Muse News

Set in the 1940s, Bomb Girls tells the remarkable stories of the women who risked their lives in a munitions factory building bombs for the Allied forces fighting on the European front. The gripping 6-episode dramatic series profiles the life-altering experiences of five brave women who risk their lives working in a Canadian munitions factory during the Second World War.

Bomb Girls, has already been greenlit for 12 new episodes, bringing the total to 18 episodes. Its premiere on Global Television drew 1.6 million viewers (Ind. 2+ National, confirmed data) making it the #1 new Canadian original drama premiere for the Fall 2011/2012 lineup with 2+ and A18-49 viewers. Bomb Girls has seen continued success with more than 1.2 million viewers tuning in on average during the five-week period since its launch, becoming the #1 new Canadian program average this season.

Produced by Muse Entertainment and Back Alley Films, executive producers include Michael MacLennan, Michael Prupas (Muse Entertainment), Janis Lundman (Back Alley Films) and Adrienne Mitchell (Back Alley Films). Adrienne Mitchell is also the co showrunner along with Michael MacLennan, who serves as the series’ head writer. Bomb Girls is directed by Adrienne Mitchell, Ken Girotti (Rescue Me, Law & Order: Criminal Intent) and Anne Wheeler (Da Vinci’s Inquest, Cra$h and Burn).

The gripping 6-episode dramatic series profiles the life-altering experiences of five brave women who risk their lives working in a Canadian munitions factory during the Second World War.

Bomb Girls, has already been greenlit for 12 new episodes, bringing the total to 18 episodes. Its premiere on Global Television drew 1.6 million viewers (Ind. 2+ National, confirmed data) making it the #1 new Canadian original drama premiere for the Fall 2011/2012 lineup with 2+ and A18-49 viewers. Bomb Girls has seen continued success with more than 1.2 million viewers tuning in on average during the five-week period since its launch, becoming the #1 new Canadian program average this season.

Produced by Muse Entertainment and Back Alley Films, executive producers include Michael MacLennan, Michael Prupas (Muse Entertainment), Janis Lundman (Back Alley Films) and Adrienne Mitchell (Back Alley Films). Adrienne Mitchell is also the co showrunner along with Michael MacLennan, who serves as the series’ head writer. Bomb Girls is directed by Adrienne Mitchell, Ken Girotti (Rescue Me, Law & Order: Criminal Intent) and Anne Wheeler (Da Vinci’s Inquest, Cra$h and Burn).

The PRISM Awards, which is produced by the Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. (EIC) in collaboration with FX , honors the accurate depiction of drug, alcohol and tobacco use and addiction, as well as mental health issues in movies, television, music, DVD, and comic book entertainment.

"This year’s PRISM Awards honorees made the most of their rights to free creative expression, while at the same time showing the reality of these health issues,” said President and CEO of EIC Brian Dyak. “Such authenticity leads to engaging and entertaining productions and performances.”

Cyberbully was also nominated for Best TV Movie or Miniseries.

The 55th New York Festivals® International Television & Film Awards™, announced this year’s winning entries at the 2012 awards ceremony Tuesday, April 17th at the annual NAB Show in Las Vegas. The Grand Jury honored the World’s Best TV Programs & Films™ and awarded three prestigious Grand Trophies to the following companies: ESPN, USA; Temolo Productions for BIO, The Biography Channel, USA; and ReelzChannel, USA.

The ReelzChannel, USA was recognized with the Grand Trophy for The Kennedys in the Television –Entertainment Special category. The mini-series, a Muse Entertainment Production in association Asylum Entertainment, relives the public and private triumphs and tragedies of the Kennedy clan.

“Having had the privilege of being home to The Kennedys, one of the most extraordinary mini-series ever televised, everyone at REELZ tips their hat once again to the cast, crew and creators who brought to life the story of one of America’s most iconic families,” said Stan E. Hubbard REELZCHANNEL CEO. “The Grand Trophy from New York Festivals is a particularly prestigious honor for our partners Muse, Asylum Entertainment and Joel Surnow, who together set the bar for our continued pursuit of excellence in all that we do.”

Each award segment was presented by prominent industry executives, including: Chris Brown, Executive Vice President of Conventions & Business Operations for NAB, USA; Sharon Burden, Senior Advisor/Cybersmart Programs with Australian Communications and Media Authority, Australia; CheeK, creator/ writer of The Kitchen Musical, executive Vice President and Creative Director of Group Entertainment, Singapore; Rob Howell, Supervising Producer, CNN Productions, USA; Maribel Martinez, Creative Director, Televisa S.A. de C.V. Mexico; Jodain Massad, Producer, Kansas City Chiefs, USA; and Simon Witter, Director for ZDF German Television, Germany.

The 2012 New York Festivals Television & Film Awards received entries from forty countries around the globe. All winning entries were selected by our Grand Jury comprised of award winning Television and Film professionals.

NYF’s Television & Film Award Presentation and all acceptance speeches will soon be available for viewing on the International Television & Film Awards website. For a complete list of this year’s award winners go to: http://www.newyorkfestivals.com

CMT has signed an order for 13 episodes of its first-ever animated project BOUNTY HUNTERS to be produced by Muse Entertainment and Parallel Entertainment, it was announced today by Jayson Dinsmore, EVP, Programming and Development at the network’s annual upfront presentation in New York. Executive producers Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy will voice the animated series, along with series regular Lisa Lampanelli. BOUNTY HUNTERS will be produced by Muse Entertainment and Parallel Entertainment, and is set to debut on CMT in 2013.

The animated comedy stars the voices of Foxworthy, Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy as they track down fugitives for their own two-bit bounty hunting business in each half-hour episode. The team will do their best to chase down fugitives, while pleasing the tough-as-nails bondwoman who throws them cases, voiced by Lampanelli. Without fail, the Chief of Police who wants to shut down their operation and a long list of personal faults always seem to interfere.

BOUNTY HUNTERS, co-created by Glenn Clements, Ben Levin and Matt Burnett, is executive produced by Foxworthy, Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy, as well as Joel Rice, Michael Prupas and Jesse Prupas for Muse Entertainment. JP Williams and Jennifer Novak executive produce for Parallel Entertainment; along with Jayson Dinsmore, Eliot Goldberg and Melanie Moreau for CMT.

Director of Photography on The Kennedys, David Moxness, brought home the CSC Award for "Best TV Drama Cinematography" March 31st.

The purpose of the CSC is to promote the art and craft of cinematography and to provide tangible recognition of the common bonds that link film and video professionals, from the aspiring student and camera assistant to the news veteran and senior director of photography.

One week, two renewals! Muse Entertainment’s wartime drama Bomb Girls and the supernatural hit Being Human, have both been re-ordered this week by networks for brand new seasons.

“Our success is not stopping with The Kennedys,” says Muse President Michael Prupas. “These high caliber series have superb acting talent, inspired storylines and first-class production design. The shows’ audiences are committed and captivated. The networks appreciate that.”

The original 6-episode Bomb Girls, has been greenlit for 12 new episodes, bringing the total to 18 episodes. Its premiere on Global Television drew 1.6 million viewers (Ind. 2+ National, confirmed data) making it the #1 new Canadian original drama premiere for the Fall 2011/2012 lineup with 2+ and A18-49 viewers. Bomb Girls has seen continued success with more than 1.2 million viewers tuning in on average during the five-week period since its launch, becoming the #1 new Canadian program average this season.

Also this week, Syfy in the U.S., has ordered a third season (13 episodes) of Being Human, just four episodes into the 13-episode second season, which premiered on Monday, January 16. To date, viewership for the second season has increased by an impressive +27% in Adults 18-49, +35% in Adults 25-54 and +15% in total viewers. With newly-released Live +7 data factored in, the season two premiere of Being Human (January 16, 2012 at 9PM ET/PT) delivered a 1.7 HH rating representing 1.4 million Adults 25-54 (a series high for the demo and +18% over the first season premiere), 1.4 million Adults 18-49 (second highest ranking in the demo and +12% over the season one premiere) and 2.4 million total viewers (the second most-watched episode of any season and +3% over the season one premiere). With women comprising 52% of the total audience for premiere episodes this season, Being Human remains Syfy’s most female-skewing scripted series ever.

The Entertainment Industries Council (EIC) announced Thursday the television nominees for the 16^th Annual Prism Awards.

Winners will be announced during the ceremony on April 19 at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles. FX will air the awards on Sept. 16.

Among the TV networks, ABC led the way with 14 nods, while Showtime (9), NBC (7) and HBO/CW (5 each) were right behind.

n the TV Movie or Miniseries category, Bringing Ashley Home (Lifetime), Cyberbully (ABC Family), (Dis)Connected (MTV), Mitch Albom's Have a Little Faith (ABC), and The Sunset Limited (HBO) earned nominations.

Nominated TV movie performances were A.J. Cook and Jennifer Morrison (Bringing Ashley Home), Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones (The Sunset Limited) and Emily Osment (Cyberbully).

The Prism Awards is a nationally-televised awards show recognizing the accurate depiction of substance abuse and mental illness: prevention, treatment and recovery in film, television, interactive, music, DVD, and comic book entertainment

Syfy is ordering a third season (13 episodes) of the hit drama series Being Human, it was announced today by Mark Stern, President of Original Content, Syfy and Co-Head of Original Content, Universal Cable Productions. The announcement comes just four episodes into the 13-episode second season, which premiered on Monday, January 16.

To date, viewership for the second season has increased by an impressive +27% in Adults 18-49, +35% in Adults 25-54 and +15% in total viewers.

With newly-released Live +7 data factored in, the season two premiere of Being Human (January 16, 2012 at 9PM ET/PT) delivered a 1.7 HH rating representing 1.4 million Adults 25-54 (a series high for the demo and +18% over the first season premiere), 1.4 million Adults 18-49 (second highest ranking in the demo and +12% over the season one premiere) and 2.4 million total viewers (the second most-watched episode of any season and +3% over the season one premiere).

With women comprising 52% of the total audience for premiere episodes this season, Being Human remains Syfy’s most female-skewing scripted series ever.

“With the success of season two, ‘Being Human’ has become a premier destination for Syfy viewers,” said Stern.  “Jeremy Carver and Anna Fricke have taken this series to new heights this year and we’re excited to see where the third season will go.”

Being Human stars Sam Witwer, Meaghan Rath and Sam Huntington as vampire Aidan, ghost Sally and werewolf Josh who share the creature comforts of home in a Boston brownstone.  Together the three roommates struggle to keep their supernatural secrets and resist individual temptations as they strive to live lives that are as near to normal as possible.

Executive Producers are Michael Prupas (The Kennedys, Pillars of the Earth), Jeremy Carver (Supernatural) and Anna Fricke (Men in Trees, Everwood) who are both writers/showrunners, Adam Kane (The Mentalist, Heroes), and Rob Pursey and Toby Whithouse. Irene Litinsky (Human Trafficking, The Phantom) is series Producer.

Being Human is a Muse Entertainment production in association with Zodiak USA. It is based on the acclaimed series, Being Human, created by Toby Whithouse and produced by Touchpaper Television, part of Zodiak Media.

Zodiak Rights hold worldwide rights to the new series.

Today, Shaw Media announced the renewal of the country's breakout original hit, Bomb Girls. With the initial six-part miniseries concluding tomorrow on Global at 8pm ET/PT, the Canadian wartime drama has been green lit for 12 new episodes. Development on the additional episodes will begin shortly and start of production will be announced at a later date.

The series premiere drew 1.6 million viewers on Global (Ind. 2+ National, confirmed data) making it the #1 new Canadian original drama premiere for the Fall 2011/2012 lineup with 2+ and A18-49 viewers. Bomb Girls has seen continued success with more than 1.2 million viewers tuning in on average during the five-week period since its launch, becoming the #1 new Canadian program average this season.

"With six powerful episodes, Bomb Girls has struck a chord with Canadians and we're thrilled with the grassroots initiatives and overwhelming support this original series has generated," said Barbara Williams, Senior Vice-President, Content, Shaw Media. "As we work with our production partners at Muse and Back Alley, viewers will have the opportunity to continue the journey with these brave women facing a new reality during this fascinating time in Canadian history."

In tomorrow night's explosive finale, "Element of Surprise," the season culminates with dramatic twists for all of the characters set against the attack on Pearl Harbor. Gladys's (Jodi Balfour) secret job is exposed, while Lorna (Meg Tilly) grapples with a possible pregnancy and Kate (Charlotte Hegele) struggles to stand up to the return of her manipulative father.

Bomb Girls profiles the life-altering experiences of five brave Canadian women who risk their lives working in a munitions factory during the Second World War. Shot entirely on location in Toronto, Bomb Girls stars Academy Award® nominee Meg Tilly (Agnes of God, The Big Chill) alongside a talented cast featuring Jodi Balfour (The Sinking of the Laconia), Charlotte Hegele (Murdoch Mysteries), Ali Liebert (Hellcats), Antonio Cupo (L'Ombra del destino), Anastasia Philips (Skins), Sebastian Pigott (Being Erica) and Peter Outerbridge (ReGenesis).

Commissioned by Shaw Media's original content team, Bomb Girls is produced by Muse Entertainment and Back Alley Films. Muse Entertainment's Michael Prupas (The Kennedys, Pillars of the Earth) serves as executive producer, along with Back Alley Films' Janis Lundman (Durham County) and Adrienne Mitchell (Durham County). Mitchell is also the series' co-showrunner alongside Michael MacLennan (Flashpoint, Queer as Folk), who is also an executive producer and serves as head writer.

Viewers can take a behind-the-scenes tour and catch up on the entire first season of Bomb Girls at http://www.globaltv.com/bombgirls.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/576402#ixzz1liEJrq8x

The winners of the Directors Guild of America Outstanding Directorial Achievement Awards for 2011, were announced January 28th during the 64th Annual DGA Awards Dinner at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland in Los Angeles

The prize for best TV miniseries went to Jon Cassar, the Canadian who directed the Montreal-backed series The Kennedys.

Cassar, whose other Hollywood credits include 24 and Terra Nova, was born in Malta and went to college in Ottawa.

Just a year ago, it looked like The Kennedys — which tells the story of the Kennedy family, including political disasters and their personal troubles — might not find a home on U.S. television when the History Channel abruptly cancelled it.

"You just try to tell the best story you can and if people recognize it and think it's your time to come to this event, then it is an honour," Cassar said ahead of the DGA ceremony.

This was Mr. Cassar’s third DGA Award nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series in 2006 for 24 - “7:00 AM-8:00 AM" and was nominated in this category in 2003 for the episode of 24 also titled “7:00 AM-8:00 AM."

The Kennedys mini-series has won Best Historical Drama Production at the 2012 History Makers International Awards. History Makers Awards recognize the very best in history, current affairs and non-fiction programming from around the world, across digital and TV platforms.

The History Makers Award is the most recent award The Kennedys has won. The mini-series began its awards streak last September with 10 Primetime Emmy Award®-nominations and four wins, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a mini-series for Barry Pepper’s portrayal of RFK. Additionally, The Kennedys earned 10 Gemini Awards nominations and four wins, and more recently the mini-series earned industry recognition with nominations from the Screen Actors Guild Awards® for Greg Kinnear’s portrayal of JFK and the Directors Guild of America for Director Jon Cassar. Both the DGA Awards and the SAG Awards will be decided this weekend, Saturday, January 28 and Sunday, January 29. The Kennedys has also been recognized with nominations for the Producers Guild Awards, the American Society of Cinematographers, the Costume Designers Guild Awards and the Cinema Audio Society Awards.

The revealing drama starring Greg Kinnear, Barry Pepper, Katie Holmes and Tom Wilkinson premiered last April on History Television in Canada and Reelz Channel in the US, since then The Kennedys has aired in over 140 countries around the world including the UK, Sweden, France, Italy, Spain, Norway, Australia, New Zealand and Isreal.

The Kennedys is a Muse Entertainment Enterprises production in association with Asylum Entertainment. From the Emmy Award-winning team behind the groundbreaking series 24, the creators are Stephen Kronish and Joel Surnow. The series is directed by Jon Cassar and the executive producers are Joel Surnow, Michael Prupas, Jonathan Koch, Steve Michaels, Stephen Kronish, Jon Cassar and Jamie Paul Rock.

Syfy continued its red-hot January with the premieres of Being Human and Lost Girl, marking the return of the channel’s "Powerful Mondays" (Monday night 9-11PM) programming block.

From 9-10PM (ET/PT), the second season return of Being Human was up 14% in Adults 25-54 (1.1 million), nine percent among Adults 18-34 (458,000) and eight percent in Adults 18-49 (1.1 million) versus the January 17, 2011 series premiere. Being Human also averaged 1.8 million total viewers with a 1.3 household rating.

This constituted Being Human’s second best performance ever among Adults 18-34, Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54.

Executive producers of Being Human are Michael Prupas (The Kennedys), Jeremy Carver (Supernatural) and Anna Fricke (Men in Trees, Everwood) who are both writers/showrunners, Adam Kane (The Mentalist, Heroes), and Rob Pursey and Toby Whithouse. Irene Litinsky is series producer. Being Human is a Muse Entertainment production in association with Zodiak USA and is based on Being Human, created by Toby Whithouse and produced by Touchpaper Television, part of Zodiak Media Group. Zodiak Rights hold worldwide rights to the new series.

Bomb Girls made a huge impression January 4th garnering over 1.4 million viewers (2+, national) for its premiere broadcast. The first episode of the six-part miniseries won its timeslot nationally, 2+ and in the key Adults 18-49 (455,400) demographic, marking a triumphant start to the New Year.

Fans can also visit the show's comprehensive website GlobalTV.com/bombgirls - the specially designed interface allows visitors to easily navigate through the site's content including a behind-the-scenes tour of the set and show props, plus, exclusive interviews with the cast, producers as well as a real life bomb girl. Additionally, fans can also share their comments or word of thanks on the "Memory Wall" page to those who served and are serving our country today. Bomb Girls premiere episode is already available for viewing online with subsequent episodes also to be made available the day after broadcast.

This gripping dramatic series profiles the life-altering experiences of five brave women who risk their lives working in a Canadian munitions factory during the Second World War.

Viewers can tune in for an all-new episode of Bomb Girls next Wednesday, January 11 - 8pm ET/PT. In "Misfires," the women at Victory Munitions must band together when the blame for an accidental explosion is laid at their feet. 

It's a key indicator of an emerging trend among content producers and distributors, as they move top-rated TV shows and movies onto multiple media screens, along with socially-integrated, content-savvy smart TV and portable media applications.

Alberta-based Mobovivo is partnering with Muse Entertainment to release the award-winning The Kennedys mini-series as an app for iPad and other devices. The Kennedys app includes Previiw, which clips and shares the viewer's favourite scenes on Facebook, Twitter and blog sites, letting fans hold a community conversation on their favourite TV shows and movies.

"Muse Entertainment understands that engaging fans of their TV programming is key to having people spend more time with their content," Mobovivo founder and CEO, Trevor Doerksen described. "The direct relationship and feedback that the producers of The Kennedys receive from this app goes beyond any other marketing or distribution strategy."

The Kennedys app is developed with Mobovivo StayTuned video app platform. StayTuned apps allow producers to stay tuned to consumers and consumers to tune in to their content. The app will include Previiw, Miscreens and analytics features from StayTuned. Previiw, Miscreens allows users to add videos to their digital locker and watch via 3G, Wi-Fi, AirPlay, or securely download to view without an Internet connection.

"Without Mobovivo's analytics, producers don't know if consumers are actually watching. We measure every touch in real time," Doerksen added.

The Kennedys, nominated for 10 Emmy Awards (and the winner of 4) and nominated for 10 Gemini Awards, tells the intimate story of the illustrious Kennedy family and brings to life this prolific piece of American history. Featuring an outstanding cast, this revealing eight-hour drama spotlights one of America's most legendary families as they have never been seen before.

"Our saga of the Kennedy family has riveted audiences around the world," said Michael Prupas, Muse Entertainment CEO. "We are delighted that Mobovivo is making it available to the fast developing app audience."

Mobovivo's cloud based media system is used by producers, broadcasters and media companies to distribute and market branded video apps for a range of devices, including: iOS, Android, PlayBook, Roku and Samsung Smart TVs. 

source: Mediacastermagazine.com

New vampires, new werewolves and new supernatural beings are cropping up on the new season of Syfy's Being Human -- and one of them is no other than Dollhouse favorite Dichen Lachman.

The Hollywood Reporter has the exclusive first look of Lachman (see above) as vampire royal Suren, who is revealed to have a complicated past with fellow bloodsucker Aidan (Sam Witwer). Her unexpected return causes Aidan and Boston's vampire society to go into disarray.

Executive producer Jeremy Carver emphasized the importance of maintaining the series' focus on the three leads Aidan, Sally and Josh (Witwer, Meaghan Rath and Sam Huntington, respectively), but acknowledged that as it progresses, the Being Human world must expand.

"We're always looking to expand to deepen their respective monster worlds," Carver tells THR, "which we've done in spades this year."

Carver spoke in more detail about Lachman's role ("the seeds of the character were put in place last season amongst the writers," he says) and what her presence means for Aidan especially.

"She's been away for a very long time and her reappearance on the scene, for Aidan -- a guy who is always trying desperately to divorce himself from vampires and vampire-ism -- she's the worst temptation to come down the pike," he says. "Part of it is the romantic past that they share."

But when viewers first see Lachman, it may be a shock to the system, though the image above takes place following her reveal. "You've got this incredibly beautiful actress who commands the screen and when you're introduced to her, she's all but unrecognizable and that plays very much into the old past she has and it speaks directly to her troubled nature," Carver explains.

Flashbacks to the 1930s will "unpack this explosive history between Aidan and Suren," Carver teases, adding that the pair's past entanglements will be "explored in great detail." "Past events are very much exploding into the present now," he reveals.

Season 2 will see the three main characters inching closer to darkness.

"Each, in their own way, are heading down a dark path of temptation, which ultimately for them is a valiant but almost desperate struggle to become more human," Carver says. "But in their attempt, they're becoming more and more monstrous."

Being Human premieres Monday, Jan. 16 at 9 p.m. on Syfy.

source: The Hollywood Reporter

Bomb Girls blasts away all the negative cliches that exist about Canadian television. Ambitious, intelligent and rewarding, the miniseries is exactly what our original TV should strive for: high-end production values, great storytelling, sharp casting, and the exploration of something that is definitively our own.

The six-part series, premiering Wednesday, offers a fictionalized account of an important, often overlooked, part of Canadian history: when Canadian women took over the work in our munitions factories during the Second World War. Not only did they replace the men who went off to serve, but they provided them - and Canada's allies -with the vital weaponry needed to sustain the war effort. While Canadian men were risking life and limb overseas, Canadian women faced their own hazards -- and risked their own limbs -- working in bomb factories.

Bomb Girls offers all the requisite fireworks. The music, fashion and cultural trappings of 1940s are all on fine display here. While far from the world of Mad Men's Don Draper and New York City, Bomb Girls accomplishes similar feats as that heralded series: It brings to life an era; offers complex, intriguing characters; and provides an often shocking window into the gender dynamics of the not-so-distant past.

Meg Tilly anchors the ensemble cast as fierce factory shift matron, Lorna Corbett. Walking a fine line between serving as the factory girls' guardian and being a stern authority figure, Tilly's nuanced character is the co-heart of the show. Norma has two sons on the battlefields of Europe and an empty, loveless marriage at home, so her work in the munitions factory has become almost a fanatical crusade. Empathetic, conflicted and occasionally overbearing, Tilly's performance as Corbett is a scene-stealer.

The other co-heart of the show is South Africa's Jodi Balfour, who plays rich socialite Gladys Witham, a young woman whose world view is altered forever by her decision to seek work in a bomb factory. Gladys' lust for life and occasionally reckless decisions offer a linchpin on which much of the series' drama revolves. The striking Balfour has made Vancouver her home, with stints on other Canadian-shot series, such as Supernatural and Sanctuary. Bomb Girls could bring a new sheen to her rising star. At the very least, Balfour and Tilly will likely both contend for Geminis.

In tonight's opening episode, Gladys takes an office job at Victory Munitions, the factory at the heart of the series' action. Her world is blown wide open by the unlikely sisterhood she finds there, but she soon finds herself faced with a big decision: whether to defy her family and societal expectations and join the working girls on the dangerous floor of the factory.

Exploring everything from sexism and racism to class warfare, Bomb Girls offers us a glimpse into an important part of our past -- and an entertaining drama in the process. Drop in tonight and watch the series launch.

(Global, Wednesday 8 p.m. ET/PT)

© Copyright (c) Postmedia News

The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced today the motion picture and long-form television nominations for the 23^rd Annual Producers Guild Awards. The categories include: The Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures; The Producers Guild of America Producer of the Year Award in Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures; and The David L. Wolper Producer of the Year Award in Long-Form Television. The documentary film category and other television category nominations were already announced by the Guild in December 2011.

The 2012 Producers Guild nominanees in the category of Long-Form Television are:

“Cinema Verite” (HBO)
Producers: Zanne Devine, Karyn McCarthy

“Downton Abbey” (Masterpiece) (PBS)
Producers: Julian Fellowes, Nigel Marchant, Gareth Neame

“The Kennedys” (ReelzChannel)
Producers: Jon Cassar, Jonathan Koch, Stephen Kronish, Steve Michaels, Michael Prupas, Jamie Paul Rock, Joel Surnow

“Mildred Pierce” (HBO)
Producers: Todd Haynes, Pamela Koffler, Ilene S. Landress, Christine Vachon

“Too Big To Fail” (HBO)
Producers: Carol Fenelon, Jeffrey Levine, Paula Weinstein

*The Long-Form Television category encompasses both movies of the week and mini-series.

All 2012 Producers Guild Award winners will be announced on January 21, 2012 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Premiering Wednesday, January 4 – 8pm ET/PT, on Global TV, Bomb Girls profiles the life-altering experiences of five brave Canadian women who risk their lives working in a munitions factory during the Second World War.

The series entertains viewers with a wartime persona that is rarely acknowledged yet played an integral role in the country’s rich history; it reveals the necessity of the ‘bomb girl’ along with her significance. Leading the ensemble cast is legendary Oscar® nominee Meg Tilly (Agnes of God, The Big Chill), who makes her return to network television after 18 years, taking on the role of Lorna Corbett, the Victory Munitions factory supervisor.

Joining Meg Tilly are Jodi Balfour (The Sinking of the Laconia) as free-wheeling socialite-turned-bomb girl Gladys Witham; Charlotte Hegele (Murdoch Mysteries) as wide-eyed preacher’s daughter Kate Andrews; Ali Liebert (Hellcats) as tough-talking Prairie girl Betty McRae; and Anastasia Philips (Skins) as kind-natured Vera Burr. Commissioned by Shaw Media’s original content team, the series is produced by Muse Entertainment and Back Alley Films.

The series also stars Antonio Cupo (L’Ombra del destino) as Italian-born factory worker Marco Moretti; Sebastian Pigott (Being Erica) as Gladys’ fiancé James Dunn; and Peter Outerbridge (ReGenesis) as Lorna’s husband Bob Corbett.

This gripping dramatic series set on the Canadian home front tells the remarkable stories of the women who risked everything building bombs for the Allied forces fighting on the European front. Bomb Girls delves into the lives of these exceptional women from all walks of life – peers, friends and rivals – who find themselves changed profoundly as they are liberated from their home and social restrictions to join the work force for the first time and face previously unimaginable risks in the process.

Shot on location in Toronto, Bomb Girls is executive produced by Muse Entertainment’s Michael Prupas (The Kennedys, Pillars of the Earth), along with Back Alley Films’ Janis Lundman (Durham County) and Adrienne Mitchell (Durham County). Mitchell also serves as co-showrunner along with Michael MacLennan (Flashpoint, Queer as Folk) who is executive producer and serves as the series’ head writer.

A mini-series screened in Ottawa last night will tell the stories of the bomb girls, who worked in munitions factories during the Second World War.

“It’s a fascinating time in our history, when we came into our own as a country and women came into their own as understanding the power that they wielded in society,” said producer and head writer Michael MacLennan.

“We have measures of freedom and equality that they didn’t have back then, so you can tell stories where the conflicts are writ large.”

War propaganda told the Canadian women “to go from baking apple pies to making bombs” said executive producer Adrienne Mitchell.

“They were told to take on a man’s work and still look like a women, all of those paradoxes.”

The producers interviewed real Canadian bomb girls, now in their 70s, who said that despite the horrors of the war, it was an “exuberant, joyful time” and “the best time of their lives” because of the freedom and camaraderie that working gave them, said MacLennan.

“They were told they were just filler to when the men came home,” said Mitchell.

“But when the war ended, a lot of them didn’t go home and it was the beginning of a change for women.”

Bomb Girls will air on Global, beginning in January.

Source: JESSICA SMITH

METRO OTTAWA

Helen Rapp was just 15 when she moved from the small, northern Ontario town of Schumacher to work at the General Electric production factory in Hamilton. It was 1940, and Rapp had just finished high school and decided to enrol in a military drafting course.

She spent the next year and a half working in the factory, helping to produce the barrel portion of the Bofors antiaircraft gun.

“It was exciting and we felt like we were really doing something for the war effort,” she says.

It is this excitement and the atmosphere in a factory filled with young women that a new six-part television series is hoping to capture.

Bomb Girls is a fictional look at the lives of female factory workers during the Second World War. When the first episode was screened at the Canadian War Museum on Tuesday evening, Rapp was an honoured guest.

The action takes place in East Toronto’s Victory Munitions Factory, a fictional amalgamation of two wartime production plants.

Rapp, 86, now lives in Ottawa and has fond recollections of her factory life.

“The place was really a huge, huge barn,” she says. “They had this crane up on the ceiling that we had to bring over by whistling. My foreman taught me to whistle and he would get me to call the crane. I still think that’s hilarious.”

Rapp says there was never a shortage of noise and laughter. The factory was also a diverse work environment that brought where women from all over the country.

Her best friends were a group of five women who had moved to Hamilton from Prince Albert, Sask.

Rapp described the relationships she formed while working in the factory as “really something” and hoped the miniseries will emphasize this sense of camaraderie.

It wasn’t just female friendships that were made, either. Since there was a Commonwealth Air Training Centre in the city, there was never a shortage of men to date, Rapp says with a mischievous smile.

Regardless of the fun that was had, there was always an underlying, sombre tone.

“War touched everyone and there was no avoiding it. It was a sad, sad time.”

Rapp remembers when five young men from her small hometown died in one incident.

“When you had a soldier that died, you’d put a black wreath on your door so people would know you were in mourning. After this accident, everyone in the town had a wreath outside their house,” she says.

The War Museum has sections of its permanent display dedicated to honouring the role women played in war, says Yasmine Mingay, the museum’s manager of public affairs with the museum. Mingay’s own grandmother was a bomb girl and says she thinks the story will resonate with a lot of Canadians.

She also thinks the project is a good match with the ideals of the museum.

“We take a look at the human dimension of war in all its elements,” she says. “We hope this series will help people learn more about their military and cultural history and we think it’s a wonderful endeavour to bring to the forefront of Canadian minds.”

Two Canadian production companies, Back Alley Films and Muse Entertainment Enterprises, co-produced the series with Shaw Media. Muse Entertainment was the studio responsible for creating the The Kennedys. The episodes are directed by Ken Girotti and Anne Wheeler and the series stars Oscar-nominated actress Meg Tilly as the munitions factory supervisor. The first episode of Bomb Girls is set to air Jan. 4 on Global Television.

The second season of the hit drama BEING HUMAN picks up where the explosive season finale left off.  Aidan tries to steer a leaderless Boston while resisting his deadlier vampire instincts, as he finds himself tempted and tormented by a figure from his past. Sally must face the consequences of missing her door, while figuring out how to navigate life on earth as a ghost. Werewolf Josh searches for a cure for his condition while struggling to maintain his relationship with Nora and, like the rest of his roommates, trying to build a future for himself beyond simply being a monster. 

Being Human is a Muse Entertainment production in association with ZODIAK USA. It is based on the acclaimed UK series, Being Human, created by Toby Whithouse and produced by Touchpaper. Executive producers are Michael Prupas (The Kennedys, Pillars of the Earth), Jeremy Carver (Supernatural) and Anna Fricke (Men in Trees, Everwood) who are both writers/showrunners, Adam Kane (The Mentalist, Heroes), and Rob Pursey and Toby Whithouse. Irene Litinsky is series Producer.

BEING HUMAN will premiere Jan 16th at 9 pm on SYFY (USA) & 10 pm on SPACE (CANADA)

Production begins this week in Montreal on IFC’s newest original scripted series, Bullet in the Face, a six-part, half-hour comedic action thriller.  Creator and executive producer Alan Spencer (Sledge Hammer!) developed the series with producers and executive producers Jesse Prupas and Evi Regev of Muse Entertainment and Just For Laughs Television. The cast includes Max Williams as Gunter Vogler, Neil Napier as Lieutenant Karl Hagerman, Jessica Steen as Commissioner Eva Braden, and Kate Kelton as Martine Mahler, alongside guest stars Eddie Izzard (Valkyrie, Ocean’s Thirteen) and Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight, The Expendables) as notorious crime lords. The series is directed and co-executive produced by Erik Canuel (Barrymore, Bon Cop, Bad Cop) and will debut on IFC in summer 2012.

“Bullet in the Face melds the best of the action/thriller genre with IFC’s comedic sensibility,” said Debbie DeMontreux, senior vice president of original programming, IFC.  “This is television like viewers have never seen before and Alan Spencer is the perfect ‘slightly off’ talent to help us bring this new format to audiences.”

“Just for Laughs and Muse Entertainment have long been searching for a unique and edgy comedy to produce together and we were thrilled to find a fantastic and supportive broadcast partner in IFC. We are proud to say that Bullet in the Face is unlike anything else out there, combining hilarity, thrills and non-stop action,” say Executive Producers Michael Prupas (Muse Entertainment) and Bruce Hills (Just for Laughs).

“I am very happy to be doing this show for a network that is 'slightly off' as I have been off my whole life,” commented Alan Spencer.

Following a botched jewel heist, sociopath criminal Gunter Vogler awakens in a hospital, surrounded by cops, his head wrapped in bandages. When the bandages come off Gunter’s new face is revealed and police force him to work undercover to take down the city’s crime lords.

Bullet in the Face is produced by Muse Entertainment Enterprises and Just For Laughs Television. Executive producers for IFC are Debbie DeMontreux, Dan Pasternack, Jennifer Caserta and Evan Shapiro.

Barry Pepper won an Emmy Award Sunday night, but wasn’t there to pick it up. He had a previous commitment — a family vacation.

“We’re in the mountains,” he said by cellphone Monday. “It’s an annual trip that I plan, so I didn’t want to break that commitment.”

As it turned out, he got the best of both worlds: a great day in the foothills of the B.C. Rockies, plus the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Mini-Series or Movie.

He didn’t watch the Emmys on TV, but got the news soon enough.

“We were watching a herd of elk that had just crossed us on the road,” he relates.

“We were out hiking and when I got back to the vehicle I saw a message on the phone. It was about eight or nine at night; it was a nice way to cap the day, for sure. Seeing some Rocky Mountain elk, having a glorious day in the mountains, and then to get that message, that was pretty nice.”

The 41-year-old Campbell River native received the Emmy for his portrayal of Bobby Kennedy in The Kennedys, a miniseries that stirred up a lot of controversy in the U.S. The series drew flack from the Kennedy family, was dropped by the History Channel in the States, then was alternately praised and savaged in the American press.

“It was understandable that the critics were as polarized as they were in the United States, because politically the U.S. is totally polarized,” said Pepper.

“So the critics were either Democratic or Republican in their views, and they either loved it or they hated it. ... Some of the reviews said things like ‘ham-fisted hatchet job,’ and other reviews said ‘the best thing ever put on television.’

“At that point I just stopped reading,” he laughs. “There’s just no winning that one.”

Pepper sees his win as a vindication for the production.

“It’s such a cool validation for so many people that worked on that production,” he says.

“It was a gruelling, challenging project: to have it recognized this way, with the Canadian Geminis and now with the Emmys, it makes me feel very, very good for all the people who were involved, that worked so hard.”

Pepper may not be as famous as Tom Cruise, but he has quietly assembled quite a resume. He burst onto the Hollywood scene in 1998 as the God-fearing sniper in Stephen Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan, received a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of baseball great Roger Maris in 61, then was cast by Clint Eastwood in another Second World War film, Flags of Our Fathers.

He landed a role in the Coen Brothers remake of True Grit by making them a demo reel of his character Ned Pepper; made a great bad guy in Casino Jack; and appears in an upcoming film by the legendary director Terrence Malick.

He is quite proud of The Kennedys. He spent months getting Bobby’s accent down, and brought in Oscar-winning makeup artist Christien Tinsley to help him transform into a reasonable facsimile of the iconic politician.

“We sat down and went through all the photos we could find of Bobby, analyzed his face and figured out how we could adjust my features prosthetically,” he said.

“And then hired a tremendous dialect coach by the name of John Nelles. You bring in the right people and they make you look great.”

Pepper hasn’t had any feedback from the Kennedy clan about his performance, and probably won’t. But he came out of the experience with tremendous respect for Bobby Kennedy.

“I admire the fact that he spoke from his heart,” he said.

“He was one of the very few politicians I’ve ever heard speak with such genuine emotion and honesty about subjects of love and compassion, freedom and equality. It was such a difficult time in America ... [and] he spoke about compassion, not only for Americans but people all over the world. He really stood by those values, and lived and died fighting for them.

“It was such a refreshing thing to study, and to hear those speeches, and to understand who the inner man was. He was a really remarkable human being, and I think he would have made an extraordinary president, had he lived.”

Not a standard Hollywood answer, but Pepper is not a standard Hollywood actor. He may have a house in L.A., but he’s a British Columbian to the core.

His family has been in B.C. for generations: his great-grandfather built the first log cabin and log schoolhouse on Denman Island in the 1870s. His family spent five years sailing around the South Pacific when he was a child, then returned to Denman, where he grew up.

“It was sort of a mixture of hippies and farmers and artists,” he said.

“It was a really interesting place, very eclectic. One of those neighbourly kind of places where nobody locks their doors. There’s no police, no dogs with collars, everybody’s kids are welcome in everybody’s house. There’s barefoot dances and farmers markets, very Canadian west coast.”

After high school he moved to Vancouver and studied acting. He eventually moved down to L.A., but also keeps a place in B.C.

“I’m a bit of a hippie gentleman farmer,” he said.

“I have an orchard and a big organic garden, and I live on the ocean, so I fish and I hunt and just raise my family the way I was raised. It’s a real striking contrast to Los Angeles.”

Raising his family the way he was raised means bypassing an awards show for a family vacation.

“We woke up today, and some of the higher mountains around us are all kissed with snow, capped with snow,” he said.

“It’s beautiful — the elk are bugling, the coyotes are howling at night. It’s just beautiful. We camped on an alpine lake and there’s ducks and geese flying in here ... it’s just really just spectacular. We’re so blessed to live in B.C., aren’t we?”

By JOHN MACKIE, Vancouver Sun

Muse Entertainment is proud to announce that its productions The Kennedys and The Pillars of the Earth have won a total of 5 Emmy Awards.

The 8-hour historical drama, The Kennedys, produced by Muse in association with Asylum Entertainment, brought home 4 Emmy Awards including: Outstanding Lead Actor for Barry Pepper, Outstanding Makeup for a Miniseries or a Movie (Non-Prosthetic), Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or a Movie and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Movie.

The critically-acclaimed 8 part series The Pillars of the Earth, co-produced with Germany’s Tandem Communications garnered 1 Emmy win for Outstanding Sound Editing for A Miniseries, Movie or a Special.

"Winning 4 Emmys for The Kennedys and 1 for The Pillars of the Earth has been a very special moment for Muse, particularly since all 5 winners were Canadian. Barry Pepper's win is especially sweet since he put so much of himself into the role,” says Executive Producer & Muse Entertainment President Michael Prupas.

The Primetime Emmy® Awards celebrate excellence in national primetime programming, awarding top honors at the annual creative arts and primetime awards ceremonies.

Muse Entertainment’s hit sci-fi series Being Human continues to make its way around the world, most recently being picked up in Australia on Network 10-owned Eleven. The 13 episode series has already been sold by Zodiak Rights to Antena 3 in Spain, TVNZ in New Zealand, MNet in South Africa as well as to networks in France, Poland, Romania, the Balkans, Russia, Benelux, Germany, Israel and Italy.

Season 2 of Being Human is in production in Montreal, starring Sam Witwer (Smallville, CSI), Meaghan Rath (Prom Wars, 18 to Life) and Sam Huntington (Fanboys, Superman Returns) as three paranormal roommates struggling with their double lives, while trying to appear normal. The show became an instant hit for US network Syfy when it premiered in January 2011, averaging 1.8 million viewers, and making it Syfy’s most successful, winter-season, scripted series launch in 6 years.  In Canada, the debut was the most successful new series launch in winter/spring for SPACE since 2005.

Muse would like to congratulate actress Emily Van Camp on winning the ACTRA award for Outstanding Female Performance for her portrayal of Esther in Muse's epic 4-hour event series BEN HUR.

The stellar international cast also includes Joseph Morgan (Alexander, Master and Commander) and Stephen Campbell Moore (Amazing Grace, The History Boys) as Judah Ben Hur and Octavius Messala, life-long friends on the opposite sides of a war for Judaea’s national identity that tests their characters to the maximum.

BEN HUR is written by Alan Sharp and directed by Steve Shill. One of the executive producers is David Wyler, son of William Wyler—the director of the original 1959 classic. The other executive producers are Michael Prupas, Manuel Corby, Frank Konigsberg, Dirk Beinhold and Steve Shill. BEN HUR is a Muse Entertainment (Canada)/Drimtim Entertainment (Spain) production in association with Zak Productions (Morocco), Akkord Film (Germany) and FishCorbFilms.

Muse would like to congratulate the casts and crews of The Kennedys and The Pillars of the Earth on winning 4 Creative Arts Emmy Awards!

OUTSTANDING MAKEUP FOR A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE (NON-PROSTHETIC)

THE KENNEDYS

JORDAN SAMUEL, Department Head Makeup Artist

COLIN PENMAN, Key Makeup Artist

AMANDA TERRY, Additional Makeup Artist

LINDA DOWDS, Personal Makeup Artist

OUTSTANDING HAIRSTYLING FOR A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE

THE KENNEDYS

JENNY FIFIELD-ARBOUR, Department Head Hairstylist

JUDI COOPER SEALY, Key Hairstylist

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE

THE KENNEDYS

HENRY EMBRY, Production Sound Mixer

FRANK MORRONE, Re-Recording Mixer

STEPHEN TRAUB, Re-Recording Mixer

LAROLD REBHUN, Music Score Mixer

OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR A SPECIAL

THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH

MARCEL POTHIER, Supervising Sound Editor STARZ

CHRISTIAN RIVEST, Sound Designer

ANTOINE MORIN, Sound Effects Editor

DOMINIK PAGACZ, Sound Effects Editor

GUY PELLETIER, Music and Dialogue Editor

TOM TRAFALSKI, Music Editor

GUY FRANCOEUR, Foley Artist

Muse Entertainment has always kept a low profile, but the busy Montreal TV production company has been thrust into the spotlight this year.

Muse's mini "The Kennedys," which it produced in association with Asylum Entertainment, was picked up by ReelzChannel in the U.S. after being dropped by the History channel.

The Montreal company has been happily trumpeting its 34 Gemini noms and 17 Emmy nominations, led by "The Kennedys" and "Pillars of the Earth," which Muse co-produced with Germany's Tandem Communications.

Muse CEO Michael Prupas sees the Emmy noms for "The Kennedys" as vindication for the show -- and his company.

"It proves there's still freedom of speech in the U.S.," says Prupas. "It hurt me personally. The research we'd done was accurate and the kind of things we were disclosing were not new to anybody."

Muse, which was founded by entertainment lawyer Prupas in 1998, occupies a unique place in the Canuck TV landscape. It whipped off $87 million worth of production last year, the second-largest volume after E1, and it succeeds with a mix of co-productions (often with European partners), U.S.-focused series and miniseries and projects more targeted to the indigenous Canadian marketplace.

"Pillars of the Earth" is an example of one Muse model. The eight-hour, $40 million series is a 80%-20% Germany-Canada co-production but the Muse coin was essential to get the project off the ground. The show was pre-sold in Germany, Canada, Italy and Spain, but only sold in the key markets of the U.S. and the U.K. after completion. It aired on Starz in the U.S.

Next up, Muse is busy with a mix of international hits and locally targeted programs.

source: Variety.com

MONTREAL - It's been a roller-coaster of a year for Muse Entertainment and its president Michael Prupas, and the good news for Prupas and his booming Montreal TV production company is that he is in the middle of the fun part of that roller-coaster ride right now.

Things were anything but fun last year and early in 2011 when the Muse-produced miniseries The Kennedys came under fire from Kennedy defenders, who launched a public campaign slamming the show and suggesting it was a deliberate attempt to smear the legacy of the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy.

Under pressure from the Kennedy boosters, the History Channel, which was supposed to air the miniseries in the U.S., shocked Prupas by telling him in January that the network was dropping the show. It ended up airing on the much smaller Reelzchannel in the U.S. In Canada, it played on History Television Canada in April and then on Global in July.

Those were dark times for Prupas, who, as one of the show's producers, took the accusations personally. That's why he was so excited when The Kennedys nabbed a bunch of Emmy nominations in the U.S. and Gemini nods here in Canada. The eight-hour miniseries is up for 10 Emmy Awards - which will be doled out Sept. 18 - and the miniseries was also nominated for 10 Geminis, the Canadian TV awards. Muse nabbed 34 Gemini nominations in total and 17 Emmy nods.

On Wednesday night, at a non-broadcast Gemini Awards Industry Gala in Toronto, The Kennedys won three trophies, including two in key acting categories. Canadian actor Barry Pepper won as best lead actor in a dramatic program or miniseries for his role as Bobby Kennedy and Diana Hardcastle won as best supporting actress in a miniseries for her portrayal of family matriarch Rose Kennedy.

The Muse co-produced Pillars of the Earth, a German-Canadian production, also won the Gemini as best miniseries or TV movie. In all, Muse came home from T.O. Wednesday with seven Gemini statuettes and it also has two nominations going into the final Gemini Awards Gala on Wednesday, with Hugh Dillon from the Muse drama Durham County and Sam Witwer from the Museproduced sci-fi show Being Human both up for best actor in a drama.

Prupas says the Gemini and Emmy nominations, and the Gemini wins the other night, are mighty sweet for his company after all the attacks.

"I was really blown away, for want of a better term," said Prupas, a former entertainment lawyer who founded Muse 13 years ago.

"Particularly with respect to what happened on The Kennedys, it was a vindication," Prupas said. "With the Gemini Awards, we got them on (several) different pictures and it shows there's a breadth and quality to the production we're doing that's being noticed and respected. I don't know if we'll ever be able to match this number (of nominations). It may end up being our 15 minutes of fame."

That's not likely to be the case. Muse has quietly become one of the country's leading TV producers. Last year, the company - which has its headquarters in St. Henri - produced $86 million worth of shows, making it the second biggest producer in Canada, behind the Torontobased multinational Entertainment One. Muse shoots a wide variety of fare, from shows like The Kennedys - made first and foremost for the U.S. market - to international co-productions like Pillars of the Earth to more Canadian-targeted fare like Durham County.

The Kennedys became Muse's highest-profile show ever - for all the wrong reasons. There was an online petition to get The History Channel to dump the show, with the show's detractors arguing it was a politically motivated attempt to tarnish the Kennedy name.

Prupas says he has no regrets about making the show.

"It was a tremendous learning experience for us," Prupas said. "I think we got a raw deal in that it was dropped. But I think in some ways they shot themselves in the foot. By dropping us, they enhanced the awareness of the show. We were also subjected to some very harsh critiques from U.S. critics and it made me feel there was a herd mentality that was created by the dropping of our show. A lot of people jumped on the bandwagon. When you're perceived as being a failure, there will be a lot of people out there kicking you in the teeth."

And he continues to stand by The Kennedys.

"We showed the details of what actually happened. Yes it was an eye-opener for some people. It was tough to be criticized in that way and the implications were quite hurtful. The fact that the members of the Academy (of Television Arts and Sciences) voted in favour of giving it these (Emmy) nominations is a clear indication that we were right all along and that the show is not a hatchet job."

The Gemini Awards airs Wednesday at 8 p.m. on CBC. The Emmy Awards airs Sept. 18 on Fox and CTV.

© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette

Muse service production, John A: Birth of a Country, will premiere this month on CBC. The riveting political thriller follows John A. Macdonald, a charismatic and brilliant leader whose charm, force of personality and vision almost single-handedly forge the country, from election day in 1854 through the events leading up to Confederation in 1867.

Starring Shawn Doyle (Big Love), Peter Outerbridge (Reviving Ophelia) and David LaHaye (Mirador), the television movie, filmed in Toronto, will air September 19th at 8:00 pm on CBC-TV.

For more information visit the Official Website

Muse would like to congratulate the casts and crews of The Pillars of the Earth, The Kennedys and Durham County on winning 7 Gemini awards!

Best Achievement in Casting
Marissa Richmond, Libby Goldstein, Andrea Kenyon, Suzanne Smith, Randi Wells - Durham County - Distance, Hunting and Home

Best Achievement in Make-Up
Colleen Quinton - The Pillars of the Earth

Best Dramatic Mini-Series or TV Movie
The Pillars of the Earth
Ridley Scott, Rola Bauer, Jonas Bauer, Tim Halkin, Michael Prupas, David Rosemont, John Ryan, Tony Scott, David W. Zucker

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or MiniSeries Barry Pepper - The Kennedys - In Love With Night

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series Diana Hardcastle - The Kennedys - Life Sentences

Best Photography in a Dramatic Program or Series David Moxness csc - The Kennedys - Life Sentences

Best Sound in a Dramatic Program
Marcel Pothier, Jo Caron, Gavin Fernandes, Guy Francoeur, Louis Gignac, Antoine Morin, Guy Pelletier, Christian Rivest - The Pillars of the Earth – Anarchy

The six-part drama about women at work in a Second World War bomb factory comes from "The Kennedys" producer Muse Entertainment and Back Alley Films.

Listen for the boom: Oscar-nominated actress Meg Tilly (Agnes of God, The Big Chill) is starring in Bomb Girls, the Canadian drama from Muse Entertainment and Back Alley Films to shoot in Toronto this Fall.

The 6-part drama about women at work in a Second World War bomb factory will see Tilly in the lead role of a supervisor with two sons on the war front.

Also joining the Bomb Girls cast is Jodi Balfour, Charlotte Hegele, Ali Liebert (Hellcats), Anastasia Philips (Skins), Lisa Norton and Antonio Cupo, who plays an Italian-born factory worker banned from the army owing to his ethnic background.

Bomb Girls will shoot in Toronto from September 12 to November 16, 2011, ahead of a debut on Global Television in January.

Series showrunners Michael MacLennan and Adrienne Mitchell jointly created Bomb Girls, and share executive producer credits with Muse’s Michael Prupas (The Kennedys) and Janis Lundman of Back Alley Films.

The series will be directed by Mitchell, Ken Girotti (Rescue Me, Law & Order: Criminal Intent) and Anne Wheeler.

Muse Distribution International is selling Bomb Girls internationally.

SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter

The mini-series The Kennedys and The Pillars of the Earth, the series Durham County (season 3) and Being Human, and the television movies Reviving Ophelia and Jack of Diamonds, all produced or co-produced by Muse Entertainment, received a total of 34 Gemini Award nominations today. The Gemini Awards honour outstanding achievement in television.

“Muse has been blessed this year to have worked on some remarkable projects with some of the most talented people in Canada and internationally,” says President of Muse Entertainment, Michael Prupas. “We are grateful to see these talented people honoured by their peers through these many Gemini nominations.”

The Kennedys, which also received 10 prestigious Emmy Award nominations in the United States last month, is produced by Muse Entertainment in association with Asylum Entertainment. The 8-episode historical drama is up for 10 Gemini Awards.

The Pillars of the Earth, an epic 8-episode drama adapted from Ken Follett’s bestselling novel, received 7 Emmy Award nominations last month. Produced by Tandem Communications and Muse Entertainment, in association with Scott Free Films, it was also honoured with 10 nominations.

The riveting 6-episode crime series Durham County, produced by Muse Entertainment and Back Alley Films, received 6 nominations. In 2009, the series brought home 5 Gemini Awards and in 2010 it garnered 4 nominations and 2 wins.

Based on the highly popular UK series, the 13-part series Being Human, produced by Muse Entertainment in association with Zodiak Media Group, received 5 nominations. The second season is currently in production in Montreal.

Other Muse Entertainment titles that received nominations are Reviving Ophelia, a television movie about an abusive teenage relationship, and Jack of Diamonds, about an unlikely team of thieves that join forces to help those cheated by a corrupt insurance company.

See below for a full list of Muse’s 2011 Gemini Nominations:

THE KENNEDYS:

Best Dramatic Mini-Series or TV Movie

(Muse Entertainment in association with Asylum Entertainment)

Best Achievement in Make-Up

Jordan Samuel, Jenny Arbour, Linda Dowd, Colin Penman

Best Costume Design

Christopher Hargadon

Best Direction in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series

Jon Cassar

Best Original Music Score for a Dramatic Program, Mini-Series or TV Movie

Sean Callery

Best Photography in a Dramatic Program or Series

David Moxness

Best Production Design in a Fiction Program or Series

Rocco Matteo

Best Sound in a Dramatic Program

Frank Morrone, Henry Embry, Mark Gingras, Katie Halliday, John Laing, Jill Purdy, Stephen Traub, Marilee Yorston

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series

Barry Pepper

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series

Diana Hardcastle

THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH:

Best Dramatic Mini-Series or TV Movie

(Tandem Communications and Muse Entertainment, in association with Scott Free Films)

Best Achievement in Make-Up

Colleen Quinton

Best Costume Design

Mario Davignon

Best Original Music Score for a Dramatic Program, Mini-Series or TV Movie

Trevor Morris

Best Sound in a Dramatic Program

Marcel Pothier, Jo Caron, Gavin Fernandes, Guy Francoeur, Louis Gignac, Antoine Morin, Guy Pelletier, Christian Rivest

Best Writing in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series

John Pielmeier

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series

Rufus Sewell

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series

Ian McShane

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series

Alison Pill

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series

Hayley Atwell

DURHAM COUNTY:

Best Direction in a Dramatic Series

Charles Binamé (The World Ends)

Best Sound in a Dramatic Series

Steve Moore, Alex Bullick, Yann Cleary, Christian Cooke, Andrea Higgins, Jill Purdy, Marilee Yorston

Best Achievement in Casting

Marissa Richmond, Libby Goldstein, Andrea Kenyon, Suzanne Smith, Randi Wells

Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role

Hugh Dillon

Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role, Dramatic Series

Michael Nardone

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series

Bénédicte Decary

BEING HUMAN:

Best Achievement in Make-Up

Emilie Gauthier, Erik Gosselin

Best Direction in a Dramatic Series

Paolo Barzman (Dog Eats Dog)

Best Picture Editing in a Dramatic Program or Series

Simon Webb

Best Visual Effects

Mario Rachiele, Marie-Ève Bédard-Tremblay, Benoît Brière, Carl Gagnon, Catherine Hébert, Raphaël Hubert, Jonathan Laborde, Jean-Francois Lafleur, Pierre-Simon Lebrun-Chaput, Philippe Sylvain

Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role

Sam Witwer

JACK OF DIAMONDS:

Best Writing in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series

Peter Hume

REVIVING OPHELIA:

Best Writing in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series

Teena Booth

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series

Rebecca Williams

Cast members Sam Witwer, Meaghan Rath and Sam Huntington entertained the crowd at Saturday's panel, discussing upcoming changes.

The original Being Human already has a solid fanbase and when the North American version debuted earlier this year, it was clear the franchise was securing its hold.

Season 2 of Syfy's Being Human, which launches next January, sees Aidan, Sally and Josh all going through significant characer changes, so what should viewers be expecting? "Werewolf babies!," joked Sam Huntington, who plays werewolf Josh. "We had this seven-month break and the whole time I was looking forward to picking up where we left off."

Josh is "stronger and he's more in tune with who he is. His relationship with Norah has developed in very interesting ways," Huntington continued.

Sally, played by Meaghan Rath, said her character (a ghost) has learned "more about who she is in her death than she's ever had in her life. We leave off three weeks after we stopped."

Sam Witwer's Aidan, whose "father figure" Bishop is no longer around, "has been strugglign with going clean," Witwer said. "He had this father figure [for 200-plus years and] at the end of the season, Aidan frees himself from that. If youre trying to get off what is essentially a drug habit," which means staying away from the vampires, it proves to be difficult.

When asked if Witwer took from other vampire shows or movies to ready himself for Aidan, the actor revealed that he hadn't "seen True Blood or Vampire Diaries or Twilight."

"I actually don't know if it's actually original or done what a lot of other people have done," Witwer added of his portrayal of Aidan.

In the upcoming Season 2 premiere, however, the cast revealed some minor spoilers. "I snuck a Star Wars reference in the first episode," Witwer revealed, citing his work on Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video game as Galen Marek/Starkiller.

Executive producer Jeremy Carver, who along with wife and fellow EP Anna Fricke, developed Being Human for North America, discussed how they went about adapting the hugely popular BBC version to theirs. "It's always challenging ... the way we sort of blended the BBC version and ours," Carver said. "This year, we'll see that we're striking on a way farly different path. We're laying down our own framework here."

Carver teased that there will be "new types of werewolves, vampires and ghosts" in the upcoming season, which just began shooting two weeks ago.

But it was clear throughout the panel the great rapport Rath, Witwer and Huntington have with each other. At several points, Witwer impersonated Arnold Schwarzenegger and poked fun of his own dimple chin. During one of the highlights, Rath and Witwer went on a two-minute run pretending to have high-pitched voices and funny accents, a gag that Huntington shared could go on forever.

As always, things aren't fine and dandy in the Being Human household. With Aidan in particular, Witwer said, "He always tried to play it like he was on his game [even though he's not]. He's completely off the rails this season because Bishop is not around. .. It's a huge deal for Bishop to be gone."

Witwer continued: "First episode, he kills a girl, oops. This is a guy who isn't ready to be on his own yet. He's trying to be more open with his roommates but we see that that's not [what he's used to doing]."

Huntington told the crowd to rewatch Season 1 because his "voice gets a little more husky" as the season progresses.

SOURCE: Philiana Ng, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Last night, ABC Family debuted its original movie Cyberbully and if you didn't see it, you probably should. And if you have kids, ya definitely should. Because it turns out that those Kardashian sex tapes and sad Live Journal fanfic forums aren't the Internet's biggest problems. Online bullying is.

Charting one teen's nightmarish run-in with cyber taunts from bitchy classmates and strangers alike (including a fake suitor created by a jealous pal), this unsettling, at times heartbreaking, flick was like the anti-Social Network. Instead of showing how fun sites like Facebook or Twitter can be, we got to see how ferocious the web can get when left in the hands of haters who hide behind the perceived anonymity of their abusive online activity. From lie-filled wall posts and cruel picture comments to homemade viral videos and nasty tweets, it's brutal out there. And based on the rise of bully-related teen suicides in the last few years, it can also be fatal.

Thankfully, amid all the drama — wonderfully handled by Emily Osment as the cyberpariah and Kelly Rowan as her powerless mother — there was also a major download of info for kids (and under-grown adults) dealing with these keyboard terrorists. Apparently, bullies keep going because they don't think their victims will do anything about it, so if you've ever encountered an online assault, here's a few tips for beating the bullies at their own game.

—Tell your parents and teachers.
—Print out all abusive posts for proof.
—Use that "block" button with abandon, people!
—Contact the bully's Internet provider and let them know what's up. You can shut it
down by having their service shut down!

Did you watch last night? If so, what did you learn from Cyberbully? Other than the fact that Emily Osment needs her own show, pronto?

source: Damian Holbrook, TV GUIDE

Muse Entertainment is proud to announce that it has garnered a total of 17 Emmy Nominations for the miniseries The Kennedys and Pillars of the Earth.

The 8-hour historical drama, The Kennedys, produced by Muse in association with Asylum Entertainment, has been nominated for 10 Emmy Awards including: Outstanding Miniseries, Outstanding Lead Actor (Greg Kinnear and Barry Pepper), Outstanding Supporting Actor (Tom Wilkinson), Outstanding Art Direction, Outstanding Cinematography, Outstanding Hairstyling, Outstanding Make-Up (Non-Prosthetic), Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music and Outstanding Sound Mixing.

The Pillars of the Earth, co-produced with Germany’s Tandem Communications brought in 7 Emmy nominations (four of which were for Canadians in different craft categories) including Outstanding Cinematography and Outstanding Miniseries.

The Kennedys premiered on ReelzChannel in the U.S. this past April, and brought in more than  2 million viewers per episode. The Kennedys was also the highest rated dramatic program ever for History Television in Canada for its opening episode with over 1 million viewers. The miniseries also broke audience records on History UK (425,000 viewers), on SVT in Sweden (766,000 viewers), on RTBF in French language Belgium and on RTE in Ireland. Most recently, The Kennedys brought in over 2.6 million viewers for the series premiere episode on BBC Two in the UK on June 17, outperforming BBC Two’s year-to-date slot average of 1.6m

"We are overwhelmingly proud to be honoured with multiple nominations for the The Kennedys which we produced, and for The Pillars of the Earth, which we co-produced, in the past year.  These nominations establish that our peers look at these productions as among the best in the world,” says Executive Producer & Muse Entertainment President Michael Prupas.

The Kennedys has been licensed by more than 130 territories around the world including Quebec’s Super Ecran, France Television 3, Japan’s NHK, Switzerland’s TSR, Italy’s La Sette, Spain’s Telecinco, Norway’s NRK, New Zealand’s Sky TV, Israel’s IBA, Finland’s YLE , Australia’s ABC and Latin America’s A&E.

Canada is well-represented at this year’s Emmy Awards, with nominations for homegrown actors Christopher Plummer, Michael J. Fox, Will Arnett and Barry Pepper, and nods for prominent Canadian TV productions.

In one of the bigger surprises of yesterday’s Emmy announcements, the miniseries The Kennedys drew 10 nominations overall, including a nod for Pepper, who hails from Campbell River, B.C., for his portrayal of the late Bobby Kennedy.

The Kennedys was also nominated for best miniseries, up against the HBO heavyweights Mildred Pierce, Cinema Verite and Too Big to Fail, and ITV’s Downton Abbey.

Filmed in Toronto, The Kennedys was originally set to broadcast on the U.S. History Channel but was dropped following complaints of historical inaccuracy and eventually sold to the lower-tier cable outlet ReelzChannel.

“There's been a lot of very, very negative comment about the show that has come from people who had an axe to grind, as far as I'm concerned,” Michael Prupas, the show's Montreal-based producer, said of the behind-the-scenes saga.

“Getting these nominations is a tremendous vindication.”

In Canada, the miniseries has aired on History Television and Global.

The 63rd Prime-Time Emmy Awards will take place in Los Angeles on September 18th.

Muse Entertainment has begun production in Montreal of the second season of the hit sci-fi series Being Human.  The 13-episode series is about three paranormal roommates and stars Sam Witwer (Smallville, CSI), Meaghan Rath (Prom Wars, 18 to Life) and Sam Huntington (Fanboys, Superman Returns.  Dichen Lachman (Doll House, Torchwood) joins the cast this season playing a reclusive, centuries-old, vampire royal.

Being Human became an instant hit for US network Syfy when it premiered in January 2011, averaging 1.8 million viewers, and making it Syfy’s most successful, winter-season, scripted series launch in 6 years.  In Canada, the debut was the most successful new series launch in winter/spring for SPACE since 2005.

Being Human explores what it means to be human through the eyes of its supernatural outsiders: Aidan (Witwer), a vampire, Sally (Rath), a ghost and Josh (Huntington), a werewolf. By turns frightening, witty, and romantic, the characters struggle on with their double lives, while trying to appear normal.

Based on the highly popular UK series created by Touchpaper TV, Being Human is produced by Muse Entertainment in association with Zodiak Media Group, for Syfy and for SPACE in Canada and is distributed worldwide by Zodiak Rights. Being Human Series 1 has already sold in over 30 territories globally.

Executive Producers of the series are Michael Prupas (The Kennedys, Pillars of the Earth), Jeremy Carver (Supernatural) and Anna Fricke (Men in Trees, Everwood) who are both writers/showrunners, Adam Kane (Heroes, Pushing Daisies), Rob Pursey and Toby Whithouse. Irene Litinsky is series Producer. Pierre Jodoin is Director of Photography and Zoe Sakellaropoulo is Production Designer. Adam Kane and Paolo Barzman (The Last Templar, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde) are directing the first three episodes. Directors for the other episodes will be announced later.

Dichen Lachman is joining the cast of the hit original drama series Being Human, produced by Muse Entertainment. Lachman will portray a reclusive, centuries-old vampire royal whose unexpected return to Boston’s vampire society throws main character Aidan (Sam Witwer) and the city into disarray. Being Human begins production on its second season this month in Montreal and will air in 2012.

Dichen Lachman previously co-starred as Sierra on Joss Whedon’s FOX series Dollhouse and has guest starred on Hawaii Five-0, NCIS LA and the upcoming season of Torchwood. She is represented by Jennifer Craig of The Gersh Agency and Mel McKeon and Laura Myones of McKeon-Myones Management.

Being Human became an instant hit for Syfy when it premiered in January 2011 averaging 1.8 million viewers making it the channel’s most successful winter season scripted series launch in 6 years.

In the series, leading everyday lives is a lot harder than it looks for three supernatural roommates – vampire Aidan (Sam Witwer), ghost Sally (Meaghan Rath) and werewolf Josh (Sam Huntington) – who share their secrets and a Boston brownstone. Together they learn that there are fates worse than death and more to life – and the afterlife – than most "normal" humans could ever imagine. 

Executive Producers are Michael Prupas (The Kennedys, Pillars of the Earth), Jeremy Carver (Supernatural) and Anna Fricke (Men in Trees, Everwood) who are both writers/showrunners, Adam Kane (The Mentalist, Heroes) and Rob Pursey and Toby Whithouse. Irene Litinsky is series Producer.

Being Human is a Muse Entertainment production in association with Zodiak USA. It is based on the acclaimed series, Being Human, created by Toby Whithouse and produced by Touchpaper Television, part of Zodiak Media Group.

The Kennedys continues its winning streak across the globe with over 2.6 million viewers tuning in for the series premiere episode on BBC Two in the UK on June 17. Audience numbers remained steady for the follow-up episode the same night with over 2.3 million viewers, outperforming BBC2’s year-to-date slot average of 1.6m and 1.57m respectively.

Since its world premiere on ReelzChannel in the U.S. this past April, which brought in a record breaking  2 million plus viewers per episode, The Kennedys was the highest rated dramatic program ever for History Television in Canada for its opening episode with over 1,000,000 viewers. The mini-series also pulled in 425,000 viewers for the opening four episodes on History UK, making it History’s top performing series ever; 766,000 viewers in Sweden for the premiere of the series as well as an 18.5% share for the first two episodes on RTBF in French language Belgium and a 24.77% share for episode one in Ireland on RTE.

"The Kennedys continues to perform beyond expectations in the markets where it is broadcast" says Michael Prupas, an executive producer of the miniseries and President of its distributor, Muse Distribution International. “The reason why the BBC Two executives were so delighted about the size of its audience is because it came after the show had already been shown on History Channel UK”, he continued.

The Kennedys has been licensed by more than 50 territories around the world for broadcast in 2011 including Quebec’s Super Ecran, France Television 3, Japan’s NHK, Switzerland’s TSR, Italy’s La Sette, Spain’s Telecinco, Norway’s NRK, New Zealand’s Sky TV, Israel’s IBA, Finland’s YLE and Australia’s ABC.

 “…thanks to the clever people at BBC2, we can now enjoy all the ups and downs of JFK and the clan. And marvel at Katie Holme’s uncanny portrayal of Jackie.”

- News of the World

 “This controversial mini-series immediately sucks you in. 3 stars”

– Mail on Sunday

 “Tom Wilkinson steals the show in the first episode of this well cast, cannily paced, eight-part mini-series…a treat.”

– The Observer

“This eight-part mini-series vividly portrays the story of the most influential family in the world. 5 stars”

– The People

“There are many reasons to tune into The Kennedys, First there’s the fine cast…then there’s the fact that the team behind 24 is at the helm of this new series. It gets our vote.”

– Sunday Express Magazine

“…the storytelling works…(Tom) Wilkinson is marvelous and Barry Pepper’s Bobby also convinces.”

– Sunday Times Culture

“5 stars”

– Daily Star

“Unusually for such biopics, the acting is solid… the dialogue doesn’t clunk, and the story is riveting.”

– The Times

Muse Entertainment's latest production Cyberbully, starring Emily Osment (Hannah Montana), Kelly Rowan (The OC) and Kay Panabaker (No Ordinary Family), will premiere July 17th at 8 pm on ABC Family. The television movie follows a teenage girl who is pushed to the brink of suicide by the online bullying she gets from kids at school.

Cyberbully is directed by Charles Binamé (Being Human) and written by Teena Booth (Reviving Ophelia). Executive Producers are Michael Prupas (The Kennedys) and Joel S. Rice (Change of Plans). The film is produced by Jesse Prupas (Jack of Diamonds).

The Kennedys, an 8-hour historical drama about America’s most legendary political family, is being licensed by more than 50 territories around the world for broadcast this year, making The Kennedys one of the most highly anticipated television events of 2011.
            
“World-wide reaction to The Kennedys has been phenomenal," says Michael Prupas, president of Muse Distribution International, the miniseries’ distributor.  “It’s striking an immediate emotional chord with programmers. We’re being told to ship as fast as we can. And the last episode just finished postproduction. We have discussions scheduled with more territories at MIPTV next month.”

“We tell the story of the Kennedys in a way that has never been done,” says Joel Surnow, an executive producer of The Kennedys. “We show who they were as people and why this family is America’s most famous and enduring. When you look at the checklist of all the themes you look for when you start a drama, this one has a 10/10 checklist: ambition, jealousy, betrayal, tragedy… the list goes on and you’ll find it in the Kennedy family. It’s Shakespearean, it’s a Greek tragedy.”

The Kennedys has an all-star lineup: Greg Kinnear plays John F Kennedy, Barry Pepper is Robert F. Kennedy, Katie Holmes is Jackie, and Tom Wilkinson is the dynasty’s patriarch, Joseph Kennedy Sr.

Reelz Network in the US will begin broadcast on April 3; Canada’s History Television on April 10; Quebec’s Super Ecran on April 3; UK’s History™ channel on April 7 and Sweden’s SVT on April 9.  BBC 2, France Television 3, Switzerland’s TSR and Belgium’s RTBF are planning a spring or summer broadcast. Italy’s La Sette, Spain’s Telecinco, Norway’s NRK, New Zealand’s Sky TV, Belgium’s VRT, Israel’s IBA, Finland’s YLE and Australia’s ABC also acquired The Kennedys. The miniseries will also be broadcast throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on AETN History™ networks. Several other European, Asian and Middle Eastern nations will also air The Kennedys.

            
In the series, the intimate story of the Kennedy family plays out against the backdrop of the great political events of the era; the Berlin Wall, the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis, which nearly triggered World War III. Through flashbacks to the 1930's, 1940's and 1950’s, the series explores the epic achievements, regrets, loyalties, loves, betrayals, triumphs and tragedies surrounding John, Robert and Joe Sr., and the women who unconditionally support them. The series delves into the events that shaped the family, including the tragic death of Joe Jr., John’s first run for Congress, Robert’s loyalty to John’s political career and John’s marriage to Jacqueline Bouvier, ending with John’s and Robert’s tragic assassinations.

The Kennedys is a production of Muse Entertainment in association with Asylum Entertainment.

Muse Entertainment and Back Alley Film Productions are proud to announce that Durham County’s third and final season has been nominated for five Monte Carlo Television Awards.

The 6 x 1 hour crime drama was nominated in the categories of Outstanding International Producers (Janis Lundman, Adrienne Mitchell, Michael Prupas), Outstanding Actor (Hugh Dillon, Michael Nardone) and Outstanding Actress (Hélène Joy, Laurence Leboeuf).

Nominated for 18 Gemini awards, winner of 7, and praised by the New York Times as “entirely addictive,” Durham County is developed and produced by Muse Entertainment Enterprises Inc. and Back Alley Film Productions Ltd. with Corus Entertainment’s Movie Central and Astral Media’s The Movie Network. The series is produced with participation from the Canadian Media Fund. It is being distributed internationally by ITV Global Entertainment Media.

The series airs on HBO Canada (Eastern Canada) and Movie Central (Western Canada), as well as over 100 territories worldwide.

Syfy has renewed Being Human for a second season.

Being Human, the U.S. version of the British series, produced by Muse Entertainment in association with ZODIAK USA, has averaged 1.8 million viewers so far in its first season, making it the cable network’s most successful winter scripted series launch in six years.

Syfy is also touting Being Human as its most female-skewing series to date, with women making up 53 percent of its viewers.

Being Human stars Sam Witwer, Meaghan Rath, Sam Huntington and Mark Pellegrino.

source: The Hollywood Reporter