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, Frankie Drake, Frankie Drake Mysteries

Preview: Frankie Drake Mysteries delivers a solid right hook in Episode 3

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With two weeks of episodes under our stylish belts, we can say Frankie Drake Mysteries is firing on all cylinders. Flo is a hoot, Frankie is fabulous, Trudy is terrific and Mary is magnificent. Seriously, this series looks as though it’s been on the air for two seasons, not just two episodes, so congratulations to co-creators Carol Hay and Michelle Ricci, showrunner Cal Coons and the rest of the cast and crew for making Frankie Drake so great.

Now, on to Episode 3, “Summer in the City,” written by Carol Hay and directed by Norma Bailey. Here’s what the CBC has released regarding Monday’s episode synopsis:

When a body is found in a young man’s trunk, the case brings Frankie and Trudy into Toronto’s elite social circles.

And here’s some more intel after watching a screener of the episode.

Rebecca Liddiard is has a comic gift
Liddiard has been all over our television screen of late thanks to Houdini & Doyle, Alias Grace, Slasher: Guilty Party and now Frankie Drake Mysteries. Her Mary is a delightful whirlwind of energy, innocence and flailing limbs that we can’t get enough of. Look for our interview with Liddiard in the coming days.

Welcome Emmanuel Kabongo and Grace Lynn Kung
Kabongo (21 Thunder) appears as boxer Moses Page who is training to fight real-life pugilist Jack Dempsey, while Kung (Mary Kills People) is Wendy Quon, who runs the local speakeasy.

Frankie & Hemingway create sparks
There was a definite connection between the two the first time we saw Frankie and Ernest Hemingway (Steve Lund) converse and there is more of that on Monday night thanks via sarcasm, snark and plenty of side-eye.

Trudy sings!
We were thrilled to see Carol Hay’s script offered the chance for Chantel Riley to step behind the mic for a little somethin’ somethin’. Fingers crossed there’s more of that to come in Season 1.

Frankie Drake Mysteries airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

Image courtesy of CBC.

 

 

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Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

AMI-tv to launch Food Spin with Chef Aleem – a documentary series focused on food, accessibility and community

From a media release:

Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) announced today that Food Spin with Chef Aleem – a documentary series following the life of Toronto food truck owner Aleem Syed – will premiere on November 29.

A professionally trained chef, Aleem’s world was forever changed in 2008 when he was involved in a shooting accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. His passion for food never wavered and he made it his mission to open a halal – and fully wheelchair accessible – food truck called the Holy Grill.

Food Spin with Chef Aleem follows his day to day life as he whips through the streets of Toronto drawing culinary inspiration from his Indian roots, experimenting with new foods, and connecting with the community by sharing his story and creative dishes. He’s accomplished so much, but with many aspirations still on the horizon Aleem must contemplate: what’s next?

To be accessible for those with sight loss the show features integrated described video – where Aleem describes his actions and surroundings during filming – eliminating the need for a secondary audio track.

Food Spin with Chef Aleem is produced for AMI-tv by Fair-Play. The 13-episode series kicks off on Wednesday, November 29 at 8:30 p.m. ET. Full episodes will be available online after the initial broadcast.

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Letterkenny

Jay Baruchel joins the Letterkenny cast in feature role as production begins on next six-pack

From a media release:

CraveTV confirmed today that Montréal-born actor, director, producer – and reported Habs fan – Jay Baruchel, joins the LETTERKENNY cast as Hard Right Jay  – a Tiki Torch-carrying out-of-towner, who stirs things up in Letterkenny – in an all-new six-pack of episodes. If that’s not enough to toot your horn, this round also features social media-mega star Evan Breen, taking on the role of Straight Edge Eric, Jay’s trusty side-kick. Sarah Gadon returns in the new block of episodes, reprising her role as mysterious lady-skid, Gae.

Returning to direct is Jacob Tierney, who also reprises his fan-favourite role as Christian leader, Glen. Currently in production in Sudbury, ON, and set to launch in 2018, the new six-pack focuses on the rising City vs. Rural tensions – which basically means a bunch of “citiots” could get their arses kicked. But it’s not all scrappin’ ‘cause Wayne’s still looking for love.

Also joining the cast this six-pack are Alex Harrouch (Degrassi) as resident skid and IT expert, Everett; Magalie Lépine Blondeau as Wayne’s incroyable love interest; Pierre Yves Cardinal as Jean Claude; and Kelly McCormack (Killjoys) and Jess Salgueiro (Saving Hope) as Shamrockette stars Mary-Anne and Betty-Anne.

Created by and starring Jared Keeso, the award-winning half-hour comedy is produced by New Metric Media in partnership with DHX Media and Playfun Games.

LETTERKENNY revolves around the dustups Wayne (Jared Keeso) and his buds get into with their small-town rivals. The Hicks, The Skids, and The Hockey Players get at each other about the most mundane things, often ending with someone getting their ass kicked. Key residents of LETTERKENNY are Daryl (Nathan Dales), Wayne’s free-spirited younger sister Katy (Michelle Mylett), and Wayne’s buddy, Dan (K Trevor Wilson) – all Hicks. CSA-nominated Daniel Petronijevic returns as Hick McMurray. Dylan Playfair and Andrew Herr reprise their roles as hotshot Hockey Players “Jonesy” and “Reilly”. Tyler Johnston and Evan Stern return as Skids Stewart and Roald. Mark Forward returns as the temperamental Coach of the Letterkenny Irish and Tiio Horn is back as badass leader of The Natives, Tanis. As well, Sébastien Huberdeau, Alexandre Landry, Domenic Di Rosa, and Kim Cloutier reprise their roles as The Hicks’ Québécois counterparts, Les Hiques.

Based on the internet sensation Letterkenny Problems, the half-hour comedy is currently a top performer and marquee program for CraveTV since its memorable launch on Super Bowl Sunday in 2015. Season 1 of LETTERKENNY took home three 2017 Canadian Screen Awards for Best Comedy Series, Best Writing in a Comedy Program or Series, and Best Direction in a Comedy Program or Series. As well, series creator Jared Keeso and co-writer and director Jacob Tierney have been recognized with a Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Award for TV Comedy.

Seasons 1 – 3, along with special episodes “Ferda Edition”, “The Haunting of MoDean’s II”, “St. Perfect’s Day,” and the original web series Letterkenny Problems are currently streaming on CraveTV. LETTERKENNY is also available on iTunes and Google Play. Season 1 of LETTERKENNY will also be available on DVD, November 21, wherever DVDs are sold.

Today’s news comes on the heels of the recently announced 40-plus episode production commitment and comprehensive multi-year partnership between CraveTV and series producers New Metric Media. The deal also supports a 30-city LETTERKENNY LIVE! tour starring Jared Keeso (Wayne), Nathan Dales (Daryl), K Trevor Wilson (Dan) and Mark Forward (Coach).

LETTERKENNY is produced by New Metric Media, in partnership with DHX Media and Playfun Games in association with Bell Media, with the participation of Canadian Media Fund, OMDC Tax Credits and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund and distributed by DHX Media. Jared Keeso is executive producer, co-writer, star, and creator, Jacob Tierney is executive producer, director, and co-writer. Executive producers are Mark Montefiore for New Metric Media, and Patrick O’Sullivan. Steven DeNure is  Co-Founder, President and COO of DHX Media.

 

 

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Industry News

Link: The supreme achievements of English Canadian TV

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From Colby Cosh of the National Post:

Link: The supreme achievements of English Canadian TV
CBC Vancouver’s Justin McElroy, a hard-working data-minded journalist who lives mostly on social media like the rest of us, has created something interesting on Twitter. If you’re Canadian, and you’re on Twitter, you’ll probably hear about it pretty soon. Over the weekend, just for a laugh, he organized an NCAA-style tournament bracket of legendary English Canadian TV shows from the past.  Continue reading. 

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Featured, Web series

CBC’s How to Buy a Baby injects humour into infertility

I never knew infertility could be so funny. Yet there I was, giggling as Jane begged Charlie to “just stick it in my…” What she was asking him to put in there was not what I’d expected, nor was it where I’d initially thought. And that made How to Buy a Baby so hilarious.

Created by Wendy Litner and starring Meghan Heffern (Wynonna Earp) as Jane and Marc Bendavid (Dark Matter) as her husband Charlie, all 10 episodes dropped Monday on CBC’s website. Litner—who has written for The Globe and Mail, Today’s Parent (read her story about How to Buy a Baby), has a blog and most recently served as story editor on The Beaverton—is on the advisory board of Fertility Matters Canada, providing information, support, awareness and education about infertility. And, with How to Buy a Baby, she also provides laughter.

With Jane and Charlie struggling to get pregnant, it only made sense they’d run into an old friend, Debbie, at a coffee shop in Episode 1. A friend with a newborn snuggled up tightly to her chest, professing that motherhood is “f—ing amazing.” Because, of course, success in life can only be marked by motherhood. The moment is there for a chuckle but then leads into that awkward discussion regarding when Jane and Charlie are going to have a child and the whole infertility thing is mentioned. Debbie suggests a juice cleanse will solve that because it worked for someone she knew. The scene spotlights just how well-meaning, but dunderheaded, some folks can be. Jane and Charlie don’t have any problems going into detail outlining their issues—his testicles and her uterine wall—to Debbie, before leaving.

Produced by LoCo Motion Pictures (My 90-Year-Old Roommate), How to Buy a Baby is able to show the silliness in what traditionally could be seen as sad. Charlie is in the middle of providing a semen sample when his mother shoots him a text and Jane worries she’s got an ugly vagina.

There are truly touching scenes too: in Episode 2, Jane outlines to Charlie’s mother the intricacies of in vitro fertilization. It’s less than a minute long—Charlie’s sister, Alley (Mr. D‘s Emma Hunter) ruins the moment—but it’s there and drives home a key point: open discussion about subjects like infertility needs to happen. We’re getting better at discussing mental health out in the open; let’s hope the rest of the body comes next.

Watch all 10 episodes of How to Buy a Baby now via CBC’s website.

Image courtesy of LoCo Motion Pictures.

 

 

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