U8TV: The Lofters
Encyclopedia
U8TV: The Lofters was a Canadian
reality
television series, which aired on the Life Network
and online through its website U8TV.com, in 2001 and 2002.
loft
for a one-year period, while at the same time producing and hosting their own television programs for Life Network or other cable TV networks, and for the website U8TV.com. The loft, located in Toronto's Entertainment District
near the intersection of Peter and Richmond streets, had 21 cameras filming 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in all rooms of the house including the bathrooms — although the bathroom camera was only broadcast if Lofters went in there to talk.
The show was unique in that it was not only a fly-on-the-wall-style reality show similar to MTV's The Real World
, but was also a nightly series of talk shows and documentaries
that were created and hosted by the cast members themselves. Some of the online shows or TV shows produced by the Lofters included Fuel, So Gay TV
, Male Box, Spin the Bottle, Love Shack, Money Shot, U8 on Film and House Party. The shows had regular weekly time slots and were hosted regularly by one or two Lofters, and usually centred on themes of interest to young people.
channel in 2000, although the channel was never ultimately launched.
Tre Smith was a last minute replacement when original lofter Marc left the show over the phone in the first episode. Cast members Kalen and Valery both left the show early, before completing their full year in the loft. Other notable events of season one were: Arisa meeting a half-sister she never knew, gay issues being addressed by lofter Mathieu (including grilling the health minister
on the issue of blood donation by gay men), an episode in which the lofters view and discuss the events of the September 11, 2001 attacks
, and a number of angry spats between lofters Jennifer and David.
In the second season, the show moved towards more of a Big Brother-style format when a new twist was added to the show. Every ten weeks, the producers would select two Lofters whose hosting skills were sub-par or who didn't share enough of their lives, and nominate them for eviction. Fans of the show could then go to U8TV.com and vote for the Lofter they wanted to evict. The first (and only) occurrence of the twist saw Jason Ruta and Annie Guillo nominated for eviction. Fans voted Ruta off the show, and he was replaced by Stephen MacDonald.
Season one lofter Kalen reappeared on several occasions during season two, as he was dating season two Lofter Annie.
The show also began exercising a degree of self-censorship in the second year. During the first season, Internet viewers were able to view the residents having sex, showering, etc. During the second year, the show instituted a policy that whenever possible the cameras would be turned off during such private moments.
who is now an anchor on TSN
's popular SportsCentre
(and in this role made an appearance on the sitcom Corner Gas
). Also from season one, Mathieu Chantelois
has hosted programming for OUTtv
, while Sandy Medeiros has appeared as a guest judge on MuchMusic
's Video On Trial
. Season two's Carolyn Jarvis
is now a news anchor for Global National
in Vancouver after having worked as an anchor for The Weather Network
and a local television station in Red Deer
. Season one's Arisa Cox
and season two's Jason Ruta
were co-hosts of E! Canada's E! News Weekend while in 2010 Cox has gone on to become lead entertainment reporter for CBC News
.
Season one's Tre (Trevor) Smith became an animal control officer with the City of Toronto.
U8TV co-creator and executive producer Zev Shalev is the creator and senior executive producer of Entertainment Tonight Canada
, and was also director of program strategy for E! Canada.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
reality
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
television series, which aired on the Life Network
Life Network
Slice is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Shaw Media. Slice is a lifestyle channel directed towards women with programming including talk shows, reality television and more.-History:...
and online through its website U8TV.com, in 2001 and 2002.
Format
The show followed the lives of eight young Canadians who lived together in a TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
loft
Loft
A loft can be an upper story or attic in a building, directly under the roof. Alternatively, a loft apartment refers to large adaptable open space, often converted for residential use from some other use, often light industrial...
for a one-year period, while at the same time producing and hosting their own television programs for Life Network or other cable TV networks, and for the website U8TV.com. The loft, located in Toronto's Entertainment District
Entertainment District, Toronto
The Toronto Entertainment District is an area in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is concentrated around King Street West between University Avenue and Spadina Avenue...
near the intersection of Peter and Richmond streets, had 21 cameras filming 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in all rooms of the house including the bathrooms — although the bathroom camera was only broadcast if Lofters went in there to talk.
The show was unique in that it was not only a fly-on-the-wall-style reality show similar to MTV's The Real World
The Real World
The Real World is a reality television program on MTV originally produced by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray. First broadcast in 1992, the show, which was inspired by the 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family, is the longest-running program in MTV history and one of the...
, but was also a nightly series of talk shows and documentaries
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
that were created and hosted by the cast members themselves. Some of the online shows or TV shows produced by the Lofters included Fuel, So Gay TV
So Gay TV
So Gay TV was a Canadian television talk show, which aired on PrideVision in the early 2000s. Hosted by Mathieu Chantelois and later by Jason Ruta, the program originally aired in 2000 as an Internet television series connected to U8TV: The Lofters, and was picked up by PrideVision when that...
, Male Box, Spin the Bottle, Love Shack, Money Shot, U8 on Film and House Party. The shows had regular weekly time slots and were hosted regularly by one or two Lofters, and usually centred on themes of interest to young people.
Television channel
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission approved a licence for a U8TV Category 2 digital televisionDigital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
channel in 2000, although the channel was never ultimately launched.
Season One: 2001
The Lofters in season one were:- Mathieu ChanteloisMathieu ChanteloisMathieu Chantelois is a Canadian television personality and magazine editor.A graduate of Carleton University's journalism program, Chantelois became famous as one of the original housemates on the Canadian reality television series U8TV: The Lofters...
- Arisa CoxArisa CoxArisa Cox is a Canadian television personality, who from September 2007 to August 2009 cohosted the entertainment newsmagazine E! News Weekend on the now defunct E! Canada...
- Valéry Gagné
- Kalen Haymen
- Jennifer HedgerJennifer HedgerJennifer Frances Hedger is a Canadian television personality, the co-host of TSN's nightly sports news program SportsCentre...
- David Keystone
- Sandy Medeiros
- Trevor "Tre" SmithTrevor Smith (actor)Trevor Smith is a former Canadian television personality, best known for his role in the reality television series U8TV: The Lofters...
- Jason "Jai" Luque
Tre Smith was a last minute replacement when original lofter Marc left the show over the phone in the first episode. Cast members Kalen and Valery both left the show early, before completing their full year in the loft. Other notable events of season one were: Arisa meeting a half-sister she never knew, gay issues being addressed by lofter Mathieu (including grilling the health minister
Allan Rock
Allan Michael Rock, PC is a lawyer, former Canadian politician, diplomat and now the President of University of Ottawa. He was Canada's ambassador to the United Nations and had previously served in the Cabinet of Jean Chrétien, most notably as Justice Minister and Health Minister .Rock was...
on the issue of blood donation by gay men), an episode in which the lofters view and discuss the events of the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, and a number of angry spats between lofters Jennifer and David.
Season Two: 2002
Season two had extensive auditions and various combinations of possible Lofters were sent into the house for trial runs to see which candidates had the right chemistry. The auditions were shown early on in season two. The Lofters who began season two were:- Heather Basciano
- Danny Crowder
- Dan Fraleigh
- Annie Guillo
- Carolyn JarvisCarolyn JarvisCarolyn Jarvis is currently a Vancouver-based correspondent for 16x9 - The Bigger Picture and a substitute anchor for Global BC. She is also the Saturday anchor for Global National. Prior to her current position, she worked at Global Edmonton from spring 2005 to January 2009...
- Donnie "Chico" Ruiz
- Jason RutaJason RutaJason Ruta is a Canadian television personality.Ruta first came to prominence as a participant in the second season of U8TV: The Lofters. The show followed the lives of eight Canadians living and working in a fully wired loft TV studio, producing and hosting shows...
- Tonya Thongs
In the second season, the show moved towards more of a Big Brother-style format when a new twist was added to the show. Every ten weeks, the producers would select two Lofters whose hosting skills were sub-par or who didn't share enough of their lives, and nominate them for eviction. Fans of the show could then go to U8TV.com and vote for the Lofter they wanted to evict. The first (and only) occurrence of the twist saw Jason Ruta and Annie Guillo nominated for eviction. Fans voted Ruta off the show, and he was replaced by Stephen MacDonald.
Season one lofter Kalen reappeared on several occasions during season two, as he was dating season two Lofter Annie.
The show also began exercising a degree of self-censorship in the second year. During the first season, Internet viewers were able to view the residents having sex, showering, etc. During the second year, the show instituted a policy that whenever possible the cameras would be turned off during such private moments.
Cancellation
Mid-way through the second season, however, the show was cancelled. Although the show's ratings on television were strong, the costs to broadcast over the internet were far too high for the show to survive.Post-show careers
A few former Lofters have gone on to successful television gigs, most notably season one's Jennifer HedgerJennifer Hedger
Jennifer Frances Hedger is a Canadian television personality, the co-host of TSN's nightly sports news program SportsCentre...
who is now an anchor on TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
's popular SportsCentre
SportsCentre
SportsCentre is a sports news program airing on the Canadian network TSN. As TSN's flagship program, it airs several times daily, and beginning in the 2008 season it also began to be aired on sister network CTV as its post-game program for early NFL games....
(and in this role made an appearance on the sitcom Corner Gas
Corner Gas
Corner Gas is a Canadian television sitcom created by Brent Butt. The series ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009. Re-runs still air on CTV and The Comedy Network in Canada; it formerly aired on WGN America in the United States....
). Also from season one, Mathieu Chantelois
Mathieu Chantelois
Mathieu Chantelois is a Canadian television personality and magazine editor.A graduate of Carleton University's journalism program, Chantelois became famous as one of the original housemates on the Canadian reality television series U8TV: The Lofters...
has hosted programming for OUTtv
OUTtv
OUTtv is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel that airs entertainment and lifestyle programming for LGBT audiences.OUTtv's licensee is OUTtv Network Inc. which is 55.9% owned by Shavick Entertainment, 24.94% owned by Pink Triangle Press, 15% owned by Peace Point Entertainment...
, while Sandy Medeiros has appeared as a guest judge on MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
's Video On Trial
Video On Trial
Video on Trial is a Canadian comedy television program that airs on Canadian television network MuchMusic. The show consists of a panel of musicians, comedians, and entertainment columnists critiquing five different music videos in a courtroom-esque manner. The panel acts as the jurors, poking fun...
. Season two's Carolyn Jarvis
Carolyn Jarvis
Carolyn Jarvis is currently a Vancouver-based correspondent for 16x9 - The Bigger Picture and a substitute anchor for Global BC. She is also the Saturday anchor for Global National. Prior to her current position, she worked at Global Edmonton from spring 2005 to January 2009...
is now a news anchor for Global National
Global National
Global National is the national newscast of Canada's Global Television Network. Dawna Friesen anchors the program's weekday edition from the Global BC studios; Robin Gill currently anchors the weekend edition...
in Vancouver after having worked as an anchor for The Weather Network
The Weather Network
The Weather Network is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel that broadcasts weather-related news and information 24 hours a day....
and a local television station in Red Deer
Red Deer, Alberta
Red Deer is a city in Central Alberta, Canada. It is located near the midpoint of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor and is surrounded by Red Deer County. It is Alberta's third-most-populous city – after Calgary and Edmonton. The city is located in aspen parkland, a region of rolling hills...
. Season one's Arisa Cox
Arisa Cox
Arisa Cox is a Canadian television personality, who from September 2007 to August 2009 cohosted the entertainment newsmagazine E! News Weekend on the now defunct E! Canada...
and season two's Jason Ruta
Jason Ruta
Jason Ruta is a Canadian television personality.Ruta first came to prominence as a participant in the second season of U8TV: The Lofters. The show followed the lives of eight Canadians living and working in a fully wired loft TV studio, producing and hosting shows...
were co-hosts of E! Canada's E! News Weekend while in 2010 Cox has gone on to become lead entertainment reporter for CBC News
CBC News
CBC News is the department within the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on CBC television, radio and online services...
.
Season one's Tre (Trevor) Smith became an animal control officer with the City of Toronto.
U8TV co-creator and executive producer Zev Shalev is the creator and senior executive producer of Entertainment Tonight Canada
Entertainment Tonight Canada
Entertainment Tonight Canada is a daily entertainment newsmagazine show that airs primetime on Global Television in Canada. Encore presentations can also be found on the Slice and TVtropolis channels, both of which are part of the Shaw Media network...
, and was also director of program strategy for E! Canada.