International Day of Education: Civics
As the Executive Producer, Digital at TVO I’m delighted to let you know that for this years’ International Day of Education on January 24th TVO will be focusing on the topic of civics.
When I think of civics I think of the roles and responsibilities of citizenship. And I think of people getting involved in the political process in all ways and at all levels. That makes civics a topic that could not be more relevant during these turbulent social and political days. And that’s why we think civics is such an important topic for the International Day of Education.
In these challenging times it’s often hard to know what information you can rely on. At TVO we see our role as empowering our audience with fact-based, verified information so they can make informed decisions on the issues we grapple with living in a society. So, for the International Day of Education TVO will be bringing you compelling civics content across our shows including TVO Today Live, The Agenda with Steve Paikin, TVO Original series Unrigged, our digital video series Nerds on Politics and our weekly #onpoli podcast with Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath.
But, at TVO, civics isn’t just a topic for one day. Civics is at our core. We are serious. And committed. That’s why we bring you relevant information, every day on every platform, about issues that matter to you most. And that’s why we launched our new series Unravelled to look at topics like the housing crisis, parental rights, dog whistling, and grocery inflation. And to unravel fact from fiction.
I’m immensely proud to be able to lead a team at TVO contributing to this content. But none of it would exist without committed donors who believe in civics and the power of information as much as we do.
Laurie Few Executive Producer, Digital
around personal dramas often pull at the heartstrings of our viewers. The relationship between Gina and Phil Bellamy was a powerful narrative not easily forgotten, highlighted by their wedding in season 16.
So, while it is time to say goodbye to the cast of Heartbeat, we want to assure our loyal viewers that our Programming & Content team has looked tirelessly for a program that would be able to measure up to such a beloved show. Hope Street was handselected as its successor.
“I’m very excited for our audience to be introduced to the stories Hope Street offers” says John Ferri, Vice President, Programming & Content. “I would be remiss not to acknowledge what Heartbeat has meant to our audience and
folks at TVO. It has been a staple of our programming for over two decades and I am confident that Hope Street will be a worthy successor to Heartbeat. The show already has a great international following and we are looking forward to introducing our audience to a program so many others enjoy.”
Hope Street celebrates the warmhearted and good-humoured people of a beautiful, fictional town in Northern Ireland as they build a future together rather than dwell on the differences of the past.
Set in the fictional town of Port Devine on the Northern Ireland coast, Hope Street focuses on Port Devine’s police department and the mysterious arrival of English Detective
Constable Leila Hussain, the first Muslim police officer in the town’s history.
“It was important to keep in mind the elements beloved by viewers of Heartbeat when seeking out a worthy successor to the show, and we believe we’ve found it! With its charming characters and intriguing storylines, Hope Street invites you into a captivating new community in a beautiful port town, filled with intrigue, humour and above all, heart” says Shane Smith from our acquisitions team. The characterdriven series combines a long-running serial narrative with self-contained crime stories in each episode.
Here at TVO, we sincerely thank all of our viewers and donors for their unwavering support for faithfully tuning in to watch Heartbeat all these years, and we eagerly await the premiere of Hope Street and the continuation of quality drama programming at TVO.
February
Hope for Wildlife
Season 6
13-part series
Sunday, February 2 at 7pm
Play It Loud!
How Toronto Got Soul
TVO Original
World Premiere
Sunday, February 16 at 9pm
A feature documentary that tells the little-known story of how Jamaican music became a critical and unlikely part of Canadian culture. The film told through the life of beloved Jamaican Canadian singer Jay Douglas, reveals a social and cultural migration that made Canada a mecca for Jamaican music, recognized around the world.
(Documentary)
Stream on TVO.org or YouTube.
Watch on-air or stream on demand.
Hope for Wildlife is bursting at the seams with injured and orphaned wildlife. In season 6, Hope Swinimer is helping more animals than ever - trying new techniques and strategies to deal with the massive caseload. She also breaks ground on a brand-new construction project that changes Hope for Wildlife forever! (Documentary Series)
Stream on TVO.org or YouTube.
Sounds & Pressure:
Reggae in a Foreign Land
World Broadcast Premiere
5-part series
Sunday, February 9 at 9pm
Batata
Thursday, February 13 at 9pm
At reggae’s peak, Jamaica’s brightest stars brought their light to an unexpected hub: Toronto. From Play It Loud! director Graeme Mathieson, this five-part series traces their journey through rare archives and infectious beats, taking you from Kingston to Kensington Market to reveal how reggae took root in Canada and reshaped its cultural landscape against all odds. (Documentary Series)
Stream on TVO.org or YouTube
This Peabody-winning documentary follows the life of charismatic Syrian migrant worker, Maria, and her journey from pre-revolution Lebanon to life in refugee camps. Syrian-Lebanese director Noura Kevorkian captures an entire decade of marriages, births, deaths, all the while documenting the unbending spirit of a woman who puts family ahead of all else. (Documentary)
Stream on TVO.org or YouTube