Everything about Featured, eh?

Featured, Polls

Poll: What is your favourite new Canadian series of mid-season (so far)

42 Comments

UPDATE: Thanks to a late surge in votes (A.J. Buckley called on Supernatural fans for support), Pure took top spot in the poll with 42 per cent of the vote. Second place went to Mary Kills People with 38 per cent; Cardinal placed third with 15 per cent. Thank you to everyone who participated and spread the word on our poll and look for more in the coming weeks!

It’s February. The time of the year when snow and cold temperatures cause us to get a little grumpy and burrow down a little deeper into our warm beds or pull those blankets a little tighter around us.

Luckily, we’ve got plenty of new Canadian television series to keep us entertained. No fewer than eight programs have bowed since January 1. Whether its tow truck drivers helping get traffic moving in Heavy Rescue: 401, small-town murder in Cardinal, doctor-assisted suicide in Mary Kills People, drug-running Mennonites in Pure or the struggles of motherhood via Workin’ Moms, there’s plenty to love this winter.

So, which two new Canadian series are your favourites so far? Let us know by voting below: select your choices and then click the Vote button below and to the right of Workin’ Moms. We’ll post the results in a few days so get voting and spread the word!

Favourite two new Canadian series of mid-season so far

  • Pure (36%, 2,322 Votes)
  • Mary Kills People (33%, 2,129 Votes)
  • Cardinal (13%, 805 Votes)
  • Heavy Rescue: 401 (10%, 633 Votes)
  • Workin' Moms (3%, 194 Votes)
  • Ransom (2%, 158 Votes)
  • Urban Vegetarian (2%, 129 Votes)
  • Chopped Canada Teen (1%, 55 Votes)

Total Voters: 5,549

Loading ... Loading ...
Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Featured, Podcast

TV Eh B Cs podcast 59 — Crashing into Brent Haynes

Brent Haynes continues to foolishly pursue a career in television. He currently serves as president & executive producer of Picture Arcade where he created the CBC series Crash Gallery.

Season 2 of Crash Gallery returns Sunday, Feb. 5, at 9:30 p.m. on CBC.

Brent made the leap to producing after spending 19 years as a broadcaster. Previously, he was senior vice-president of Comedy & Animation at MTV in New York for five years where he managed a full development slate and oversaw production for close to 20 series including World of Jenks, Nikki & Sara Live and Silent Library. Brent’s MTV portfolio included scripted comedy, animation, unscripted and documentary.

Before making the move to New York, Brent spent 11 years with The Comedy Network in Canada where he helped launch the channel before ultimately becoming vice-president of programming in charge of the development, acquisition and scheduling teams. He was responsible for developing the smash hit Corner Gas and served as an executive on the show for five seasons.

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

Want to support TV, eh?’s work? Become a Patreon!

SUPPORT

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Featured, Pure

Pure explores life, death and tainted dairy in “Funeral”

Wow, I can’t believe Eli Voss hasn’t just dispatched Noah Funk and found another community member to handle things. It really has been a comedy of errors for Noah, who went from learning how a cell phone works to pulling the drug-filled, cheese-filled plane out of the lake and then facing off against Mr. Crowbar and his cronies.

By the end of last week’s episode, Crowbar had been taken care of—in bloody fashion, we might add—opening the door for Noah to continue with his task.

Here’s CBC’s episode synopsis for, “Funeral,” Monday’s new episode:

Noah and Anna must find a way to dispose of four dead bodies at the same time as they devise a trap for Eli Voss.
And here’s what else we can tell you after watching a screener:

Pure‘s cinematography is beautiful
We’ve been meaning to say this since Episode 1: Ken Girotti’s colour palette and framing of shots is incredible. He’s taken advantage of big skies to show the connection—or perhaps severing?—between Heaven and the land. Noah is plotting to take down the sinners … will he get closer to Heaven as a result?

Bronco is the best
I love this cast, but A.J. Buckley is a hoot as Bronco. From his high school football rings and pornstache to his quips (“Is he praying?! We don’t have time to pray!”), Bronco is an entertaining hombre. We’re loving his evolution from laughingstock to serious cop. Also? Buckley and his friend, Artie, have created a seriously awesome line of diaper bags.

Trailer Park Boys cast member alert!
Viewers probably picked up on this in Week 1, but that’s Trailer Park Boys‘ Cory Bowles portraying Bronco’s partner, Jay. Bowles just wrapped filming of his feature film, Black Cop, in Halifax.

It’s a matter of trust
Trust is front and centre in Monday’s episode. Can Abel, Anna and Noah trust Bronco? Can Bronco rely on them for support as things get progressively more complicated and bloody? And, while we’re at it, can Bronco trust Jay?

Half-baked ideas
Bronco has a unique solution to getting the cocaine across the border into the U.S.

Pure airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

Image courtesy of CBC.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Featured, X Company

Comments and queries for the week of January 27

Orphan Black, Schitt’s Creek, Kim’s Convenience among top TV nominations for 2017 Canadian Screen Awards

X Company belongs in the best drama series list. Of all the Canadian series I watch, I think it was the best last year, followed by Orphan Black and Vikings, the latter of which is now interestingly not in the international category anymore. The comedy category is really strong too this year but I have to give my nod to Kim’s Convenience which is a refreshingly funny and original multi-generational comedy with well-drawn characters. —Alicia

Kim’s Convenience: Ins Choi can take pride in this debut

Honestly, one of the best things CBC has produced in a long time. I haven’t laughed this hard in years. I hope it has a long run. —Fred

Photo gallery: First look at CBC’s Pure

Looks like a mess. The Mennonites involved in drug smuggling were Mexican Mennonites, people ultimately of Dutch origin. They even use a wheel of Mexican Mennonite cheese stuffed with drugs in their promos.

Old Order Mennonites however, are of Swiss/Southern German origin. They don’t even speak the same language as Mexican Mennonites (Pennsylvania Dutch as opposed to Plattdeutsch) and wouldn’t be part of the same communities, as they have very different cultures and rules.

This is like lumping in Italian Canadians from Toronto with some Newfoundlanders because they are both Catholic. —Ivriniel

 

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

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Featured, Saving Hope

Photo gallery: Season 5 of Saving Hope

2 Comments

It’s the end of the line for Saving Hope, but Season 5 promises to entertain. Returning Sunday, March 12, at 10 p.m. ET on CTV, the network has released the following description regarding what will befall the staff of Hope Zion:

Picking up in the aftermath of the heart-stopping Season 4 finale, in which a vengeful Tom Crenshaw (Travis Milne, ROOKIE BLUE) appeared at the Hope Zion Hospital Fellowship Awards and fired a shot at Alex (Erica Durance) and Charlie (Michael Shanks), Season 5 of SAVING HOPE sees the Hope Zion staff thrust into turmoil. As Alex faces a big decision, her fellow doctors deal with new challenges as changes come to Hope Zion that will not only affect the livelihood of the hospital, but also its doctors and everything they hold dear.

As we wait for the final storylines to roll out, check out these beautiful gallery images and mark your calendars!

[slideshow_deploy id=’39058′]

 

Saving Hope returns Sunday, March 12 at 10 p.m. ET on CTV.

Images courtesy of Bell Media.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail