From James Bawden:
I was fortunate to meet and interview Don Harron on several occasions during my decades long run as a TV critic. Harron died age 90 on January 17 after a great career as a noted satirist.
He occupied a special berth: here was a bona fide Canadian TV super star but one who frequently worked on American TV in the hugely popular long running hit Hee Haw. The last time we met was about two years ago at salute to the late great Roger Abbott co-creator of RCAF. Continue reading.
Season 3 of Vikings returns to Canada on Thursday, Feb. 19, on History, but why wait? We’ve got four (4) tickets to give away to a special screening event in Toronto on Thursday, Feb. 12!
Taking place at the Cineplex Cinemas Yonge Dundas & VIP located at Yonge & Dundas Square, lucky winners not only get to witness Episode 1 of Season 3 on the big screen, but can participate in a Q&A session with two of the show’s producers as well as have the chance to show off their Vikings trivia to win prizes.
Want to attend this exclusive, private screening in Toronto? There are three ways to win one of four (4) tickets available:
We’ll announce the winners on Friday, Feb. 6, at 5 p.m. ET.
Here’s a glimpse into what’s in store in Season 3:
In the new 10-episode season, Ragnar (Travis Fimmel), the former farmer, is now King and has great responsibility resting on his shoulders. With the promise of new land from the English, Ragnar leads his people to an uncertain fate on the shores of Wessex. King Ecbert (Linus Roache) has made many promises and it remains to be seen if he will keep them. This season, the ever-ambitious Ragnar searches for something more – and he finds it in the mythical city of Paris. Rumoured to be impenetrable to outside forces, Ragnar and his band of Norsemen must come together to break down its walls and cement the Vikings legend in history. The gripping family saga of Ragnar, Rollo (Clive Standen), Lagertha (Canadian Katheryn Winnick) and Bjorn (Canadian Alexander Ludwig) continues as alliances and loyal friendships are questioned, faith is catechized and relationships are strained. Vikings tells the extraordinary tales of the lives and epic adventures of these warriors and portrays life in the Dark Ages, a world ruled by raiders and explorers, through the eyes of Viking society.
Michael Bonacini is one of those guys who walks out of a movie sequel and shrugs his shoulders, less than impressed. That didn’t happen at the end of filming Season 2 of MasterChef Canada.
“At the end of Season 2, we all felt that this was an incredible showcase of culinary talent and creativity,” he says. The “we” he’s referring to is, of course, his fellow MasterChef Canada judging partners in crime, Claudio Aprile and Alvin Leung, who return this Sunday night after the Super Bowl wraps up on CTV. (In a late play by the network, MasterChef was called up early to replace Spun Out, which was benched after Dave Foley’s co-star, J.P. Manoux, was charged with voyeurism earlier this week.)
“The three of us would be watching in amazement at what was happening in front of us,” Aprile recalls during filming late last year. “We would say to ourselves, ‘Are the viewers going to believe this?!’ The talent is just phenomenal.”
That talent is showcased early on in Sunday’s return which begins the task of cutting the Top 50 down to a more manageable Top 16 on the way to awarding one home chef the title and $100,000. Sabrina, a 26-year-old office manager from Montreal, skipped her sister’s destination wedding to offer the judges her mushroom ravioli; former CFL Grey Cup champion John grills up a thick steak in a bid to garner a white apron; and 28-year-old Kristal jetted from Gander, Nfld., to deliver her stuffed pork tenderloin to the trio. It doesn’t take long for a few notable finalists to gain attention either. Michael could easily be the villain of Season 2 thanks to his overconfident, cocky attitude while Tammy, a 41-year-old mother of six might be the darling because of her inspiring story of loss and rebirth.
A common theme through Sunday’s instalment are competitors literally putting their lives on hold to compete on MasterChef Canada. Auditioners who quit jobs, held off on advancing their schooling and tales of dreams unfulfilled not only inspired but freaked me out. Quitting a job on the off-chance you might win? That’s bold. And it won’t be easy. Bonacini promises this go-round of episodes boasts tougher, challenges both in-studio and off-site.
“The off-site challenges are huge, outside the degree of difficulty,” he hints. “There are new, creative, big challenges. We had to continue to raise the bar and we did that.”
After all, it is a sequel and it can’t be boring.
MasterChef Canada airs Sunday night immediately following the Super Bowl on CTV. The series resumes its regular Sunday timeslot at 7 p.m. ET beginning Feb. 8.
Marketplace, CBC – “Stash Your Cash”
It seems everyone is watching their money this time of the year. So, MARKETPLACE reveals three ways to protect your money, and keep it in your pocket: from a tourist fee you may not have to pay, to bank discounts they may not be telling you about, to questionable warranties. We send an Ontario couple to do some sleuthing at one of the top tourist destinations in Canada. We outfit them with hidden cameras and send them to Niagara Falls restaurants, hotels and other attractions – investigating a tourism fee that many businesses charge. Plus, we investigate extended warranties. Lots of people buy them to protect their digital devices. So what are you told at the time of purchase – and will it really protect you if something goes wrong? And, Erica Johnson looks into banking fees. The Big Five all offer discounted plans for seniors, so they can really save. But even after years of being a loyal customer, do they even tell you about them?
The Fifth Estate, CBC – “Pot Fiction”
Marijuana is supposed to be illegal but Canada is awash in pot. You can buy it openly in a surprising number of ways and places and the system for regulating medical marijuana is broken. Mark Kelley exposes some shocking Pot Fiction.
This week’s comments and opinions centred around Kelly Lynn Ashton’s informative column that explains exactly what makes a Canadian television show, W Network’s announcement of Hockey Wives and love for Bravo’s 19-2.
Although it’s less scientific than this article and, admittedly, prone to inaccuracy, one thing I’ve noticed is the end credit “This is protected under the copyright laws…†blurb. If I’m curious about whether something is actually Canadian or if it’s simply filmed in Canada, I’ll check to see if it lists Canada at all (“i.e.: This production is protected under the copyright laws of The United States, Canada, and other countriesâ€), and if it does it’s probably Canadian or a co-production. If it doesn’t mention Canada, that doesn’t prove it isn’t Canadian, but I’m not sure I’ve ever come across a blurb that did mention Canada that wasn’t for a Canadian production. Admittedly, you have to be the sort of person who freeze-frames at the end credits, or even skips to the end credits first, which, y’know, probably is little too obsessive for most people. :) —D.K.
Though I HATE HATE HATE reality shows like The Real Housewives, The Bachelor, Honey Boo Boo, etc., the sociologist and hockey fan in me wants to check Hockey Wives out. I, admittedly, really liked the short-lived CBC series MVP which was a fictional look at the lives of hockey wives.—Ally
I have watched 19-2 from the very beginning on Bravo. You get to see how the officers on the front line face each and every day. I also can understand why most people have not heard of this great show or a number of other shows on Bravo. When you look on the schedule for Bravo all you see most of time are reruns of Criminal Minds, Blue Bloods, Person of Interest, Missing, etc. Only if you are an avid TV watcher do you know when and where to look. Maybe if they had more shows people would watch.—Barbara
Got a question or comment about Canadian TV? greg@tv-eh.com or head to @tv_eh.
