Canada Readies ‘Strike-Proof’ Schedules, Contingency Plans As WGA Strike Continues

While the AMPTP is going down to the wire in negotiations with U.S. actors, their counterparts north of the border have struck their own deal.

Naman Ramachandran Google has joined Meta in blocking access to Canadian news links after Bill C-18 AKA the Online News Act that will eventually make the tech giants pay local media outlets for news was passed. C-18 was set up to ensure “fair revenue sharing between digital platforms and news outlets”; provide for “collective bargaining by news outlets”; promote “voluntary commercial agreements between digital platforms and news outlets, with minimal government intervention”; and “as a last resort,” establish a “mandatory arbitration framework when digital platforms and news outlets cannot reach commercial agreements,” according to the Canadian government.

Amber Dowling Stephanie Azam is no longer the head of content for Disney+ Canada, Variety has learned. The executive was let go as part of the company’s recent reorganization after less than a year on the job, and amid news that Disney+ has paused original commissions in Canada. Several other positions were eliminated as a result of the reorganization. Jason Badal remains in place as the VP and general manager of Disney+ in Canada. Sources indicate the company is still looking at Canadian originals, although the timeline surrounding any such commissions is unclear. Last September at a Content Canada conference, Badal indicated the streaming service was in search of Canadian content for the Star component of Disney+ (an amalgamation of Hulu, FX and Fox content that hasn’t been distributed to other Canadian broadcasters). Azam was in the audience at the time and still new to the role. Still, Badal revealed her email for those in the room who wanted to send pitches.

Sue Johanson, Canada’s most beloved and celebrated sex educator, has died. She was 93.

Ryan Gosling thinks there’s a strong “Kenergy” in Canada.

The Kens are teaming up!

ET Canada’s very own Keshia Chanté is set to join Shamier Anderson and Stephan James to host this year’s Legacy Awards.

When Jully Black performs Canada’s national anthem at the Toronto Metropolitan University’s graduation ceremony on Tuesday, July 27, she’ll be tweaking the lyrics to make an important point.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large CBS’ “Tough As Nails” was a late addition to the Eye network’s summer schedule, as broadcasters continue to adjust their primetime schedules in light of the WGA writers strike. This time out, the competitive series — hosted and executive produced by Phil Keoghan (“The Amazing Race”) takes place north of the border for the first time. Variety has a first look at Season 5 of “Tough as Nails,” which premieres with a two-hour opener on Sunday, July 2 at 8 p.m. ET. The series will then continue to air twice a week, at 8 p.m. ET on Fridays and Sundays, on CBS and Paramount+. “To be completely honest, we didn’t see the launch of ‘Tough as Nails’ 5 happening so quickly but even with a short notice we are doing everything we can to make the most of this awesome opportunity,” Keoghan told Variety. “‘Tough As Nails’ appeals to people of all ages and a lot of our audience are early to bed early to rise so the early time slot is a chance to grab people like we did when we launched in the summer of 2020 as CBS’s highest rated new reality format in the last five years. We know there’s an audience in the summer who love our show and we are extremely excited to know we have something really special to share with them this season.”

Editor’s note: Part 2 of two-part series about the writers strike crossing the 50-day mark.

Stan Refreshes Lionsgate Output Deal

There’s a Formula One race this weekend!

Across Canada, a new wave of Indigenous musicians are reclaiming their voices, weaving a new sonic landscape that’s captivating listeners worldwide.

British big-hitters Russell T. Davies, Jack Thorne and Dennis Kelly are preparing to stand with writers around the world today in support of striking scribes on a global day of solidarity and action.

On May 10, CBS unveiled a fall 2023 lineup that didn’t factor the potential impact from the ongoing writers strike (and a possible SAG-AFTRA work stoppage). Besides the unscripted Wednesday, comprised of supersized episodes of Survivor and The Amazing Race, and Sunday anchor 60 Minutes, the announced schedule features all scripted series Sunday-Friday, none of which has episodes in the can.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Disney+ has put the brakes on original commissions in Canada until at least the end of the year, Variety can reveal. Sources indicate that the Mouse House has put a pin in local programming from across its brands in Canada, and isn’t actively commissioning. It’s understood that this mandate will be in place until the end of 2023 and could extend into 2024. Disney+ officially launched in Canada in November 2019, but like other streaming services north of the border, it’s taken a few years to get originals underway. Last summer, the company hired respected Telefilm executive Stephanie Azam as its director of content for Canada — an appointment that generated some buzz in the local industry.

writers strike that is being branded “Screenwriters Everywhere,” with events planned in major cities including Paris and London. The Writers Guild of America has enlisted members from the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds, Federation of Screenwriters in Europe and UNI Global Union to demonstrate global support for the union’s strike against Hollywood’s largest producers. The unprecedented rallying behind the WGA is especially relevant during this strike given the globalization of content, and the fast-growing international outposts of many “struck” companies, such as Netflix and Prime Video.

The Flash showrunner Eric Wallace will be telling fellow American writers “we are not in this alone” when he returns home from London later.

“Part One,” which comes out next month. Last week, Empire Magazine published an interview with “Dead Reckoning” director Christopher McQuarrie, where he acknowledged the delays and hurdles that his team’s work on the two “M:I” films have had to face.

Canadian Swifties are abuzz.