Links: Son of a Critch, Season 3

January 21, 2024 Greg David

From Alex Nino Gheciu of The Canadian Press:

Link: Mark Critch looks back on his awkward teen years in Season 3 of ‘Son of a Critch’
Mark encounters even more teen awkwardness in Season 3. His confidence takes a hit when he discovers he needs glasses, and he finds himself in emotional turmoil when he competes in an academic quiz against his crush. Continue reading.

From Elisabetta Bianchini of Yahoo News:

Link: ‘Son of a Critch’: Mark Critch on Benjamin Evan Ainsworth recreating his embarrassing moments
“I was excited to do that, to say goodbye to that school, move on to high school. I think there’s a lot of growth and change, and coming into your own in this season, which has been a lot of fun.” Continue reading.

From Dana Gee of the Vancouver Sun:

Link: Son of a Critch co-star says Season 3 has both heartbreaking and heartwarming moments
“All of us are growing up and exploring new interests and expressing ourselves in different ways. And I think it’s really special getting to see all of us grow up and change through the seasons.” Continue reading.

From Larry Fried of That Shelf:

Link: Interview: Malcolm McDowell and Mark Critch on SON OF A CRITCH Season 3
That Shelf sat down with Son of a Critch stars Malcolm McDowell and Mark Critch (also creator and writer) to discuss returning for the show’s third season, McDowell’s admiration for Newfoundland, and how Critch helped pay tribute to fellow Canadian William Shatner in the show’s special Star Trek homage. Continue reading.

From Niagara-on-the-Lake Local:

Link: Niagara-on-the-Lake actor speaks of her role in Son of a Critch
Those who know actor Nora McLellan might have trouble picturing her as a mean, threatening nun whose main job as school principal is to terrify unruly students into submission with a stern look and a wooden ruler in hand. Continue reading.

From Global’s The Morning Show:
Link: Mark Critch and Benjamin Ainsworth on season 3 of ‘Son of a Critch’

Run the Burbs

Links: Run the Burbs, Season 3

January 21, 2024 Greg David

From Aisling Murphy of the Toronto Star:

Link: He’s a dad, a TV star and a sneakerhead: Andrew Phung of ‘Run the Burbs’
It’s easy to draw a road map of Andrew Phung’s adult life when sifting through his sneaker collection. From the pair worn during a final audition for “Kim’s Convenience” to those donned at his wedding, they tell a story about the Canadian comedian who went on to become the face of CBC, first as sidekick Kimchee on the celebrated comedy “Kim’s Convenience” and now as suburban dad Andrew on “Run the Burbs.” Continue reading.

From Elisabetta Bianchini of Yahoo News:

Link: ‘Run the Burbs’ with Andrew Phung, Rakhee Morzaria is so engaging, fans keep pitching their own ideas
“It’s a season focused on family, so for me it was … seeing the ups and downs of family, seeing kids turning 17 and 13, finding their independence, seeing a family dealing with, how do we spend time with each other? How do we find the work-life balance? Having Camille’s dad move into her house, so having multiple generations in a house.” Continue reading.

From Eric Volmers of the Calgary Herald:

Link: Andrew Phung’s very Canadian family sitcom finding audience south of the border
When the American show Access Hollywood recently ran a trailer for the Canadian family sitcom Run the Burbs host Mario Lopez showed enthusiasm for the show even if he was a bit confused geographically. Continue reading.

From Max Goldbart of Deadline:

Link: Hulu Buys Canadian Comedy ‘Run The Burbs’
Canadian comedy Run the Burbs has been picked up by Hulu for its second window in the U.S. Continue reading.

Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

New Canadian original series Timber Titans anchors Discovery’s winter programming lineup

January 19, 2024 Greg David 1 Comment

From a media release:

Discovery announced today that the all-new Canadian Original docuseries TIMBER TITANS – produced in collaboration with Great Pacific Media, the producers of HIGHWAY THRU HELL and MUD MOUNTAIN HAULERS – premieres on Monday, Feb. 5 at 10 p.m. ET. TIMBER TITANS joins Discovery, Investigation Discovery, and Animal Planet’s winter lineup of compelling, adventurous, and real-life programming that also includes new series THE SUMMIT AUSTRALIA (Discovery), MILLION DOLLAR ISLAND (Discovery), and AUSSIE SNAKE WRANGLERS (Animal Planet), and returning fan-favourites MOONSHINERS (Discovery), LAST OF THE GIANTS (Discovery), and MURDER UNDER FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (Investigation Discovery).

The winter programming lineup features the following programming:

Discovery

MOONSHINERS Season 13
Every spring, a fearless group of men and women venture deep into the woods of Appalachia, defying the law, rivals, and nature itself to keep the centuries-old tradition of craft whiskey alive. Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. ET.

MYSTERY AT BLIND FROG RANCH Season 3
Duane and Chad Ollinger have spent close to a decade trying to unearth $3 billion in Aztec gold that they believe is hidden in a vast network of underground caverns deep within Blind Frog Ranch. After arriving for the season, they discover that claim jumpers have been illegally digging on the property, attempting to locate and steal the treasure – leading to a tense and volatile confrontation. Thursday nights at 9 p.m. ET.

Discovery Canadian Original Series LAST OF THE GIANTS Season 3
LAST OF THE GIANTS follows acclaimed adventurer Cyril Chauquet (CHASING MONSTERS) and his crew on a high-adrenaline, action-packed mission from the rugged coast of West Africa to the Bolivian Amazon. The team risks life and limb to search for, and save, the last of the planet’s legendary goliath fish. Thursday nights at 10 p.m. ET.

EXPEDITION UNKNOWN Season 12
Globetrotting explorer Josh Gates is back scanning the depths of the ocean, trekking into the heart of Central American jungles, and diving into flooded tunnels beneath an active volcano, in search of answers to the world’s greatest mysteries. Thursday nights at 8 p.m. ET.

THE SUMMIT AUSTRALIA Season 1
Morals will be severely tested, physical limits pushed to breaking point, and bonds busted in THE SUMMIT. Friday nights at 9:30 p.m. ET.

MILLION DOLLAR ISLAND Season 1
A high-stakes social experiment in which 100 contestants must forge friendships and build alliances as they plot to stay on a remote desert island for up to 50 days and compete to win their share of the ultimate $1 million prize. Upon arrival, each contestant is given a bracelet worth $10,000. During their time on the island, contestants gain and lose bracelets through various challenges, but when a player leaves the island, they must choose who will receive their portion of the money. Friday nights at 8 p.m. ET.

BERING SEA GOLD Season 17
Things are heating up in Nome, Alaska and the Bering Sea miners are back for a wild season. While the miners discover their new operations come with a whole new set of difficulties and dangers, Nome is pummeled by the worst storm it’s seen in a century. Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET.

BIG LITTLE BRAWLERS Season 1
In Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, an extraordinary group of little people with larger-than-life personalities must navigate ego, injury, and limitations imposed by themselves and society, as they attempt to achieve their piece of the American Dream in the most ambitious little person wrestling league on the planet. Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. ET.

Discovery Canadian Original Series TIMBER TITANS Series Premiere
From Great Pacific Media, the producers of HIGHWAY THRU HELL and MUD MOUNTAIN HAULERS, and set deep in the British Columbian wilderness, TIMBER TITANS is a high-stakes, character-driven documentary series following four logging companies in British Columbia as they fight through extreme weather and merciless terrain to harvest one of Canada’s most vital natural resources. The series premieres Monday, Feb. 5 at 10 p.m. ET.

Investigation Discovery

AMERICAN MONSTER Season 11
Monsters can be found lurking behind any innocent smile and on any street corner in America. Never-before-seen-video footage stares straight into the eyes of these killers who hide in plain sight. The most wholesome people imaginable could be hiding a sinister secret, but when it’s revealed, murder is the result. Friday nights at 9 p.m. ET.

MURDER UNDER FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS Season 3
Across the United States, high school football unites small-town communities. But when a heinous murder shatters that Friday night dream world, the crime ripples beyond those immediately impacted, and the community will never be the same again. Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. ET.

Animal Planet

AUSSIE SNAKE WRANGLERS Season 1
AUSSIE SNAKE WRANGLERS follows the day-to-day drama of six men and women who work in one of Australia’s most dangerous occupations – snake catching. In each episode, venomous snake guru Stuart McKenzie answers multiple distress calls from everyday Aussies whose homes have been invaded by these fearsome reptiles. Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET

Featured

Hockey Night in Canada in Cree is back on APTN

January 18, 2024 Greg David 1 Comment

From a media release:

Hockey Night in Canada in Cree is geared up and ready to go with an all-new schedule:

Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024: Toronto Maple Leafs at Winnipeg Jets, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024: Calgary Flames at Edmonton Oilers, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
Saturday, March 30, 2024: Carolina Hurricanes at Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Saturday, April 13, 2024: Montreal Canadiens at Ottawa Senators, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT

Sportsnet and APTN have teamed up once again to bring NHL hockey back to APTN, an initiative that has seen great success in recent years and that supports APTN’s mandate to foster Indigenous language revitalization. Eager fans across the country can look forward to a brand-new season of pulse-pounding action delivered in Plains Cree, with exciting play-by-play commentary by Clarence Iron. Our team of analysts isn’t just calling the shots; they’re taking you on an adrenaline-fuelled rollercoaster ride through the highs and lows of every period. With a perfect blend of hockey expertise, witty banter and pure passion for the game, Earl Wood, John Chabot and Jason Chamakese turn each matchup into a can’t-miss spectacle.

Featured, Push, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Push Season 2 to premiere on CBC and CBC Gem

January 15, 2024 Greg David

From a media release:

Produced by Fenix Film & Television and Small Army Entertainment in association with CBC and Accessible Media Inc. (AMI), PUSH Season 2 will premiere on Sunday, January 14th at 7:30 PM on CBC and the free-streaming service CBC Gem. PUSH Season 2 features eight, 30-minute episodes.

The ground-breaking CBC original docu-series, PUSH, is back for a second season. Pulling back the veil on life as a wheelchair user, PUSH once again takes audiences into the inner world of the ‘Wheelie Peeps’, an unlikely group of friends bonded by their shared experience of life on wheels. Season 2 features returning favourites including the group’s fearless and unfiltered leader, Bean Gill; Canada’s favourite potty-mouthed and self-proclaimed redneck, Brian McPherson; concert pianist, entrepreneur and adventure-seeker, Riccardo Baldini; and more! Nothing is off the table as this bold group of friends tackle everything life throws their way. From the logistics and stigmas of sex with a fellow wheelchair user, to navigating new motherhood as a “quad mom”, to facing the people and places who knew them pre-injury, Season 2 has The Peeps confronting their past, facing their demons and supporting new members of the group through the early days of wheelchair life.

Benveet “Bean” Gill is the “mother hen” and unofficial ringleader of the Wheelie Peeps. Bean shares, “After I was paralyzed, I made it my mission to go find my homies, my fellow friends in wheelchairs. After a while, there was a big group of us and we called ourselves the Wheelie Peeps. I believe in having a strong support system around you, and I’m grateful to have one. I went through so many dark days alone and after seeing the power of community, I vowed to never let anyone have a dark day alone again. The Wheelie Peeps have lifted each other up. We help each other when equipment breaks. We laugh with each other, and we have cried many tears together. We learn so much from each other.”

PUSH Season 2 premieres on Sunday, January 14th at 7:30 PM on CBC and the free-streaming service CBC Gem. AMI-tv will additionally air PUSH Season 1 on Monday, January 15^th, and Season 2 on Monday, March 18^th.

Shot from May to October 2023 in Edmonton, Alberta, Fano, Italy, and Salt Lake City Utah, PUSH Season 2 is executive produced by Sean De Vries and Kaitlan Stewart and produced by Kaitlan Stewart with Benveet “Bean” Gill acting as consulting producer. Dylan Wertz is series showrunner, Frederick Kroetsch and Rebecca Campbell are at the helm as directors and Daniel Ennett as story producer and co-director.