It’s one of our favourite times of the year. The Upfronts are here in Toronto this week and first to go is Rogers Media, unveiling their new 2017/2018 programming lineup. The unveiling, presented at Metro Toronto Convention Centre, brought-in some fresh and exciting new talent to the city. Colette Watson, SVP at Rogers Media says that their line-up has “something for everyone every night of the week.”.
Highlighting the schedule are five new comedies, four new dramas, three new Canadian titles, two live musical events and one fan-favourite competition series!
Rogers Media is number one targetting the 18-49 demographic with their programming and Rogers Media remains Canada’s #1 sports brand.
BAD BLOOD, GHOSTED, LA>VEGAS, THE ORVILLE and THE RESIDENT are brand new and returning or debuting on Rogers Media are SPEECHLESS, THE BLACKLIST, DANCING WITH THE STARS and VERSAILLES.
Among the series and specials returning to Rogers Media‘s lineup are LETHAL WEAPON, HELL’S KITCHEN, THE MICK, MODERN FAMILY, THE MIDDLE, MOM, THE BACHELOR, BLACK-ISH, BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, FAMILY GUY, LIFE IN PIECES, THE LAST MAN ON EARTH, SCORPION and NEW GIRL.
Live Musicals RENT and A CHRISTMAS STORY also will be marquee events to air.
Stars in attendance were Manish Dayal (The Resident), Edward Weeks (LA>Vegas), Kim Matula (LA>Vegas) and Diego Klattenhoff (The Blacklist).
See some Snaps. Hover over left and right of post to navigate slideshow!
(Swipe left!) More #RogersUpfront fun with Rogers Media’s finest!
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For more on the complete 2017/2018 line-up and schedule, click here.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
The last of the Upfronts this week Corus (Shaw) unveiled their Fall 2016 lineup today with talent coming into town for the festivities by the waterside, before partying at the former Maple Leaf Gardens (Mattamy Athletic Centre).
Names in town included David Eigenberg (Chicago Fire), Jason Beghe (Chicago PD), Michael Weatherly (Bull), Kylie Bunbury (Pitch), Famke Janssen (The Blacklist Redemption), Erick McCormack (The Travelers), Clive Standen (Vikings), Patrick Winchester (Chicago Justice), Nick Gehlfuss (Chicago Med), Jason Priestley (Private Eyes), Cindy Sampson (Private Eyes) and Joel McHale (The Great Indoors).
See some our Snaps with the Stars of the Corus Upfront!
Joel McHale
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Phillip Winchester
#PhillipWinchester at #CorusUpfront for #ChicagoJustice.
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Mike Holmes
Cindy Sampson + Jason Priestley
#CindySampson + #JasonPriestley at #CorusUpfront for #PrivateEyes.
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Kylie Bunbury
Clive Standen
#CliveStanden at #CorusUpfront for #Vikings.
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David Eigenberg
Michael Weatherly
#MichaelWeatherly at #CorusUpfront for #Bull.
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Nick Gehlfuss
#NickGehlfuss at #CorusUpfront for #ChicagoMD.
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Complete list of Fall Programming here.
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
It’s that time of year again! We look forward always to the Upfronts every year and Canada’s big three Television giants: Bell Media, Corus (Shaw) and Rogers gather potential Ad Buyers to unveil a sneak peak of their upcoming television season lineups including series picked up for additional seasons and new acquisitions!
Rogers is first to roll this year and an army of talent came out today for the mega-presentation at Rogers Centre tonight which includes a reception, gala and afterparty!
Some stars were up and at it early today, appearing on City‘s Breakfast Television – which by the way, remains Canada’s top morning show by a wide margin – with Adam Wylde and Dina Pugliese, including Jay Baruchel (Toronto-made Man Seeking Woman Season 3), Adam Pally (Making History), Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth) and Damon Wayans (Lethal Weapon). All Series air this Fall on CITY, with the exception of Man Seeking Woman which is on FXX. The latter network continues to see double-digital growth and will thrive when Pick-and-Pay fully enters the cable market as an option later this year.
Many other new and returning series, specials and staples were revealed including Tom Hardy‘s Taboo, The Mick, animated-live action Son of Zorn, American Crime Story: Katrina, Hairspray (live), Rocky Horror Picture Show (filmed in Toronto) and more, proving Television v. much is alive!
See some of the stars as they quickly make their rounds today!
Baruchel
#DamonWayans at #RogersUpfront with #LethalWeapon. 🔫
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#AdamPally (#HappyEndings, #TheMindyProject #DirtyGrandpa) at #RogersUpfront for #MakingHistory.
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Forte
Funnyman #WillForte in town for #RogersUpfront. He stars in new series, #TheLastManonEarth! 👤🌍
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#WillForte. #TheLastManonEarth #RogersUpfront 👤🌍
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See our Snapchat Video of our #RogersUpfront experience!
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(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Let’s be real. We can never have enough Celeb Selfies! 2014 was a year I’ll never forget and will forever go down as one of our most star-studded yet! Our travels brought us to L.A. and New York, but our most exciting adventures took place here in our Hometown of Toronto! Let’s take a walk down our star-studded memory lane to some of our fave Celeb moments of 2014!
Who were you most excited to see? The red-hot Benedict Cumberbatch? The private Usher? The iconic Tom Cruise? The adorable Anna Kendrick? “It Boy” Ansel Elgort? How about “It Girl” Shailene Woodley? The incredibly-tough Reese Witherspoon? The irresistible Tom Hardy?!
Also, we want to share with you some of our fave of the several thousand Celeb Snaps we took in 2014! Chances are if there was a major Star in-town this year, we at some point snapped them!
2014 will go down as one of the strongest years for Cinema in recent memory, but which Movies rocked our World? And which Singles ruled our iPod? You’re about to find out!
Re-live some of our Fave Celeb Selfies of 2014 (click HD for better quality):
TOP PHOTOS:
Tinashe, Tattoo Rock Parlour
Rachel McAdams at Canada’s Walk of Fame
Ryan Reynolds + Peter Fonda at Canada’s Walk of Fame
Tove Lo, The Phoenix
Robert Pattinson at the NKPR IT Lounge, TIFF ’14
Channing Tatum, TIFF ’14
Steve Carell, TIFF ’14
Denzel Washington, TIFF ’14
Felicity Jones, TIFF ’14
Kevin Costner, TIFF ’14
Adam Sandler, TIFF ’14
Robert Downey Jr., TIFF ’14
Tom Hardy, TIFF ’14
Ian Somerhalder, Fan Expo 2014
Elijah Wood, Fan Expo 2014
Norman Reedus, Fan Expo 2014
Shawn Mendes, Universal Music Canada
One Direction, Where We Are Tour
5 Seconds of Summer, Summer 2014
Daniel Radcliffe + Zoe Kazan, The F Word Toronto Premiere
Katy Perry, Prismatic World Tour
Lady Gaga, Artrave Tour
Charlie Sheen, Joe Carter Classic Afterparty
Gordon Lightfoot, SOCAN Awards
Missy Peregrym + Charlotte Sullivan, Shaw Media Upfronts
Charlie Barnett + Jesse Lee Soffer, Shaw Media Upfronts
Stephen Amell, Bell Media Upfronts
Kirsten Vangsness, Bell Media Upfronts
Elizabeth Henstridge, Bell Media Upfronts
Katie Holmes, Met Gala, NYC
Blake + Ryan, Met Gala, NYC
Hugh Jackman, Met Gala, NYC
Lily Aldridge + Kate Upton, Met Gala, NYC
Dakota Johnson (50 Shades of Grey), Met Gala, NYC
Marion Cotillard, Met Gala, NYC
Joshua Jackson + Diane Kruger, Met Gala, NYC
Zac Efron, NYC
Iggy Azalea, The New Classic Tour
Cher, D2K Tour
Miley Cyrus, Bangerz Tour
Katheryn Winnick, Canadian Screen Awards
Martin Short, Canadian Screen Awards
Shay Mitchell, Canadian Screen Awards
Maria Bello, David Cronenberg + Viggo Mortensen, Canadian Screen Awards
Laura Vandervoort + Olivier Trevena, Canada’s Stars of the Awards Season Gala, L.A.
Ellen Wong, Canada’s Stars of the Awards Season Gala, L.A.
TOP FILMS:
1. WHIPLASH
2. GONE GIRL
3. NIGHTCRAWLER
4. WILD
5. BIRDMAN
6. THE IMITATION GAME
7. FOXCATCHER
8. THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING
9. THE FAULT IN OUR STARS
10. THE LEGO MOVIE
Perhaps under-seen, WHIPLASH is the one Film you absolutely must see this year. J.K. Simmons and Miles Teller will shatter your World with their performances! You’ll leave shaken and sobered.
TOP SINGLES
1. ALL ABOUT THAT BASS – Meghan Trainor
2. BLANK SPACE – Taylor Swift
3. WEST COAST – Lana Del Rey
4. BOOM CLAP – Charli XCX
5. POMPEII – Bastille
6. STAY WITH ME – Sam Smith
7. SHE LOOKS SO PERFECT – 5 Seconds of Summer
8. COUNTING STARS – OneRepublic
9. SHAKE IT OFF – Taylor Swift
10. SAY SOMETHING – A Great Big World ft. Christina Aguilera
2014 was all about that bass for us. Meghan Trainor blew our mind with her positive message about body image. We’re sold and extremely excited for her 2015 full-length Debut.
Won’t you join us as we embark on more exciting adventures in Entertainment 2015? Also stay tuned for an upcoming Post where our Contributors Jonathan Godfrey, Justin Waldman, David Baldwin and George Kozera share their fave Films of 2014 too!
Happy Holidays, Willionaire$!
Photos Post-TIFF ’14 taken on Nikon D3300. Photos pre-TIFF ’14 taken on Olympus E-PL5/Samsung S4.
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
One thing I’ve learned in life is that you can never underestimate Selena Gomez. She is an absolute Pop Star and legitimately has transitioned from Disney Star to an actual Pop Princess. Amidst all the bustle in Toronto last week with the Upfronts I didn’t get a chance to listen to her brand new Track Slow Down, the second Single from upcoming Disc Stars Dance.
Written by Lindy Robbins, Julia Michaels, Niles Hollowell-Dhar, David Kuncio, Freddy Wexler and produced by The Cataracs (Dev, Icona Pop), the Track is phenomenal. If you ask me, I like it even more than current Single Come & Get It which already is perhaps her biggest hit yet reaching the Top Ten in both Canada and the U.S.. I really cannot wait to hear more!
Listen below:
Complete Tracklisting on Stars Dance:
1. Birthday
2. Slow Down
3. Stars Dance
4. Like A Champion
5. Come & Get It
6. Forget Forever
7. Save The Day
8. B.E.AT.
9. Write Your Name
10. Undercover
11. Love Will Remember
Universal Music releases Stars Dance on Tuesday, July 23, 2013, the same day as labelmate Mariah Carey. I know HMV at 10:00 AM sharp is where I’ll definitely be that day!
Pre-Order now on iTunes.
Official Artwork:
Billy and I had the pleasure of meetingGomez again in Toronto a couple weeks back. Super-exiting. Read more about that here!
(Photo credit: Universal Music)
Based upon the Mexican TV Series Ellas son la Alegría del Hogar, Canadian Desperate Housewives Fans will revel in delight knowing that Creator Marc Cherry’s Devious Maids at long last has found a home on Lifetime Canada. Several were left shocked and disappointed after news broke the original Pilot had not been picked-up by ABC despite being ordered early 2012 by the Network.
The Series centers around four Latina Maids who work in Beverly Hills for some of the most powerful and wealthy Families. Certainly not short on juiciness, many will savour the scandal. There’s murder, love, affairs, secrets and betrayal galore. Meet Marisol (Ana Ortiz of Ugly Betty), Rosie (Dania Ramirez of ), Carmen (Roselyn Sánchez) and Zoila (Judy Reyes), who in the Desperate Housewives universe respectively would kinda/sorta be your Susan, Lynette, Gabrielle and Bree. Add to that mix the return of Soap Opera Royalty Susan Lucci as the commanding, self-absorbed and youth-obsessed Heiress Genevieve, Zoila‘s Boss.
Arriving in Toronto to unveil the brand new Series at today’s 2013 Shaw Media Upfronts, Stars Ortiz and Lucci greet me in their Hotel Suite, the former elegant in emerald green, the latter stunning in sapphire blue. I could not help but be in awe of how amazing Lucci (a Grandmother of four) looks, long-heralded as Queen of the Soaps with a record-breaking 21 Daytime Emmy Nominations in the iconic role of Erica Kane on All My Children. Ortiz whom we all loved as Elder Sister Hilda Suarez in Ugly Betty, is as vivacious as expected in person, eloquent really.
We talk first about Casting and how they came to be involved in what potentially could be a Breakout Hit and both point to the Man who started it all – Cherry. Oritz tells me about her observant and cool Character who harbours a deep, dark secret. “Marc had approached me and after some meetings and asked me which Maid I gravitated toward most. I didn’t even hesitate it was always Marisol”, she recalls. “We read together and after that I was like ‘Where do I sign?’”.
Lucci meanwhile tells me it was Fan Feedback which helped connect her and Cherry. “There had been a lot online suggesting I was going to go on Desperate Housewives and it wasn’t coming from me nor Mark – it was largely Fan-driven”, says Lucci. “He told me that Show was actually finished being written and that he had a new one called Devious Maids that was being written. I got a call to audition and he didn’t tell me how was going to pronounce my name. I didn’t know whether it was “Jen-ah-veev” or “Jon-vee-yev”. It was the under-the-bed scene we did and I loved it, I was at home in New York then. It was hysterical when I read it and I loved it.”. That scene she is describing certainly is funny indeed, as we are introduced to her Character clasping a bottle of pills, suicidal after being dumped by her much younger Fling.
Cherry certainly has created some dynamic Characters once again here in Devious Maids and his talented Ensemble would agree. Ortiz is not shy about paying her respects declaring, “Thank you Marc Cherry for writing these really wonderful, complex Women that we really are in real life, and doing it so succinctly with so many Women and so many different Characters.”. “Because we’re creating these characters, we’re doing it all together. Marc will talk to us for an hour if we have any questions.”. Chiming-in, Lucci adds “He’s such a vision and it’s coming from a good place. After he sees rehearsal he’ll give you a little note to tweak it a certain way and it’s always right on the money. It’s very much an Ensemble.”.
What makes Devious Maids unique is its over-the-top Novela (“in the best sense of the word” as Lucci puts it) vibe and its humorous look at Class Relations. “What’s so wonderful about the Show is that you see these incredible Beverly Hills mansions and glamour through the Maids’ eyes”, says Ortiz. “There’s definitely the aspect of class difference, but Marc has made it about the Characters and their relationships with one another. I guess the comment is that as far apart as we are, we are all still very similar and we all have so much more in common than we realize.”.
Ortiz and and Lucci both admit that they too have needed help too in order for them to be able to fulfill their own dreams as Mothers and Actresses. On finding balance, Ortiz states “Women have been doing this centuries not just on TV, it’s just what we do. The fact that you had those Women helping you, who enabled you to be a Working Mom. I have a Daughter and it’s so important she sees me working because that’s when I’m most happy – doing what I love, fulfilling my dreams and passions”. “It’s more than just about Women cleaning your house or helping you with your Children. There’s such a special relationship there and Marc really has been able to finesse that and bring it to life.”.
Lucci reveals that she also has benefited from help and admits, “I know that I could never have done what I did without the incredibly warm and smart help of Frieda, who has been with me for 30 years. There’s only one other person who got a page in my Book and that’s Frieda!”, she laughs.
Enjoy the Audio from our Chat below:
Our Snap:
Devious Maids premieres Sunday, June 23, 2013 on Lifetime Canada. Click here for more.
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
It’s a hit! CTV Two‘s Arrow nails the target, scoring a ratings record for the Network with an audience of 1.1 million Viewers across Canada in its Debut. Overall, the Series ranked number three last night. The Series which stars Toronto’s Stephen Amell, has the distinction of being the Network’s top rated Series Premiere ever. It also more than doubled the Viewers of Emmy and Golden Globe Winner, Modern Family at 8:00 PM.
An Encore Presentation of Arrow airs this coming Sunday, October 14, 2012 at 9:00 PM on CTV.
Check out some Snaps of Amell which I got at the CTV Upfronts this Spring here. And I just might have an Autograph of his to give away!
To enter to win a Signed Photo from Stephen Amell, simply click “like” on this Post on Mr. Will Wong on Facebook. All are welcome to enter. Your deadline is November 12, 2012. You must also be following on Twitter.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
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