Marketplace, CBC – “Fuel Proof”
How much gas are you really guzzling? You may be spending hundreds more on fuel than you were promised. What the auto industry doesn’t tell you about mileage ratings.
Tonight: Marketplace
Link: TV, Eh? weekly chat on CKTB and CJBK
Greg has a gig on The Tom O’Connell Show every Thursday from 11:30 a.m. until noon ET on CKTB in Niagara Falls, Ont., and CJBK in London, Ont.
This week Greg and Tom muse on the U.S. networks’ cancelled shows, Randy Jackson exiting American Idol and the second annual Canadian International Television Festival. Greg also answers a series of rapid-fire questions about your fave TV shows. The segment starts at the 29-minute mark.
Comments and queries for the week of Nov. 14
By far the story that got the most comments this week was Kate Taylor’s piece regarding whether Strange Empire could ever become as successful as its Monday night counterpart, Murdoch Mysteries. Here’s a sampling of what people said.
The first issue any supporter of the CBC and Canadian TV in general should have with this is that such comparisons always make one show look good at the other show’s expense: if we want both show’s to do well on CBC, what is constructive about this “comparison†approach?
Ever wonder why Murdoch Mysteries has a fairly substantial audience? By bringing together a bunch of genres, Murdoch Mysteries came up with something “quirky†and “hybrid†and “cultish.†People use a whole lot of compound terms to describe it. But the point is, there is something in Murdoch Mysteries that “crosses over†for many audience segments, so it’s a ridiculous exercise to try to reduce it to some over-simplified strawman just for the same of comparing Strange Empire. All of these articles just makes it look like the reviewers don’t know what they are talking about to the over 1 million viewers who actually do watch Murdoch Mysteries every week.–Snacky
After watching the first two episodes of Strange Empire and having the people I had talked into watching it drop like flies, I began watching the show with a much more critical eye, but an eye which viewed the show in terms of why the show failed to appeal to people, rather than an eye to artistry. After watching five episodes of Strange Empire, I still am not sure exactly where the characters are all going and at this point I`m not sure what I`m hoping for the characters.–Ally
And, as The Bachelor Canada heads into its season finale on Tuesday, readers are split 50-50 over whether Tim Warmels will choose Trish or April as his betrothed.
Unfortunately, I see April as a mentally and emotionally unstable individual. What does Tim know of her background? How will she cope when she begins to have her own children, when she is so easily overwhelmed? It will take a lot of trust and possibly a lot of time in the future to help her deal with life’s issues, it seems, not just for Tim but his family.–Evette
I wanted April, but what I saw last week, I have changed my mind. April still needs to mature and really think what she really wants. She is very pretty and nice, but what would happen in the real life with Tim? This relationship will not survive. With Trish, this might work, but Tim must set the rules with a beauty queen. No diva, no drama, just be yourself. Moving to Toronto will be a big step with Trish. But I still like Trish.–Luce
Got a comment or question about Canadian TV? Contact me at greg@tv-eh.com.
Review: Chris Brody returns to Haven
If only Chris Brody had flown to Haven, perhaps the town wouldn’t be in the pickle it is now. Instead fans had to settle for Chris (Jason Priestley) and his charms via Skype as he attempted to stop Dr. Charlotte Ross from investigating the weird wound on Dave’s leg. Dave rightly supposed that once Charlotte laid eyes on Chris–and was affected by his charm Trouble–she would lay off her investigation of the town.
And it worked. For awhile. Unfortunately, a double Trouble (the ghost of a dead father in a bear suit and bubbly lip disease) revealed the Troubles to Charlotte and she called the CDC to order a big “Quarantine” sign plopped down over Haven. Duke–with some help from an electrical Trouble–took out the cell tower and ended her conversation, but I’m not sure that will stop her for long. Again, if only Chris was there to apply salve to the situation. She certainly won’t be trusting Dwight anytime soon. And that’s too bad, because I really liked the fact that he and Charlotte were bonding over lobster and their military backgrounds (she from the Navy and he an ex-Ranger). It was definitely taking away the sting of Dwight losing his sister to her Trouble in Cincinnati.
Getting back to Dave for a second; his latest dream had him looking through the eyes of someone at the site of the tree carved with Croatoan, surrounded by dead bodies and a black smoke (the aether?) beckoning to a thinny shimmering in front of that person’s eyes. Are these dreams from the other side, or are they placed in the present’s past? There weren’t any answers to that one, and I don’t suppose there will be any soon, seeing as the major storyline will be the outbreak and Charlotte for the immediate future.
Meanwhile, Mara used her feminine wiles–and I think her first shower in weeks–to woo Duke. Duke, who is always left just on the outside of Haven’s in-crowd, fell for Mara’s body and her mind games. By episode’s end he had sided with Mara, who described them both as outcasts that should be taking down Haven together. Duke’s sudden switch to the dark side was stunning but not unexpected. As several readers have hinted over the past few weeks, Duke may have separated Mara and Audrey with the intent on keeping Mara for himself. If that’s the case, joining her in the cause to fight back against Audrey, Nathan, Dwight et al. makes total sense. And they would be a powerful pair.
I think the citizens of Haven has better watch out. The disease outbreak and the CDC may be the very least of their Troubles.
Notes and quotes
- Why did everyone run when the bear took his head off to reveal a blasted-off head? This is Haven and weird stuff happens all the time. Maybe they were tourists.
- “It’s the locals. They get upset when we run out of lobster.”–Dwight, after Charlotte heard screams
- Kudos to Dwight for still being able to eat after Charlotte talked about oozing pustules
- “You’re on with each other. And yes, it’s weird.”–Duke to Audrey and Mara
- “What if my bears expose us all?” Only in Haven
Haven airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on Showcase.
Tonight: Haven, The Nature of Things, Doc Zone
Haven, Showcase – “Morbidity”
When Audrey and dozens of Haven citizens are affected by a mysterious illness, the symptoms threaten to expose Haven’s secrets to a dangerous newcomer.
The Nature of Things, CBC – “Chasing Snowflakes”
We dress for it, brace for it, drive in it. Those billions of tiny snowflakes have a huge impact on our world. But we actually don’t know much about snow. Scientists are working to change that from inside avalanches and inside snowstorms. They’re asking why do snowflakes take the shapes that they do? And what happens when they come together and why do they become so dangerous?
Doc Zone, CBC – “Flying Solo”
Single living was once considered a shameful, social aberration. Not anymore.
