English Teachers (TV series)

Last updated

English Teachers
Genre Documentary
Created byDavid Hansen
Written byDavid Hansen
Directed byDavid Hansen
Country of originCanada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes29 [1]
Production
Executive producers
  • Michael Snook
  • Clark Donnelly
Producers
  • David Hansen
  • Maria Spinarski
Production locations Taipei, Taiwan
Running time30 minutes [2]
Production companyWestWind Pictures
Original release
Network Life Network

English Teachers (aired internationally as Taipei Diaries) was a Canadian documentary television series. The series followed the lives of young Canadians teaching English to children in Taipei. The series aired on Life Network in the early 2000s. It was created, directed, written, and produced by the Canadian filmmaker David Hansen. The second and third seasons received positive reviews.

Contents

Premise

The series followed the professional and personal lives of from five to six young Canadians teaching English as a Second Language in Taipei. [3] [4] The Canadian Press wrote that the documentary's subjects participated in filming "for a variety of reasons –to search for love, fulfil career aspirations, or ward off financial debt". [5]

Production and release

The series was created, directed, written, and produced by the Canadian filmmaker David Hansen; executive produced by Michael Snook and Clark Donnelly; and produced by Maria Spinarski and WestWind Pictures. [4] [6] [7] The subjects were filmed around-the-clock and the raw footage was sent for editing in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. [4] The series aired on Life Network and was distributed worldwide as Taipei Diaries by Portfolio Entertainment. [8]

Critical reception

The second and third seasons of the series received positive reviews. In The Toronto Star , the culture critic Vinay Menon said that second season was a "low-budget genius" in following the lives of the subjects and "shin[ing] an unflattering spotlight on the five's unworldly and often misguided impulses". [9] By contrast, Will Chabun in the Regina Leader-Post wrote that second season made viewers identify with the struggles of the subjects. [4] The second season also won the Golden Sheaf Award for Best Documentary Series at the 2004 Yorkton Film Festival. [6] [10] Andrew Ryan in The Globe and Mail called the third season "a welcome addition to the prime-time schedule". [3]

Seasons

The series aired for the following seasons:

References

  1. ↑ Edwards, Ian (28 March 2005). "Canadians Prepare for MIPTV". Playback . p. 2. ProQuest   196339458. Archived from the original on 7 September 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
  2. ↑ "Portfolio" . Vendors & Product. Variety . Vol. 389, no. 9 (Supplement). 20 January 2003. p. 42 – via EBSCOhost.
  3. 1 2 Ryan, Andrew (9 October 2004). "Television: English Teachers". Life. The Globe and Mail . Archived from the original on 30 June 2025. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Chabun, Will (8 October 2003). "Teachers in Taiwan Make Good Viewing". Regina Leader-Post . p. B1 Front. ProQuest   349716774.
  5. 1 2 "Show Follows Canadian Teachers". Chatham Daily News. Canadian Press. 13 October 2004. p. 8. ProQuest   353489790.
  6. 1 2 "Golden Sheaf Award Winners". Lifestyle. The StarPhoenix . Saskatoon, Sask. 3 June 2004. p. B4. ProQuest   348771440.
  7. ↑ Bracken, Laura (10 May 2004). "WestWind Gusts to Taiwan". Documentary. Playback . Vol. 18, no. 17. p. 42. ProQuest   196336732. Archived from the original on 7 September 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
  8. ↑ Waller, Ed (9 June 2002). "New Directions for Portfolio". C21Media. Archived from the original on 30 June 2025. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
  9. ↑ Menon, Vinay (9 October 2003). "Life Network Delivers Compelling Reality TV". Arts & Entertainment. The Toronto Star (Ontario ed.). p. A29. Archived from the original on 30 June 2025. Retrieved 30 June 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Canada's Goldean Sheaf Award Winners 2004" (PDF). Yorkton Film Festival . n.d. p. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 June 2025. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
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