Connecting with audiences from coast-to-coast-to-coast, the country’s most-watched national newscast, CTV NATIONAL NEWS WITH LISA LAFLAMME, airs weeknights at 11 p.m. ET.
Across the country, viewers turn to CTV’s local newscasts to stay informed on breaking news in their communities, including CTV’s award-winning CTV NEWS AT SIX, as well as CTV MORNING LIVE, CTV NEWS AT NOON, CTV NEWS AT FIVE, and CTV NEWS AT 11:30 p.m.
The award-winning W5 returns for a 57th season Saturdays at 7 p.m. ET on CTV, and landmark political program QUESTION PERIOD, hosted by CTV News’ Evan Solomon, returns Sunday mornings at 11 a.m. ET.
__________________________________
Bell Media have made several exciting new acquisitions, bringing their viewers some exciting new things to look forward to, including the latest from Oscar-winning talents Tom McCarthy and Hilary Swank, ALASKA. Hit ’80s Sitcom NIGHT COURT gets a Reboot and CTV will be home to it, as well, while CTV Sci-Fi will carry Supernatural Origins Series THE WINCHESTERS. There’s also tons for buzz for upcoming Drama Series EAST NEW YORK with breakout star Amanda Warren.
CTV
ALASKA
From the mind of Academy Award®-winner Tom McCarthy (Spotlight), ALASKA stars Hilary Swank (AWAY) as Eileen Fitzgerald, a recently disgraced reporter who leaves her high-profile New York life behind to join a daily metro newspaper in Anchorage, on a journey to find both personal and professional redemption. Alongside Swank, ALASKA stars Jeff Perry (SCANDAL), Matt Malloy (In the Company of Men), Meredith Holzman (Blow the Man Down), Grace Dove (The Revenant), Pablo Castelblanco (Admission), Ami Park (THIS IS US), and Craig Frank (8.13). Tom McCarthy is creator and executive producer. Hilary Swank, Melissa Wells, Bert Salke, Kyle Hopkins (Anchorage Daily News), and Ryan Binkley (Anchorage Daily News) are executive producers, with Peter Elkoff (THE RESIDENT) serving as showrunner and executive producer. ALASKA is produced by 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios.
ALERT
When police officer Nikki Parker’s son goes missing, she joins the Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) Missing Persons Unit to help other people find their loved ones, even as she searches for her own. Six years later, her world is turned upside-down when her ex-husband, Devon Zoellner, shows up with a proof-of-life photo of their missing boy…or is it? The series is a procedural drama with a search for a missing person in each episode that runs alongside the overarching storyline of Nikki and Devon’s quest to find out the truths about the person claiming to be their long-lost son. ALERT is produced by Sony Pictures Television and FOX Entertainment. John Eisendrath will write and executive produce. Jamie Foxx and Datari Turner will also executive produce.
CELEBRITY JEOPARDY!
In the all-new game show CELEBRITY JEOPARDY!, celebrity contestants compete for a chance to win money and donate it to a charity of their choice. From Sony Pictures Television, CELEBRITY JEOPARDY! is executive produced by Michael Davies.
EAST NEW YORK
From the executive producers of NYPD BLUE, EAST NEW YORK stars Amanda Warren (DICKINSON) as Deputy Inspector Regina Haywood, the newly promoted boss of the 74th Precinct, in East New York – a working-class neighborhood on the edge of Brooklyn in the midst of social upheaval and the early seeds of gentrification. With family ties to the area, Haywood is determined to deploy creative methods to protect her beloved community with the help of her officers and detectives, but first, she has the daunting task of getting them on board, as some are skeptical of her promotion, and others resist the changes she is desperate to make. Her team includes her mentor, shrewd veteran two-star Chief John Suarez (Emmy® Award winner Jimmy Smits, L.A. LAW); Marvin Sandeford (Tony Award® winner and current nominee Ruben Santiago-Hudson, CASTLE), a highly respected training officer and expert on the neighborhood; Tommy Killian (Kevin Rankin, Dallas Buyers Club), a detective with some old-school approaches to policing; Capt. Stan Yenko (Richard Kind, Inside Out), Haywood’s gregarious and efficient right hand; Crystal Morales (Elizabeth Rodriguez, Logan), an intuitive detective who can’t be intimidated; Andre Bentley (Lavel Schley, GROWN-ISH), a trainee from an upper middle-class background; and ambitious patrol officer Brandy Quinlan (Olivia Luccardi, It Follows). Emmy® Award-winner William Finkelstein, Mike Flynn, Emmy® Award-winner Michael M. Robin, Christine Holder, and Mark Holder are executive producers. Andrew Maher is a co-executive producer. The series is produced by Warner Bros. Television.
NIGHT COURT
Unapologetic optimist judge Abby Stone (Melissa Rauch, THE BIG BANG THEORY), the daughter of the late Harry Stone, follows in her father’s footsteps as she presides over the night shift of a Manhattan arraignment court and tries to bring order to its crew of oddballs and cynics, most notably former night court prosecutor Dan Fielding (John Larroquette). The cast also includes India de Beaufort (Run Fatboy Run), Kapil Talwalkar (ZOEY’S EXTRAORDINARY PLAYLIST), and Lacretta (Second Act). Writer Dan Rubin executive produces with Melissa Rauch and Winston Rauch. John Larroquette will produce. NIGHT COURT is produced by Warner Bros. Television, in association with After January Productions and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.
THE ROOKIE: FEDS
From the executive producers of THE ROOKIE comes THE ROOKIE: FEDS, starring Niecy Nash-Betts (CLAWS) as Simone Clark, the oldest rookie in the FBI Academy. The spinoff was introduced as a two-part event during the fourth season of THE ROOKIE, where Officer John Nolan (Nathan Fillion, CASTLE) and the L.A. division of the FBI enlist the help of Simone Clark when one of her former students is a suspect in a terror attack. The series also stars Frankie Faison (White Chicks) as Christopher “Cutty” Clark, and Felix Solis (The International) as Special Agent Matthew Garza. Alexi Hawley and Terence Paul Winter are co-creators and executive producers. Mark Gordon, Niecy Nash-Betts, Nathan Fillion, Michelle Chapman, Bill Norcross, and Corey Miller are executive producers. Entertainment One (eOne) is the lead studio and international distributor of THE ROOKIE: FEDS, a co-production with ABC Signature.
TRUE LIES
Inspired by James Cameron’s hit action/comedy film of the same name, TRUE LIES follows Harry (Steve Howey, Bride Wars), a first-class international spy for U.S. intelligence agency Omega Sector, and his wife, Helen (Ginger Gonzaga, TOGETHERNESS), a language professor bored with her daily routine, who makes the shocking discovery that her seemingly ordinary husband is leading an extraordinary double life. With the secret out, Omega recruits Helen, who impresses everyone with her formidable skills, and she joins Harry and his team of top-notch operatives, embarking on covert missions around the globe and an exhilarating life of danger and adventure. The renewed bond between them adds much-needed sizzle to the Taskers’ emotionally distant marriage and upends the top-secret world of Omega Sector. As Harry says, if you’re going to save the world, you might as well do it for the ones you love. TRUE LIES also stars Erica Hernandez (BRIDGE AND TUNNEL) as Maria, Omar Miller (BALLERS) as Gib, Mike O’Gorman (TINY APARTMENT) as Luther, Annabella Didion (OUTER BANKS) as Dana, and Lucas Jaye (The Sleepover) as Jake. Matt Nix, James Cameron, Rae Sanchini, McG, Mary Viola, Corey Marsh, and Josh Levy are executive producers. Anthony Hemingway is an executive producer and directed the pilot from a script by Nix. Sean Hoagland and Whitney Davis are co-executive producers. The series is produced by 20th Television.
CTV Specialty Channels
CTV Sci-Fi Channel:
THE ARK
THE ARK takes place 100 years in the future when planetary colonization missions have begun as a necessity to help secure the survival of the human race. The first of these missions on a spacecraft, known as Ark One, encounters a catastrophic event causing massive destruction and loss of life. With more than a year left to go before reaching their target planet, a lack of life-sustaining supplies and loss of leadership, the remaining crew must become the best versions of themselves to stay on course and survive. The series stars Christie Burke (MAID), Richard Fleeshman (CALL THE MIDWIFE), Reece Ritchie (The Lovely Bones), Stacey Read (Aneni), and Ryan Adams (Orange Peel). Dean Devlin and Jonathan Glassner are co-showrunners and executive producers alongside Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan-Wilson of Electric Entertainment. Jonathan English of Balkanic Media and Steve Lee serve as producers.
THE WINCHESTERS
Before Sam and Dean, there were their parents, John and Mary. Told from the perspective of narrator Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles, SUPERNATURAL), THE WINCHESTERS is the epic, untold love story of how John Winchester (Drake Rodger, The In Between) met Mary Campbell (Meg Donnelly, AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE) and put it all on the line to not only save their love, but the entire world. When John returns home from fighting in Vietnam, a mysterious encounter sparks a new mission to trace his father’s past. In his journey, he crosses paths with 19-year-old demon hunter Mary, who is also searching for answers after the disappearance of her own father. Together, the two join forces with young hunter-in-training Latika (Nida Khurshid, STATION 19), and easygoing hunter Carlos (Jonathan “Jojo” Fleites) to uncover the hidden truths about both their families. Their investigation leads them to a rare book emporium, whose owner, Ada (Demetria McKinney, HOUSE OF PAYNE), takes an interest to the occult and could provide the missing pieces to their puzzle. But secrets run deep for both the Winchesters and Campbells, and despite the best efforts of John’s mother Millie (Bianca Kajlich, Bring It On) to protect her son from pursuing a dangerous life of demon hunting, John and Mary are both determined to work together to uphold their families’ legacies while beginning to form a family of their own. A prequel to the long-running hit series SUPERNATURAL, THE WINCHESTERS is written and executive produced by Robbie Thompson. Jensen Ackles and Danneel Ackles executive produce via their Chaos Machine Productions. David H. Goodman joined the creative team as an executive producer for the series. McG serves as an executive producer. The series is from Chaos Machine Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Studios.
STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS, filmed here in Toronto, just premiered in May on CTV Sci-Fi and Star Rebecca Romijn popped-by to say “hello”! Always flawless.
CTV Drama Channel:
PANHANDLE
A serialized dramedy set in the Florida Panhandle. Since personal tragedy struck five years ago, loquacious, eccentric Bell Prescott (Emmy® Award-winner Luke Kirby, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) hasn’t left the decaying property he shares with his mother and a pet alligator. When Bell discovers a dead body, he browbeats the only cop in town, the practical, brutally direct Cammie Lorde (Tiana Okoye, The Good Place), into solving the case. That leads the unlikely duo into a collision course with Bell’s past. They’ll wrestle with personal demons, shocking twists, and Panhandle craziness on their journey to heal themselves and their town. Carla Kettner (THE BLACKLIST), Nicholas Stoller (MUPPETS MOST WANTED), and Conor Welch (GOOSEBUMPS) are Executive Producers. The series is produced by Sony Pictures Television.
CTV Life Channel:
JAMIE’S ONE PAN WONDERS
JAMIE’S ONE PAN WONDERS is the ultimate solutions-based guide to brilliantly easy meals perfect for now, offering a delicious range of dishes all cooked in just one pan or tray. Each recipe uses only a handful of ingredients, as the pan does all the hard work – and there’s hardly any cleaning up.
Each meal has been created by Jamie Oliver specifically to answer people’s everyday needs: from speedy meals that can be made in 15 minutes or less, ovenbaked dishes that can be left to cook low and slow while people do with other things, brilliant principle recipes that big-up batch cooking, or clever shortcuts to family favourites that everyone will love to eat, but don’t always have the time to cook.
JAMIE’S ONE PAN WONDERS is the solution for anyone who wants to cook delicious food with minimal ingredients, less cleaning up, and big flavour.
__________________________________
Bell Media continues to show its commitment to delivering and supporting Canadian voices with the following new English-Language programs, including the eagerly-awaited SULLIVAN’S CROSSING starring One Tree Hill‘s Chad Michael Murray, which begins production this week shortly on the East Coast. You know we love RuPaul’s Drag Race, and a CANADA’S DRAG RACE: CANADA VS. THE WORLD branch of the Series is on the way pitting Canadian Queens against some international-level competition!
New English-Language Series:
ACTING GOOD – CTV Comedy *previously announced
ACTING GOOD stars Rabliauskas as Paul, a witty but sensitive comic who returns home to the fictional Grouse Lake First Nation after a botched attempt to move to the big city. Inspired by Rabliauskas’ own isolated community of Poplar River First Nation, the half-hour comedy also stars actor, comedian, and series co-showrunner Pat Thornton, as Brady, the “only white guy on the rez.” The homegrown lineup of cast and crew also features Billy Merasty (Elijah) as voice of the rez and radio DJ, Roger Laughingstick, Roseanne Supernault (THE DRIVE) as reformed bad girl and band councillor, Jo. Gabriel Daniels (The Ice Road) joins the cast as big-hearted Dean, along with series producer Tina Keeper (NORTH OF 60) as the family matriarch Agnes. And in their debut acting roles, Avery Claudia Sutherland stars as Jo’s rebellious daughter Chickadee, comedian Cheyenna Sapp as Paul’s, on-again-off-again girlfriend, Rose, and writer, poet, and radio host Rosanna Deerchild as First Nation Grouse Lake chief, Deedee. (Buffalo Gal)
A CUT ABOVE – Discovery *previously announced
Hosted by Golden Globe®-nominee Adam Beach, this competition series puts 12 of the best chainsaw carvers from across the world to the ultimate test of creativity, strength, and skills, as they turn ordinary logs into extraordinary works of art. Each episode, the carvers compete in weekly Quick and Master Carve challenges, while racing against the clock, in hopes of avoiding elimination. At the end of the grueling competition, the carver who out carves the rest, wins a cash prize and will be named “A Cut Above”. World-renowned Canadian chainsaw carver Ryan Cook and esteemed United Kingdom sculptor, Katharine Dowson serve as judges. (marblemedia)
BATTLE OF THE GENERATIONS – CTV
BATTLE OF THE GENERATIONS is an exciting new 20-episode, 60-minute CTV Original quiz format that asks not only how well you know someone else’s generation – but how well you know your own. Each episode of this nostalgia-packed quiz show features four charismatic contestants, each representing a different generation (Baby Boomer, Gen X, Millennial, and Gen Z), who battle it out to discover who knows the most about ALL generations. Whoever triumphs in this unique game of time travelling trivia will enter The Vault for a chance to win big money. Fast and fun, tactical and tenacious, BATTLE OF THE GENERATIONS is the primetime game show that’s genuinely for everyone. (Bell Media Studios/Motion Content Group)
BRIA MACK GETS A LIFE – Crave
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. Created by Sasha Leigh Henry, the series is executive produced by Henry, Tania Thompson, and Mark Montefiore, with Angelique Knights and Tamar Bird serving as producers. (New Metric Media)
BUSH WRECK RESCUE – Discovery
BUSH WRECK RESCUE is a new take on the ever-popular car and truck restoration genre, with a twist – all the projects begin as long-abandoned wrecks tracked down in farmers’ fields, barns, and ravines in the backcountry. BUSH WRECK RESCUE’s “gearheads” attempt to turn a profit by pulling vintage vans, muscle cars, and pick-up trucks out of the bush and transforming them into Instagram-worthy gems. (Omnifilm Entertainment)
CANADA’S DRAG RACE: CANADA VS THE WORLD – Crave
After two wildly successful seasons of CANADA’S DRAG RACE, and a third on the horizon, the queens of the north have proven they can “sleigh” in every way. With Canada acting as host nation, CANADA’S DRAG RACE: CANADA VS THE WORLD is a six-episode battle that brings back fan-favourites from the international Drag Race family for an elite competition to crown the “Queen of the Mother-Pucking World.” At this level of competition, there are no weak links – just seasoned queens with a thirst for victory. Let the international games begin! (Blue Ant Studios, Saloon Media, World of Wonder)
CROSS COUNTRY CAKE OFF – CTV
CROSS COUNTRY CAKE OFF is an original competition series that celebrates the unbridled creativity of Canada’s best cake-makers, and showcases the incredible stories of heart and humour that inspire them. A feel good national event, CROSS COUNTRY CAKE OFF connects the country through cake in 10 delightful episodes, including four Holiday specials. Buckle up for a wild and delicious ride! (Proper Television)
DINE YOUR SIGN – CTV Life *previously announced
Hosted by Chef Siobhan Detkavich, DINE YOUR SIGN connects appetite with the astrological, with each episode featuring a menu designed around one of the 12 Zodiac signs. (Gusto TV)
EVOLVING VEGAN – CTV Life Channel and Crave
EVOLVING VEGAN is an eight-part food, travel, and adventure series, starring, and based on Canadian actor Mena Massoud’s (Aladdin) cookbook, of the same name. Each one-hour episode features Massoud as he explores the exploding plant-based food scene across North America, visiting cities such as Los Angeles, Portland, Toronto, Vancouver and New York City to meet the trailblazing chefs and restaurateurs serving up the best vegan eats each city has to offer. He will also meet with exciting innovators within the plant-based food space and link up with celebrity friends and locals as they eat their way through each locales’ best vegan offerings. Massoud’s mission is to show people how incredibly delicious and accessible plant-based options are and encourage people to evolve vegan, to move in that direction, even if it’s for one night of the week in a judgement-free manner. EVOLVING VEGAN is set to premiere on CTV Life and Crave in 2023. (Bell Media Studios)
FARMING FOR LOVE – CTV *previously announced
An adaptation of the hit international format THE FARMER WANTS A WIFE, FARMING FOR LOVE follows the journeys of rural Canadian singles on their quest for romance. In FARMING FOR LOVE, five Canadians searching for their soulmates open up their farms – and their hearts – to a select group of urban singles. As they live and work together, the daters must adjust to a new lifestyle, and immerse themselves in a series of challenges, group activities, and intimate one-on-one dates, with the goal of finding their one true love. The CTV Original series consists of 10, one-hour episodes. (Lark Productions in collaboration with Fremantle and in association with CTV)
I HAVE NOTHING – Crave
I HAVE NOTHING is a factual comedy about amateur abilities and enormous ambitions and follows series creator and star Carolyn Taylor (BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW) on her eternal quest to escape the familiar and pursue her wildest dreams, even when she doesn’t have the talent, or skills (or basic knowledge) to realize them. The series follows Carolyn on a quixotic quest to choreograph the perfect full-length pairs figure skating routine to Whitney Houston’s 1992 hit song ‘I Have Nothing.’ What begins as a light-hearted, nostalgic comedy quickly morphs into a high-stakes, real-life mission – with a few wild detours along the way. (Content Catalyst Fund in association with Blue Ant Studios)
JUST FOR LAUGHS Specials – CTV Comedy
Slated to be filmed at the 2022 Just for Laughs Festival in Montréal in July, four new stand-up comedy specials to feature the best in homegrown and international comedy talent. Hosted by Russell Peters, Chelsea Handler, Jo Koy, and Patton Oswalt. (Just For Laughs)
LATE BLOOMER – Crave
LATE BLOOMER is a new comedy series created by and starring comedic sensation Jasmeet Raina, aka JusReign. The series is inspired by his real-life experiences navigating new-found internet fame, dating, spirituality, culture, and his dysfunctional (yet loving) family. (Pier 21 Films)
LISTING LARGE – CTV Life
Odeen Eccleston and Lamont Wiltshire are building a real estate empire: buying, selling, renovating and flipping, all while juggling parenthood, friendship and love. Amidst luxury custom builds and multi-million dollar deals, this on-again off-again couple are determined not to let anything stand in the way of their wildly successful business partnership. (Proper Television)
LITTLE BIRD – Crave *previously announced
Created by showrunner Jennifer Podemski and head writer Hannah Moscovitch, LITTLE BIRD follows an Indigenous woman on a journey to find her birth family, and uncover the hidden truth of her past. The series, a co-production with APTN, explores themes of resilience in the face of trauma and loss. Removed from her home in Long Pine Reserve in Saskatchewan, Bezhig Little Bird is adopted into a Montréal Jewish family at the age of five, becoming Esther Rosenblum. Now in her 20s, Bezhig longs for the family she lost and is willing to sacrifice everything to find them. Her quest lands her in the Canadian prairies, worlds apart from everything she knows. As she begins to track down her siblings, she unravels the mystery behind her adoption, and discovers that her apprehension was connected to a racist government policy now known as the Sixties Scoop. Bezhig’s sense of identity shatters and she is forced to reckon with who she is and who she wants to become. The character-driven drama features an extraordinary cast of Indigenous actors, including Darla Contois, Ellyn Jade, Osawa Muskwa, Joshua Odjick, Imajyn Cardinal, Braeden Clarke, Eric Schweig, and Michelle Thrush. Lisa Edelstein also stars. Award-winning filmmakers Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Zoe Hopkins each direct three episodes, while Hopkins writes three of the episodes. Executive producers are Christina Fon, Ernest Webb, Catherine Bainbridge, Linda Ludwick (Rezolution Pictures), Kim Todd, Nicholas Hirst (Original Pictures), Jeremy Podeswa, Jennifer Podemski, and Hannah Moskovitch, along with Christian Vesper and Dante Di Loreto (Fremantle). Producers are Tanya Brunel and Jessica Dunn (OP Little Bird), Claire MacKinnon and Philippe Chabot (Rezolution Pictures) and Lori Lozinski and Ellen Rutter. The series is currently in production in Manitoba and is set to premiere on Crave next year. (Rezolution Pictures, APTN, OP Little Bird)
THE MIGHTIEST – Discovery
THE MIGHTIEST is a six-part series that zeros in on the most exciting and compelling stories from the MIGHTY franchise (MIGHTY TRAINS, MIGHTY SHIPS, MIGHTY PLANES, MIGHTY CRUISE SHIPS), one of Discovery’s most successful series seen in more than 100 countries around the world. Each themed episode of THE MIGHTIEST goes a step further by embedding on new missions to highlight mind-blowing feats of science and engineering that are set to change the game once again, including an exclusive visit to the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford – the US Navy’s newest and largest aircraft carrier. Principal photography on THE MIGHTIEST is underway, and the series premieres on Discovery later this year. (Bell Media Studios)
ONE DAY WE’LL ALL BE DEAD – Crave
Based on the critically acclaimed, national bestselling book by Scaachi Koul, One Day We’ll All Be Dead And None Of This Will Matter, this new half-hour comedy, created by Lakna Edilima and Koul, follows a first-generation Brown woman juggling her invasive family, her burgeoning journalism career, and her own strong-willed nature while processing her own grief. (First Generation Films)
PARANORMAL REVENGE – CTV Sci-Fi
PARANORMAL REVENGE is a brand new, original series from the newly amalgamated, Sphere Media. Each hour explores two chilling stories of real-life paranormal encounters that intersect with one of the most powerful forces of darkness – revenge. Those who experience para-revenge often describe a strong feeling of possession. And in every encounter… violence and terror follow. Each story is unpacked by the witnesses who experienced these revenge hauntings. And whether it’s a person, place or object from the past seeking its victim, the history drives the horror. These are mystery filled camp-fire tales with twists and turns, driving toward a terrifying final revelation. (Sphere Media)
SHELVED – CTV
Set in the Jameson Public Library in Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood, SHELVED is a single-camera, workplace comedy that follows the employees and patrons as they go about their lives in this unassuming and extraordinary place. (Counterfeit)
SIGHT UNSEEN – CTV
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 crimes — as the two challenge preconceptions about ability, trust, and solving crime. (Sisters Troubetzoy Productions Inc. and Bl!nk49 Studios. Worldwide rights controlled by Bl!nk49)
SISTERS – Crave
An Irish-Canadian co-production, SISTERS is a character-driven, half-hour, dark comedy about family, culture, and life in one’s 30s. It’s an exploration of how the absence of parents can influence adult life in unforeseen ways, and how that void can affect a woman’s relationship to alcohol, men, work, and motherhood (or lack thereof) – and the macabre humour that can come with trauma. In SISTERS, the two main characters born continents apart, in Canada and in Ireland, discover they are half-sisters and embark on a road trip to find their alcoholic father. Real life best friends, EMMY® Award-nominee Sarah Goldberg (BARRY) and Susan Stanley (Hotel Amenities), make their writing debuts and star. Emmy Award-nominee Declan Lowney (TED LASSO) is the establishing director and is set to direct the first three episodes of the six-episode series. (Peer Pressure and Shaftesbury, in association with Mermade and Gaze Pictures)
THE SPENCER SISTERS – CTV
Darby Spencer is having a bad day. After being unjustly reprimanded by her boss, Darby impulsively quits her job as a police officer, and then finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her. With no other choice, she returns home to the one person she’s been avoiding for years: her overbearing, best-selling-mystery-novelist mother, Joan. But after the two are thrust into solving a crime together, Darby discovers a side to Joan she never knew, and ultimately takes the plunge on the unlikeliest of ventures: becoming her partner in a private detective agency. (eOne)
SPICE SECRETS – CTV Life *previously announced
From seeds, roots, to bark, and fruits, SPICE SECRETS explores the unique and complex flavours that fill our spice racks. Hosted by Chefs Shahir Massoud and Jasmin Rose Ibrahim, the 10-episode series will feature a variety of spice applications, techniques and unexpected combinations. (Gusto TV)
SULLIVAN’S CROSSING – CTV *previously announced
In SULLIVAN’S CROSSING, Neurosurgeon Maggie Sullivan (Kohan) has her world turned upside down when a scandalous incident throws both her personal and professional life into turmoil. She leaves her life in the city and returns to Sullivan’s Crossing, a rural campground and outpost nestled amongst the sweeping vistas and cliffs she once called home, where her estranged father, Sully Sullivan (Patterson), still looks after the day-to-day operations catering to hikers, bikers, and mountain climbers. The 10-episode, hour-long romantic drama sees Maggie navigating her complicated present and confronting her painful past as she attempts to reconnect with a side of herself she had long ago forgotten. Tackling issues including family, community, conflict, loss, and love in a realistic and purposeful way, SULLIVAN’S CROSSING is a series about healing, letting go, and ultimately, opening yourself up to a world of new opportunities. (Reel World Management in association with CTV and Fremantle, SULLIVAN’S CROSSING is being produced as an interprovincial coproduction with Nova Scotia based producer Mike Volpe and Ontario based producer Mark Gingras)
THUNDER BAY – Crave *previously announced
THUNDER BAY is a four-part Crave Original documentary series based on the groundbreaking podcast from CANADALAND, Thunder Bay. The gripping investigative series is produced and also hosted by Anishinaabe journalist and award-winning writer, Ryan McMahon, who is on a quest to uncover the truth in the recent deaths of multiple Indigenous people in Thunder Bay, Ontario – a city known as the homicide and hate crime capital of Canada. McMahon’s investigation sheds light on the history of racism in Thunder Bay, and examines the failings and the injustices of its social systems and institutions. The series unravels the country’s complicated relationship with colonialism, examining the consequences of the broken system in which some can thrive, while many others, disproportionally struggle to survive. Produced, written, and hosted by Ryan McMahon. The series is currently in production. (eOne)
URBAN LEGEND – CTV Sci-Fi
URBAN LEGEND is a nightmarish anthology series showcasing classic urban legends like never before. Based on widely shared “true” stories that happened to a friend of a friend…of a friend, each episode is a mini-horror film cinematically crafted to deliver a hyper-suspenseful and tension-fuelled experience. Featuring lurking psychopaths, murderous mysteries, creepy creatures and twisting tales, these disturbing legends prey on our most deeply embedded fears to shock and terrify. (Cream Productions)
VEG HEADZ – CTV Life *previously announced
Hosted by two-time MASTERCHEF CANADA winner Chef Pino Di Cerbo, VEG HEADZ reimagines what you can do with fresh produce, creating four tasty plant-based plates per episode. (Gusto TV)
New English-Language Documentaries and Specials:
AFTER THE STORM – Discovery
Two-part documentary about the storm of the century, exploring the mechanics of the disaster, the impact on those affected, and the mammoth efforts to rebuild stronger and safer. (Great Pacific Media)
ANY OTHER WAY: THE JACKIE SHANE STORY – Crave Original Documentary
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. Executive produced by Elliot Page of Page Boy Productions. (Banger Films, National Film Board of Canada)
AUDIOPHILIA – ADVENTURES IN THE WORLD OF HI-FI – Crave Original Documentary
From 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)
BAM BAM: THE STORY OF SISTER NANCY – Crave Original Documentary *previously announced
BAM BAM: THE STORY OF SISTER NANCY is a feature music documentary that explores the wild story behind how Sister Nancy’s hit song “Bam Bam” became the most sampled reggae vocal of all time. From Nancy’s unprecedented entry into the male-dominated 80s Dancehall scene in Kingston, Jamaica, to her courageous fight to control her music, Sister Nancy’s story is not only one of resilience, but also one of celebration. Ultimately, this is an inspirational music documentary about a woman dusting herself off after being held back by an industry known for silencing female artists, and hell-bent on empowering others with her music, and knowledge to make a difference. Proving to all that good music, no matter what can’t be stopped! Directed by Alison Duke. Produced by OYA Media Group with Ngardy Conteh George and Duke serving as producers. (OYA Media Group)
BUFFY SAINT MARIE: POWER IN THE BLOOD – CTV *previously announced
For more than 50 years, Buffy Sainte-Marie has been a star. Her songs are legendary, her impact undeniable. One of Canada’s most-respected Indigenous leaders, she’s a pioneer of music and activism, and has left an indelible mark on the world. The film tells Buffy’s incredible story through exclusive access, rare archives, insightful interviews, and great music. The 90-min documentary BUFFY SAINT-MARIE: POWER IN THE BLOOD celebrates Buffy’s extraordinary achievements, dispels myths, sets the record straight, and illustrates that in a time of chaos and division, we’ve never needed Buffy more than now. (White Pine Pictures, Eagle Vision)
KINGS OF COKE – Crave Original Documentary *previously announced
People often think about Miami when it comes to cocaine, but Montréal may have been the biggest drug kingdom of them all. By the 70s, Montréal, the infamous party town, was engulfed in mayhem. The city had become known as the bank robbery capital of North America with more heists than New York or Los Angeles. Then, a brazen group of thieves moved into the drug trade, smuggling cocaine on a global scale. This 90-minute, true crime documentary chronicles the path to power of one of Montréal’s most influential and violent gangs, the infamous West End Gang, and the cops and journalists who pursued its three leaders. It’s an unlikely rise and inevitable fall, but more importantly, it’s a largely forgotten and underreported story, even for the most seasoned of true crime fans. KINGS OF COKE is produced by Michael Kronish and directed by Julian Sher, and is set to premiere on Crave later this year. (Connect 3, Urbania Media)
COMING HOME – Crave Original Documentary
COMING HOME is a feature-length documentary by director Erica Daniels taking viewers behind the scenes of the production of the much anticipated Crave Original drama series LITTLE BIRD, and the groundbreaking movement for Indigenous narrative sovereignty as experienced by the series’ creatives, crew and 60’s Scoop advisors. Intimate behind the scenes footage, interviews, and period archive interweave to trace and reveal the ongoing legacy of the 60s scoop and the power of narrative reclamation. (Rezolution Pictures, Logical Mayhem, APTN)
NAKED – Crave Original Documentary *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)
RESIDENT ORCA – Crave Original Documentary *previously announced
In the summer of 2018, killer whale Tahlequah makes international news headlines, as she carries her dead calf for more than 17 days and 1,000 miles in an unprecedented show of mourning. Almost 50 years earlier, at the height of the capture era in the Pacific Northwest, four-year-old Lolita is taken in a deadly round-up that separates a mother from her calf, and seals Lolita’s and her wild relatives’ fate. Today, at 56, Lolita is the last remaining Southern Resident Orca in captivity, living in the same concrete tank, thousands of miles from home, where her endangered family struggles to survive. RESIDENT ORCA tells the story of an unlikely partnership between Indigenous elders, a billionaire, journalists, politicians, a whistle-blowing veterinarian, and an ex-Orca catcher as they take on the impossible task of freeing Lolita from captivity and returning her to the Salish Sea to be near her presumed 92 year old mother once again. Meanwhile, a team of scientists led by killer whale godfather, Ken Balcomb, tracks the wild whale’s decline towards extinction asking what it means for us to reconcile the past and fight for a future where we can all survive. Co-directed and executive produced by Simon Schneider and Sarah Sharkey Pearce. (Everyday Films)
ROCK & ROLL REVIVAL (wt) – Crave Original Documentary
ROCK & ROLL REVIVAL (wt) tells the incredible behind-the-scenes story of how against all odds, a history-changing concert came together. This revealing documentary uncovers a series of interesting characters, murky deals, and broken promises, culminating in John Brower, a young struggling promoter, putting his life on the line (literally) in order to achieve his goal. Directed by Ron Chapman and produced by Trish Dolman, Sally Blake, and Ron Chapman. Written by Phyllis Ellis. (Screen Siren Pictures, Chapman Productions, and Films a Cinq)
“SINC”: THE CHRISTINE SINCLAIR STORY – TSN *previously announced
An original documentary that charts the rise of Canada’s greatest soccer player, Christine Sinclair, through both an athletic lens and a tale of humanity, and compassion. (UNINTERRUPTED Canada)
SMOKE & GIFTS – Crave Original Documentary
Filmmaker Stephen Chung pulls back the curtain on the community of musicians and friends of the trailblazing band Broken Social Scene. This stunning POV documentary features never before seen archival footage and pays tribute to the power of indie music and the artists who started out in Toronto bars before rocketing to global fame. (Fathom Film Group)
UNINTERRUPTED Canada: BLACK ICE – TSN *previously announced
UNINTERRUPTED Canada: BLACK ICE explores the journey of Black hockey players from the creation of The Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes to the modern-day NHL, highlighting their often overlooked and marginalized contributions to the game. BLACK ICE elevates these individuals who passionately followed a dream to play a sport that continues to be plagued by racial inequity and their collective aspirations to change a sport’s culture. BLACK ICE is directed by OSCAR® and EMMY®-nominated Hubert Davis and produced by Vinay Virmani. Drake, Adele “Future” Nur, LeBron James, Maverick Carter and Scott Moore are Executive Producers. (UNINTERRUPTED Canada, DreamCrew Entertainment, and The SpringHill Company)
UNINTERRUPTED Canada: CHRIS BOUCHER – TSN
From homeless on the streets of Montréal to NBA Champion, Chris Boucher’s story is one of the great, untold narratives in Canadian sport. (UNINTERRUPTED Canada)
UNINTERRUPTED Canada: THE GRIZZLIE TRUTH – TSN *previously announced
The film explores the mysterious departure of the Vancouver Grizzlies NBA franchise through the eyes of director and superfan Kathleen S. Jayme. Her search, 25 years after the team left, explores the unique and remarkable untold story behind the franchise’s downfall and the impact it had on the community. Much more than a sports story, THE GRIZZLIE TRUTH is a blend of mystery, mixed with a comedy of errors and a true underdog epic that drives Jayme’s search for the truth about what happened to the franchise. (Grizz Films in partnership with UNINTERRUPTED Canada)
UNINTERRUPTED Canada: WICK – TSN *previously announced
WICK is a triumphant, reflective, and inspiring story which provides audiences with an intimate and unfiltered snapshot into the world of Canadian icon Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser. The documentary takes viewers on a tour of Wickenheiser’s life journey: from growing up on a farm in Saskatchewan, to teaching women in India and North Korea how to play hockey, to contributing to countless charitable causes and choosing to pursue a medical degree, all the while winning four Olympic hockey golds, seven world championships, and becoming the first female to ever play pro men’s hockey in Europe. (UNINTERRUPTED Canada)
WILFRED BUCK – Crave Original Documentary *previously announced
WILFRED BUCK is a hybrid feature documentary centring on a Cree elder who’s dedicated his life to unearthing and sharing Indigenous star knowledge. 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 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)
__________________________________
As mentioned earlier in the confirmed Fall lineup, and hot off its Canadian Screen Award-winning success, CTV‘s TRANSPLANT has been ordered for a third season, with 13 new episodes to come. Stars Hamza Haq and Laurence Leboeuf were there to make an appearance.
CTV Original Comedy Series CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING also will be back for a second season, and Stars Aaron Abrams, Meaghan Rath and Ennis Esmer were here to tell us about it!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Opening in Toronto on the Danforth just before the Pandemic and pivoting quickly to sustainably-packaged takeaway, PAPYRUS – Eat Like an Egyptian quickly has won a loyal fanbase in its short time in-operation. The stellar Google Reviews time and again speak for themselves.
Finally, as we navigate our way through these challenging times, the compact establishment located at 337 Danforth Avenue, just west of Chester Station, is ready now to welcome patio dining and indoor dining inside its Pharaoh’s Den. Decorated thoughtfully with nods to history including Rosetta Stones, Chef Am Elimam’s pride and attention to detail and the history of Egyptian cuisine are palpable. If you’re lucky, some nights you even get live Music.
He tells us at a Private Tasting that his goal is to serve fresh-tasting Cuisine, introducing Egyptian food further into the mainstream. Even we admit, while our tastebuds are adventurous, we still don’t know much about it- other than having been delighted by Tut’s, which rightfully has earned its popularity with the Toronto set with its Egyptian Street Food, namely sandwiches and Dukka Fries. The Cuisine though still is uncharted territory for many of Toronto’s discerning palates.
Chef Amr actually only fully realized his passion for cooking late in life and he tells me this is actually his fourth career incarnation, after spending time in the corporate world. And you can sense it. He has a deep understanding of flavour and texture, working often with a Holy Trinity of Garlic, Olive Oil and Beans.
He didn’t start this restaurant simply to build a franchise and make money. He created a restaurant to make food for people who love food. The Menu isn’t extensive, but focuses on doing a few things very well. And believe it or not, very few of the items on the Menu contain meat. They are so flavourful and hearty that you forget that you’re missing the meat.
Some recommendations from the exquisite, unique Menu at PAPYRUS – Eat Like an Egyptian:
Certainly is worth a try, and you won’t leave hungry. With most items priced between $10-$20, this is an invitation for you to try more and share. A gem waiting to be discovered.
Learn more about PAPYRUS – Eat Like an Egyptian here.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
In just over six years, SHU KINGDOM HOTPOT have experienced exponential success, opening 150 locations in 60+ cities across China. Just earlier this year, they opened their first ever North American branch right here in Scarborough, and are ready to win the hearts of Hotpot-loving Canadians. And there are many, believe me!
Hotpot is one of my favourite things. I love the communal experience of gathering around the pot with family and friends, having casual conversations and getting a full belly. If you’ve never had it before, think Korean BBQ… sorta. But Hotpot is soup-based instead of grilled. You take a variety of ingredients like meats, vegetables and a variety of accoutrements, which you cook them in a fondue-like manner. Typically, the soup base is numbingly-spicy, but there are mild options for those who can’t take the heat. Hotpot is a favourite in cooler months, but loved year-round.
SHU KINGDOM GENERAL HOTPOT boasts a high-grade selection of meats, including Sliced Ribeye and Chuck Eye. What makes them stand-out is their opulent, romantic presentation. Their Ribeye alone tops more than 1 million orders a year in China alone! And we get it. Their beef is so succulent and tender. Skewered delicacies are bundled into special Bashu Combo platters, which are part of the order including shrimp, aorta, tripe, gizzards and kidneys.
As the menu is A la Carte, you get a higher-grade of meats than you would an an All You Can Eat-type Hotpot establishment. We love that for those who want to try different soup types and we chose a Regular Spicy Soup which was just right, plus a mild Pork Bone Soup. As the food here is inspired by the flavours of Sichuan province (Chengdu specifically), it is only fitting the that they bring the fire Sichuan cuisine is known for!
The decor even at this space is stunning. The bright, red lantern-lit space pays homage to Bashu Culture, just like its menu. The culture has a long history of over 3000 years, claimed to be one of the cradles of modern Chinese. The restaurant uses the legendary tale “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” as a point of reference in its aesthetic. This truly is an experience!
The venue is spacious and seating is comfortable with many private booths and VIP Rooms. The Menus is mindful even, giving cooking time recommendations for each ingredient. Overcooking your meats can drastically alter your enjoyment and experience, showing their attention to detail. Above all this, we’ve never seen this level of presentation in food at a Hotpot ever. Simply dynamic, and never to be forgotten!
See some highlights from our experience at SHU KINGDOM GENERAL HOTPOT:
What an amazing, ambient and satisfying time!
SHU KINGDOM HOTPOT is located at 390 Silver Star Blvd in Scarborough, and are open 12 PM-11 PM daily. Menu is available for Pickup and Dine-In. If you’re dining in groups, they have promotions on right now!
Can you high-kick? Look for this sign at the door to kick for a free add-on and up to 30% off!
Visit https://shukingdomgeneral.ca for more.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
For advertising opportunites please contact mrwill@mrwillwong.com