From Broadcaster Magazine:
CBC President Acknowledges that Public Broadcaster’s Very Existence is at Risk
In a prepared speech, Lacroix admitted that public broadcasters “are at fault for not speaking loudly enough about the threats we face,” and “like the proverbial frog put in cold water that is slowly heated, we’ve resisted telling people that we risk being boiled to death.” Continue reading.
TV, Eh? competes on Canada’s Smartest Person
Wow, just watched the video of Canada’s Smartest Person: Journalist Edition. It was hilarious! Good for you, Greg. You did really well…did you drink champagne from the winner’s cup? —Joyce
Production begins on CBC’s Human Town
Sounds like Sunnyside, which is hilarious. I shall be taking a look. —Iris
Continuum‘s Rachel Nichols says goodbye to Kiera
I tried to watch this show but found myself weeping with boredom after a few episodes. This is what is sad and pathetic about Canadian TV – a show that no one outside the industry has ever heard of can last for years before being cancelled. —Snicker Doodle
A show that airs in Canada, the U.S., France, UK and Australia is definitely not “a show no one outside of the industry has ever heard of.†As for “weeping with boredom,†I appreciate and respect your opinion. I don’t agree with it, but I respect it.
Got a comment or question about Canadian TV? greg@tv-eh.com or @tv_eh!
After a week away from The Amazing Race Canada—I was off on my own adventures in Parry Sound and Sudbury, Ont.—I checked back in just in time as the final three teams were set up for next week’s season finale. (As an aside, I was disappointed Dujean and Leilani became bitter with each other last week and were eliminated while airing their dirty laundry.)
So, after a gruelling Leg in Edmonton jam-packed with drama and stolen cabs, Brent and Sean, Matt and Nick and Gino and Jesse will battle it out for the trucks, money and title in next Wednesday’s last episode. Eliminated on the mat at the Muttart Conservatory were Simi and Ope, who never gave up hope despite the fact they suffered from having two cabs stolen from under them.
I get that it’s a race, but I wasn’t impressed that Gino and Jesse stole that first cab from Nick and Matt at the Edmonton Waste Management Centre. That move forced the wrestlers to play dirty pool and grabbed Simi and Ope’s ride, something they clearly didn’t feel good about doing. Gino and Jesse made it a twofer when they then absconded with Simi and Ope’s cab after the curling Face Off. Again, I understand The Amazing Race Canada is a competition and calls for desperate times, but I was disappointed. I guess I’m just a sucker for fair play and the world just isn’t a fair place sometimes.
Still, kudos to the father-daughter team for ending the Race with their heads up and thanks to Ope for the inspirational words about this country.
“It’s amazin’!” he said tearfully in front of Jon Montgomery.
Speaking of amazin’, how about Brent and Sean? The brothers have emerged as perhaps the most unlikely of frontrunners after beating out their more physical competitors to land in first place for the week. They conquered garbage, curling, shopping for snacks and acting to emerge as bona fide contenders for the title. They also showed sportsmanship; after taking someone’s cab at Fort Edmonton Park they ordered a replacement.
Here’s how the teams finished this Leg:
Notes and quotes
The Amazing Race Canada season finale airs next Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV followed by After the Race.
From a media release:
Corus Entertainment’s CMT (Canada) delivers two thrilling original reality series this October. Viewers will get a first-hand look at the eye of North America’s fiercest storms as chasers Greg Johnson, Chris Chittick and Ricky Forbes battle high winds and big stakes on the series premiere of Tornado Hunters debuting Friday, October 16 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (repeat at 9:30 p.m. PT). The action continues with Ice Racer Showdown starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT (repeat at 10:30 p.m. PT). Host Clayton Bellamy of Canadian country group, The Road Hammers, tests everyday drivers as they brave brutal arctic conditions through a variety of icy road obstacle courses in order to claim the title of Ice Racer Champion.
Tornado Hunters (10 x 30 minutes) picks up from last fall’s pilot broadcast premiere with epic footage from the twin tornados in Pilger, Nebraska. Greg Johnson, Chris Chittick and Ricky Forbes are looking to make 2015 a banner year for their storm-chasing team, loading their storm truck, Flash, with new camera gear to help capture more extreme weather imagery than ever before. This season features the Tornado Hunters tackling the most powerful and jaw-dropping tornados in North America, from massive rain-wrapped tornados to multiple twisters and the storm of the summer in Manitoba. Viewers can catch up on the two-part pilot episode Thursday, October 8 starting at 11 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. PT in advance of the Season 1 premiere on Friday, October 16 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (repeat at 9:30 p.m. PT). Tornado Hunters is produced by Saloon Media in association with CMT and with the participation of the Bell Fund.
On Ice Racer Showdown (12 x 60 minutes), five drivers brave the frigid temperatures taking on two fun-filled elimination challenges, each jam-packed with icy obstacles and angry snowball throwing yetis. The three that survive the grueling tasks will go head-to-head in a thrilling ice race to claim the ultimate title. Hosted by The Road Hammers’ Clayton Bellamy, each hilarious adrenaline-fueled one hour episode has happy hockey moms and pizza delivery guys taking on tough talkin’ truckers and cab drivers to prove who’s the coolest driver on the ice. Guest judges include award-winning actor and comedian Donovan Workun, two-time Olympian skeleton racer Michelle Kelly and technical judge and rally racing champion, Jorge Dascollas. Ice Racer Showdown is produced by Corkscrew Media in association with CMT.
Friday’s newest episode of Continuum, “Power Hour,” explores who we become, whether it’s Dillon’s gig working for Kellog, Julian’s road to becoming Theseus or even Edouard Kagame, who returns in a surprising way. Kellog is front and centre in the episode, throwing his power in the faces of Kiera and Carlos, and pulling the strings behind the scenes with regard to the Future Soldiers’ little project. A warning: not everyone survives “Power Hour.”
We spoke to Stephen Lobo this past May about playing Continuum‘s big bad for the past four seasons, and what he’s got lined up next.
Are you going to miss this character?
Stephen Lobo: I’m going to miss the heck out of this character. Guys like he and Jason are less precious. Kellog isn’t talking about the quantum physics of it all and the time travel. He’s rooted in a relatable reality. It’s been fun.
What was your reaction to the Season 4 renewal/last season news?
I’ve never been involved in a series where we’ve had the opportunity to finish on our terms. That in and of itself was really something to be grateful for. There was no news about the pickup for so long that at first I was thinking, ‘We’ve got to come back,’ to ‘Maybe we’re not coming back.’ And then there was a letting go process. So when the six episodes came I was like, ‘Wooooo!’ I was really, really grateful. They left me in such a great spot in Season 3, it was great to be able to play it out. In Season 1 and Season 2 he was kind of working in the shadows and now he’s going for it.
Everybody is going to be gunning for him and it’s all about survival. Live or die.
Kellog immediately distanced himself from the rest of Liber8 back in Season 1. What’s the analysis you’ve put into that move?
On the one hand there’s an instinct. He’d seen so much pain and suffering in his time that when he was given a chance it was a natural thing to do. On the other hand, here’s a guy who has been let down by every other thing that he’s lived for. Family, friends, society. Everything in his life has told him he’s worthless, so this is his way of responding to that. There is kind of a god complex going on. It’s the ultimate challenge for him and it’s what’s meant to be in his deluded, corrupt, completely unhealthy mind.
What was your reaction to reading the series finale script?
I couldn’t stop talking Simon Barry’s ear off. I just kept texting him, ‘Thank you so much, what a wonderful way to do it.’ What he accomplishes in that 45 minutes of television is beautiful and poetic. There were so many surprises and twists … the fans will be blown away.
Are you going to be taking anything from the set?
I’m going to be taking some suits! [Laughs.] Some fine threads. I’m going to go through my wardrobe!
Looking forward, being on a genre show like Continuum means not only the possibility of a crowd-funded feature but also the chance to attend conventions for as long as the fan support is there. Are you into that?
I’ve never experienced this kind of connection with fans before. It’s really amazing. You get this in theatre, this immediate reaction from he fans. If this show can receive some other life and there is a calling for that, I would be there 100 per cent. I love this guy and playing Kellog has never been boring.
What about developing your own projects?
I’ve got the rights to a play and I’ve asked Brian Markinson [Inspector Dillon] to direct and Kyra Zagorsky to be in it. I had never met Kyra, and I asked her to be in the play and then she was cast in this [as Future Soldier Vasquez], which is crazy. John Cassini is involved as well. That’s a play called The Motherfucker with the Hat, a wonderful play out of New York and that will be a blast. Coming off this show and Arctic Air, this is a nice spot to be in. I can breathe a little bit and be a little more choosy with my projects. I’d love to not have to do everything that comes across the table.
Continuum airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Showcase.
