TVO Original series Political Blind Date returns Valentine's Day for a fresh second season
Toronto, Jan. 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Political Blind Date, the TVO Original documentary series that was the talk of Canada's political world last year, returns for a fresh second season February 14 at 9 pm ET on TVO and tvo.org/politicalblinddate. Produced in association with Open Door Co. and Nomad Films, the six-part series brings politicians with different points-of-view together on a "date" to bring to life different perspectives on important Canadian issues that affect Ontarians.
Each weekly half-hour installment of the series explores a different issue by first inviting two politicians to plan a platonic date for one another. Each person introduces the other to interesting situations that best illustrate a point of view on the issue. Both elected officials quickly move beyond the headlines and encourage each other to find common ground.
"The first season of Political Blind Date resonated with both audiences and critics because it created a unique opportunity for politicians to debate ideas and issues that matter to people in this province and country," says John Ferri, Vice-President of Current Affairs and Documentaries at TVO. "The second season is equally energizing. No sound bites, no partisan bickering, just real people having honest, candid conversations."
The second season of Political Blind Date features politicians from across Canada who explore issues that may play key roles in this year's federal election:
- Guns in Canada ? February 14 - Marco Mendicino, Liberal MP and former Crown Prosecutor from Toronto, squares off with Glen Motz, Conservative MP and former Police Chief from Medicine Hat, Alberta, about Canada's relationship with guns. Does Bill-C71 infringe on the rights of law-abiding gun owners, and will it stop the use of illegal guns?
- The urban-rural divide ? February 21 - Bonnie Crombie, Mayor of Mississauga, Ontario and former Liberal MP, sets out with Andrew Scheer, Conservative Party Leader, from Regina-Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan, to see who should receive more government attention and support, populous cities or the rural communities that feed them?
- Taxes ? February 28 - Lisa Raitt, Conservative MP and Deputy Party Leader, Milton, Ontario and Wayne Easter, Liberal MP and Chair of the Finance Committee, from Malpeque, Prince Edward Island, pair together to debate whether the Liberal Government taxation policy is working. Is it true Liberals spend while Conservatives make budget cuts?
- Improving Indigenous communities ? March 7 - Romeo Saganash, a Cree NDP MP from Abitibi-James Bay-Nunavik-Eeyou (Quebec) and Don Rusnak, an Ojibway Liberal MP from Thunder Bay-Rainy River, Ontario, uncover differing approaches on how best to improve Indigenous communities in Canada. Is the Liberal Government living up to its promises about a new partnership with Indigenous Peoples?
- Opportunities for newcomers ? March 14 - Jenny Kwan, NDP MP, Vancouver East, British Columbia, (and immigrant to Canada at the age of 9), and Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal MP, Scarborough-Rouge Park, Toronto, (and Tamil refugee from Sri Lanka), explore whether the promise of acceptance and opportunity are equitable for everyone who arrives in Canada, no matter their status or origin.
- Asylum seekers ? March 21 - Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative MP from Charlesbourg-Haute-Saint-Charles, Quebec City, and Rob Oliphant, Liberal MP and Chair of the Immigration Committee, from Don Valley West, Toronto, travel to the U.S. border to see how irregular immigrants are welcomed into Canada.
"We believe that we made a difference to political discourse last year and we hope to make a similar difference this season," stated Tom Powers, Series Creator and Executive Producer and Mark Johnston, Series Writer, Director and Executive Producer. "Not only do our politicians get to explore serious issues facing the country, but they accomplish this through shared environments that speak to the viewer in fun and entertaining ways. We can't wait for audiences to watch season 2 of the series and join the watercooler discussions."
Political Blind Date is produced by Open Door and Nomad Films Inc, in association with TVO, and is written and directed by Mark Johnston. The Toronto Star is the Series Media Partner.
About TVO
As the technological extension of Ontario's public education system, TVO's vision is to create a better world through the power of learning. TVO provides learning opportunities for Ontarians through innovative educational products, in-depth current affairs, thought-provoking documentaries, and award-winning TVOkids resources both inside and outside the classroom. TVO is funded primarily by the Province of Ontario and is a registered charity supported by thousands of sponsors and donors. For more information, visit tvo.org.
About Open Door Co.
Open Door Co. is in the business of producing, developing and acquiring "Content That Matters". The company was launched in 2005, by Tom Powers, President and Executive Producer. He is the Creator and Executive Producer of Political Blind Date and is a senior entertainment executive and lawyer with 15 years of high-level experience as an executive producer and producer of prime-time television and critically acclaimed films. A CSA and Gemini Award nominee, Tom has produced 11 prime time series and 6 feature documentaries, including 4 seasons of Intervention Canada, based on A&E's Emmy Award winning series and the feature documentary Cracked Not Broken for HBO's Addiction Series. Open Door's clients include TVO, CBC/Doc Channel, HBO, A+E, Sundance, Bell Media, Corus/Shaw, SVT, SBS, NHK and Discovery, among others (www.opendoorco.com).
About Nomad Films
Nomad Films Inc. (www.nomadfilms.ca) recently celebrated twenty years of producing some of Canada's best documentary programming. Mark Johnston, the Director and Writer of Political Blind Date, is the founder of the company. Amanda Handy is the Producer of the series. Together, Johnston and Handy have created series like the landmark TVO series, Empire of the Word, and the Academy Award winning I Married My Family's Killer. Johnston has been a director or producer of more than sixty films, and Handy brings veteran business affairs experience from the dramatic television and feature film world. Nomad Films is experienced in treaty co-productions, and has worked with broadcasters around the world, including TVO, CBC (Nature of Things and Passionate Eye), BBC, PBS, Documentary, Sundance, CTV, ARTE France, WDR (Germany), NDR (Germany), NRK (Norway) SVT (Sweden), SBS (Australia), Discovery, National Geographic, and many others. (www.nomadfilms.com).
Where to find TVO
| On air: Cable Ch. 2 (may vary in some areas) Rogers channel 2 Bell Fibe TV HD 1209 Bell Fibe TV SD 209 Bell TV 265 Shaw Direct HD 39 Shaw Direct SD 353 | Online: tvo.org tvokids.com tvo.org/ilc | iTunes Google Play BlackBerry World Bell Mobile TV | YouTube |
For further information:
Media contacts:
Paul Ginis
TVO Marketing and Public Relations Associate
416.484.2600 x 2445
Cameron Thomas
Senior Media Relations
Ireland and Hall/PMG
416-660-9801
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