Halifax Film / TV Weakly Update (haha, see what I did there? "weakly" cause it's so bad.... ah forget it).

Anyway..., tonight's blogging is edited by my friend Lunchmeat Herold. (ed. hiya.)

Just to catch up on a bunch of local (ed. and national, international) tv/film stuff.

Saw "The Border" the other night, the CBC's latest drama and I was impressed. It wasn't a "24" ripoff, although it did have action, tension, it was un-awkwardly proudly Canadian. It felt like a british show when they tell stories to fellow brits, ya know? (ed. like from a "canadian" perspective" to Canadian? Crazy.) And none of the police wore bright red coats. I think I'll watch again.

Suzanne Pleshette .... sigh... I wa so sorry to hear of her passing. She was class with a capital K! Funny, confident, sexy...I get the feeling I wasn't the only one who wanted to spend a long car drive across america with her.

The sound stage in Shelburne has been sold. It was built in the day when film and tv was supposed to rescue "underdeveloped" parts of the province, from economic destitution. Now, apparently, I "dissed" Shelburne in a previous blog but it was unintentional. I've never been there but I guess, according to an e-mail I received, it is a haven for "loyalists" and aliens. That's great. (ed. Maybe some people shouldn't throw the word "ignorant" around just because we talk about stuff we don't know anything about, hmmm?)

My subscription to Playback has expired and frankly I don't have the cash to re-new at their new cyber way of doing things. (ed. shouldn't it be cheaper since there's no paper or postage involved? I'm just saying.)

I'm guessing that the facility was sold to a foreigner for much less than it cost the Nova Scotia Government to build. Such is our quaint Maritime way.

Sean Majumder's new sitcom is being advertised and it's on FOX! That's american. I say good for him. The talented Newfoundlander has certainly paid his dues and has the talent to make it in the mainstream of comedy in the states. (ed. that's not an insult.) The show is called "Unhitched" and is run by the Farrelly brothers. (ed. Something about Mary, anyone. I wish I knew the history of Sean's association with the bro's. One of them, Bobby?, had a summer home up here, (just recently sold)
Did Sean and Bobby?, hang out up here? Who knows. Did they have anything to do with Bobby Curtola checking out of the province? (ed. Not likely. Not even a tenuous connection there, why bring it up?)


In personal news, we've managed to stave off eviction. Briefly, I owe back rent because I recently lost my job, the roommate I brought in has turned out to be a drug dealer who was not very good at her career and my sister, well, she's more of a giver than an earner. So, sad to say, the big screen tv is gone. This is hard to talk about but, heck, sacrifices have to be made. (In actuality the TV wasn't even mine; it was my sister's Brazillian boyfriend/impregnator, so I'm not really behind.) Still, other bills have to be paid.

Now, in a previous career, I used to write for children's television. That, plus the fact that I own shares in DHX aka Halifax Film, (ed.1000 shares), I figured I could pitch them on some show concepts. Alas, I have not heard back on any of my pitches.

But, my mentor, Michael Donoven, the ceo of said DHX, has inspired me to rise up and continue in my quest. In last Thursday's Chronicle Herald (I admit, I borrow it from the fetal alcohol people from up the hall, but I always return it!), Michael was speaking to a business conference at Dalhousie and he said that "failure is the key to sucess". Can you imagine that the Oscar (tm) winner was saying that failure is a key to the elevator of sucess? Hell, I should be heading to the 10000th floor!

He says that Tv and film is usually a 6:1 failure to sucess ratio. So for all the six taxpayer funded productions DHX, the publically listed corporation, will have one success. I don't think you have better odds than Vegas, especially when you are losing other people's money but winning yours.

So. learning from this, I've previously sent DHX four premises and now I have two more "ideas" for other kids shows. (ed. after all that is the business we want to monopolize.)


Ricky the Acerbic Clam - Bitter and sarcastic bottom feeders resent those who eat in the shallow pool. (and they solve mysteries/crimes.)

Mariska, the Idealistic Filmmaker - Mariska does odd jobs (ed. collecting bottles, eating glass for money, and whoring) in order to finance her independant films in which she seeks to entertain and inform. Genre: Fantasy. In the first episode, we introduce her nemesis Heryl Chasion, the rich dilitant, who refuses to respond to our heroine`s pleas for help.

So that`s it for this weak. Just a note, I started this blog as an information centre for tv and film makers in halifax to share their knowledge and experiences. But lately, the only responses I`ve received have be haraunging e-mails. I`m thinking that I`m just wasting my time. Anybody out there?