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, Letterkenny

Less Than Kind’s Tyler Johnston goes goth for Letterkenny

The last Canadian television show I saw Tyler Johnston in was the excellent, poignant Less Than Kind. There he played Danny, nutty best friend to Jesse Camacho’s Sheldon in the City-HBO Canada series. Now Johnston is back, portraying an equally crazy dude in Letterkenny, Jared Keeso’s creation about the hicks, hockey players and skids living in a town of 5,000.

As Stewart, head of the skids, Johnston’s real hair is hidden under a stringy black wig, his body obscured under layers of black clothing and dark makeup smudged around his eyes. He’s almost unrecognizable, especially when Stewart launches into frantic, falsetto speeches or juddering around to thumping dance music on building stoops, surrounded by his fellow skids.

We spoke to Johnston about his character, the show, working in Canada and the short film, Conception, that sent him to Brooklyn.

Talk to me about this character.
There is this group of skids and Stewart has coined himself the leader. It’s very evident by the way that he treats his fellow skids that that is the case. Jared called me when I first booked it and said, ‘Hey buddy, here’s the deal. You’re coming to Sudbury and we’re going to put a long, black wig on you.’ I was pumped about it. I look like a vampire. I’ve had to introduce myself to crew members four or five times.

The skids are another group of people growing up in Letterkenny. It’s like a family. Some people in families don’t get along with each other, but they still love each other. I can pick on my sister all I want, but the second you pick on my little sister we’re going to have an issue. The hockey boys probably bullied my guys growing up, so there is some resentment between those two factions. The skids are also the drug dealers in town, so they get themselves into issues that they probably shouldn’t. We’re comic book nerds and talk about video games … a group of loners who found each other and formed this group.

How many skids are in the group?
There are five of us. I don’t want to give too much away, but in the finale the groups sort of meet, and we were very outnumbered. We weren’t prepared.

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How did you land the role for Stewart? Did you audition, or did Jared call you and say he had something in mind?
Jared and I have been friends for a few years. We did Wrath of Grapes: The Don Cherry Story together, and he’s a Vancouver boy. I knew about the project and I was so excited for him as an outsider that it got to happen. We had always talked about working together again. I did have to throw something together on tape and tried my best. I was actually in L.A. at the time and threw something on tape and then went to play kickball with a group of people I play with every Sunday. What I put on tape didn’t feel right, so I went home after kickball and re-did it. I knew they were going to watch it and I didn’t want to give Jared and the crew a sub-par tape.

I sent it off and didn’t hear anything for about a month, so I assumed that they went with someone else. Because he and I are friends, I didn’t want to text Jared and ask anything. I didn’t want to be that guy. Meanwhile, I’m wanting to chirp him because I’m a Vancouver Canucks fan and he’s a Calgary Flames fan, but I decided to hold off on that until the decision was made.

You mentioned being in L.A. Is that because you’re looking for the next step?
Yeah, it’s sort of the next step. I’ve been fortunate to have a nice career in Canada and it’s the natural next step. I’ve got my working visa, I’ve got management there. It’s unfortunate that I feel compelled to go there. I love working in Canada, the crews and the talent and the writers.

Is the next natural stepping stone for you creating your own characters, writing and producing your own stuff?
I haven’t dove into writing so much, but my friends and I do a lot of shorts back home. I contribute thoughts and ideas but I haven’t necessarily sat down with a pen and a pad and written a storyline or a skeleton of an idea. I’m not against the idea, but it just hasn’t happened yet. We do the 24 Hour Film Race every year, and last year we were fortunate enough to get into the Top 24 in the world. So, myself and some buddies flew to Brooklyn to represent the film. In Vancouver we have a lot of movies of the week going on, which pays the bills and are awesome. We’ve thrown some webisode ideas around, so I don’t see that being too far off in the future.

Season 1 of Letterkenny is currently streaming on CraveTV.

Check out Conception

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Saving Hope

Link: Saving Hope finale preview: What’s coming between Alex and Charlie?

From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:

Saving Hope finale preview: What’s coming between Alex and Charlie?
After a shocking end to Season 3, that saw the death of Daniel Gillies’ Joel, the show has shifted focus a bit this season–leaning away from a love triangle, and focusing more on how Charlie’s abilities affect his relationship with Alex. Others, like Dr. Zach Miller (Benjamin Ayres), have felt the repercussions of Joel’s death, but have turned things around as the season has worn on. Saving Hope showrunner Adam Pettle spoke exclusively with The TV Junkies about the show’s new focus, the threat to Charlie’s abilities and why now is the perfect time for a certain pair. Continue reading.

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Cardinal

CTV and Super Écran Light up the North as Production Begins in Sudbury, Ont. on the New Serialized Drama CARDINAL

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From a media release:

CTV and Super Écran, alongside producers Sienna Films and Entertainment One (eOne), announced today that production has begun on CARDINAL, the networks new serialized, six-part, one-hour drama featuring Golden Globe® nominee Billy Campbell (THE KILLING) and the multiple Genie Award-winning actress Karine Vanasse (REVENGE) as series leads. Directed by the award-winning Montréal native Daniel Grou aka Podz (19-2, MINUIT LE SOIR) the cinematic murder mystery begins shooting in Sudbury, Ont., today. The series will also shoot in North Bay, Ont., Atikameksheng Anishnawbek in northern Ontario, and Toronto. CARDINAL is a gripping, character driven drama set to premiere as part of CTV and Super Écran’s 2016/17 schedule.

Also announced today are additional cast members including Deborah Hay (The Anniversary) as Catherine Cardinal, John Cardinal’s wife; Alanna Bale (PRIME RADICALS) as Kelly Cardinal, Cardinal’s precocious and independent teenage daughter; Glen Gould (Rhymes for Young Ghouls) as Jerry Commanda, a police contemporary and friend of Cardinal; David Richmond Peck (ORPHAN BLACK) as Corporal Musgrave, an officer in charge of a tightly guarded investigation; Gail Maurice (STREET TIME) as Dorothy Pine, mother of young murder victim Katie Pine; Kristen Thomson (Away from Her) as Sergeant Noelle Dyson, Cardinal’s commanding officer; and Brendan Fletcher (The Revenant) and Allie MacDonald (YOUNG DRUNK PUNK) as Eric Fraser  and Edie Soames, a young couple.

CARDINAL is adapted from the award-winning novel Forty Words for Sorrow, the first of the John Cardinal Mysteries series, a series of six bestselling crime novels written by Ontario native and award-winning author Giles Blunt. The series begins with the discovery of Katie Pine, a missing 13-year-old whose body is discovered in the shaft-head of an abandoned mine. CARDINAL follows detectives John Cardinal (Campbell) and Lise Delorme (Vanasse) as they attempt to uncover the mystery of what happened to the young girl. But as the case grows in scope and horror, a dark secret from Cardinal’s history threatens to derail the investigation.

CARDINAL is produced by Sienna Films and eOne in association with Bell Media’s CTV, with the financial participation of the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, the Canada Media Fund and the Cogeco Program Development Fund, and with the assistance of the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit. Super Écran has commissioned the series for French-language Canadian broadcast. eOne will distribute the series worldwide.

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Featured, Hard Rock Medical

Hard Rock Medical moves to North Bay for Season 3

Hard Rock Medical is back, and with a new backdrop. Season 3 was officially announced on Thursday via press conference from Canadore College’s Studio 1 in North Bay, Ont., where filming will take place. The first two seasons of the medical drama were shot in Sudbury, Ont., but an educational partnership with the support of the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) meant a shift in cities.

“I am here to announce an NOHFC investment of $825,000 to TVO and its production partners for their production of Season 3 of Hard Rock Medical,” said Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development and Mines, and chair of the NOHFC. “We’re really excited about it, and that will support the production of nine half-hour episodes.”

“I feel honoured that so many institutions are squarely behind Hard Rock Medical,” said co-creator/director Derek Diorio. “Thank you to the city of North Bay, that has been so welcoming to our production. Without all of you here, there is no Hard Rock Medical.” Diorio explained over 50 per cent of Season 3 will be shot at Canadore College. Seventy-five students from the Digital Cinema Program, Television Program and Theatre Arts Program, are currently working on pre-production and will be an integral part of the six-week shoot. A local warehouse and medical centre location will also be used for filming. Post-production will take place at Canadore as well.

“I want to thank Derek,” George Burton, President and CEO of Candore College said. “You have provided an incredible opportunity for learning to our students, which means so much to them. I want to thank everyone on Hard Rock Medical for being such wonderful role models to our students. You bring a level of professionalism to our campus which will hold them in good stead long after graduation.”

All local crew and musicians will be used and over 30 local actors will have lead roles this season, including North Bay native Jamie Spilchuk, who plays Cameron Cahill on the series. Hard Rock Medical follows a group of medical students training in Northern Ontario and is loosely based on the curriculum of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Shooting begins next week and continues until the middle of March.

Co-created by Smith Antonio Corindia and Diorio, Hard Rock Medical stars Patrick McKenna, Angela Asher, Danielle Bourgon, Rachelle Casseus, Tamara Duarte, Kyra Harper, Christian Laurin, Andrea Menard and Stephane Paquette.

Season 3 of Hard Rock Medical will be broadcast on TVO and APTN.

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Bachelorette Canada

W Network Wants You to Help us Cast One of Our 20 Bachelors for The Bachelorette Canada

From a media release:

Corus Entertainment’s W Network announced today the Canada’s Crush contest for the first ever season of The Bachelorette Canada. Beginning February 11 through to February 25, fans can cast their votes for one of three potential bachelors at wnetwork.com/CanadasCrush. The winner will be announced on March 7 and will join the additional 19 bachelors as they vie for a rose in The Bachelorette Canada,premiering this fall on W Network.

The three Canada’s Crush bachelors are: Andrew, 29, General Contractor, from Ottawa, Ontario; Eddie, 32, Oilfield Logistics Coordinator, from Saint John, New Brunswick; and Lachlan, 26, Phys. Ed Teacher, from Exeter, Ontario. Beginning February 11, bios and videos of the three hopeful bachelors will be available at wnetwork.com/CanadasCrush.

A carpenter by trade, Andrew is definitely a hands-on kind of guy. Whether it’s in front of the camera as a model for major brands (including Nike) or on TV (as a handyman on W Network’s Homewreckers), Andrew is always confident and self-assured. Hardworking, driven and loyal, Andrew’s outlook on life and love was shaped at eight years old, when his father left the family. Their rocky, on-again-off-again relationship has taught him to take love and commitment very seriously. He wants a partner who will stand by his side for the long haul, because when he commits to that special someone it will be forever.

All of his life, Eddie has worked hard and played harder. Starting out as a labourer in the lucrative (but highly competitive) oil patch, he divided his time between grueling stints on the rigs and serious party time on the ski slopes and beaches with his friends and family. Today, Eddie’s unwavering work ethic and positive attitude have paid off in a big way, landing him a spot at head office (where he is by far the youngest – and most handsome! – face around). But his ride to the top came at a price, leaving him little time to build lasting relationships and find true love.

When people see drop-dead gorgeous Lachlan, they automatically assume he’s a “player”. What they don’t know is that growing up he suffered from Ugly Duckling Syndrome – complete with acne, glasses and a bad haircut. With guidance from his parents (his mom is a reverend for the United Church of Canada and his dad works for a non-profit organization), Lachlan was instilled with traditional family values. He takes offense to the “player” label, especially considering that respect and honesty are the two things he brings to the table in any relationship.

In the Canadian version of this smash-hit reality series, Canada’s most eligible bachelorette is in search of the man of her dreams – and hopefully her groom-to-be. The Canadian Bachelorette will search for love as 20 men do whatever it takes to win her heart. The male suitors compete for the Bachelorette’s affection via individual and group dates involving local and far-flung romantic encounters and adventures. As the Bachelorette narrows the field and the number of men dwindles, romance and tensions will rise. Ultimately, she will choose the one man with whom she wants to spend the rest of her life.

 The Bachelorette Canada is produced by Good Human Productions Inc. From Good Human Productions, Claire Freeland serves as Executive Producer and Keely Booth is Showrunner. For Corus Entertainment, John MacDonald is the Executive Vice President of Television and Head of Women’s and Family Television and Maria Farano is Director of Original Programming for Women’s and Family Television. The series is based on the U.S. format created by Mike Fleiss and produced by Next Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television. Sales of the format are handled by Warner Bros. International Television Production.

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