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Comments and queries for the week of April 27

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Someone has to tell this new host she needs to stop interrupting her guests. This is off-putting in the extreme. I watch Power and Politics regularly, record it daily, however, I am considering stopping recording and watching as Vassy Kapelos’ constant interruptions makes her interviews more frustrating than the benefit of the political discussions. —Janet

I do wish Hollywood would go back to good stories, mysteries and subjects. They rely too much on scandalous sex, crude language and violence as well as fantasy and just weird content. Most of the U.S. detective shows are corny or dumb except for Law & Order: SVU. Or, they just do reality TV, which is getting old. Although the actors on Murdoch Mysteries are attractive, the show doesn’t just rely on over-plasticized, fake beauty like Hollywood does. It is about the characters, the plot and the excellent writing. I am so glad other countries like Canada, the UK and Australia to keep these kinds of mysteries coming. —Makeup Girl

I live in the U.S. and am a Murdoch addict. I don’t really like Julia. I wish Murdoch had stayed with Anna. So happy about Season 12 that I can hardly wait! —Patricia

I live in the U.S. (Mississippi) and I am really, really, really glad to hear that Murdoch will be back for Season 12. Words can not express how much I love this show and there is nothing on the air in the States, right now, that is as great as MM, in my opinion. While the show is set in Canada, the themes and societal issues it tackles are universal. Gender equality, abortion, civil rights, issues of racism, classism, religion, homophobia, etc. These are universal to people living around the world and MM examines these without judgment or taking sides, leaving the concluding analysis to the viewer. All of that, in addition to, a really great mystery. This is something that is rarely found in a lot of TV shows today. My hat’s off to the writers, producers, cast and crew for the blood, sweat, tears and HANDIWORK that you put into every episode. Believe me, it shows. Impatiently waiting for Season 12. Oh, Shaftesbury and AcornTV please don’t make me wait toooooo long. :-) —Daphne

Although we in the U.S. and are about two months behind with current airing via AcornTV, still happy to know Murdoch and team will be coming back for Season 12, just hope their holiday special is as good as their first in Season 9—didn’t really like holiday episodes for 10 & 11. Also, while I love Murdoch and Julia, there has been way too much focus on their relationship and not enough on the actual crimes, let’s go back to what worked in Season 1–9. —Lisa

Got a question or comment about Canadian TV? Email greg.david@tv-eh.com or via Twitter @tv_eh.

 

 

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: HGTV Canada’s Home to Win is back on the renovation track with the biggest prize ever

Home to Win, the incredible original series from HGTV Canada, is back for a third season this Sunday at 10 p.m. ET/PT with the fabulous ET Canada star Sangita Patel as host. What can viewers expect this time around? That was my biggest question.

The first episode follows Bryan Baeumler and Scott McGillivray as they hunt for the perfect property to buy and renovate for one Canadian family to call their own. The hook? The home is available to first-time home buyers only, a huge deal for a family looking to own their first property. The hilarious duo of Baeumler McGillivray made me cry with laughter as they walk through the houses, joking, playing pool and teasing each other. McGillivray is looking into the attic in one of the bedrooms and Baeumler sneaks up on him and scares him to death. The perfect combination of intelligence and wittiness of these two is worth watching.

In each episode, an incredible team of builders and designers works together to renovate the whole house step-by-step. Sarah Richardson and Tommy Smythe are the ones responsible for making it look chic and exquisite. And there are more than 20 famous and extremely talented Canada designers and builders—including Tiffany Pratt, Sarah Baeumler, Sebastian Clovis, Sarah Keenleyside, Danielle Bryk and Mike Holmes—who join them to take on the challenge of turning this house into a living dream.

What makes it so special? I think that the combination of achieving a kind and heartwarming goal and diversity of talented and absolutely entertaining people makes it so enjoyable. It’s never enough, you always want more.

Sunday’s episode is chock full of ideas and concepts and we get to see how the house looks from the outside. Next week we go inside. Don’t miss it.

You can try your luck by visiting Home to Win‘s site and submitting an online application for a chance to win the home, which will be awarded during the season finale.

Home to Win airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada.

Image courtesy of Corus Entertainment.

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Featured

2018-19 Canadian TV season renewal scorecard

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With the 2017-18 Canadian television season ending soon, the networks are putting the finishing touches on their primetime lineups for 2018-19. That means celebrations for fans of shows that have been renewed and sadness for programs that won’t return.

To help keep track of what’s been renewed or ending, we’ve put together a handy list for you of what will air between the summer of 2018 and the end of spring in 2019. Check back often to see the status of your favourites.

Renewed

  • Pure (Super Channel)
  • Still Standing (CBC)
  • Letterkenny (CraveTV)
  • Murdoch Mysteries (CBC)
  • Frankie Drake Mysteries (CBC)
  • Highway Thru Hell (Discovery)
  • Heavy Rescue: 401 (Discovery)
  • Dragons’ Den (CBC)
  • Frontier (Discovery)
  • Vikings (History)
  • Private Eyes (Global)
  • Cardinal (CTV)
  • Schitt’s Creek (CBC)
  • Anne with an E (CBC)
  • Killjoys (Space)
  • Tribal Police Files (APTN)
  • Eyes for the Job (AMI-tv)
  • Employable Me Canada (AMI-tv)
  • Mind Set Go (AMI-tv)
  • The Great Canadian Baking Show (CBC)
  • Bad Blood (City)
  • Kim’s Convenience (CBC)
  • Mr. D (CBC, final season)
  • Workin’ Moms (CBC)
  • Baroness Von Sketch Show (CBC)
  • Burden of Truth (CBC)
  • Travelers (Netflix)
  • Top Chef Canada (Food Network Canada)
  • When Calls the Heart (Super Channel)
  • The Stats of Life (CBC)
  • 22 Minutes (CBC)
  • Little Dog (CBC)
  • Paranormal Survivor (T+E)
  • The Other Side (APTN)
  • Wynonna Earp (Space)
  • Second Jen (City)
  • Blood & Water (Omni)
  • Heartland (CBC)
  • Mayday (Discovery)
  • Backyard Builds (HGTV Canada)
  • The Launch (CTV)
  • Carnival Eats (Food Network Canada)
  • Save My Reno (HGTV Canada)
  • Love It or List It Vancouver (HGTV Canada)
  • Property Brothers (HGTV Canada)
  • Property Brothers: Buying and Selling (HGTV Canada)
  • Worst to First (HGTV Canada)
  • Border Security: America’s Front Line (HGTV Canada)
  • Just Like Mom & Dad (YesTV)
  • The Detectives (CBC)
  • The Nature of Things (CBC)
  • Exhibitionists (CBC)
  • Marketplace (CBC)
  • The Fifth Estate (CBC)
  • Mighty Trains (Discovery)
  • Mary Kills People (Global)
  • Big Brother Canada (Global)
  • Sarah Off the Grid (HGTV Canada)
  • Holmes + Holmes (HGTV Canada)
  • Entertainment Tonight Canada (Global)
  • Odd Squad (TVO)
  • The Beaverton (Comedy Network)
  • Jade Fever (Discovery)
  • etalk (CTV)
  • The Social (CTV)
  • The Marilyn Denis Show (CTV)
  • Your Morning (CTV)
  • Mighty Cruise Ships (Discovery)
  • Dog Tales Rescue (Gusto)
  • Corner Gas Animated (The Comedy Network)
  • Canada’s Worst Driver (Discovery)
  • Last Stop Garage (Discovery)
  • Rocky Mountain Railroad (Discovery)
  • Bonacini’s Italy (Gusto)
  • Flour Power (Gusto)
  • Crazy Beautiful Weddings (Makeful)
  • Intervention Canada (T+E)
  • Lakefront Luxury (Cottage Life)
  • Hope for Wildlife (Cottage Life)
  • Hellfire Heroes (Discovery)
  • Ransom (Global)
  • MasterChef Canada (CTV)
  • Slasher

Awaiting confirmation

  • Degrassi: Next Class (Family Channel)
  • One World Kitchen (Gusto)
  • Wild Archaeology (APTN)
  • Bake with Anna Olson (Food Network)
  • Bryan Inc. (HGTV Canada)
  • Nirvanna The Band The Show (Viceland)
  • Mighty Planes (Discovery)
  • Tougher Than It Looks (Discovery)
  • Love It or List It (HGTV Canada)
  • Mighty Ships (Discovery)
  • Backstage (Family Channel)
  • Yukon Gold (History)
  • First Dates (Slice)
  • Hockey Wives (W Network)
  • Buying the View (W Network)
  • Max & Shred (YTV)
  • The Stanley Dynamic (YTV)
  • Drive Me Crazy (YTV)
  • Massive Monster Mayhem (Family Channel)
  • Crawford (CBC)
  • The Baker Sisters (Food Network)

Not Returning

  • Rick Mercer Report (CBC)
  • The Goods (CBC)
  • Ghost Wars (Netflix)
  • 21 Thunder (CBC)
  • Interrupt This Program (CBC)
  • Daily Planet (Discovery)
  • Innerspace (Space)
  • Hello Goodbye (CBC, on hiatus)
  • The Detail (CTV)
  • On the Money (CBC)
  • Guilt Free Zone (APTN)
  • Mysticons (YTV)
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Featured, Masterchef Canada

A forest feast on MasterChef Canada

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Tuesday’s newest “Fast and Epicure-ious” episode of MasterChef Canada was all about being close to the fans, people who love cooking and simple food. In this week’s Mystery Box Challenge the Top 10 …  got one more box! But what was hidden in there was like a magician’s hat full of fresh ingredients instead of bunnies. The boxes from Chefs Plate were absolutely stunning, containing a wide variety of delicious products. But is too much of a good thing always a bad thing?

The home cooks had to make a MasterChef Canada quality dish in under 30 minutes. There was a diversity of flavours from Asian-inspired food to Pakistani food. The judges selected three chefs to compete for the best Mystery Box dish. The first call was for Nadia, who made beef kofta and leek saag with chili potato and raita to praise her Pakistani roots. The flavour game was on point for Nadia, but was it enough? The second home cook who impressed the judges was Michael V. His Asian-inspired pork taco with tortillas from scratch left Claudio, Alvin and Michael speechless. Finally, the third home cook was chosen. The stuffed pork with crisp potatoes, brussels sprouts and mixed green salad cooked by Michael G. was terrific not only by the look, but by the taste as well.

That combination made Michael G. a winner of Tuesday’s challenge. This victory gave him some huge advantages: his recipe will be featured in the Chefs Plate menu, so millions of Canadians can recreate his recipe at home.

It also meant Michael G. was free from the Elimination Challenge and his next advantage was hidden in the tiniest mystery box. The hidden ingredient was presented in one of three ways: fresh, dried and canned. Michael G. had to assign which of his competitors would cook with each type with just one hour to cook the star of the dish. The chefs rushed to the pantry to find out what the secret ingredient was … and the pantry was full of MUSHROOMS. Canned, fresh and dried. Did you have any idea that the mystery box contained mushrooms? Let me know in the comments below!

The Elimination Challenge began. The home cooks took some unexpected twists to show the judges that they were worthy of making it to the Top 9 on MasterChef Canada. Michael G. was looking at the competitors with a great interest from the balcony, calculating his next moves in the show.

Eugene had the best dish of the night with a vegetarian “bone marrow” of potato confit and mushroom paste on a bed of crisp vegetables that looked just like a real forest. That dish was a pure brilliance. Andy had the second-best dish. He decided not to go with a protein and made the smoked oyster mushroom the absolute star of the dish. The third winner of the night was Marissa’s mushrooms and pistachio pork tenderloin with mushroom parsnip purée, which amazed the judges. The winners of Elimination Challenge would make those home cooks the team captains in the next team challenge.

Three dishes were in the bottom. Nadia, Reem and Jonathan all disappointed the judges with their dishes. Jonathan and Nadia received a second chance while Reem went home.

MasterChef Canada airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on CTV.

Image courtesy of Bell Media.

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Featured, Podcast

TV Eh B Cs podcast 80 — Getting the story from Gemma Holdway

Gemma Holdway is a British-Canadian writer. She has worked as a story editor on Syfy/Netflix’s Ghost Wars and Season 2 of CTV’s hit series Cardinal. Together with Cardinal showrunner Sarah Dodd, Gemma is currently developing a one-hour drama for Bell Media and Omnifilm Entertainment. She has previously developed series with Front Street Pictures, Reality Distortion Field and Riverside Entertainment.

Gemma also worked as a script/story coordinator on Ghost Wars, Gracepoint, Killjoys, Power Rangers, High Moon and Poor Richard’s Almanack. She was a 2016 recipient of the Corus Entertainment Writer’s Apprenticeship and is currently enrolled in the National Screen Institute’s Totally Television Program. Gemma’s TV pilots have been shortlisted by the Sundance Episodic Storytelling Lab. Four of her TV movies have been produced. Her shorts have premiered at Edmonton International Film Festival and Whistler Film Festival. She holds a bachelor of journalism and a minor in politics from Ryerson University. Gemma is represented by the Alpern Group.

Listen or download below, or subscribe via iTunes or any other podcast catcher with the TV, eh? podcast feed.

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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