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.
Iron Chef Canada

Iron Chef Canada reigns supreme on October 17

From a media release:

Allez Cuisine! Today, Food Network Canada unveiled its exceptional culinary cast and premiere date for the great white north’s Iron Chef Canada (10×60), set to debut on October 17 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. At the helm is Canadian television personality, accomplished food writer and trained culinary expert Gail Simmons as host, critically acclaimed food critic Chris Nuttall-Smith as floor reporter and Vancouver-native Jai West as the dynamic chairman. The final two Iron Chefs slated to command the competition include Ottawa-born vegetarian chef and owner of award-winning New York City restaurant Dirt Candy, Amanda Cohen, and prominent Vancouver-based chef and Culinary Director of Cactus Club, Rob Feenie – both former Iron Chef America competitors. Chefs Cohen and Feenie join previously announced Canadian Iron Chefs, Hugh Acheson, Lynn Crawford and Susur Lee.

In every episode, Monogram appliances elevate the head-to-head battles between the Iron Chefs and notable chef competitors in the finely crafted Monogram kitchen stadium. Each has 60 minutes to prepare five dishes using a featured “secret ingredient” and the chef with the highest score from the rotating judging panel wins the epic battle and supreme bragging rights. Stay tuned for more information on which Canadian chef competitors are lined up to compete this fall.

Learn more about the cast of Iron Chef Canada:

Gail Simmons, Host, @gailsimmonseats
Gail Simmons is a trained culinary expert, food writer, and dynamic television personality. Born and raised in Toronto, Ont., Gail moved to New York City in 1999 to attend culinary school at the Institute of Culinary Education. Gail has lent her expertise as a permanent judge on Bravo’s Emmy-winning series Top Chef and was named the #1 Reality TV Judge in America by the New York Post. Gail’s first book, a memoir titled Talking With My Mouth Full, was published in 2012. Her first cookbook, Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating, was released in 2017 and was nominated for an IACP award for “Best General Cookbook.” Gail writes a monthly column for Food & Wine magazine and works closely with the country’s top culinary talent on events and initiatives. In 2016, she received the Award of Excellence by Spoons Across America, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating children about the benefits of healthy eating. She is an active board member and supporter of City Harvest, Hot Bread Kitchen, Common Threads, and the Institute of Culinary Education.

Chris Nuttall-Smith, Floor Reporter, @cnutsmith
Chris Nuttall-Smith is editor-in-chief and founder of thetaster.ca, a subscription site for trustworthy restaurant, food and wine reviews. He’s worked as food editor, chief critic and dining columnist at Toronto Life, restaurant critic for enRoute (he wrote the magazine’s celebrated Canada’s Best New Restaurant list in 2009), and more recently, national food reporter and Toronto restaurants columnist for The Globe and Mail. Nuttall-Smith’s writing on food, drink and other subjects has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Esquire, New York magazine, Toro and Lucky Peach, as well as on the podcast The Fridgelight, which he created and hosted. He’s also a resident judge on Food Network Canada’s Top Chef Canada.

Jai West, Chairman, @monsieurwest
Born in Vancouver, B.C., Jai West began his acting career in his teens as a series regular on the popular teen show Kidzone. He also had many roles on TV and film in the U.S. and Canada including guest appearances in Highlander, The Odyssey and 21 Jump Street and more. In Japan he has starred in high-grossing films such as Worst Contact, Bus Panic and Private Detective Mike. In 2004, Jai took on a key role in the Japanese box office hit Survive Style 5+ the directorial debut of creative duo Tada Taku and Sekiguchi Gen. Jai has also received praise for the poetry he creates under the pseudonym ‘Lotus Chamelion’. In 2016, Jai was cast as the lead opposite Dree Hemingway and Pamela Anderson in the psychological thriller The People Garden directed by Canadian filmmaker Nadia Litz.

Amanda Cohen, Canadian Iron Chef, @dirtcandynyc
Amanda Cohen is the chef and owner of Dirt Candy, an award-winning vegetable-only restaurant on New York City’s Lower East Side. Born in Ottawa and raised in Toronto, Ont. Cohen moved to New York to attend university and never left. Dirt Candy was the first vegetable-focused restaurant in New York when it opened in 2008. The restaurant’s original 18-seat location was open for six years and during that time became the first vegetarian restaurant in 17 years to receive two stars from the New York Times, was recognized by the Michelin Guide five years in a row, and won awards from Gourmet Magazine, the Village Voice, and others. Cohen was the first vegetarian chef to compete on Iron Chef America and her comic book cookbook, Dirt Candy: A Cookbook, is the first graphic novel cookbook to be published in North America.

Rob Feenie, Canadian Iron Chef, @cactusclubcafe
Rob Feenie is currently the Culinary Director of Cactus Club based in Vancouver, B.C. Feenie grew up in Burnaby and graduated from the Dubrulle Culinary Institute. Feenie began his career as a sous chef in notable restaurants such as Le Crocodile and Cherry Stone Cove in Vancouver, and The Rim Rock Café in Whistler. He trained with Chef Emile Jung at Au Crocodile and Chef Antoine Westermann at Le Buerehiesel, both Michelin three-star rated restaurants in Alsace, France. Feenie went on to open his own restaurant, the internationally celebrated Lumière, in Vancouver, followed by Lumière Tasting Bar and Feenie’s. On Food Network Canada, Feenie hosted the series New Classics with Chef Rob Feenie and in 2005, he became the first Canadian to win Iron Chef America by defeating Chef Masaharu Morimoto. Feenie has written four cookbooks and is a two-time Vancouver Gold Medal Plates winner. He has received the coveted Relais Gourmand and Traditions et Qualité designations, the Mobil Travel Guide four-stars designation and the AAA Five Diamond Award.

To learn more about the series, Canadian Iron Chefs, catch behind the scenes content and watch episodes online after they premiere, visit www.foodnetwork.ca.

Food Network Canada is available on a National Free Preview for the month of October. Please check local listings for additional details.

Iron Chef Canada is produced by Proper Television in association with Corus Entertainment’s Food Network Canada and based on the original ‘Iron Chef’ Series Produced by Fuji Television Network, Inc.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Mighty Trains returns for a worldwide journey aboard the world’s most famous railways, Oct. 14

From a media release:

This fall, Discovery invites viewers to climb aboard powerful locomotives barreling across awe-inspiring landscapes, as the network’s original Canadian series MIGHTY TRAINS returns with an all-new picturesque season, airing Sundays at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT beginning Oct. 14 on Discovery and the Discovery GO app. The second season of MIGHTY TRAINS highlights the network’s nationwide free preview, available Oct. 4 – Nov. 1 through TV service providers across Canada.

Each one-hour episode of MIGHTY TRAINS is a journey into the fascinating world of rail travel, as host Teddy Wilson tells the stories of six exceptional trains and their scenic locomotive routes through Canada, Ecuador, India, New Zealand, Sweden, and Spain. Wilson follows the inner workings of these unique rail journeys with immersive and in-depth accounts from train drivers, load-masters, head chefs, track inspectors, rail traffic control officers, and passengers.

Discovery also announced today that production is underway on a third season of MIGHTY TRAINS.

Discovery’s free preview is available for four weeks – Oct. 4 to Nov. 1 – through television service providers across Canada, including Bell, Bell Aliant, Rogers, Telus, Shaw, Shaw Direct, Eastlink, Cogeco, Videotron, BellMTS, SaskTel, and others.

Episode highlights from Season 2 of MIGHTY TRAINS Include:

Rocky Mountaineer
Sunday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Rocky Mountaineer takes viewers on a scenic journey across Western Canada and over the Rocky Mountains from Vancouver to Banff. This spectacular journey through British Columbia and Alberta gives passengers breathtaking views of some of the country’s most stunning landscapes, from glittering oceans to untamed wilderness.

Also, as the only passenger train on a railroad line packed with enormous, fast-moving freight trains, Rocky Mountaineer’s 16-cylinder locomotive uses its 3,000 horsepower to pull the train up the steep grades of the Rocky Mountains. So far, Rocky Mountaineer has travelled more than eight million kilometres – that’s more than 15 times around the world!

Tren Crucero
Sunday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Tren Crucero takes passengers on a four-day trek from the southern coastal plains of Ecuador into the Northern Andes Mountains. Along the way, passengers take in the beautiful landscapes and enjoy daily excursions exploring Ecuadorian culture. It all begins in Eloy Alfaro, the capital of Duran, in the province of Guayas, aboard a restored, hundred-year-old steam locomotive. The train climbs into the clouds en route to its final destination of Quito, one of the highest capital cities in the world, 2,850 metres above sea level.

The 240-ton Tren Crucero follows a narrow-gauge line, traversing the Guayas River, traveling across rice fields and through plantations of bananas and sugar cane. The train traverses deep tropical jungles, stretches of mountains, dry forests, and the banks of the Chanchán River, hugging the Andes.

Maharajas’ Express
Sunday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Voted “The World’s Leading Luxury Train” in 2012, 2013, and 2014, the Maharajas’ Express is made up of 23 carriages, including 14 sleeper carriages (each named after precious stones) for up to 88 guests, as well as dining cars, bars, lounges, generators, and a presidential suite that extends across an entire carriage. The train is outfitted with hydraulic brakes, a unique ballooning system to cushion the ride, and an onboard water filtration plant. Passengers are greeted with a red carpet, and attended to by private butlers and an around-the-clock concierge service.

Running through the night, the crew works tirelessly to ensure the entire experience is seamless. The Maharajas’ Express is not only the most luxurious train in India, it is also one of the longest (one kilometre from end-to-end), making it all the more demanding for the staff on board to keep up.

Subscribers can access live streaming of MIGHTY TRAINS through the Discovery GO app, and stream Season 1 on demand on the Discovery GO app and Discovery.ca.

MIGHTY TRAINS is produced by Exploration Production Inc. (EPI) in association with Discovery Canada. Series Producer is Joey Case. Bruce Glawson is Executive Producer. Kelly McKeown is Director of Production. Nanci MacLean is Vice-President, Bell Media Studios and President Pinewood Studios.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Featured, The Detectives

Preview: CBC’s excellent The Detectives recalls more crimes from Canada’s past

When Season 2 of The Detectives was greenlit by CBC, I was thrilled twofold.

Not because I was celebrating the deaths of human beings but because the true crime documentary series spotlights the law enforcement officers who refuse to give up on a case no matter how long it remains unsolved. I was equally excited because the project—returning Thursday at 9 p.m. on CBC—boasts an extensive stable of Canadian actors embodying the roles. Where Season 1 featured the likes of Jewel Staite, Eric Johnson, Hugh Dillon, Aidan Devine, Mylène Dinh-Robic, Marianne Farley, Mark Ghanimé, Tiio Horn, Michael Ironside, Daniel Kash, Lochlan Munro and Ron Lea, Season 2 aims for the same lofty heights with Maxim Roy, Janet Kidder, Michael Shanks, David James Elliott, Gil Bellows and—in Thursday’s return—Currie Graham.

Graham plays Greg Brown, an Ottawa detective who was called to the scene of a homicide in 2005. Like most nights, 18-year-old Jennifer Teague took the 10-minute walk home from her late shift at work in Barrhaven, Ont. But this time, she never made it there. As the missing person case turns into a homicide, Det. Brown chases down one promising lead after another until he’s left with nothing but the knowledge that the killer is a local.

Produced by Petro Duszara, Scott Bailey, Jennifer Gatien, Hans Rosenstein and Debbie Travis—yes, that Debbie Travis—The Detectives is head and shoulders above other true crime series because it includes the actual detectives telling their stories to the producers. This awful stuff really happened and affected the investigators for the rest of their lives. Throw in excellent recreations of the events as they unfolded, real news report footage and pictures of the victims and The Detectives is don’t miss television.

The Detectives airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

Image courtesy of CBC.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Awards, Industry News

Link: Unité 9 locks up Prix Gémeaux victory; District 31 takes Prix du public

2 Comments

From the Canadian Press:

Link: Unité 9 locks up Prix Gémeaux victory; District 31 takes Prix du public
Unité 9, a gritty show about a group of women in a Quebec prison, won the award for best year-long drama at the Prix Gémeaux gala Sunday night.

It was the fourth consecutive year the hugely popular show took the prize. Continue reading. 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Baroness von Sketch Show, Featured

Preview: Baroness von Sketch Show deals more hilarity in Season 3

1 Comment

Hot on the heels of Baroness von Sketch Show‘s well-deserved Canadian Screen Award wins and continued kudos from American attention thanks to IFC picking the program up, the funny Canadian ladies are back for Season 3 on Tuesday at 9 p.m. on CBC.

Once again, writers, stars and executive producers Carolyn Taylor, Meredith MacNeill, Aurora Browne and Jennifer Whalen simply nail it with hilarious characters and dead-funny views in sketches both timely and evergreen. While some Canadian periodicals write lazy columns decrying a lack of funny at the CBC, I say the network has never been stronger because of Baroness, Still Standing, Schitt’s Creek, Mr. D and Kim’s Convenience. (The jury is still out on 22 Minutes, thanks to behind the scenes shakeups.)

The return episode, “Is that you Karen?” bursts out of the gate with immediate laughs, as two ladies who haven’t seen each other in 20 years reconnect in the oddest and most ludicrous of ways. And that’s before the revamped opening credits roll. Then, in the rat-a-tat roll out of sketches, viewers get reflections on the rites of spring (with three of the four ladies dressed as dudes), the dangers of accepting a ride home from a co-worker, rogue cops and what could happen when the barista gets the name wrong on your coffee cup.

Whenever I speak to folks about the television shows Baroness von Sketch almost always comes up. There’s a reason for that. With tight writing, stellar performances (MacNeill’s over-the-top physical comedy is a standout) and truly relatable topics, the baronesses are hitting a comedy home run every week.

Baroness von Sketch Show airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail