TV, eh? | What's up in Canadian television | Page 1066
TV,eh? What's up in Canadian television
Amazing Race Canada, Featured, Less Than Kind

Comments and queries for the week of August 7

12 Awesome Canadian TV Show Theme Songs
Wow, what a lot of memories! Great to see the Kids in their prime. I always got a kick out of Seeing Things. Loved the show. The theme wasn’t as good as the ones you’ve picked, perhaps, but it went with the show and it was funny. —Rita

Today’s Special and The Polka Dot Door. —Stevie

I’m a little biased but Less Than Kind‘s credit sequence and theme song “I Hate Winnipeg” (a.k.a. “One Great City”) by The Weakerthans is a pretty cool thing. —Marvin

How about Junior Forest Rangers and the original Littlest Hobo theme from the 60s? I mention these two because I’m an old fart and they were an important part of my childhood.

Also Mosquito Lake—although there was little love for the show from critics and it lasted just one season, Ian Thomas wrote the catchy tune. Still plays in my head from time to time. No link to that I’m afraid. Seems the only memories of that show are as “the worst Canadian sitcom ever.” My little claim to fame. —Dan

 

Face Offs and frigid temperatures on The Amazing Race Canada
That was the most dramatic episode of the Race I’ve seen in years. Still not sure how I feel about the Face Off automatically giving a penalty, but apparently it’s only 15 minutes in other versions of the show. And we didn’t get to see it work properly anyway so I can’t judge it yet. I bet the producers were freaking out behind the scenes.

I’m not sure but I thought the teams (in the U.S. version at least), depart for the next Leg 12 hours after they check-in at the mat. (After time penalties have been applied as needed). So I assume last week’s leg finished at 1:30 in the afternoon.

I probably would have done the same as Gino/Jesse in trying to flush out the Express Pass. Although, it was an easier Detour so Brent and Sean had a good chance of keeping it regardless. Although Nic and Sabrina may annoy them at the next airport.

How much dumb luck can Nic and Sabrina have? Three weeks ago they survived a penalty with about five minutes to spare, indirectly helping Brian and Cynthia eliminate Dana and Amanda. Two weeks ago they survived because Hamilton lost his passport. This week they got U-Turned but didn’t have to do the task because it was dangerous to be on horses after dark, and two other teams took time penalties, so Nic and Sabrina are still safe and didn’t have to do the Face Off with no penalty!

They didn’t say how long Nic and Sabrina got penalized for the horse-ride did they? It probably won’t matter with two other teams also serving penalties, and not being able to do the task is not really Nic and Sabrina’s fault there either, so it shouldn’t be as long as other penalties.

I kind of respect Kristin for at least finishing the horse thing. They are probably the next team to go though with her new leg problems plus they and Simi and Ope still have Face Off penalties to wait out. —Dan

 

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

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Spun Out

Link: Dave Foley casts doubt on future of Spun Out

From Bill Harris of Postmedia:

Dave Foley casts doubt on future of ‘Spun Out’ with role on ‘Dr. Ken’
With his words and his presence, Dave Foley essentially confirmed the current status of sitcom Spun Out. Foley, the star of Spun Out, was here at the Television Critics Association tour because he has another full-time acting job on a show called Dr. Ken that was picked up for the fall season and debuts Oct. 2 on ABC. Continue reading.

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Uncategorized

Highway Thru Hell returns September 8

From a media release:

Discovery’s #1 Original Hit Series HIGHWAY THRU HELL Returns September 8

Discovery’s most-watched program for the 2014/15 broadcast year HIGHWAY THRU HELL returns Sept. 8 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, it was confirmed today. With the third highest-rated season of any series ever on Discovery last year with an average audience of 723,000 viewers, the original Canadian hit series follows Jamie Davis and his crew as they travel the highways and byways of B.C. to the mountains of Alberta. The stakes are high as Season 4 picks up where the story left off – with Davis looking to expand his Heavy Recovery Operation while facing new challenges and bigger wrecks. The Jamie Davis Heavy Rescue crew faces significant change, as Davis’ brothers pitch in to help with both operations between the two provinces. The 2012 debut of HIGHWAY THRU HELL remains the #1 series premiere in Discovery Channel history.

In the Season 4 premiere, John, Jamie’s newest recruit, must save a snowplow stuck in the grip of an icy river. While Jamie pushes further into new territory, changes rock the company, forcing Colin to take on a new role. His first wreck of the season tests his skill on the rotator plus his skills as a leader. And the entire community says farewell to a Heavy Rescue crew legend.

Earlier in the evening, the Shotgun Exploration crew is back at Straw Lake for Season 2 of fellow homegrown series, FOOL’S GOLD, with two 30-minute episodes airing back-to-back, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Returning with 12 new episodes, Todd Ryznar and his crew are on a quest to extract 100 ounces of gold in the bounty-rich hills of Northern Ontario. Last season, viewers came down with a serious case of gold fever as FOOL’S GOLD performed as the top entertainment specialty program in its timeslot among total viewers, A25-54, and A18-49.

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Industry News

History sets Curse of the Frozen Gold debut date

From a media release:

Something ominous lurks on the Pitt Lake horizon in British Columbia as a group of fortune-seeking explorers battle harsh landscape, the unknown and each other to uncover one of the best known unsolved mysteries – the legend of Slumach and his lost gold mine. But will their greed for the famed fortune take their expedition to a dark place? Find out in the brand new Canadian original series Curse of the Frozen Gold premiering Wednesday, August 26th at 10pm ET/PT on HISTORY.

Legend has it that a First Nations man named Slumach found a fortune in gold and put a curse on it just before he was hanged. Allegedly worth billions, ‘Slumach’s Gold’ has tantalized prospectors for over a century, and now a team of experienced gold hunters takes up its pursuit – and the mysterious curse that goes with it – to stake their claim in history. The gold’s lure has claimed numerous gold hunters’ lives for over a century – perhaps victims of the curse or something more sinister.

A team of six daring gold hunters – including young and fit mountain climbers, a gold-obsessed prospector, a local lodge owner and some savvy, but skeptical old-timers – have eight short weeks to find gold before winter freezes them out. They’re forced to contend with the primordial forest, jagged mountain peaks, predatory wildlife and dangerous cracks in the ice that plummet hundreds of feet. It’s a region steeped in danger but the group is fuelled by a severe case of gold fever. While they claim to be working as a team, the clashes and scheming between them could ultimately be their downfall.

The six brave explorers are: Adam Palmer (the “Trail Blazer”), Evan Howard (the “Adventurer”), Don Waites (the “Legend”), Fred Braches (the “Skeptic”), Daryl Friesen (the “True Believer”), and Danny Gerak (the “Local”). Visit history.ca for full cast biographies.

Curse of the Frozen Gold is produced by JV Productions in association with Shaw Media.

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