From Kathelene Cattell-Daniels of The Medium:
CBC just got a little stranger
And then I think about the kind of content CBC has produced in the past few years: Heartland and Mr. D hardly seem artistically competitive with Girls. But then Strange Empire happened. Still in its first season, Strange Empire first aired in October 2014, and in doing so opened up a whole new playing space for Canadian actors and TV aficionados. Continue reading.
From Bill Brioux:
Once upon a time, a TV western was a western. Now it’s “an original action-adventure crime procedural drama.â€
That’s the way The Pinkertons is being pitched. The series, which is shot in and around Winnipeg, premieres Tuesday night with a two hour launch beginning at 8 p.m. on CHCH. Continue reading.
By 17 Ryan Belleville was performing comedy professionally, and was the youngest person to ever record their own CTV Comedy Now special. He is the winner of a Canadian Comedy Award and the Phil Hartman Award for his stand up.
Of his many TV appearances he has appeared 8 times at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal where he is a crowd favorite, as well as multiple appearances on CBC’s Halifax Comedy Festival, The Winnipeg Comedy Festival, and CBC’s The Debaters. South of the border he has been seen on Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham, CBS’s The Late Late Show, and MTV’s Busted.
A respected comedic actor, he was a series regular on FOX’s sitcom Life on a Stick and CW’s The LA Complex. He was the star and co-creater of the cult show Almost Heroes, now available on Hulu. He has starred in the feature films National Lampoons Going the Distance, Disney’s Stuck in the Suburbs, Step Dogs and the award winning family film Finn on the Fly.
Most recently he was the star of CTV’s sitcom Satisfaction and hosts one of iTunes top Comedy Podcasts in Canada, The Flying Bellevilles Podcast.
Listen or download below, or subscribe via iTunes or any other podcast catcher with the TV, eh? podcast feed.
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Rick Mercer Report, CBC
Rick goes to Penticton, BC where he joins a precision jump rope skipping competition and then heads to New Brunswick to learn the art of making potato chips.
22 Minutes, CBC
Tonight on 22 Minutes, Canada’s recent deal to build six arctic patrol ships inspires new recruitment ads; Stephen Harper’s signature guitar available for purchase and telecom giant, Rogers, takes on a new adversary.
Schitt’s Creek, CBC – “Bad Parents”
Johnny and Moira, feeling like they have failed as parents, try to get to know their grown children. Alexis spies on Mutt and thinks he’s having an affair with the Mayor’s wife.
Mr D. CBC – “Staff Hangover”
Morning assembly reveals the Xavier staff in rough shape. Last night’s staff party went late and got messy. The new librarian is revealed in the aftermath.
I’m a sucker for historical dramas. Need proof? My current list of favourites includes Hell on Wheels, Vikings, Murdoch Mysteries, Downton Abbey and the upcoming X Company. Now I’m adding The Pinkertons to my list. The syndicated shoot-em-up debuts Tuesday on CHCH, and it’s one heck of a good time.
Produced by the folks at Rosetta Media and Buffalo Gal Pictures (and with Murdoch Mysteries‘ Philip Bedard and Larry Lalonde, Remedy‘s Alison Lea Bingeman, Flashpoint‘s Christina Ray and Corner Gas‘ Rhonda Baker among producers), The Pinkertons is based on the real cases of the legendary law enforcement, detective and security agency founded in 1850. Hired by President Abraham Lincoln to be his security detail during the Civil War, the company was headed by Allan Pinkerton and based out of Chicago.
Tuesday’s two-hour debut quickly introduces viewers to founder Allan (Angus Macfadyen, Turn), his son William (Jacob Blair, Dark Rising: Warrior of Worlds) and Kate Warne (Martha MacIsaac, 1600 Penn) as they team to solve the case of ex-Confederate outlaws who rob a train. Kate Warne, it turns out, really was the first female detective in the U.S., a point made early on and the source of sarcasm and laughs because William can’t handle the fact she’s better at sleuthing, disguises and infiltrating gangs than he is.
Shot in and around Winnipeg (the primary location is Grosse Isle, Man.), the first two instalments in the 22-episode season are light-hearted with the touches of drama that has made Murdoch so successful. Yes, the ex-Confederates are plotting to make a bomb, but you never feel like they’ll really get away with it. The costuming is lush, the old-timey sets suitably dusty and the three keys leads are charming, especially MacIsaac, who has canny comic timing and is able to set herself apart from her craggy co-stars.
It’s too early to be sure, but I’m pretty confident that, as time goes on, sexual tension will simmer between Kate and William. And while I’m not averse to that TV trope, I hope it’s kept on the back burner for now; to me the story is the thing and with a group like the Pinkertons, there are lots of stories to tell.
The Pinkertons airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CHCH.
