TV, eh? | What's up in Canadian television | Page 356
TV,eh? What's up in Canadian television

Preview: Omni’s Blood and Water returns for fantastic second season

Blood and Water is one of the best—and groundbreaking—series on Canadian television. And, sadly, it’s been one of the hardest to find.

The second block of Season 1’s half-hour episodes were broadcast on Omni Television back in November of 2016 at 10:30 p.m. ET. Now Season 2 is set to bow … on Sundays at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on Omni. It’s hard enough to gain traction as a television show in this country. But to throw in an almost two-year absence coupled with a 7:30 p.m. timeslot? It’s a shame, really, because Breakthrough Entertainment, creator and executive producer Diane Boehme and the cast and crew have created something really special and unique in this drama.

Blood and Water is the first trilingual series (English, Mandarin and Cantonese) produced by Canadian television and was celebrating diversity in its cast and storylines before Kim’s Convenience made such a splash. (Fun fact: Kim’s actor Simu Liu starred in Season 1. Listen to his 2015 podcast chat, along with then co-star Loretta Yu, with Anthony Marco.)

But enough of my bitching. Let’s get into Season 2.

Friday’s new adventure begins with a bloody, cold-blooded murder and a phone call from Teresa Fai (Loretta Yu) to Detective Jo Bradley (Steph Song). Teresa’s boyfriend, Jimmy (Andy Yu) witnessed the killing of his uncle and is now on the run. Can she look for Jimmy before he’s killed too? Jo and Detective Evan Ong (Byron Mann) help Teresa and, quickly, they’re pulled back into a case that involves a mysterious envelope and, once again, Ron Xie (Oscar Hu).

I continue to be amazed at how much evolving story and character development Boehme and her team can pack into just over 22 minutes of broadcast time. Once again, Song and Mann crackle on-screen; you can’t look away when they share scenes. New this season are cast members in Yu, Amanda Zhou and Selena Lee. Lee is a Hong Kong-born Canadian actress who has collected a bunch of awards and is a stalwart of TVB in Hong Kong. She’s wonderful here as Michelle Chang, a deadly and complicated character who factors into Jo and Evan’s investigation.

Add in a soundtrack that hints at dread around every turn and a  dark, spooky visual palette—via director of photography Fraser Brown and director Felipe Rodriguez—and Blood and Water is a feast for the senses. Please watch the second season. You’ll be glad you did.

Blood and Water airs Sundays at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on Omni Television.

Images courtesy of Rogers Media.

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Preview: “Adorbs” Star Falls joins YTV’s Friday night lineup

What happens when a girl schemes to have her mother fall in love with the big-screen superstar who’s filming his latest project in her small town?

That’s the premise of Star Falls, YTV’s latest series, debuting Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on the channel. Produced by Breakthrough Entertainment, filmed in Toronto and Port Hope, Ont., and starring a raft of Canadians in the lead roles, Star Falls is part fish out of water story, part family comedy and part The Brady Bunch.

Created by George Doty IV, the adventure begins in Los Angeles when actor Craig Brooks (Dion Johnstone) informs his three children Diamond (Kamaia Fairburn), Phoenix (Jadiel Dowlin) and Bo (Marcus Cornwall) that he’s headed to a small town to film a movie over the summer … and they’re coming with him. Diamond, in particular, is not looking forward to it.

Three weeks later and the Brooks family is in Star Falls where we meet Sophia (Siena Agudong) and her mother, Beth (Elena V. Wolfe). When she’s not pulling lost dogs out from under leafy porches and working at the local animal rescue, Sophia dreams of doing something nice for Beth. And, since Beth is a huge fan of Craig Brooks, Sophia figures a way for them to meet.

It’s a familiar premise done in TV and other mediums, but it really works in Star Falls. I credit that to the writing—more on that below—and the on-screen chemistry between the cast. Agudong and Wolfe are totally convincing as mother and daughter and rather than go for the tired trope of having Beth be oblivious to her daughter’s life, they’re equals and connect. And, rather than pose Craig’s kids as super-annoying in order to get laughs (another gimmick), in Star Falls they’ve got good hearts and want the best for their dad, even if it does mean being outside of their comfort zone.

The writing is tight in Episode 1 thanks to veteran scribes in folks like Jennifer Daley, Cole Bastedo, Laura Seaton and Meghan Read, many of whom worked with Doty on Max & Shred. The result? A truly “adorbs” series worthy of your time.

Star Falls airs Fridays at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on YTV.

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Amazing Race Canada: Fitness and flying in Fredericton

OK, I admit it. I’ve only been to New Brunswick once in my life and it was driving through it to PEI. I didn’t stop, didn’t sleep and didn’t eat there. So I was thrilled The Amazing Race Canada devoted an entire Leg to the province so that I can make notes and right my wrong in the near future.

Dylan and Kwame, who pieced together one heck of a great Leg last week, departed in top spot. The military’s long history in Fredericton served as the first test of the Leg, as teams were driven to Officers’ Square in the Garrison District to observe two changing of the guards and figure out one subtle difference between each. That seemed easy, until Jon explained the two ceremonies were taking place blocks apart; plenty of time to forget what you saw. All four teams arrived at the same time and I wondered if any would help each other.  Phil and Marina chose to take their taxi to the second location, saving them time and keeping the routine fresh. Phil spotted the difference right away and they were off and, literally, running.

The Leg’s Detour featured CFB Gagetown, the second-largest military base in Canada. The two choices here were Fit (completing a fitness exam in under 18 minutes) or Fly (running a helicopter flight simulator and landing top of Montreal’s Bell Centre in under five minutes). I would have chosen Fly if you were wondering. Martina and Phil chose one of the two spots on Fly. Kwame and Dylan were next, picking one of two slots in Fit. While Phil and Martina crashed, Kwame and Dylan were having challenges of their own on what looked like a terribly hard physical test. Mike, Courtney and Adam’s cab driver, refused to take Taylor and Courtney to Gagetown, leaving them in last place. The first responders chose Fit, leaving the RCMP officers to either wait for another team to complete Fit or opt for Fly. The took Fly.

Martina was doing really well behind the controls, but they had to step out so Courtney and Taylor to give it a shot. Meanwhile, we got more background into Kwame’s upbringing and his own military ties. That and his exultations to Dylan got the pair past the physical pain as they completed the Detour. Adam’s full bladder caused him to stop short dragging the sandbags down the lane and he had to start all over again. Taylor’s video game playing skills was a major advantage and he and Courtney landed the helicopter in his first attempt. I felt so badly for Courtney; she was performing the last part of the Fit test and messed it up, sending them over to Fly. There the pair switched off with Martina and Phil between being lost in the air or skidding off the Bell Centre to simulated deaths.

The second Face Off of the season involved wheelchair basketball, as teams went head-to-head in a 15-minute half court game. The team with the most points moved on and the losers had to stay and play the next pair. Courtney and Taylor had a few minutes to practice before Dylan and Kwame arrived. Courtney, recognizing she didn’t have the strength to match either football coaches, played a brilliant defensive game, crowding Dylan and giving she and her brother the win. Dylan and Kwame made short work of Phil and Martina, leaving the siblings to take on Adam and Courtney. It was an evenly matched tilt that headed to sudden death: Courtney and Adam won.

In the Road Block, teams travelled to the Beaverbrook Art Gallery. There, they had to work with an elder asking questions in Wolastoqey to identify six Indigenous paintings. Following a physical challenge with one using language was genius and the nonplussed look on Taylor’s face said it all: this would be a time-consuming test. But with no one else around to apply pressure, Taylor focused and had nailed five out of six paintings before Kwame arrived. He and Courtney left the gallery in first place and Government House, the site of the Pit Stop. Adam, sadly, at first thought it was an English-language challenge and wasted precious time before reading the clue over again and realizing his error. He rebounded quickly, leaving Martina at Beaverbrook.

The RCMP officers/siblings once again placed first, winning a trip to Buenos Aires. Kwame and Dylan and Courtney and Adam rounded out the final three heading into the season finale. Kudos to Phil and Martina, who refused to get down even though they knew they had been eliminated.

Who will win the final Leg of The Amazing Race Canada? What do you want to say to Phil and Martina? Let me know in the comments below.

Here’s how the teams finished this Leg of the Race:

  1. Courtney and Taylor (trip to Buenos Aires)
  2. Dylan and Kwame
  3. Courtney and Adam
  4. Martina and Phil (eliminated)

The Amazing Race Canada airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. MT on CTV.

Images courtesy of Bell Media.

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Season two of AMI-tv’s Employable Me premieres on September 14

From a media release:

Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) announced today that the second season of the award-winning Employable Me will return Friday, September 14, at 7 p.m. ET on AMI-tv.

Based on a UK format, the Canadian edition of Employable Me is a moving six-part documentary series featuring job seekers who are determined to show that having a physical disability or neurological condition shouldn’t make them unemployable. Season one of Employable Me captured a 2018 Rockie Award for Best Lifestyle Program at the Banff World Media Festival and the Diversify TV’s Excellence Award for Representation of Disability in the Non-Scripted Category at MIPCOM 2017.

Produced by Thomas Howe Associates Inc. (THA), the sophomore season of Employable Me provides an honest and emotional look at the challenges Canadians of varying abilities face in the job market. Each one-hour episode features two job seekers who are blind, partially sighted or have a neurological condition such as Tourette Syndrome or Autism Spectrum Disorder as they embark on a journey to possible employment.

Among the companies participating in Season two are Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, Variety Village, Malabar Limited and the Greater Toronto Airports Authority.

Additionally, digital exclusives available at AMI.ca revisit Season one job seekers to update viewers on where they are now in their careers.

Each instalment of Employable Me focuses on the strengths and inherent talents of potential employees with the help of experts in the medical and hiring fields. Season two experts and community partners include The Redpath Centre, Epilepsy Toronto, CNIB, Special Olympics and March of Dimes Canada. The journey isn’t always easy, but each participant is determined to overcome their challenges, change employers’ perceptions and land a job they’re truly passionate about.

In keeping with AMI’s mandate of making accessible media for all Canadians, Employable Me utilizes Integrated Described Video (IDV) to make them accessible to individuals who are blind or partially-sighted.

Employable Me is produced by THA in partnership with AMI and TVO, and is licensed by all3media international.

Season two of Employable Me premieres beginning Friday, September 14, at 7 p.m. ET. Stream full Season one episodes on AMI.ca or via the AMI App.

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Link: Yannick Bisson and Hélène Joy Talk “Murdoch Mysteries”

From Sabrina Bellissimo of Beyond Fashion:

Link: Yannick Bisson and Hélène Joy Talk “Murdoch Mysteries”
Not many television shows are able to air over ten seasons. Even less Canadian television shows get that opportunity. But Toronto based Murdoch Mysteries, with its successful combination of wit, romance, mystery, and originality, begins its 12th season Monday September 24th on CBC. Continue reading.

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