Documenting Black history in Canada
The CBC has greenlit an eightpart docuseries exploring the Black experience in Canada.
“Black Life: A Canadian History” is expected to debut in 2023. It will span 400 years, illuminating the role Black Canadians have played in shaping the country while also revealing “the truths of a history fraught with violence, racism, hardship and perseverance,” a news release says.
A team of prominent Black Canadians is helping to produce the series, including NHL all-star P.K. Subban, author and critic Nelson George, former governor-general Michaëlle Jean, rapper Shad and Black Lives Matter activist Ravyn Wngz.
Documentary producer Leslie Norville is the showrunner with Miranda de Pencier
(“Anne With an E”) executive producing.
Subban said the series will push the boundaries of conventional storytelling to be “gripping and dramatic in a way that audiences haven’t seen before.” Debra Yeo
Northern medical drama takes flight
CBC is aiming high with its new medical drama, which is set among the crews of air ambulances in remote northern Ontario.
The public broadcaster is partnering with Paramount Plus on “Skymed,” now in production in Manitoba and Ontario.
The show was inspired by the real-life experiences of creator Julie Puckrin’s sister and brother-in-law, who met flying in air ambulances in the North.
The drama stars Aaron Ashmore (“Killjoys”), Natasha Calis (“Nurses”), Ace Nadjiwan (“Batwoman”), Morgan Holmstrom (“Day of the Dead”), Praneet Akilla (“Nancy Drew”), Thomas Elms (“The Order”), Mercedes Morris (“Slasher”), Kheon Clarke (“Riverdale”), Rebecca Kwan (“Taken”) and Braeden Clarke (“Outlander”).
Produced by Toronto’s Piazza Entertainment, it’s expected to premiere in 2022-23.
Debra Yeo
Kanye rushed to battle Drake
Todd Rundgren is offering some background information about the sketchy release of Kanye West’s 10th studio album.
Rundgren, who worked on “Donda,” says it was rushed in order to compete with Drake’s “Certified Lover Boy.”
“My involvement went on for a year and, in the end, I realized why they hurriedly wrapped the whole thing up and put out what is obviously really raw, unprocessed stuff,” he told Townsquare Media’s Ultimate Classic Rock site. “It’s because Drake was running the whole process.”
Hours after the Aug. 29 release, West claimed that Universal Music Group released “Donda” without his approval. New York Daily News
Briefly
The Toronto International Film Festival is reporting a “low risk” case of COVID-19 in an audience member who attended press and industry screenings. Although TIFF offered no other details, several festivalgoers tweeted screenshots of emails saying they may want to get tested. The screenings involved were “Dune,” “The Humans” and “Bergman Island” at Scotiabank Theatre.
• The Tragically Hip will release a special 30th anniversary version of “Road Apples,” the band’s first album to hit No. 1, on Oct. 15. It will be available in deluxe CD, vinyl and Pure Audio Blu-ray audio box sets. The band will also release a stripped-down version of “Fiddler’s Green,” with Rob Baker on guitar and the late Gord Downie’s vocals, on Friday.
• Rolling Stone magazine has updated its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time for the first time in 17 years, with Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” bumping “Like a Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan out of top spot. In second place is Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power,” displacing the Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” Nearly half the songs are new, with far more hip hop, country, Latin pop, reggae and R&B on the list.
Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg has released his first nonfungible token, a oneminute short titled “The Death of David Cronenberg,” shot by his daughter, Caitlin Cronenberg. The reserve price in the digital art marketplace SuperRare is 15 ether, or about $4,500, as of Thursday.
• Actor Mayim Bialik and former “Jeopardy!” champion Ken Jennings will fill in as hosts for the remainder of the year, following the exit of host and executive producer Mike Richards. Bialik will host through Nov. 5, after which she and Jennings will “split hosting duties as their schedules allow.” Star staff, wire services