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, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: HGTV’s Sarah’s Mountain Escape heads West for stress and adventure

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Happy anniversary HGTV Canada! Launching back in October of 1997, the Canadian specialty channel is celebrating 25 years on the air with some of its most iconic hosts featured in new series or new seasons of series.

One of those is Sarah Richardson. The OG of HGTV Canada has spent over two decades starring in programming for the network and her latest, Sarah’s Mountain Escape, is a doozy.

Kicking off on Wednesday, October 19, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada, Sarah, her husband Alexander Younger and their two daughters tackle perhaps their biggest project to date: renovating a lodge in Whistler, B.C.

Like her 2017 venture, Sarah Off the Grid, Sarah’s Mountain Escape is part renovation series, part family escapade. Unlike Off the Grid, the building featured in Mountain Escape is going to strictly be an income property (Scott McGillivray would be proud) and has to pull in the biggest per-night amount it can. It’s a daunting task.

Sarah’s business ventures in Ontario mean she has to hire contractors in Whistler and rely on others to make sure the job gets done when they can’t be there. Wednesday’s debut is a tough slog, as Sarah and her family visit the 5,000 square foot 1970s Bavarian-style lodge for the first time since it was purchased. Things that were quaint, like chicken tchotchkes and quirky corners, are downright scary when observed in the sobering light of post-purchase and there were several moments when the family honestly thought they’d made a mistake. But half the fun of a show like this is seeing how projects are completed, and the initial step of a downstairs renovation is simply stunning to see.

Sarah’s Mountain Escape is going to be an adventure, and I’m here for it.

Sarah’s Mountain Escape airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada.

Image courtesy of Corus Media.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: W Network’s Sex with Sue is a stimulating peek at the sex educator’s career

Like countless other teens and young adults in North America, I listened to and watched Sunday Night Sex Show. Debuting in 1996, the live TV show Sunday Night Sex Show (predated by a live call-in radio show on Q107 and TV series on Rogers TV) featured the grandmotherly Sue Johanson offering up no-nonsense advice from callers who had questions about everything to do with sex. Wanted to know how to put a condom on the right way? Sue would grab a banana and roll one onto it. Worried that you could get pregnant through your belly button? Well, Sue had an answer for that as well.

Airing Monday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on W Network, the feature-length documentary Sex with Sue explores the decades-long career of the renowned sex educator. Written and directed by Lisa Rideout and produced by Banger Films (the same folks known for excellent music documentaries), Sex with Sue kicks off with footage of a typical call Johanson received on her program. A young woman is asking about a foot fetish her boyfriend has, and how uncomfortable she feels about a certain request he’s made. Johanson, true to form and with no judgment at all, offers up an interesting solution to the young woman, alleviating her stress. That was Johanson’s MO and why she was beloved by a legion of young adults. Regardless of the question, query or situation, she listened and offered solutions, putting young minds at ease and, often, offering humour along the way.

Johanson graced magazine covers, and appeared on talk shows hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, Conan O’Brien and David Letterman; not bad for a woman who got her start in Don Mills, Ontario, in 1970. It was there that Johanson launched a birth control clinic in Don Mills Collegiate Institute, the first of its kind in Canada. From there, she moved to the stage, speaking to kids and young adults about sexuality before transitioning to radio and TV.

That, and more, are discussed through a series of intimate conversations between Johanson and her daughter, Jane.

Featuring interviews with sex educator Shan Boodram, Dan Savage, Nina Hartley, Russell Peters, George Stroumboulopoulos, Delta Work, Bree Mills, Margaret Cho and past Sunday Night Sex Show crew, the excellent documentary reflects on Sue’s influence while looking forward to what’s next in progressive sexual education.

Sex with Sue airs Monday, October 10, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on W Network.

Image courtesy of Corus Entertainment.

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Diggstown

Marcie Diggs’ fight for justice to end in Season 4 of Diggstown

From a media release:

Season 4 of DIGGSTOWN will offer audiences a dramatic final chapter for titular character Marcie Diggs (Vinessa Antoine), starting on Wednesday, October 12 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC and CBC Gem. The six-episode finale season will be a tumultuous ride filled with searing emotional battles and transitions driven by trauma, where even though the victories are few and hard fought, Marcie and her team continue to be relentless in their fight for justice right until the very end. The series finale will air on Wednesday, November 16.

“For four seasons we’ve had the pleasure of bringing Marcie Diggs and the beauty of the communities of Dartmouth, Halifax, Charlottetown, North Preston and East Preston into homes across Canada. We’re so grateful to have been able to walk this journey with our incredible cast led by the force, that is, Vinessa Antoine. It’s been a privilege to collaborate with the amazing team of production professionals in Nova Scotia, Ontario and PEI who brought Diggstown to life. Your commitment to making Diggstown its best will always be remembered,” said Floyd Kane, creator, showrunner and executive producer.

“Diggstown has always been fearless in its portrayal of the inequities that still exist in the Canadian legal system and our country as a whole, through authentic storylines and powerful performances,” said Sally Catto, General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports, CBC. “We are honoured to have partnered with Diggstown through four compelling seasons. Thank you and congratulations to Floyd, Amos, Vinessa, the entire cast, crew and creative team and our production partners at Circle Blue Entertainment, Freddie Films Inc. and Waterstar Entertainment Inc for everything you’ve achieved with Diggstown.”

In the final season of DIGGSTOWN, Marcie is struggling mentally and physically after last season’s shooting, while she faces threats and defections from all sides. As she grapples with one crisis to the next, a former ally’s actions threaten to spell the end of Marcie Diggs & Associates. This season will zero in on mental health, the plight of migrant workers, the treatment of a pregnant trans man within the healthcare system, sterilization of Black women and Indian Day School abuse, among other true to life stories. 

Created by Floyd Kane (Across the Line), who serves as showrunner and executive producer, Season 4 of DIGGSTOWN stars Vinessa Antoine (Being Erica) as Marcie Diggs; Natasha Henstridge (Species) as Colleen; Antoinette Robertson (Dear White People) as Vivian; Brandon Oakes (Through Black Spruce) as Doug; C. David Johnson (Street Legal) as Reggie; Nicole Muñoz (Van Helsing) as Ellery; Shailene Garnett (Shadowhunters) as Iris; and Dwain Murphy (Degrassi: The Next Generation) as Avery. Cast regulars also include Arlene Duncan as Velma Diggs, Maurice Dean Wint as Austin Diggs, Matthew Bennett as Steve Conway, Jenny Brizard as Emily Diggs, and Kim Roberts as Ona Reeves. Mpho Koaho returns as Percy Lincoln, Crystle Lightning as Michelle Knockwood, Tim Rozon as Carson Myers, Karen Leblanc as Marcie’s aunt, Rolanda Diggs, along with Stacey Farber, who reprises her role as Pam MacLean.

Joining the cast this season as The Clawford family – a powerful farming family of the fictional Goldenview Fields in the Atlantic provinces – are John Maucere (No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie) as patriarch Ewan Clawford who communicates with his family and team using American Sign Language (ASL) throughout the six episodes; Fiona Highet (Rookie Blue) as Ewan’s wife Regina; with Rigo Sanchez, Donald Maclean Jr., Zahra Bentham, and Dorren Lee, in the roles of their children Brian, Walt, Kristin and Andrea, respectively. Keeya King (Yellowjackets) appears as Trudy Willis, the girlfriend of migrant worker Basil Allen who makes a plea to Marcie regarding allegations that workers are being mistreated at Goldenview Fields.

DIGGSTOWN is an authentic legal drama that highlights the very real inequities that exist in the Canadian legal system and has never shied away from delving into issues of class, race, and gender. After years of lobbying, last season’s birth alert storyline helped to call enough attention to the issue that a few weeks following the broadcast, the province of Nova Scotia dropped the controversial practice; one of the last Canadian provinces to do so.

A CBC original drama, DIGGSTOWN is co-produced by Circle Blue Entertainment, Freddie Films Inc. and Waterstar Entertainment Inc. Floyd Kane is creator, executive producer and showrunner and Amos Adetuyi (Jean of the Joneses) is executive producer along with Brenda Greenberg (Being Erica) and Karen Wentzell (Seed). Directors for the season are Cory Bowles (Black Cop), Rama Rau (Honey Bee), Shamim Sarif (SkyMed) and Floyd Kane. Ronald Gilbert (Quantico) is producer. Series writers are Kane, Lynn Coady (Burden of Truth), Ellen Vanstone (Departure), Lakna Edilama (Utopia Falls), Roxann Whitebean (SkyMed), Caleigh Bacchus (Murdoch Mysteries), James Battiston (Shoot the Messenger) and JP LaRocque (Coroner). Series cinematography by Ken Leblanc (Diggstown), production design by Krystyna Byers (Christmas in Toyland) and costume design by Claire Nadon (Three Pines).

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Season 3 of Shawn Leonard’s Spirit Talker returns to APTN on Oct. 26

From a media release:

For two seasons on Spirit Talker, renowned Nova Scotia-based Mi’kmaq medium, Shawn Leonard, has traveled throughout Atlantic Canada, sharing his psychic abilities to help people connect with their deceased loved ones

Shawn is back for Season 3 of Spirit Talker, on Wednesday, October 26 at 8 p.m. EST / 8 p.m. MST on APTN and this season he travels to Ontario and Quebec exploring his Indigenous roots. Leonard visits ten First Nations communities in Ontario including Fort William, Lake Helen, Michipicoten, Batchewana, Sagamok, Atikameksheng, M’Chigeeng, Wiikwemkong, Tyendinaga, and Georgina Island. In Quebec he travels to three first nations including Kanesatake, Kahnawake Mohawk, and Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg to connect people with their loved ones in spirit and deliver messages of hope, healing, and closure.

“This season, I have spread my metaphorical wings to reach 13 new Indigenous communities surrounding the Great Lakes of Ontario and Quebec,” says Leonard. “As the Anishinaabe, Anishinabek & Mohawk people share their culture with me, I share my spirit connection with many families and help heal many hearts.”

Spirit Talker is a co-production between Tell Tale Productions Inc. and White Eagle Spirit Talker Inc. The series received financial support from the Canada Media Fund, the Nova Scotia Film & TV Production Incentive, and Federal Tax Credits.

Season 3 of Spirit Talker premieres on Wednesday, October 26, 2022 at 8 p.m. EST / 8 p.m. MST on APTN.

Image courtesy of Chris Reardon.

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Industry News

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television appoints Tammy Frick as CEO

From a media release:

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television (the Canadian Academy) announced today the appointment of Tammy Frick as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective Monday, October 31, 2022. Frick joins the organization following a search led by the Board of Directors of the Canadian Academy, succeeding Beth Janson who left the organization in April 2022.

With 27 years of experience as Executive Director of Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival, Frick will assume leadership for the largest non-profit professional media arts organization in Canada and will oversee both the National and Quebec branches of the Canadian Academy. Her dedication to innovation and the growth of the Canadian screen-based industries, along with her passion for developing creative works and opportunities for talent both in front of and behind the camera, will bring a unique perspective to the Canadian Academy’s ongoing mission to foster industry growth, knowledge, inclusion, and mentorship.

“After an extensive search, we are extremely confident that we have found a fantastic candidate to lead the Canadian Academy,” said John Young, Chair, Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. “Tammy’s experience and knowledge of the industry will be extremely beneficial to advancing our hard work towards developing, recognizing, celebrating and advocating for Canadian talent in Canada’s screen-based industry. On behalf of the Board of Directors and the entire organization, I’d like to offer a sincere thank you to Louis Calabro for guiding us through the last six months and leaving the Academy in a great place for Tammy to step in and continue to help us make impactful change.”

“I am honoured and thrilled to enter this chapter as the Canadian Academy’s next CEO. It is a privilege to be granted this opportunity to further develop my passion for the Canadian content industry as the leader of such an important organization,” said Frick, incoming CEO, Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. “While I will certainly miss my family at Cinéfest Sudbury and am incredibly proud of all that we have achieved, I am elated to bring my years of knowledge and experience, along with a fresh perspective, to this organization to help further develop our country’s world class industry.”

Frick has always been an integral part of the vibrant arts community in Northern Ontario and beyond. In addition to her  tenure as Executive Director of Cinéfest Sudbury,  she has served on the  board  of directors of several organizations, including as a founding member of Music and  Film in Motion (MFM), which transitioned to Cultural Industries Ontario North (CION) in 2014. A strong believer in the mission of the organization, which seeks to promote and foster the ongoing expansion of the media arts sector in Northern Ontario, Frick took on a secondary role as CION’s Associate Executive Director in addition to her responsibilities with Cinefest. Frick was honoured with a Crystal Award for Outstanding Achievement in Business by Women in Film & TV (WIFT-Toronto) in 2019.

With Frick’s appointment, effective October 31, 2022, Interim CEO, Louis Calabro, will resume his key leadership role at the Academy executive level.

About the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television
The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television is the largest non-profit professional arts organization in Canada. We are dedicated to recognizing, advocating for, and celebrating Canadian talent in the film, television, and digital media sectors. Our more than 4,000 members encompass industry icons and professionals, emerging artists, and students. Collectively, we deliver professional development programs and networking opportunities that foster industry growth, inclusion, and mentorship. The organization also produces the Canadian Screen Awards, bringing together the screen-based industries annually to celebrate the country’s top talent at Canadian Screen Week.

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