A Time Traveller's Guide To Television Acting

William Hartnell as the original Doctor Who. BBC

British television acting has changed a lot since the days of live drama. With the exception of soaps and some sitcoms – such as Ben Elton’s Upstart Crow – production has shifted from multi-camera studio to single camera location and the rehearsal process that was once so vital is now little more than a table-read at best. At worst, it’s a brief discussion with the director on the shoot. The other side of this coin is that training for TV – which used to be an afterthought at drama schools focused on stagecraft – is now a much larger part of a performer’s toolkit. So, what impact have these changes had on how actors work for TV?

That was the question I wanted to answer when I undertook my own research. I interviewed more than 30 actors, directors and producers from six decades of television drama and looked at a selection of TV sci-fi programmes, including The Quatermass Experiment, Doctor Who and Survivors – each of which was remade in the 2000s. These provided both a historical overview and a “then and now” comparison of changing acting styles.

As most early television was live, we don’t have many recorded examples of TV acting before the 1950s. The accusation often made about these performances is that they are “stagey” or “mannered”. But watching the opening episode of Quatermass shows that some actors were already learning to scale down their theatre performances to something more suited to the small screen.

‘Studio realism’
Yes, there are wide, and at times hilarious, variations in the level of projection used for voice and body (by modern standards, W. Thorp Devereux is particularly wooden). But the lead actor, Reginald Tate, had already perfected a style that wouldn’t be entirely out of place today. Unlike some of his colleagues he keeps unnecessary gestures to a minimum and his voice is only as loud as it needs to be for the boom microphones. I’ve called this emerging style “studio realism”.

Ten years later, the cast of Doctor Who were much more consistent when it came to gesture and vocal projection. Studio realism was beginning to bed in. The coming of videotape made little difference to the BBC’s production routine: the cast still practised lines and actions in a rehearsal room before moving into the studio. However, there is less sense of a theatre performance being given – despite the fact that the stage is where most actors still cut their teeth.

‘Location realism’
In the mid 1970s, Survivors saw the start of a sea change, away from the studio and on to location, albeit with outside broadcast cameras more often used to cover football matches. This is the start of modern “location realism”. Being out on site means the “frontal” acting required by three-walled studio sets can be abandoned and – no longer surrounded by the technological paraphernalia of Television Centre – many of the cast are pitching their lines at a more natural level.

Thirty years on, the relaunched Doctor Who and Survivors featured actors who had spent more time on screen than on stage and an arguably more spontaneous acting style has emerged. These day rehearsals have virtually disappeared and the production block is devoted primarily to filming. Scenes are usually recorded out of story order and the emphasis is now on repeated takes. Whereas multi-camera meant actors were playing scenes (and sometimes whole episodes) all the way through, the modern TV actor’s job is less a case of staying “in the moment” for a practised performance than an attempt to maintain “the illusion of the first time” (a phrase coined by US actor William Gillette to describe the actor’s art of making a scripted scene seem live and unrehearsed) while keeping continuity firmly in mind. All on increasingly tight shooting schedules.

In addition, the screen training now provided at drama schools, where students are warned they will be “too big” for TV, has led to an under-projected physical and vocal style that can sometimes frustrate audiences and directors. BBC shows such as Jamaica Inn and SS-GB have both come under fire for inaudibility.

When The Quatermass Experiment was remounted live by the BBC in 2005, the cast and crew were attempting to recreate a production template that fell out of use decades before. Intensive and lengthy rehearsals were required and nerves ran so high on the night that the adrenaline-fuelled, accelerated production came in significantly under time.

While most of those involved enjoyed the challenge – particularly the generous preparation time – few wanted to see such a stressful model become the norm again. However, nearly everyone I spoke to said they would like more rehearsal. Actress Louise Jameson explained:

The absolute ideal is film, one camera – hours to light it, hours to rehearse it. When you’ve got that kind of luxury it’s fabulous, but it’s so rare.

My research showed that, while British TV acting hasn’t always followed a straight or predictable path, the scaled-down style of location realism has now almost entirely replaced studio realism. What direction it will take next, in an age of multi-platform and mobile viewing, remains to be seen.

About Today's Contributor:
Richard Hewett, Lecturer in Media Theory, University of Salford

This article was originally published on The Conversation.

Experience The Ultimate Space Saga With Comic Book Series Space Junkies

Space Junkies are here! Experience the ultimate space saga (PRNewsfoto/Space Junkies)

Space Junkies comic book series and related entertainment activities by S.K. Arunachalam are set to invade Earth stores and other venues where intergalactic adventures are sold.

The saga begins as a rag-tag band of space pirates led by Captain Ggreed, along with Navigation Officer Puig the Ragin' Pig, Communication Officer Margo, Science Officer Jisp, Tech Expert Preston, three Slugs intoxicated on MOJO, and others, stumble upon a rare and extremely valuable source of fuel known on the black market as Cheesecake.

Problems escalate as the Space Junkies find themselves jetting around in their Junk Jumper ship to such exotic locations as Planet Blue Cheesecake, Terra 2.0 and space station Yellow4z901 in a battle against forces bent on securing the valuable treasure for themselves. An evil Russian Mob Boss and a love-jilted Chicken have sided with an alien force called the Waquokx who, in turn, are ruled by a devious entity that has escaped from an other-dimensional prison with both a lust for galactic control and a seething desire for revenge.

Meanwhile, dark forces are turning galactic citizens into zombies that are being fitted with colorful sneakers, allowing strange outsiders to control their actions through newly created Z-bots. Ghastly beasts are also being recruited from beyond a secret portal to join in the takeover. When the Waquokx attack the capital of Terra 2.0, the Space Junkies are commissioned by the Mayor to discover the agenda behind the invasion and stop the dark forces.

The Space Junkies' lust for Cheesecake and strong sense of self-preservations drives them ever further into a mystery that could either save the day... or end it all. 

About S.K. Arunachalam
Author/writer S.K. Arunachalam studied Visual Communications at Loyola, Chennai, and, after graduating in 2012, he pursued creative studies at the New York Film Academy. The knowledge and training gleaned from those efforts have led to various scripts, books and other works - the latest of which is the Space Junkies series.

S.K. Arunachalam created Space Junkies as a comical approach to the hit movie series Star Wars that leads readers on a fast-paced adventure through a galaxy "only a stone's throw away." The idea for the story evolved while Arunachalam was on a trip to Leh Ladakh, India. While stargazing one clear night, he began to question Chewbacca's loyalty to Han Solo and how the hairy sidekick might have begrudged Solo's authority over the years. That curious pondering of the question under the Milky Way sky led to the formation of characters Ggreed and Puig who, although pirating partners in obtaining ill-gotten gain, were engaged in a continuous struggle for dominance and control.

As the development of Space Junkies ensued, Arunachalam included such key ingredients as greed, lust, pride and betrayal that are the foundation of another popular show, The Game of Thrones. Other exciting elements have been skillfully woven into the story, such as magic potions, super powers, and hideous creatures that give the tale an extra kick of adventure.

In order to bring the Space Junkies to life, S.K. Arunachalam teamed up with skilled penciller/colorist Christian Mirra and inker/colorist Quirino Calderone of SmArt Studio. The result is a captivating tale that has been professionally illustrated and promises to wow its audience.

The Future of Space Junkies
Space Junkies comic book series will offer dozens of issues based on the exciting saga. Three spectacular volumes of Space Junkies tales have been written so far and an outline for a fourth volume is currently underway. Fans will be able to enjoy the ongoing tale as Ggreed, Puig, Margo and the gang chase after the elusive Cheesecake that changes hands more than your favorite dessert.

Plans are also in the works to adapt the Space Junkies comic into an animated television show that brings the colorful characters to life and has The Cheesecake Song as its theme. A possible Space Junkies movie may also materialize, giving the next generation of adventure-loving kids as well as adults new sources of silver screen entertainment.

However, the most exciting project on the drawing board is the development of a Space Junkies video game. One of the fun concepts of the story is that Ggreed and the gang discover that they are actually living in a complex video game with many of the characters controlled by Gamers. The Space Junkies video game will allow real, enthusiastic Gamers to enter the virtual BotZ World and join the action in the race to grab the Cheesecake, conquer foes and rule the Galaxy.

Regardless of whether one's desire is reading comic books, watching T.V. shows and movies, or participating in interactive video games, there is a ton of activities being planned for the growing number of Space Junkies fans!

The Trailer

SOURCE: Space Junkies

An All-Canadian, All-Star Team Brings Centre Ice to Centre Stage

The Hockey Sweater: A Musical (CNW Group/Société des célébrations du 375e anniversaire de Montréal)

Lace up your skates! The Segal Centre is proud to announce the cast and creative team of their upcoming world premiere, The Hockey Sweater: A Musical based on the short story by Roch Carrier, with Book and Lyrics by Emil Sher (Hana's Suitcase, The Boy in the Moon, and Beneath the Banyan Tree), and Music and Lyrics by Jonathan Monro (Composer of No Matter What, Variations on a Nervous Breakdown, and Music Supervisor on The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz: The Musical).The Segal is honoured to continue the legacy of this treasured Québec story by reinventing the classic tale into a modern musical for the whole family.

Commissioned and produced by the Segal Centre for Performing Arts, this original Canadian production is directed and choreographed by Stratford Festival hit-maker Donna Feore, whose recent production of Guys and Dolls has been wowing audiences this festival season.

Presented as part of the official programming of Montréal's 375th anniversary celebrations, The Hockey Sweater: A Musical will run at the Segal Centre from October 19 to November 12, 2017.

Homegrown talent takes a leading role

Trading off the part of Young Roch are two performing dynamos. Alessandro Gabrielli has been seen on many Montréal stages, along with numerous television appearances; including the role of Michael Banks in Juste pour rire's ongoing and acclaimed French-language production of Mary Poppins. Jesse Noah Gruman whose musical passion began at the age of three when he took up violin and who has been studying dance since the age of five, will be making his professional debut in this production.

Six more of the country's most talented young artists join the team

The Segal Centre is pleased to welcome a dynamic and gifted group of young artists, all between the ages of 11 and 13, to the Segal stage in this new homegrown musical. The young cast will feature Drew Davis, who began his acting career on camera at the age of five on Rookie Blue, and currently voices the roles of Marshall on Paw Patrol and Justin on Justin Time; Annelise Forbes, whose many credits include Pollyanna in Pollyanna, A New Musical (Lab/Yonge St. Theatricals) and Young Clara in The Nutcracker (Hamilton City Ballet); Jayden Greig, who has previously appeared as Ralphie in A Christmas Story (Neptune Theatre), and Michael Banks in Mary Poppins (Neptune Theatre and Drayton Entertainment); Lucas Kalechstein, who has also played Michael Banks in Mary Poppins for three seasons at the Lower Ossington Theatre and Flounder in Little Mermaid (UTC); Riley O'Donnell, who just recently performed throughout North America in the Acrobat Tour of Matilda the Musical as Lavender for which the ensemble received a 2017 Dora Mavor Moore award nomination; and Berkley Silverman completes the young group. She is a competitive dancer, and trained singer, best known for her 2017 Young Artist Award-winning role as the voice of Everest in Nickelodeon's Paw Patrol.

Talented artists of all ages

Richard Jutras, whose many theatre credits include Crazy for You and Damn Those Wedding Bells at the Segal, will be playing the part of an adult Roch Carrier looking back on his childhood. No stranger to rink-side hijinks, Jutras was nominated for a Gemini Award in both 2005 and 2006 for Best Ensemble in a Comedy for the hit CBC series, The Tournament. In the role of Roch's mother is Claire Lautier who has played leading roles on stages in New York, across the United States, and Canada; including six seasons as a leading actor at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. In the role of village priest (and referee) Father Delisle, is another Stratford and Shaw festival regular, Ian Simpson; he has previously worked with Director Donna Feore on The Sound of Music. Also making their Segal Centre debuts are Scott Beaudin who in addition to his musical theatre credits, has appeared on several television shows including Saving Hope, Murdoch Mysteries, and Degrassi: TNG, as Gaétan Ouellette; and Kate Blackburn who has performed in beloved musicals across the country like Little Mermaid(Globe Theatre) and Crazy for You (Gateway Theatre) as the school teacher, Mlle Therrien.

Theatre is a team sport too

Rounding out the exciting company are Andréane Bouladier (as seen in the North-American/Broadway tour of Les Misérables), Geneviève Dufour (who has performed many times at the Théâtre Français de Toronto), Jean-François Poulin (winner of the Juste pour rire Victor Award for Artist of the Year 2016 for his role as Bert in Mary Poppins), and Brandon Howard Roy who will be making his professional stage debut following three seasons with the Confederation Players. 

All four are graduates of Sheridan College's illustrious Musical Theatre Program.

A tribute to one of Montréal's great passions

Originally published in 1979, The Hockey Sweater recalls Carrier's childhood hockey mishaps during the winter of 1946. 

Like many young people in small towns across Québec, Roch and his friends lived for one thing only: hockey. They idolize the Montréal Canadiens' star-player Maurice Richard; each emulating "The Rocket's" every move. 

When Roch's favourite hockey sweater–a glorious "tricolore" emblazoned with the iconic #9–becomes over-worn and too small, his mother insists he get a new one. But when a mail-order mix-up leaves him dressed in the enemy colours of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Roch must learn the importance of what's in your heart, even when it's not on your sleeve.

The creative team will showcase the talents of Michael Gianfrancesco (Set and Costume Designer), Louise Bourret (Costume Co-Designer), Luc Prairie (Lighting Designer), and Peter Balov (Head of Sound). The production will also feature projections by Normal Studio. 

Their projection designs can be seen around Montréal in projects such as Montréal Symphonique and Cité Mémoire.

"We are thrilled to welcome this extraordinary company of adults and children as the final piece of the puzzle to this exciting production's development. Shining a light on this quintessential Québec story with such a brilliant group of artists is a musical theatre dream come true and a special gift to our city and country," said Segal Centre Artistic and Executive Director Lisa Rubin.

The Segal Centre is at the forefront of the Canadian musical revival

The Globe and Mail has recently named the Segal Centre "a prime location for developing new musicals under Artistic and Executive Director Lisa Rubin" and has listed The Hockey Sweater: A Musical a production to watch out for this fall due to the "impressive team behind it."

CAST
YOUNG ROCH/ANDRÉ Alessandro Gabrielli / Jesse Noah Gruman
MME CARRIER Claire Lautier
FATHER DELISLE Ian Simpson
GAÉTAN OUELLETTE Scott Beaudin
MLLE THERRIEN Kate Blackburn
WITH Andréane Bouladier, Geneviève Dufour, Jean-François Poulin & Brandon Howard Roy
AND ROCH'S TEAMMATES Drew Davis, Annelise Forbes, Jayden Greig, Lucas Kalechstein, Riley O'Donnell & Berkley Silverman
And featuring Richard Jutras as ROCH CARRIER

CREATIVE TEAM 
BOOK AND LYRICS Emil Sher
MUSIC AND LYRICS Jonathan Monro
BASED ON THE SHORT STORY "THE HOCKEY SWEATER" BY Roch Carrier, Translated into English by Sheila Fischman and Published by House of Anansi Press
DIRECTOR AND CHOREOGRAPHER Donna Feore
MUSICAL DIRECTOR Jonathan Monro
ORCHESTRATOR Oran Eldor
SET AND COSTUME DESIGNER Michael Gianfrancesco
COSTUME CO-DESIGNER Louise Bourret 
LIGHTING DESIGNER Luc Prairie
HEAD OF SOUND Peter Balov
PROJECTION DESIGN Normal Studio

BAND 
Jonathan Monro (Band Leader), Evan Watts Smith, Jason Field, Beth McKenna, Frederic Bourgeault, Vanessa Marcoux, and Parker Bert

For the full production team list, please visit segalcentre.org

PERFORMANCES 
October 19 – November 12, 2017

Previews:
Thursday, October 19 – 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 21 – 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 22 – 1:30 p.m. 
Monday, October 23 – 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, October 24 – 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, October 25 – 8:00 p.m.

Regular Run: 
Mondays – 7:00 p.m.
Tuesdays – Saturdays (closed Fridays) - 8:00 p.m.
Sundays – 7:00 p.m.

Matinées: 
Wednesdays, November 1 & 8 – 1:00 p.m. 
Sundays, October 29, November 5, and November 12 – 2:00 p.m.

SUNDAY @ THE SEGAL 
"The Making a New Canadian Musical": an in-depth look at the creative, legal, and technical aspects of producing a new Canadian musical.
Sunday, October 22 – 11:00 a.m. 
Entrance is free.

MONDAY NIGHT TALKBACKS
A chance to interact with the creators and actors of the play after the curtain goes down.  
Mondays, October 30 and November 6

The Hockey Sweater: A Musical is made possible with the generous support from Molson Foundation, with additional support from MUSE.

The Segal Centre gratefully acknowledges the NHL, the Montréal Canadiens, Maurice Richard Jr., and the Richard Family for their support of our project.

• NHL and NHL team marks are the property of the NHL and its teams. All Rights Reserved.

About the Segal Centre for Performing Arts
The Segal Centre for Performing Arts is a not-for-profit theatre company dedicated to nurturing, producing and presenting world-class English-language theatre and to showcasing the best professional artists from Montréal and beyond. A part of the community since 1967, the organization was reborn in 2007 as the Segal and has expanded to become a nationally recognized venue for the performing arts with a focus on creation, innovation, diversity and cross-cultural collaborations. Driven by a belief in the power of the arts to strengthen and connect communities, the Segal's programming emphasizes original interpretations of popular classic and contemporary works, new Canadian musicals and engaging productions with universal appeal. 

About the Society for the Celebration of Montréal's 375th Anniversary
The Society for the Celebration of Montréal's 375th Anniversary is a non-profit organization whose mission is to organize the festivities and socioeconomic initiatives that will mark Montréal's 375th anniversary in 2017. With a focus on promoting Montréal expertise, it acts as a catalyst for local forces to carry out its mandate: mobilize the community, implement a funding strategy, rigorously manage its financial resources, develop quality programming and ensure the visibility of the celebrations.

The Society receives financial support from the Ville de Montréal, the Québec government and the Canadian government, as well as private funding from 12 Great Montrealers. 

• For more information, see 375mtl.com.
• To learn more about the Québec government's contribution to Montréal's 375th anniversary, click here.

The Trailer

SOURCE: Société des célébrations du 375e anniversaire de Montréal

"The Sound" Conscientiously Promotes A Female Driven Film With Writer-Director, Producers, And Lead Actor

The Sound - In Theaters Friday September 29th, 2017

A Supernatural thriller, "The Sound" opens this Friday in theaters by MGMs Orion Pictures and Samuel Goldwyn Films via AMC and others with a simultaneous release on iTunes and all other major video-on-demand platforms. Rose McGowan, stars as Kelly Johansen, a writer and skeptic of the supernatural. 

As a specialist in acoustic physics she uses low frequency tactile sound-waves to debunk reported paranormal activities for her online blog. When presented with a new case of a supposedly haunted subway station, Kelly sets off to uncover the truth behind the hoax that involves a 40-year-old unexplained suicide. Her investigation takes her deep into the abandoned station where her skepticism is tested.

Directed, produced and written by Jenna Mattison, the film premieres at a time when the industry continues pushing for more female driven projects both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. Mattison does a great job of building the tension and fear throughout the film along with her Canadian team and producer Michele Weisler who executive produced, "The Ring" and "The Ring 2."

Costars include the ubiquitous Christopher Lloyd, who effectively plays a creepy night serviceman, Richard Gunn, Stephen McHattie along with Michael Eklund, as Detective Richards. Eklund comments, "The Sound pushed the limits and pulls our imagination out of the darkness we all keep locked away. Collaborating with two talented and inspiring female artists like Jenna and Rose on 'The Sound,' relights the darkness to the clarity of subtlety and detail while pushing us all to look to film and be reminded of magic."

Executive Producers Ben McConley and Jason Van Eman continue their support of various independent features throughout 2017. Van Eman states, "We are very conscientious about supporting women in entertainment, whether it is in TV, Film or global entertainment -focused endeavors, we need to support the narrative that women bring a fresh perspective to a wide bevy of entertainment projects and need the support of the global community from not only the initial financial investment but all the way through the business, creative and consumer process."

WeatherVane Productions Logo (PRNewsfoto/WeatherVane Productions)

WeatherVane Productions, along with Forrest Capital Partners is pleased to see many of its films have solid female influences being released this year including "A Quiet Passion," "1 Mile To You," "Amelia 2.0," and "Trafficked," staring Ashley Judd, which comes out to theaters October 6th. 

Van Eman states, "We consistently look to produce high quality projects that bring fresh ideas, diversity and solid business partners. Our films currently in post-production as well as our slate moving forward in early 2018 do exactly that." 

SOURCE: WeatherVane Productions

The Trailer:

Ban Monsanto's New Super Poison

Image via Avaaz.org

Dear friends,

Monsanto's spent a billion bucks pushing a super poison that kills almost every plant in its path -- except Monsanto GMOs. It even flies through the air onto neighbouring land!

But in days we can shut it down. 

After a massive outcry from 1,000 farmers, a key US state is now deciding whether to ban this poison. This will set a precedent to influence regulation around the world.

The body in charge is set to make their decision in days and Monsanto is mounting an intense pressure campaign. Let’s counter them by backing the farmers. When our call is big enough, we’ll launch a massive media campaign across the state, with our demand: get this billion dollar poison out of our fields and off our food! Add your name:  

Stand up to Monsanto

It's no surprise farmers are up in arms. As resistance to its pesticides increases, Monsanto's been pushing an even more toxic poison: Dicamba. This chemical spreads death with the wind, drifting onto neighbouring crops, trees, soil, and water -- and killing practically everything.

That's left farmers with a terrible choice -- switch to Monsanto GMO seeds, or watch their crops die. It’s a greedy scheme that will make Monsanto billions and destroy our food system.

But we can stop this. 17 US states opened Dicamba investigations and two Arkansas committees just recommended and the plant board recommended a ban. Now regulators from the EU to Latin America are watching carefully.

Monsanto launched a desperate attack blaming the problem on everything - the weather, farmers, bad scientists, the University of Arkansas - everything except the real cause: Dicamba. Let’s fight Monsanto and protect our fields and our food. With enough of us, we can win.

Stand up to Monsanto

For years, the Avaaz community has taken on the David vs Goliath fight to stop the corrupt takeover of our food system. And we are winning. Last year, we helped stop Monsanto from opening a flagship GM factory in Argentina, we stopped the EU from giving a new license to glyphosate, and now, we can help win in Arkansas where the next fight begins.

With hope and determination,

Loup Dargent
On behalf of Dalia, Nick, Danny, Allison, Ana Sofia, Camille and the rest of the Avaaz team

Sources:

• Arkansas one step from ban on controversial herbicide next summer 
• Scant Oversight, Corporate Secrecy Preceded US Weed Killer Crisis  
• Two states ban dicamba weed killer after drift complaints 
• Tests show dicamba's volatility 
• Arkansas Task Force aims for long-term recommendations on use of Dicamba 

Boy George, Alessia Cara, Nikki Sixx, Julia Michaels, And Jennifer Nettles Join Shania Twain And Fergie On THE LAUNCH

Image via The Launch's Facebook Page

With a musical pedigree spanning across multiple genres and decades, CTV announced today an additional roster of celebrity mentors for THE LAUNCH: Culture Club alumnus and Grammy Award-winner Boy George; international pop sensation, Canadian singer and songwriter Alessia Cara; rock icon and founding member of legendary rock band Mötley Crüe Nikki Sixx; sought-after songwriter with her own current hit single "Issues", Julia Michaels; and Grammy Award-winner and co-founder of country-pop duo Sugarland Jennifer Nettles. The artists join previously announced musical superstars Shania Twain, Fergie, and OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder as mentors on the inaugural season of the CTV original music series and international TV format THE LAUNCH.

Also joining previously announced song producers on THE LAUNCH, including world-renowned music mogul Scott Borchetta and OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder, are award-winning producers/songwriters busbee (P!nk, Shakira, Blake Shelton), Dann Huff (producer behind more than 50 #1 hit records ), Ian Kirkpatrick (behind multi-platinum hit songs from Jason Derulo and Selena Gomez), and Canada'sown Stephan Moccio, the music mastermind behind massive, inescapable hits like the quintuple-platinum "Wrecking Ball".

"We have assembled some of the most gifted and highly decorated talent in the music industry today to skyrocket THE LAUNCH into a new stratosphere of experience for both the emerging artists appearing on the series and for viewers across the country," said Randy Lennox, President, Bell Media. "We look forward to watching the emerging artists draw from the cumulative wealth of knowledge and experience that our mentors represent, and the sheer excitement of watching these musical industry powerhouses place their imprint on music's next big songs."

THE LAUNCH is an all-new, six-part music television series and international TV format delivers an authentic, behind-the-scenes look at the creation of a new original song. The first season of the Canadian version of the program is currently shooting in Toronto, before the format is rolled-out internationally later this year.

A summary of music industry superstars currently announced to participate in THE LAUNCH include (In alphabetical order):

ALESSIA CARA
Award winning Canadian singer/songwriter and Def Jam Recordings artist Alessia Cara emerged onto the music scene in 2015 with the release of her iconic anthem "Here" which garnered more than 500,000 total streams in its first week, going on to become Spotify's Most Viral Song of 2015 selling more than 3 million copies. That same year she released her full-length certified platinum KNOW-IT-ALL. In summer 2016, Cara supported Coldplay on their European and North American tour before hitting the road to headline her 'KNOW-IT-ALL PT II' tour. Cara lent her voice to "How Far I'll Go," the official song for Disney's animated film Moana; and her multi-platinum #1 hit single "Scars to Your Beautiful" is Cara's gut-wrenching take on female identity. Her most recent #1 hit with Zedd, "Stay" has sold more than 2 million copies and has been called the "song of the summer". A JUNO award winner for 2016 Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Cara has also been nominated for an American Music Award for Best New Artist of the Year, People's Choice Award for Favourite Breakout Artist, Billboard Award for Best New Artist, BET Award for Best New Artist, BBC Awards for Song of The Year, and 5 MTV VMAs, to name a few. 

BOY GEORGE
Universally recognized as one of the music industry's most iconic artists, Boy George first appeared on TOP OF THE POPS with Culture Club in 1982, and has sold more than 100 million singles and 50 million albums worldwide. In 1984, Culture Club won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist and BRIT Awards for Best British Group and Best British Single that same year. Culture Club became the first group since The Beatles to have three Top 10 hits in America from a debut album, and the first group in music history to have an album certified diamond in Canada.

busbee 
busbee is a Grammy-nominated songwriter and producer. He is based in Los Angeles and has worked extensively in Nashville, London, and numerous other territories. Many of his biggest hits as a songwriter have been 50/50 collaborations, including "Try" by P!nk, "My Church" by Maren Morris, "The Fighter" by Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood, and "Dark Side" by Kelly Clarkson. In addition, busbee was a cowriter on the recent crossover smash "H.O.L.Y." by Florida Georgia Line. Originally a classically trained jazz musician, busbee has collaborated with a wide range of artists as both a producer and songwriter, including Gwen Stefani, Lady Antebellum, Martin Garrix, Usher, Jon Bellion, Blake Shelton, Timbaland, and Kid Cudi.

DANN HUFF 
An award-winning session musician and record producer behind more than 50 #1 hit records since he started his career in L.A. and Nashville decades ago. Dann Huff has produced various artists including Faith Hill, Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, Thomas Rhett, Brett Young, Hunter Hayes, Jewel, Megadeth, Martina McBride, and Lonestar, to name just a few. The three-time Country Music Association Awards (CMAs) Musician of the Year winner, the four-time Academy of Country Music Awards (ACM) winner for Guitar Player of the Year, and the Country Producer of the Decade by Billboard Magazine in 2010, has played guitar on the albums of artists including Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Kenny Loggins, Reba McEntire, Celine Dion, Bob Seger, Shania Twain, Michael Bolton, Luther Vandross, Boz Scaggs, Donna Summer, Rod Stewart, Whitney Houston, and numerous more. 

FERGIE
Influencing a generation of stars to follow, Fergie remains pop's leading lady. On September 21, the eight-time Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum solo artist doubles down on her anxiously awaited visual experience and second full-length album, Double Dutchess — the first release from Dutchess Music, the label she founded in partnership with BMG in 2017. The album follows her 2006 debut solo release The Dutchess, which sold 7.2 million albums and 29 million tracks around the globe and yielded three #1 Billboard Hot 100 hits: "London Bridge," "Glamorous," and "Big Girls Don't Cry" and Top 5 smashes "Fergalicious" and "Clumsy." She also remains a driving force in The Black Eyed Peas whose legacy eclipses sales of 35 million records and 60 million tracks over the course of four multi-platinum offerings.

IAN KIRKPATRICK
A Grammy Award-nominated producer and songwriter, Ian Kirkpatrick has landed a dozen singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and is behind hits including Selena Gomez's critically acclaimed "Bad Liar" and Dua Lipa's #1 single on the U.K. singles chart "New Rules". Along with earning a Grammy® nomination for his work on Justin Bieber's multi-platinum album Purpose, he's also produced and written hit singles like Jason Derulo's #1 Top 40 single "Want to Want Me", Nick Jonas's certified single "Levels", and Andy Grammer's platinum hit "Fresh Eyes" and gold-certified "Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah)."

JULIA MICHAELS
Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, performer, and 2017's biggest global breakout star, Julia Michaels' 2016 debut single "Issues" was certified RIAA double-platinum in the U.S., and crossed worldwide consumption of 6 million units in less than six months, becoming the best-selling song by a new artist and the highest on-demand audio streaming song by a new artist released in 2017 according to Nielsen Music. Michaels has also solidified herself as one of pop music's most in-demand songwriters, co-writing a string of Billboard Hot 100 hits alongside musician Justin Tranter, including smashes like Justin Bieber's "Sorry," Nick Jonas ft. Tove Lo's "Close," Selena Gomez's "Good for You" [feat. A$AP Rocky] and "Hands To Myself," and hits for many more top artists. The cumulative worldwide stream count for songs she has co-written exceeds 10 billion to date.

JENNIFER NETTLES
Country music star Jennifer Nettles is a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and performer, and recipient of the prestigious Crystal Milestone Award as the first female artist to be the solo songwriter on an Academy of Country Music (ACM) Song of the Year winner since 1972. Nettles has been recognized with five awards by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) for her songwriting prowess, including the emotionally charged # 1 Platinum hit "Stay" which earned  Nettles a Grammy, an ACM, and Country Music Association (CMA) Awards. In 2015, Jennifer made her Broadway debut as Roxy Hart in the Tony Award-winning, record-breaking musical Chicago. A year later, she released two critically-acclaimed Big Machine Records' albums – Playing With Fire and To Celebrate Christmas.

NIKKI SIXX  
Celebrated international rock icon Nikki Sixx is the founding member of Mötley Crüe and Sixx:A.M.; a three-time New York Times best-selling author, a philanthropist, and photographer whose first exhibition in partnership with Leica Camera is scheduled this fall. Sixx is also the host of two nationally syndicated radio shows through iHeartMedia, Sixx Sense and The Side Show Countdown.

RYAN TEDDER
Charismatic front man of the Grammy-nominated pop-rock group OneRepublic, Tedder is an in-demand hit songwriter, and Grammy award-winning record producer, behind OneRepublic's massive global smash hits "Counting Stars" and "Apologize", and 2007 hit song "Bleeding Love", which he co-wrote, that went on to become an international hit for Leona Lewis. Tedder also wrote and co-produced the #1 international hit "Halo" for Beyoncé, as well as "XO" from the singer's hit visual album BEYONCÉ; the smash "Rumour Has It" for Adele; and more recently, "Remedy" from Adele's album 25.

SHANIA TWAIN 
Recognized as the top-selling country artist of all-time, five-time Grammy Award-winner, Canadian-born, and internationally acclaimed musical artist Shania Twain has sold 90 million albums worldwide. The undisputed "Queen of Country Pop", Twain is the powerhouse voice behind a string of hits including "You're Still The One", "From This Moment On", and "Man! I Feel Like A Woman!" to name only a few. A Canadian-born artist and author of the best-selling memoir From This Moment, Twain has achieved an unprecedented three Diamond-certified albums; headlined a show-stopping, two-year Las Vegas residency in 2012; and was recognized as the 2016 Billboard Women in Music Icon Award-winner. Shania NOW, Twain's fifth full-length album led by the declaratory first single "Life's About to Get Good", is slated for release on September 29.

STEPHAN MOCCIO 
Classically trained impresario, Oscar and Grammy-nominated artist Stephan Moccio is a Canadian producer, songwriter, composer, recording artist and musician behind some of music's most massive, inescapable hits. In 2013, Moccio co-penned the quintuple-platinum song "Wrecking Ball" for Miley Cyrus. Following the song's success, Moccio quickly became one of the industry's most sought-after and in-demand producers and songwriters, going on to co-write and co-produce the two end credit songs for the film Fifty Shades of Grey: the quintuple-platinum "Earned It" (The Weeknd) and "I Know You" (Skylar Grey), which appeared on the film's platinum selling soundtrack. Previously, Moccio co-wrote the Celine Dion hit "A New Day Has Come", which spent 21 weeks at #1 on the Billboard AC chart, and marked Celine Dion's record-breaking comeback in 2002. He also produced and co-wrote the quintuple-platinum song "I Believe" for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

CTV is giving viewers in the Greater Toronto Area an opportunity to experience the excitement first-hand by attending a taping of THE LAUNCH. The studio is located just east of downtown Toronto, and is accessible by TTC with free parking available within a five-minute walk from the studio. Participants interested in attending a taping can visit CTV.ca/TheLaunch for ticket information or RSVP by emailing LaunchAudience@InsightTV.com with subject line "THE LAUNCH Tickets". Note: include the number of guests, along with full names of everyone attending. All audience members must be at least 11 years of age and those under the age of 16-years-old must be accompanied by an adult.

Reinventing the music television series genre, THE LAUNCH debuts a new and unique format, documenting an authentic, behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to break a new artist and bring a song to life. In each hour-long episode, a group of unsigned emerging artists are mentored in the creation of a new original song by a panel of internationally renowned hit makers and mentors – from discovery to stardom in just two days. THE LAUNCH takes viewers on a fresh journey every week, unveiling new talent and new songs in each episode.

Following in the successful footsteps of CANADIAN IDOL, THE IHEARTRADIO MMVAs, THE JUNO AWARDS, the MuchMusic and Coca-Cola Covers competition, and most recently, the launch of iHeartRadio Canada, THE LAUNCH was put into development in January 2016. The series was co-developed by and is produced in association with Scott Borchetta of Big Machine Label Group, Paul Franklin of Eureka, and Bell Media, in partnership with John Brunton and Lindsay Cox of Insight Productions. The format is currently being readied for an upcoming international roll-out.

THE LAUNCH is executive produced by Scott Borchetta, Randy Lennox and John Brunton; Lindsay Coxand Paul Franklin are Showrunners and Executive Producers; Executive Producers for Bell Media are Robin Johnston and Corrie Coe who is also Senior Vice-President, Original Programming, Bell Media. Pat DiVittorio is Vice-President, CTV and Specialty Programming, Mike Cosentino is President, Content and Programming, Bell Media. Randy Lennox is President, Bell Media.

SOURCE: CTV