‘The Pipeline is Full Again,’ Says Bell Media VP Justin Stockman, Breaking Down The New Content For The Upcoming TV Season

By BILL HARRIS Special to The Lede It’s “full steam ahead” for Bell Media heading into the 2021/22 television campaign, as the company has plucked the best new acquisitions, and is “doubling down” on original content, according to Justin Stockman, VP, Content Development & Programming. With the entire world trying to emerge from a rough year and a half due to the pandemic, Stockman was asked if he can provide some hope: “I can do that,” he said. “And it’ll be telling you the truth.” He continued, “I’ve been shocked at how the television industry specifically has moved ahead. Our ‘U.S. buy’ was virtual this year, but everything is on the same timeline that it usually would be. There were tons of pilots to watch. We had originally heard that because of the pandemic, there would likely be a lot of spinoffs this year, and easy things, and safer things. But by the time we got to the screenings, there was a lot of new content, new formats, new concepts, not just safe and easy. The pipeline is full again.” And on the Canadian side, with all the new programming announcements that were made today, Stockman said Bell Media has never been more committed to carving out “our own piece of Canadian culture.” As he put it, “I’d say we’re really doubling down on originals. It’s going to take a while, because you have to ramp up, but you’ll see with Crave that we’re layering more and more originals into the plan. And CTV as well. We’re looking at where we can put more original Canadian on the schedule, and we’re going to keep doing that, so you will see this list grow every year. We’re more aligned than ever with the content team in Québec, and in Québec, original is everything – it drives that entire industry. We are going to take a page from our colleagues in Québec and rely more on our Canadian voice, and try to carve out our own piece of Canadian culture.” Here’s what Stockman had to say specifically about some of the biggest new shows: NEW ORIGINAL PROJECTS SHORESY (Crave) STOCKMAN: “LETTERKENNY just keeps on trucking. We’re going to keep pumping them out as long as we can. The fans just devour them. We put them up on Crave, and we can see the stats, with so many people watching all the episodes within a day. But we’ve also been talking about a spinoff, probably for three years now. Because there are so many different characters, and different ways you could go with it, we would always ask ourselves, how do we want to do this, and what’s the best way? So we’ve arrived at SHORESY, who is surely the strangest character. I think the fandom is going to go crazy, because there’s just so much mystique around the story of this character. I can tell you, LETTERKENNY sells a ton of merchandise, all over North America, and one of the most popular characters for merch is Shoresy. So we think that fans are going to freak out when they hear that this is the spinoff.” LITTLE BIRD (Crave) STOCKMAN: “This is the first drama we’ve commissioned for Crave, and everybody on our team who read the first few scripts was blown away. We’re going to do it right. We really think this could be huge, not only for critical acclaim, but as a real learning opportunity with regard to the ’60s scoop, from a first-person viewpoint. It’s so well written, and we’re very proud that we’re bringing this one forward. So yes, we think it’s going to be an important show, but it’s also going to be really compelling, because the characters are so interesting, and so good.” THUNDER BAY (Crave) STOCKMAN: “This is doc series based on the podcast from Canadaland about the history of racism in Thunder Bay, and the injustices of its institutions. It’s produced and hosted by Anishinaabe journalist Ryan McMahon, who is determined to look into the recent deaths of multiple Indigenous people.” 1 QUEEN 5 QUEERS (Crave) STOCKMAN: “The show 1 GIRL 5 GAYS was a big MTV Canada hit for many years. We’re doing this because Brooke Lynn Hytes, one of the judges from DRAG RACE CANADA, came to us and proposed a spinoff. Being from Toronto, Brooke Lynn Hytes was a fan of 1 GIRL 5 GAYS, and said, ‘Why don’t we bring it back, but update the title and make it more inclusive?’ We were all in. It’s being produced by Bell Media Studios, and goes into production very soon. It will be the same format that everyone remembers, but with a broader mandate.” PILLOW TALK (Crave) STOCKMAN: “This is based on a show that airs on Noovo called ENTRE DEUX DRAPS –  or ‘Between Two Sheets.’ But it’s not really a sex show. The series is scenes and sketches that take place in people’s bedrooms, the conversations that people have when they’re in there. There are both couples and roommates in the French version, so it’s not always necessarily romantic. You go from character to character as the stories develop. We think it’s an interesting format.” WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE (Crave) STOCKMAN: “It’s a doc series, but not with a capital ‘D.’ The series looks at different ways that humanity could end. We started this before the pandemic. We were really into it. And then when the pandemic started, we were like, ‘Uh, this is maybe the worst-timed series ever.’ But now we’re thinking the opposite. This might actually be something people really want to dive into, because it’s looking at the science of how humanity could end, but narrated in a way that’s light, and takes the edge off it a bit. So we’ve gone from thinking, ‘let’s pause on this one,’ to, ‘how quickly can we have it done?’ ” DU ME A FAVOUR (Crave) STOCKMAN: “This is from Jae and Trey Richards, who are extremely well known in the Digital Creator Space as 4YE, and are part of Bell Media’s Much Creator network – and now they have their own show. Besides directing and starring in their own comedy videos, and having their own radio show and podcast, they also have their own line of apparel, with Durags as the focal point. So this is a lightly scripted sketch series that follows the brothers as they build their Durag empire.” CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING (CTV) STOCKMAN: “This is one of the shows that we’ve plowed through and produced during COVID. It’s a family sitcom, but definitely with a 2021 lens on it. It’s so relatable and we’re really proud of it.” SURREALESTATE (CTV Sci-Fi Channel) STOCKMAN: “It’s basically what it sounds like, where an investigator/real estate agent deals with paranormal activity in your house. It’s spooky, but light spooky.” ROAST BATTLE CANADA (CTV Comedy Channel) STOCKMAN: “It’s the same format that was produced in the U.S., and also with our colleagues in Québec, and now there’s an English Canadian version. It’s got everything you’ve come to expect – people being brutally mean for the sake of comedy. We’ve already greenlit a second season before the first season even airs. It’s that funny.” MARY MAKES IT EASY (CTV Life Channel) STOCKMAN: “Everything with a Mary Berg show is about Mary Berg. This is a different spin with a different angle, but really, everything is just about Mary, her personality, and, of course, her cooking.” A CUT ABOVE (Discovery) STOCKMAN: “It’s a chainsaw carving competition series from the producers of BLOWN AWAY, where you’re watching glass blowers. This is a similar art form that might sound niche, but the actual creativity is fascinating.” UNDERGROUND RAILROAD SECRETS (Discovery) STOCKMAN: “It’s about the logistics of how the Underground Railroad worked. It’s a Discovery take on something with historic significance, answering the question of, how exactly was this pulled off?”   NEW ACQUISITIONS THE WONDER YEARS (CTV) STOCKMAN: “This could be the show everyone’s talking about this year. It’s a little bit comfort food, because the format is exactly the same as what you remember from the original, with the voiceover and the nostalgic imagery, but with a much more timely story, because now it’s an African-American family in Montgomery, Alabama. So instead of Vietnam being the backdrop, which was the case in the original version, this time it’s the social justice fights of the late ’60s for Black Americans as the backdrop.” OUR KIND OF PEOPLE (CTV): STOCKMAN: “It’s going to be a big, juicy, soapy drama.” THE BIG LEAP (CTV) STOCKMAN: “I would say the official description of this one doesn’t give you the full picture of what it actually is. The reality show is the backdrop. It’s the device that brings everyone together. But the actual pilot we saw is more about the human stories and connections, and how each character is looking for a second chance.” THE CLEANING LADY (CTV) STOCKMAN: “This one has a mixture of themes. There’s an immigrant story, there’s a mob/crime angle, they’re clearly setting up a future romantic storyline, and there’s a family dynamic to it as well. There’s a mother and she’s trying to find treatment for a rare disease that her child has, which has brought her into this situation.” QUEENS (CTV) STOCKMAN: “You know, we’re an ad-supported service, focusing on 25 to 54, and if you want to get people in that sweet spot for nostalgia right now, the ’90s is actually a great nostalgic place for people in their 40s. Having Eve and Brandy back gives it that nostalgic feel. The show is a mix, it’s a bit soapy, but there are also full performances, so there’s a lot of music in it as well.” PIVOTING (CTV) STOCKMAN: “It’s the same theme of second chances that we talked about with THE BIG LEAP, but from a group of friends’ perspective. There are four friends, and after one of them dies, the others start to re-examine their lives, and how they want to change their lives to give them more meaning. All of the characters are really fun.” MAGGIE (CTV) STOCKMAN: “It’s a romantic sitcom that I would call cute. Basically, the best comparison is to HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER. But because Maggie is psychic, she sees what her own future will be. And then through each episode, we’re going to see how she gets to that future, as she’s going through her dating life.” STAR TREK: PRODIGY (CTV Sci-Fi Channel) STOCKMAN: “It’s animated, and it’s meant for a younger audience. It’s STAR TREK’s first foray into a youth program.” STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS (CTV Sci-Fi Channel) STOCKMAN: “It’s going back even further in time than we’ve gone with some of the other STAR TREK series. It’s really about that initial exploration – if you remember, even in the 1960s STAR TREK, they had already been to some of these planets, and had established contact, and they already knew some of these aliens. So this is where, for the first time, they actually meet all of this alien life. Each episode should be quite different, as they uncover all the life that’s out there.” CHAPELWAITE (CTV Sci-Fi Channel) STOCKMAN: “It’s creepy, very moody, and dark. It’s a period piece. It stars Adrien Brody, who obviously is best known for his movie work, so it’s great to see him on TV, and also Emily Hampshire from SCHITT’S CREEK, but this is an entirely different type of show for her. So I think this one could be a big deal.” billharristv@gmail.com @billharris_tv