Congrats to Canadian Screen Awards Nominees
Congratulations to Adrian Callendar for Secrets of the Underground Railroad, Rezolution for Little Bird, and Saloon Media for Canada’s Drag Race and Statue Wars. Well deserved!
NEW YORK TIMES - STRAIGHT FOR PAY REVIEW
From the New York Times, March 26, 2024. Cara Connors is a queer millennial comic whose debut hour shifts from her divorce from a man to a very funny description of lesbian breakups (lots of gratitude in both directions). She says she’s terrified of waking up, opening her phone and seeing this news: “Elon Musk is bisexual.” Her face goes dark. “Now I have to welcome him into the community?” Then she imagines the headline with her hands: “Jeff Bezos, gender-fluid.” She erupts in a baritone: “I can’t do it.” Connors seems to search for reasons to lose her bearings. It’s where she is funniest. Bounding around the stage with “the energy of a mom at a wedding who has had too much to drink,” she offers some dutiful jokes (like the Standup 101 opening analogy of how she appears to others: “I know I look like if they let Timothée Chalamet start eating again”) and a couple that peter out when they should build. But she makes up for the rawness of joke writing with a frenetic charm and a powerhouse voice that shifts from giggly to laid-back to demonic in a flash. It’s a promising debut. ~Jason Zinoman
Stephen Friedman's Dream Has Come True - INTRAVEL
"I’m super excited to partner with INSIGHT TV on this venture, we are approaching this very differently as this isn’t just a TV channel it’s so much more! Through this epic collaboration with INSIGHT TV, Jungle Creations, Steller.co, and more, INTRAVEL is all set to unveil an unparalleled adventure across the globe, redefining the very essence of travel content and acting as an all in one hub for travel brands, tourism boards, and more. The foundation for this channel is good storytelling connecting all of us to this fascinating place we all call home. It’s a very exciting time and welcome to INTRAVEL."
HALF A DOZEN YEARS AGO....
As the anniversary of year six (!) is here, I’d like to thank the folks the clients and I worked with in 2023: A&E/UK, Bell Media, Blue Ant Media, Discovery Channel, Comedy Dynamics, Corus, DLT Entertainment, Gag Reflex, Frantic, Hearst, HGTV, History Channel, Hulu, INSP, Isopure, Magnolia, Motortrend, One Tribe TV, OWN, PBS, RIVR Media, Texas Crew Productions, Unconventional Entertainment, Vail Valley Foundation, and West One International.
Red Arrow Industries' First Time Buyer's Club Season Two Pick Up!
FIRST-TIME BUYER'S CLUB is an authentic and in-depth look at the exciting but complex journey of becoming a homeowner for the very first time, no matter the stage in life. Teacher-turned-realtor Amina Stevens aims to educate and inspire clients who are intimidated by the overwhelming housing market. By providing her expertise and support, Amina is a trusted partner and confidante as she guides her clients through every stage of the home-buying journey. Each and every sale also furthers Amina's ultimate mission and passion with her work -- the building of wealth and the reduction of housing disparity in the Black community. By investigating each client's unique situation, Amina takes pride in helping her clients break through the myths about home ownership so they can one day realize their dreams.
Cara Connor's Special - Straight for Pay available 3/12/24
A singular new voice, poised to take the comedy world by storm, Straight for Pay, blends Connors’ unique brand of high-energy, self-effacing comedy with a well-crafted charismatic, on-stage persona. Connors delivers an exuberant hour of full-body laughs, and plenty of thought-provoking material, in her breakout debut comedy special.
Her acclaimed solo show, Straight for Pay, recently completed a 35-city tour, headlining show at the New York Comedy Festival, and a successful debut run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, garnering rave reviews from The Boston Globe, Austin Chronicle, Paste Magazine, and more. With The Comics Comic critic Sean McCarthy calling her: “Part Sandra Bernhard, part Kristen Wiig, part intangible undeniable charm.”
BIG TIME DECENT'S LEGENDS OF THE PONY EXPRESS FOR INSP COMING 3/10/24
Heroic Pony Express riders face deadly terrain, hostile Native Americans, and dangerous outlaws as they race from station to station to transport vital mail across 2,000 miles of untamed frontier. Though many of them are little more than boys, their life-and-death adventures become the stuff of legends. The often-overlooked station keepers who tend the horses and care for riders along the way face just as much danger as the riders in their isolated and unprotected cabins. In just 18 months of operation, the Pony Express makes 400 runs with only one lost delivery. Along the way, it unites the country and becomes an iconic part of America's western lore.
CARA CONNORS' EDINBURGH FRINGE FEST REVIEWS
From TheComicsComic.com “Part Sandra Bernhard, part Kristen Wiig, part intangible undeniable charm, this LA-based comedian by way of Toronto has an energy she may describe as the first mom on the dance floor at the wedding reception. It’s go go go.”
From Chortle “Cara Connor’s show - like so many others – is all about identity. And the identity that defines her appears to be that of Looney Tunes character.”
Somewhere for Us “It's true that Cara’s exuberance, and the way that they shift from topic to topic, sometimes within the same sentence, is enough to give some whiplash. But for many others, this rapid-fire, over-the-top performance is an important part of the humour and the charm.”
CLICK POSTER FOR TICKETS
FIVE YEARS!
I can hardly believe it’s been five years since starting this business – partly because of the covid time-warp, and mostly because I love the work. That said, this 'half decade' has been filled with growth, year after year. I am so proud of all the clients, new and old. And I am sending many, many special thank yous to the organizations we worked with this past year: A&E, Banijay/Beyond, Blue Ant Media, Brunico, HGTV, HGTV Canada, History, History Canada, Hulu, INSP, Magnolia, Motortrend, NBC Universal, Netflix, PBS, RIVR Media, ROKU, RTR Media, Sharp Entertainment, Weather Channel, WestOne International, and WETV. Hopefully I will see you soon at MIPTV, Real Screen Dana Point, or the Banff Media Festival. Until then…
Secret Agents of the Underground Railroad - Adrian Callendar
STRAIGHT FOR PAY REVIEW - PASTE MAGAZINE
There’s a lot of pressure on a stand-up comedian’s debut album to properly introduce them to us, sight unseen; you need to be confident in your ability to sell jokes based on your voice and your voice alone. Luckily for LA-based comedian Cara Connors, her voice is one of their strongest suits, bolstering her record Straight for Pay, which was taped at the Hideout Chicago.
Read more here
UNDERKNOWN STUDIOS LAUNCHES
From C21: Creators of social media phenomenon What If launch TV arm in Cannes
The creators of What If are launching a TV arm of their company Underknown at Mipcom next week, with a slate led by the digital science show that has more than 65 million followers across social media. The Canadian digital-first media company will be making its TV production debut as Underknown Studios at the Cannes market.
Partnering with Carl Hall's UK sales house West One International, Underknown aims to bring a new generation of factual entertainment audiences to broadcasters and platforms via its digital franchises and brands.
At Mipcom, Underknown Studios will showcase its factual web series brands, which regularly add more than 400 million watch minutes each month, as reworked and reformatted TV shows as the company expands its online offering into longform programming.
The firm's programming slate is led by What If, which asks hypothetical questions that get audiences talking around the world. It is currently in production on 52 one-hour episodes of the show.
Underknown Studios is also creating original TV content, the first example being History in Living Colour (6x60'), in which visual historian Jordan Lloyd uncovers the fascinating unknown stories behind history's most incredible photographs. West One International will raise finance and distribute Underknown Studios' content globally. The development slate has been created by Connor Boals (formerly of CNN's Great Big Story) and Cameron Macdonald (previously of Frantic Films).
West One MD Hall is joining the Underknown Studios team as a consultant, as are TV industry veteran Ken MacDonald (ex-Discovery Canada) and Melissa Campbell (of Contentum).
Save Your Day's A Simple Path and Paradise Kitchen: Bali Featured
From Realscreen MIP Shopper’s Guide Part One: Paradise Kitchen: Bali (10 x 22 min.), coproduced by Save Your Day Films, sees Kynd Food co-founder Lauren Camilleri exploring the titular region’s food, culture and people……..Other MIPCOM titles include the third season of skateboarding series A Simple Path (10 x 22 min.)….
Arcadia's Ghost Ships and Vikings: America Quest Among Top MIP Market Picks
Ariel Tweto in Runner's World!
Read Ariel’s article, “Unstoppable Voices: I’ve Run Every Day for 21 Years” by clicking here.
Toronto Guardian Interview with Cara Connors
Canadian comic Cara Connors now lives in L.A. but the comedian is heading home this weekend as a part of her first North American tour which includes a show at Comedy Bar with Toronto’s own Natalie Norman opening. We got the chance to chat with Cara prior to the show to find out more about her. Click here for more.
Underknown Acquires Youtube Channel, Aperture
Webby-award-winning digital-first media company Underknown announces today that they are once again expanding their brand portfolio by acquiring the popular science YouTube channel “Aperture”. Approaching 1.5 million YouTube subscribers, “Aperture” covers topics spanning across the STEM and psychology space. In addition to YouTube, the show will now also be published across Underknown’s network on Facebook and Snapchat. “Expanding our content themes into Philosophy, Science and Psychology is exciting to Underknown as we work towards our goal of educating the world about science and the humanities,” said Underknown CEO and Co-Founder Steve Hulford. Link here
Four Years
Celebrating four years in operation, with two of those years being in the pandemic is strange. While business is booming, there are some folks in the struggle of the lasting effects of Covid – and in myriad ways. So, to keep it simple, I’d like to thank all the wonderful partners of my clients who made it a successful 2021 – 2022: 1895 Films, ADM Media, Blue Ant Media, Cineflix, Corus, Discovery, Fox, Great Pacific Media, HGTV, History, Hulu, Loose World, MacGillivray Freeman Films, Magical Elves, Magnolia, Netflix, North Maple Productions, Outside, Parabolic, Pond5, Rabbit’s Foot, RIVR, Sharp Entertainment, Shatner Universe, Short Street Media, Six West, Snap, Switchblade, and WETV. I look forward to seeing everyone again very soon.
Smash the patriarchy. Keep the pawtriarchy. A Q&A with Cara Connors
From ChicagoNow by Teme Ring - Cara Connors describes herself as a “former Catholic high school/current queer, corn-fed comedian.” That’s just part of the story. She started out in the Chicago suburbs, then moved to New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, all the while picking up experiences, insights, and brilliant comedic steam.
Cara grew up in Niles and attended Regina Dominican High School in Wilmette. College in New York followed, then marriage. Together with her husband, she moved to Canada where she made key discoveries that would change life for the better, both for her and for comedy fans. Read more here
