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.
Cross Country Cake Off, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

All-new original competition series Cross Country Cake Off decorates CTV’s schedule beginning December 4

From a media release:

It’s cake time! CTV announced today that its all-new cake competition series, CROSS COUNTRY CAKE OFF, is set to make its debut December 4 with four holiday-themed episodes. Hosted by cookbook author and multiple Canadian Screen Award-winner Mary Berg and introducing celebrated pastry chef Andrew Han, the CTV Original series airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app, and features the country’s best cake makers as they bake to claim the $50,000 prize, and the title of CROSS COUNTRY CAKE OFF Champion.

Throughout four holiday-themed episodes, hosts Berg and Han judge the homemade cakes of 24 bakers from across Canada. During three regional qualifying rounds, eight bakers in each of the host cities – Vancouver, Toronto, and Halifax – present their creations to the judges. Four cake makers from each qualifier then move forward to compete in the CROSS COUNTRY CAKE OFF kitchen in a festive cake challenge. The Top 2 bakers representing each region move on to compete in the finale.

In a special two-night event beginning Sunday, Dec. 18 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app, the third and final qualifying round concludes leaving six cake makers to face off in two holiday challenges. The winner takes home the top prize of $50,000 and the title of CROSS COUNTRY CAKE OFF Champion during the finale on Monday, Dec. 19 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app.

Following the four-episode holiday season, CROSS COUNTRY CAKE OFF returns to CTV in spring 2023 with six all-new episodes featuring a new crop of 40 Canadian bakers vying for the top prize.

Viewers can stream new episodes of CROSS COUNTRY CAKE OFF on CTV.ca and the CTV app, which is also home to bonus content including exclusive video content and behind-the-scenes extras. In addition, viewers can follow @CTV’s social channels all season long for highlights, bonus content, and more.

About Mary Berg
Mary Berg is a three-time Canadian Screen Award-winner for Best Host, Lifestyle for her shows MARY MAKES IT EASY (2022) and MARY’S KITCHEN CRUSH (2020-21). MARY MAKES IT EASY was also named Best Lifestyle Program or Series at this year’s Canadian Screen Awards, following back-to-back wins for MARY’S KITCHEN CRUSH in 2020 and 2021. Berg is the Season 3 winner of CTV’s MASTERCHEF CANADA, as well as a cooking expert on CTV YOUR MORNING, THE SOCIAL, and THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW. Berg is the best-selling author of Kitchen Party: Effortless Recipes for Every Occasion, and Berg’s newest book Well Seasoned: A Year’s Worth of Delicious Recipes.

About Andrew Han
Chef Andrew Han is the owner and executive chef of the award-winning Kouign Café, located in the heart of Vancouver’s historic Chinatown. Chef Han discovered a love of cooking early on in life and received training in classical French and Italian culinary and pastry arts at the Northwest Culinary Academy of Vancouver. He began his career as executive pastry chef at several notable Vancouver restaurants and bakeries, merging his Korean-Vietnamese-Canadian upbringing with his passion for food to then create his whimsical and other-worldly creations at Kouign Café. While Chef Han is known for his masterful execution of combining sweet and savoury ingredients and his special selection of Kouign Amann, his most well-known menu item is the White Rabbit Cookie. This cookie went viral when he participated in a one-time Chinatown pop-up, drawing daily lineups of hungry foodies craving culinary nostalgia.

With just the right amount of authenticity, innovation, and imagination, Chef Han elevates the humble foods of his Chinatown upbringing and takes his guests to a magical place where he shares his childhood and heritage through unique and delectable bites.

CROSS COUNTRY CAKE OFF is developed and produced by Boat Rocker’s Proper Television, in association with Bell Media. Cathie James and Lesia Capone are Executive Producers and David Donohue and Meredith Veats are Series Producers.

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Featured, Podcast

TV, Eh? Podcast Episode 255: More Canada’s Drag Race and Lilly Singh hosting for CTV

Welcome back to another bi-weekly (ish) chat about the latest news in Canadian TV! First, Greg and Amy go through debuts and returns on the Canadian TV calendar.

Then, we cover the latest Canadian TV news, which includes The Porter, Sort Of and The Hardy Boys winning DGC Awards, Lilly Singh hosting Battle of the Generations for CTV and Crave ordering Season 4 of Canada’s Drag Race.

This podcast brought to you by Little Giant Adelaide Hills Chardonnay and Chateau Saint-Florin Bordeaux.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: History’s Our War combines genealogy with war veteran stories

I’m a huge fan of genealogy series. Whether it’s Who Do You Think You Are? or Finding Your Roots, I can’t get enough of the tales of family from peoples’ pasts. I was excited to learn more about Lark Productions’ latest, Our War, which follows the descendants of Canadian war veterans as they learn what their family members did during the First and Second World Wars. Many stories have been forgotten; even more, have never been told.

Debuting Friday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on History Channel, the four-part Our War is a real-life genealogical investigation that reveals the past through a younger generation.

In the first installment, we follow Stephanie Watts, who is on a mission to learn more about her great-great-grandfather Samuel. Other than some scant information about him serving as an Army band member in the First World War and some photos, his life, and his role in the war are a blank. The quest begins in Calgary, where Stephanie, who is Caucasian, reflects on learning, as a child, that Samuel was Black. Then it’s off to learn more about a missing Memorial Plaque, also known as a “Death Penny,” in his name and given to families of those killed in the First World War. With help from Militaria Auctioneer Linda Baggaley and War Memorabilia dealer Marvin Taylor, Stephanie learns the story of the Death Penny and how rare they are.

Meanwhile, in Winnipeg, Chris Black is looking for some answers of his own. His grandfather, Edward Walter Drost, was injured in Anzio while fighting in Italy during the Second World War. One of Chris’ last conversations with his grandfather has led Chris on a quest to learn more about a word Edward uttered: Camino.

Then it’s back to Stephanie, who learns Samuel’s birthplace, and the circumstances he grew up in before coming to Canada on the promise of land in the Prairies from history teacher Christian Mbanza (above right, with Stephanie). It’s fascinating to learn about Canada circa 1907, when Samuel arrived in small-town Alberta, determined to make a go of it and to see Stephanie’s reaction when she’s presented with documents she’s never seen.

In the second episode, airing Friday at 10 p.m. ET/PT, a teenage descendant of legendary Onondaga runner Tom Longboat learns of his ancestor’s valiant, yet little-known, actions during the First World War.

Our War is an incredible, and exciting way, of telling the stories of these Canadian heroes. Fingers crossed there is another season of Our War to come next year.

Our War airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on History Channel.

Image courtesy of Lark Productions.

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Industry News

Comedy veteran Zoe Rabnett joins Counterfeit Pictures as Director of Talent and Comedy Development

From a media release:

Counterfeit Pictures is thrilled to announce today that the Toronto-based production company specializing in scripted and non-scripted television comedy projects has hired Zoe Rabnett as Director of Talent and Comedy Development, effective immediately. Rabnett, a mainstay of Canada’s comedy scene, recently wrapped up her long-held position with Montreal’s Just For Laughs as Director of Canadian and International Programming. She previously held positions at Diamondfield Entertainment, where she produced and booked the Rivoli’s famed ALTdot COMedy Lounge for 10 years.

While at Just For Laughs, Rabnett was responsible for finding and booking comedy talent from Canada and around the world for the prestigious festival, as well as for the organization’s tours and TV specials. It was in this capacity that she first collaborated with the Counterfeit Pictures team, acting as a producer on Counterfeit/Just For Laughs co-productions of Roast Battle Canada (CTV Comedy), Comedy Night With Rick Mercer (CBC), The Stand Up Show (CTV Comedy), and a variety of stand up specials for Crave.

Counterfeit Pictures was established in 2013 by partners Anton Leo, Shane Corkery, and Dan Bennett, who rallied together around the goal of amplifying and creating platforms for Canadian comic talent. The company’s past projects include the award-winning Sunnyside (CityTV/FX Canada), Dark Cargo (YouTube Premium) and the mockumentary Decoys (CBC Gem). Counterfeit is also currently in post- production on the new scripted half-hour comedy SHELVED for CTV, created by award-winning showrunner Anthony Q. Farrell (Overlord and the Underwoods, The Office) and slated to premiere in 2023.

About Zoe Rabnett
Zoe knows and loves Canadian comedy. As a junior agent right out of university at Diamondfield Entertainment, she learned about representing comedians for commercial, television and film work. At the same time, she began producing live shows, booking, and running the weekly ALTdot COMedy Lounge at The Rivoli in Toronto for 10 years. Prior to Counterfeit, in her position as Director of Canadian & International Programming at Just For Laughs, Zoe was responsible for finding and booking the best comedy talents from across Canada and from around the world. Scouting talent year-round, Zoe programmed countless festivals, tours, and TV productions. The scope of her scouting was enormous, and included cross-Canada showcases yearly as well as internationally, at the Edinburgh Fringe and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. In the past two years, she assembled and worked with hundreds of comedians to create more than 25 audio albums under the Just For Laughs Originals label. She has been a producer on the Counterfeit / Just For Laughs co-productions of Roast Battle Canada (CTV Comedy), Comedy Night with Rick Mercer (CBC), The Stand Up Show (CTV Comedy) and a variety of stand-up specials for Crave. Zoe’s passion and enthusiasm for Canadian comedy is her focus as she seeks out unique and funny voices to collaborate with.

About Counterfeit Pictures
Counterfeit Pictures was established by Anton Leo, Shane Corkery and Dan Bennett. Their credits include the award-winning Sunnyside (CityTV/FX Canada), Dark Cargo (YouTube Premium) and the mockumentary Decoys (CBC Gem). They have also produced, in association with Just For Laughs, six stand-up comedy specials, including Mark Forward Wins All the Awards and Debra Digiovanni: Here’s the Thing (Crave). Most recently, they co-produced a new season of The Stand-up Show with Jon Dore (CTV Comedy), three seasons of Roast Battle Canada (CTV Comedy) and Comedy Night with Rick Mercer (CBC). They are currently in post-production on Shelved from creator Anthony Q Farrell (CTV).

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Industry News

Award-winning journalist Vassy Kapelos joins CTV News as host of flagship political series Power Play and Question Period

From a media release:

CTV News announced today that award-winning journalist Vassy Kapelos has been named Chief Political Correspondent, and is set to host CTV News Channel’s marquee daily political program POWER PLAY, as well as QUESTION PERIOD, CTV’s weekly political program of record, effective December 1.

Additionally, Kapelos hosts the all-new radio program THE VASSY KAPELOS SHOW, airing weekday afternoons from 12 – 2 p.m. ET across iHeartRadio Canada Talk Network stations, including CJAD 800 Montréal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, NEWSTALK 1010 Toronto, 610 CKTB St. Catharines, 1290 CJBK London, AM800 CKLW Windsor, AM1150 Kelowna, CFAX 1070 Victoria. All iHeartRadio Canada stations are available across the country via live stream on iHeartRadio.ca and the iHeartRadio Canada app.

Kapelos has extensive experience covering federal and provincial politics in Canada. Prior to joining CTV News, Kapelos was host of CBC’s POWER & POLITICS. Previously, she was Global News’ Ottawa Bureau Chief and host of THE WEST BLOCK. Before working in Ottawa, Vassy covered provincial politics in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Kapelos is a two-time Canadian Screen Award winner for Best Live Production, Social Media (2020), for CBC’s coverage of the B.C. by-election that saw Jagmeet Singh win his seat in Parliament, and Best Talk Program or Series (2021), for POWER & POLITICS.

She also received the 2021 Leitch Lecture Award from the University of Alberta and University of Calgary’s faculties of Law after delivering a lecture on the political effect of the COVID-19 health crisis in Canada.

Born in Toronto, Kapelos graduated from Western University with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and then from Dalhousie University with a Master of Arts.

POWER PLAY airs weekdays at 5 p.m. ET on CTV News Channel, CTVNews.ca, and the CTV News app. QUESTION PERIOD airs Sundays at 11 a.m. ET on CTV, CTV News Channel, CTV.ca, CTVNews.ca, and the CTV and CTV News apps (visit CTVNews.ca/QP for the program’s podcast and detailed listings on encore presentations). A radio broadcast of QUESTION PERIOD airs on iHeartRadio Canada Talk Network stations across the country (check local listings).

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