All posts by Greg David

Prior to becoming a television critic and owner of TV, Eh?, Greg David was a critic for TV Guide Canada, the country's most trusted source for TV news. He has interviewed television actors, actresses and behind-the-scenes folks from hundreds of television series from Canada, the U.S. and internationally. He is a podcaster, public speaker, weekly radio guest and educator, and past member of the Television Critics Association.
Featured, Podcast

TV eh B Cs podcast – Cliff diving with Benjamin Ayres

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Benjamin Ayres is a leading performer in the film and television industry, well known for slipping seamlessly between genres. After two seasons as a series regular on the CTV hit series DAN FOR MAYOR, Ayres nabbed the role of Dr. Zachary Miller in the highly acclaimed CTV original series SAVING HOPE. He also plays Eric Blake on HBO Canada’s Gemini Award-winning series LESS THAN KIND, for which he received a Canadian Screen Award nomination. He also played the chain-smoking sex addict with a morbid death obsession in jPod.

In addition to many film and theatre performances he’s run the gamut of Canadian television over the past five years, including appearances on Rookie Blue, Seed, Bitten, Working the Engels, Lost Girl, InSecurity, Flashpoint, The Vampire Diaries, Psych and the upcoming Schitt’s Creek.

And maybe we talk a little bit about bourbon, tequila and the symbolism of carrying a sick rat through the goalposts of life during a Dave Gilmour guitar solo.

Listen or download below, or subscribe via iTunes or any other podcast catcher with the TV, eh? podcast feed.

Want to become a Patron of the Podcast? We’ve got a Patreon page where you can donate a small amount per podcast and get a sneak peek of each release.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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This Hour Has 22 Minutes

CBC celebrates 22 Minutes with live event and TV special

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From a media release:

THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES has been a staple of CBC’s prime-time lineup for 22 seasons and in honour of the iconic Canadian comedy’s unique milestone year, CBC, together with the show’s creators and producers at DHX Media, is inviting Canadians to join in the celebrations with a live gala event and a special retrospective episode.

The award-winning, record-breaking Canadian comedy institution will be recognized live at Toronto’s TIFF Bell Lightbox on Thursday, December 4th with a star-studded gala event, This Hour has 22 Years – Live in Toronto, emceed by CBC’s Jonny Harris (Murdoch Mysteries, Of All Places) and featuring current cast members Mark Critch, Cathy Jones, Susan Kent and Shaun Majumder as well as former cast members, writers, and the politicians they’ve spoofed over the years, all sharing their favourite moments. The show will also include special video features and hilarious highlights from past episodes. The cream of Canada’s comedy crop will be in attendance at the red-carpet event along with other celebrities from the entertainment world. The gala represents the show’s first-ever live event in Toronto. A limited number of tickets are available to the public free of charge here: https://this-hour-has-22-years.eventbrite.ca.

The following week, on Tuesday, December 9th, CBC will air a special hour-long retrospective episode of 22 MINUTES, entitled This Hour Has 22 Years, at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT). The special will look back at the legacy the show has created over the past 22 seasons, through the best moments from seasons past along with interviews with cast members recalling what has made the award-winning, savage satire a hotbed of Canadian comedy for more than two decades.

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Uncategorized

Tonight: Rick Mercer Report, 22 Minutes, Blackstone

Rick Mercer Report, CBC
Rick is in Burnaby, B.C., training with the Canada’s Olympic medal winning Women’s National Soccer Team; Rick also goes to Nova Scotia to partake in the annual blueberry harvest.

22 Minutes, CBC
Martin Short tells 22 Minutes which Canadian star memoirs he’d like to read; zombies take over in a Walking Dead parody and the tables turn on a professional pick-up artist.

Blackstone, APTN
Andy makes a friend amongst his enemies. Leona urges Stu to investigates a case. Victor seeks financial opportunity for Blackstone.

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Orphan Black

Justin Chatwin, James Frain and Ksenia Solo join Orphan Black

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From a media release:

− Additional cast members announced for ORPHAN BLACK Season 3 include Kyra Harper, Earl Pastko, and Ksenia Solo –

− Produced by Temple Street Productions in association with Space and BBC America, ORPHAN BLACK Season 3 premieres in Spring 2015 –

Space, BBC America, and Temple Street Productions announced earlier today that James Frain (INTRUDERS) has been cast in Season 3 of the critically acclaimed Canadian original series, ORPHAN BLACK. Also announced as new Season 3 cast members are Canadian actors Kyra Harper (WAREHOUSE 13), Ksenia Solo (LOST GIRL), and Earl Pastko (MURDOCH MYSTERIES). The announcement comes hot on the heels of the recently announced addition of Canada’s own Justin Chatwin (SHAMELESS) to the cast. Season 3 of the 10-episode, one-hour series is currently in production, and scheduled to premiere on Space in Spring 2015.

James Frain joins the cast as Ferdinand, a well-educated, Topside “cleaner” who is at the same time both charming and intimidating. Ferdinand is a powerful player in a secretive, multi-national political faction that operates with questionable ethics and a ruthless modus operandi.

Featured in a guest starring role this season is Justin Chatwin as Jason Kellerman. With rugged good looks and street-smarts, Jason is a savvy drug-dealer in the guise of a charismatic businessman.

Ksenia Solo plays Shay, a beautiful, soulful, and compassionate holistic healer with a great sense of humour, and new friend to Cosima (Maslany). Kyra Harper is Dr. Coady, a ruthless doctor and advisor to the military. Coady is outwardly the soul of reason, but her maternal, nurturing manner conceals an agenda that even her superiors do not suspect. Earl Pastko joins ORPHAN BLACK as Bulldog, the silent, imposing, and violent personal bodyguard to Ferdinand. Communicating with his boss by looks only, Bulldog carries out the dirty work of his shady employers.

Starring Golden Globe® nominee Tatiana Maslany as the “Leda Clones”, ORPHAN BLACK’s second season brought new, more treacherous, enemies to light, culminating in a shocking finale with the reveal of the new male “Castor” clones played by Ari Millen. Season 3 plunges the clone sisterhood into unexpected territory with the realization that they’re not alone. Just when they thought they knew their enemies and allies, Season 3 reveals the clones as more vulnerable than ever before, with the highly trained, identical male-soldier “Castor Clones” complicating matters. And though Sarah, Cosima, Alison, and Helena realize they are stronger together, this season puts that bond to the test.

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Featured, Strange Empire

Review: Rebecca grows in Strange Empire

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When I began to watch Strange Empire, I naturally gravitated to Kat Loving. I recognized her as the female equal to Seth Bullock on Deadwood, a Western show I dearly loved. Like Seth, Kat is plunged into assuming the mantle of lawmaker in town and it’s a role she doesn’t yet embrace. Offsetting her is Slotter, who holds hints of Deadwood‘s Swearengen.

But as the weeks have gone on, I find myself drawn more and more to Rebecca and the actress who plays her. Melissa Farman’s interpretation of Rebecca is wonderful. Like Dr. Temperence Brennan on Bones, Rebecca is gifted with high intelligence but lacks a lot of human emotion. She, like Brennan, is learning to connect with her emotions. Monday’s newest instalment, “The Oath,” called on Rebecca to be in touch with both sides as she had to be cold and calculating in Thomas’ chances for survival while juggling her jittery feelings. He was going to die whether she operated on his infected leg or not and that would leave her alone.

Thomas has been a fascinating figure of late. I’ve felt badly for him because of the advancing infection, but then he’s said something dickish to make me hate him again. That continued last night when he alternated being tender with telling Rebecca to head back east once he was dead in the vain hope she’d listen and leave Finn behind. Kudos to Thomas for opting not to reveal to Rebecca that Finn was a woman; he could have done that with his dying breath and further compounded Rebecca’s difficult task of saying goodbye to him. Instead, he opted to pull her close and make her feel loved as he uttered his dying breath.

Now that Thomas is gone, the door is open for Rebecca to take on the gig as Janestown’s doctor. It’s a role I can’t wait to see her excel in.

Notes and quotes

  • What is it with mud wrestling on these Western shows? First it was Hell on Wheels and now Strange Empire? Has it become a thing and I just didn’t know it?
  • I love the sepia tones and earthy browns used in Strange Empire. It makes things like Thomas’ blood really pop off the screen
  • “All men know what’s best for themselves. That’s the trouble.”–Kat

Strange Empire airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

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