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, The Detectives

Preview: CBC’s The Detectives recalls real Canadian crimes from the past

Update: After this preview was posted, CBC switched its broadcast schedule. Wednesday’s debut is “The Wells Gray Gunman”; “Project Hitchhiker” will air next week. 

I’m a true crime junkie. Podcasts like My Favorite Murder and Someone Knows Something are playing in my ears and documentary series like Making a Murderer and Manhunt: Unabomber are on my Netflix list. It was thanks to Netflix that I came across Real Detective, a two-season wonder documenting and reenacting real murders from the past and the detectives who tried to solve them. Produced by Petro Duszara, Scott Bailey and Debbie Travis—yes, that Debbie Travis—Real Detective is well-told, dramatic television that I binge-watched in a couple of days.

Why am I telling you about Real Detective? Because Duszara, Bailey and Travis have brought a Canadian version to the CBC. The Detectives, debuting Wednesday at 9 p.m., is equally as enthralling as its predecessor, even more so because its eight episodes cover exclusively Canadian crimes and boast a whos-who of Canadian acting talent.

“Project Hitchhiker,” airing next Wednesday, stars Eric Johnson—who co-stars alongside Allan Hawco in Caught next month on CBC—as Detective Herb Curwain (above), recently promoted to the Homicide Unit and given the unsolved case of a young woman named Julie Stanton who’d gone missing in Pickering, Ont. in 1990. First assumed to just be a missing person case, the file was finally passed to major crimes. Julie was popular, well-liked and had a great relationship with her parents, not the M.O. of a runaway. There was a suspect in Julie’s disappearance, a man named Peter Stark, and police were sure he was responsible but had no evidence. It was up to Curwain to find that evidence and did so recalling a decades-old case from Stark’s past.

I won’t ruin the outcome of the case here—and you shouldn’t Google Julie’s name until after you watch the episode—because what Curwain did during his investigation not only changed the way police work is done in Canada today but dovetailed with a high-profile investigation during the same time period.

What sets The Detectives apart from other true crime series is the inclusion of the actual detectives telling their stories to the producers. This awful stuff really happened and affected the investigators for the rest of their lives.

And while the stories themselves are gripping enough, the production values are top-notch as well. No expense has been spared to make the re-enactments as realistic as possible—down to wardrobe, hair and cars—and makes The Detectives truly engaging television.

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

Images courtesy of CBC.

 

 

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Featured, Workin' Moms

Workin’ Moms: Catherine Reitman previews drama-filled Season 2

What I hope for Catherine Reitman in 2018 is that she have continued success. And a much-deserved nap.

Reitman has plenty on her plate as creator, executive producer, writer, star and showrunner of Workin’ Moms, returning Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. on CBC. Throw in the fact she’s really a workin’ mom of two kids, wife to fellow Moms executive producer/actor Philip Sternberg, and directing three episodes this season? She’s got a lot going on. And yet she makes it seem effortless, taking 30 minutes out of production on an episode of the show to sit down at talk shop with me.

What’s in store for Kate (Reitman) and Nathan Foster (Sternberg) now that she’s back at Gaze? Where are Anne (Dani Kind) and Lionel Carlson (Ryan Belleville) headed now that they’ve decided not to have any more kids? How is Frankie Coyne (Juno Rinaldi) doing in rehab? And does Jenny Matthews (Jessalyn Wanlim) have regrets about blowing up her marriage to Ian (Dennis Andres)?

Reitman gave us the scoop on what’s to come in Season 2.

Was it easier to work on Season 2 because there was a shorthand developed by everyone in Season 1 and the actors now know their characters?
Catherine Reitman: In some ways, it’s easier and in others, it’s harder. The easier is that, yeah, we’ve established these characters, where they live and where they work and what the core of their character is. I’ve hired such talented actors that they all understand that, and we’ve established a tone that the show is a comedy and that it’s really, really subtle and that there is a lot of drama. Lucky for me, people have watched it and people get it and have responded in, largely, a positive way. In that way, everyone understands the essence of it. That job is done.

A lot of people who really get wine will say, ‘As soon as you actually start understanding wine you realize you know nothing about wine.’ I feel that way about showrunning. In Season 1 I came in, hot on it and super-confident. Now that I actually understand the dynamic and the responsibilities of the title I feel much more comfortable in it but I also realize that I have so much to learn. My eyes are open and I’m hoping to grow more and I feel myself growing with the show.

What have you learned about yourself as a showrunner?
I’m learning that it’s a marathon and not a sprint. I like to do things fast and trust my gut and not overthink things and make decisions. Luckily, I’m married to a man who is really methodical and understands the details. Just from being with him I’ve learned a ton about just slowing down and taking more things into consideration. It is a marathon. Right when you think the writer’s room is done and your job is done, production begins. And halfway through production, you think you pretty much have everything but the second half of production has an entirely different energy. And then when you wrap that and the crew goes away you think that’s it. No, it’s time to do post-production. And post-production carries through until the writer’s room begins again. And that’s not even taking into account that I’m a mother of two and a wife to a man who I work with. I’m also the child of two complicated, artistic, powerful people. I’m constantly checking in and saying, ‘OK, where do I put my energy now?’

It’s been very interesting to see some of the comic actors in your cast in more serious scenes. I know Ryan Belleville as being a goofball in past projects he’s been in. Seeing him play Lionel so sensitively has been great. I’ve really connected with him.
We’ve got both sides of that line. We’ve got someone like Ryan who is so talented comedically—and I’ve had the complete and utter joy of improvising with him a few times—but the other side of it, and he talks about it in his stand-up, is that he’s a working father with a working mother-wife. He actually relates to this content quite deeply and the idea that no one has asked him to play on that side of the fence astounds me because he’s so good and so relatable. The other side is that I’ve got a bunch of dramatic actors who really have pretty tremendous comedic timing. Dani Kind hasn’t done a ton of comedy prior to this and she is never going for the joke in an obnoxious, broad way. She always plays the character real and in any scene, in any take, I look at her and say, ‘Yeah, she gets it.’ And it’s always funny to me.

Where do we find Anne and Lionel when Season 2 begins?
In Season 1 we just watched, particularly her, struggle and struggle. She was sick, she was confused about her connection with her daughter, she was confused about her own pregnancy and the pressures that come with being this perfect wife and perfect mother. Society encourages us to do it all and have it all. The idea of a mother of two having an abortion … is that woman allowed to have joy? Is that woman allowed to laugh and have a fulfilling life? That’s really interesting to me. The dynamic of where Anne and Lionel are now was so fascinating to me because I wanted to see them have some fun.

We had to, in Season 1, set up the work and home life of all of these characters, which is a lot to do in 22 minutes every week. So, to now get deeper into those relationships and to show that they’re not always so perfect … and can our ambitions grow? Can we want more? Exploring the Kate and Anne friendship is something that we do a lot this season and what we demand of our friendship when we’re wives and mothers is very different from when we’re in our twenties.

What else can you say about Season 2?
The point of view of one of the core characters has shifted. There are some big surprises early in the season to which I think the audience will need a second to adjust to.

I’m not sure what you’re alluding to, but I was shocked last season by Jenny’s decision to blow up her marriage. 
The truth is, 50 per cent of marriages don’t work out, especially once you factor in the responsibilities of a working mother. To watch one woman have an incredible identity crisis like Jenny does. We’re with her, we’re with her. Are we with her? Are we with her? Why are we with her?! And then, to all of a sudden shift and root for him was something really fun to do.

Workin’ Moms airs Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. on CBC.

Images courtesy of CBC.

 

 

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Featured, Schitt's Creek

Preview: The schitt hits the fan in Season 4 of CBC’s Schitt’s Creek

It really doesn’t feel like a new year has arrived until CBC’s Tuesday night comedy block of Schitt’s Creek and Workin’ Moms has begun. So, here we are, with Season 4 of the Rose’s madcap adventures in that little town they’ve reluctantly called home.

When we last left them, Moira (Catherine O’Hara) had established herself not only on town council but as a member of the Jazzgals, David (Daniel Levy) had opened a business and begun a relationship with Patrick (Noah Reid), Alexis (Annie Murphy) graduated from high school and Johnny (Eugene Levy) had teamed with Stevie (Emily Hampshire) to run the motel. The Rose’s, who once so badly wanted out of Schitt’s Creek, have finally settled into life there. That’s good because it means a constant expansion of the world for themselves and viewers … and laughs.

When Episode 1—written by Daniel and directed by The Kids in the Hall‘s Bruce McCulloch—kicks off Tuesday at 9 p.m., it’s the day after the Season 3 finale. The motel parking lot is packed for the first time, a nod to the success Johnny and Stevie have made it. It’s a personal triumph for Johnny, who has (hilariously) struggled to find something he’s good at. Yes, I’m happy to see the motel packed, but I do miss the days he spent at a dirty desk in Bob’s garage. Of course, this being Schitt’s Creek, it can’t all be sunshine and rainbows. So when Stevie reveals there’s a dead guy in Room 4—also the name of the episode—things quickly head south, especially when Roland (Chris Elliott) swings by. I love it when Elliott and Eugene Levy are in a scene together; their facial expressions and eye-rolling give me the giggles every time.

Alexis, meanwhile, is indignant that David has gotten romanticly involved with Patrick so quickly, seeing as he was against she and Ted rushing into things.

“Patrick is a sweet little button-face,” Alexis advises her brother. “So don’t mess this up.” And David doesn’t plan to, except he’s worried Patrick might have regrets. As for Patrick … well, he’s not ready to rush into anything. For me, the strength of Schitt’s Creek isn’t just about the funny moments and the miscommunication, but the heart. Patrick and David may be going through a super-awkward time but you’re emotionally invested in them as a couple. The same can be said for Ted and Alexis. My heart aches every time those two are in the same room because of things left unsaid when they broke up.

It promises to be another great season of Schitt’s Creek, especially with one humdinger of a story twist revealed in next week’s second instalment. Hang onto your hats fans, because the Schitt’s going to hit the fan.

Schitt’s Creek airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

Images courtesy of CBC.

 

 

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Children's Programming

Link: What’s Paw Patrol’s secret? How it captivated children and conquered the world

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From Ian Brown of The Globe and Mail:

Link: What’s Paw Patrol’s secret? How it captivated children and conquered the world
Hanging around with Dashiell, recently 4, is like hanging around with a gravity-free volume of talking liquid mercury: he expands and contracts and stops and flows, conforming to the shape of whatever surface he finds himself on: rug, chair, corner, Mummy.

But talking to Dashiell while he watches Paw Patrol, the Canadian-made preschool animated TV show and toy phenomenon, is to converse with someone in a hypnotic trance. Continue reading.

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Featured, Heartland

Preview: Heartland strikes “A Fine Balance”

When we last left the fine folks at Heartland, things were in turmoil. Tim was suffering the effect of possible brain cancer and Ty was in danger in Mongolia. Even worse, Amy and Tim were headed to Mongolia, unaware of the uncertainty that lay in store.

Now Heartland is back with a brand-new episode on Sunday and to say we were anxious to see what befell our favourites is an understatement. Here’s what the CBC released as an episode synopsis for “A Fine Balance,” written by showrunner Heather Conkie and Alexandra Clarke and directed by Bruce McDonald:

Ty finds himself in a dangerous situation and in order to save him Amy must turn to an unexpected source for guidance.

And here are more tidbits from the two main storylines we can reveal after watching a screener.

Road trip!
Ty may be in grave danger and Tim’s health uncertain, but seeing Amy and her dad in Mongolia together is fun, particularly when Tim grouses about local customs. What isn’t funny is the push and pull put on Amy, who is caught between wanting to find Ty and taking care of Attila. As for Ty, we’ve seen him in danger before but Sunday’s instalment sees him in the worst ever.

Georgie’s jumping
She and Flame have got the jumping course nailed but Val is concerned they’ll clam up on the big stage. As much as I appreciate Val, I find her really annoying sometimes. Why can’t she just trust Georgie’s instinct and be supportive instead of a naysayer? Also, someone has taken a keen interest in Georgie and Dylan, but who?

Heartland airs Sundays at 7 p.m. on CBC.

 

 

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