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.
X Company

Link: X Company’s Torben Liebrecht on the many shades of Faber

From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:

X Company’s Torben Liebrecht on the many shades of Faber
“It’s hard for me to describe what this episode does, because it does so much. It’s the ultimate face off of two people representing different sides of this war, but on the other hand, are united by their love of innocence. There’s also the fact that they are supposed to act, and it’s demanded of them that they lead and not act how they are as people. In a way, that makes them two sides of the same coin.” Continue reading.

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Mary Kills People, Rookie Blue

Link: Women behind Canadian TV: Tassie Cameron

From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:

Women behind Canadian TV: Tassie Cameron
“We have a huge responsibility to help people along, to mentor them, to make sure young writers are getting their names on scripts, to make sure they are getting paid properly, to make sure they are getting the opportunities they need to rise up to become the next generation of television writers. It’s something I take very seriously. Partly just for job insurance. When they are all running shows and I’m 100 years old, maybe they will hire me.” Continue reading. 

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Featured, Masterchef Canada

MasterChef Canada salutes the firefighters

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Reality television is a heightened reality, not really “real” at all. Footage is filmed and then the storytelling is all done in the editing room. The result? What happened in Sunday’s episode of MasterChef Canada, where an open smoker door and open oven door was played up for dramatic effect.

Listen, I get that Sean likes to constantly check on food—he probably opens his front door in the winter—but there’s no way cracking the barbecue smoker lid for a few seconds to check on those ribs is the reason Team Red’s weren’t as tender as Team Blue. That is, unless Sean opened the smoker and walked away for five minutes. Now, he could have done that, except no one actually said how long the lid was open. Everyone was talking about how bad it was he’d done it, but there was no indication as to the time lapse. The outcome? The Blue Team won and Sean was blamed for the loss. (I also find it interesting that Matthew got to pick his “dream team” all at once, but no one mentioned the fact Michelle got an extra home cook in the deal.)

So it was the Red Team ended up in their first Pressure Test of this season. Matthew, rightly so, chose to save himself from cooking and picked best bud Jeremy to join him in the loft. That left Sean, Vince, Jacqueline and Mary to fend for themselves. Of those, I knew Mary would be safe as soon as Michael Bonacini revealed cupcakes were the challenge. Mary lives and breathes baking and her confections stole the show. The biggest surprise was Jacqueline, who didn’t let a little celiac disease stop her from creating wicked-good delights for the judges.

Meanwhile, the ham-handed Sean and Vince were in a neck-in-neck race for “clumsiest looking” cupcakes, something Vince won and was eliminated for.

MasterChef Canada airs Sundays at 7 p.m. ET on CTV.

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Awards, Featured

Orphan Black and Schitt’s Creek capture key Canadian Screen Awards

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Orphan Black and Schitt’s Creek were multiple television category winners during Sunday’s broadcast of the 2016 Canadian Screen Awards, dubbed the Candys by host Norm Macdonald in memory of the late John Candy.

“Never has there been so much Canadian talent in one place that hasn’t had to be zambonied first,” host Norm Macdonald joked in front of those assembled in Toronto’s Sony Centre on Sunday night. Orphan Black leads Tatiana Maslany and Ari Millen won in the Best Actress and Best Actor in a Drama while Schitt’s Creek‘s Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy took awards for Best Actress and Actor in the Comedy categories and the series won for Best Comedy Series. City’s off-the-wall sketch comedy Sunnyside beat out favourites Rick Mercer Report and This Hour Has 22 Minutes for Best Variety or Sketch Comedy Series.

“We’re the new kids on the block. It’s a weird show and we’re weird in it. It’s overwhelming,” Sunnyside‘s Kathleen Phillips said in the media room following their win. Gritty cop drama 19-2 outpaced Blackstone, Motive, Saving Hope and X Company for Best Dramatic Series.

Here are the winners in the television categories (denoted by blue):

Non-televised
Best International Drama
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
Vikings

Golden Screen Award for TV Reality Show
The Amazing Race Canada
Big Brother Canada
Canada’s Smartest Person
Dragons’ Den
MasterChef Canada

Televised
Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role
Adrian Holmes, 19-2
Jared Keeso, 19-2
Ari Millen, Orphan Black
Ben Bass, Rookie Blue
Aaron Poole, Strange Empire

Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Comedic Role
Brittany LaBorgne, Mohawk Girls
Annie Murphy, Schitt’s Creek
Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek
Belinda Cornish, Tiny Plastic Men

Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Comedic Role
Gerry Dee, Mr. D
Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek
Daniel Levy, Schitt’s Creek
Dave Foley, Spun Out

Best Performance in a Variety or Sketch Comedy Program or Series (Individual or Ensemble)
This Hour Has 22 Minutes
The Second City Project
Sunnyside
Rick Mercer Report

Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role
Kristin Lehman, Motive
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
Megan Follows, Reign
Missy Peregrym, Rookie Blue
Jennie Raymond, Sex & Violence

Fan’s Choice Award
Daniel Levy, Schitt’s Creek
Natasha Negovanlis, Carmilla
Yannick Bisson, Murdoch Mysteries

Best TV Movie or Limited Series
The Book of Negroes
First Response
Forget and Forgive
Kept Woman
Studio Black!

Golden Screen Award for TV Drama/Comedy
The Book of Negroes
Corner Gas: The Movie
Murdoch Mysteries
Rookie Blue
Saving Hope

Best Dramatic Series
19-2
Blackstone
Motive
Saving Hope
X Company

Best Comedy Series
Mr. D
Mohawk Girls
Schitt’s Creek
Tiny Plastic Men
Young Drunk Punk

Were you happy with who won? What did you think of the broadcast and/or Norm Macdonald as host? Comment below or via @tv_eh.

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Awards

Link: Norm Macdonald on hosting the Canadian Screen Awards

From Linda Barnard of the Toronto Star:

Norm Macdonald on hosting the Canadian Screen Awards
As Norm Macdonald prepared to host the Canadian Screen Awards for the first time, the Star caught up with him in Los Angeles to chat with the former Saturday Night Livecast member and standup comic about what’s going to make it into his monologue, Chris Rock and catching up on Canuck TV. Continue reading. 

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