TV, eh? | What's up in Canadian television | Page 1292
TV,eh? What's up in Canadian television

Review: Heartland’s pasts and futures

We can all breathe easy, Heartland fans. After a pretty rough go this fall–Peter and Lou accused of child abuse, Amy and Ty broken up and those wild horses looking like dead meat–Sunday’s return set everything right.

“The Heart of a River,” written by Heather Conkie, closed out with the best news of this season: Ty and Amy are getting married. Yes, I know, it’s early days and I can’t help but think there will still be challenges along the way (the Prince will return or perhaps Ty will be hit with a bout of rabies), but for now the couple are truly happy. And Tim is pretty sure he’s the reason why. (We won’t tell him the truth, will we?) Both Amy and Ty have been on emotionally personal journeys this year–I’ve really enjoyed Ty’s character growth as a man and businessman–and they both know the future includes each other.

Cue Lou, who is clearly glad she’s got a new project to take on now that Peter and she are on the same page and have excised Crystal from their lives. Crystal’s attempt to have Georgie taken from the ranch with trumped-up charges of child labour and abuse failed when she tried to blackmail Lou and Peter for money; having the social worker there to witness the attempt was savvy (where did the social worker park her car?) and sent Crystal packing, hopefully for good. I mentioned earlier this season how fantastic Alisha Newton has been as Georgie and she proved it once again in an emotional scene with the social worker, explaining that Crystal was someone she didn’t want to associate with and concluding with the heart wrenching lines: “You’re supposed to be helping us. You’re supposed to be helping me!” Needless to say, Georgie is staying put.

The final piece of Sunday’s puzzle were the wild horses, Will and Matt. Before the Christmas break Matt was poised to have Amy and Ty arrested for loosing the horses from his pen. They returned them to Matt–rather than be arrested–and the poor, proud animals seemed destined for the glue factory. (The fact Matt blamed the horses for the death of his father rang a little hollow for me; perhaps it would have been more believable if he’d said he was ignored in favour of the beasts all his life.) An impassioned plea by Will finally sunk in and Matt released the horses back into the valley where they belonged. It was as Amy walked slowly through the herd that Ty finally realized he couldn’t live without Amy and he made the move to make her his wife. Awwww. Are you happy Ty and Amy are finally tying the knot? Let me know in the comments below or via Twitter @tv_eh.

Heartland airs Sundays at 7 p.m. on CBC.

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CBC orders second season of Schitt’s Creek

schitts_creek

From a media release:

With the first season of SCHITT’S CREEK premiering this Tuesday, January 13 at 9 p.m., CBC is pleased to announce that the second season has already been greenlit and is set to premiere in winter 2016. The highly anticipated character-driven, half-hour single-camera comedy is co-created by Eugene and Daniel Levy, who also star in the 13-episode series alongside the legendary Catherine O’Hara and rising star Annie Murphy, all of whom are set to return next season.

The series centres around a wealthy family who suddenly find themselves broke and forced to live in Schitt’s Creek, a small, depressing town they once bought as a joke. With their pampered lives now abandoned, they must confront their new-found poverty and discover what it means to be a family, all within the confines of their new home.

SCHITT’S CREEK is commissioned by CBC, produced by Not A Real Company Productions Inc. and created by Eugene Levy and Daniel Levy.  The executive producers are Eugene Levy, Daniel Levy, Andrew Barnsley, Fred Levy and Ben Feigin.  SCHITT’S CREEK is distributed by ITV Studios Global Entertainment.

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Link: ‘Schitt’s Creek’: Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara and Dan Levy talk new CBC comedy

From Bill Harris of the Toronto Sun:

I had a philosophical reaction to Schitt’s Creek.

Remember how legendary comedian George Carlin used to talk about the importance of “stuff?”

“That’s the whole meaning of life, isn’t it?” Carlin would say. “Trying to find a place for your stuff. If you didn’t have so much stuff, you wouldn’t need a house.” Continue reading.

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Tonight: Heartland, Life Story, Lost Girl, Timber Kings

Heartland, CBC – “The Heart of A River”
With the fate of the wild horses hanging in the balance, Amy and Ty find themselves drawing closer as they make a desperate bid to save them. Meanwhile, Lou and Peter set aside their differences and form a united front against trumped up child endangerment charges. And Georgie is shattered when someone from her past threatens her future at Heartland.

Life Story, CBC – “First Steps”
From the moment they are born, every animal on the planet begins the same great and perilous journey – life. Like us, animals have to overcome both the struggle to reach adulthood and the unpredictable challenges thrown at them by their environment, their enemies and even their own families. Told from the perspective of individual animals, this captivating series follows the journey from birth to parenthood.

Lost Girl, Showcase – “Clear Eyes, Fae Hearts”
Bo and Tamsin infiltrate the world of college football to investigate a homicide that might expose the Fae. Dyson investigates a murder victim who won’t stay dead.

Timber Kings, HGTV – “Trial by Fire”
In foggy Newfoundland, Peter builds a duck-hunting cabin and gets initiated into island culture. Meanwhile, Bryan Jr. renovates the patio at the local pub — wrangling oversized logs and the client’s oversized personality. At the yard, Joel and Nellie feel the heat, as local firefighters teach them how to protect their multimillion-dollar log pile.

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Link: Orphan Black’s Clone Club facing new threats

From Natalie Abrams of Entertainment Weekly:

‘Orphan Black’: What new threats will the Clone Club face in season 3?
Orphan Black will have several new foes in the third season, but the scariest of the bunch may just be one of the male clones, Rudy (Ari Millen), otherwise known as Scarface. Continue reading.

From Marisa Roffman of the Hollywood Reporter:

‘Orphan Black’ Co-Creator, Stars on the New Male Clones
When Orphan Black returns for its third season, the clone dynamic will be getting a major shake-up: as the show revealed in the season two finale, there are a gaggle of male clones (played by Ari Millen) out there. Continue reading.

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