TV, eh? | What's up in Canadian television | Page 496
TV,eh? What's up in Canadian television
Bachelor Canada, Featured

The Bachelor Canada: Battleground in Costa Rica

1 Comment

Now that the first episode of The Bachelor Canada was out of the way, we could really get down to business. I mean, I felt bad seeing the girls who didn’t get a rose leave last week, but we never really got to know them that well anyway. At least, not as well as the 15 who accompanied Chris to Costa Rica.

I excitedly opened up my bottle of Two Oceans Wine—broadcast sponsor for this season—and settled in to absorb all of the drama as it unfolded.

And what drama there was! As soon as the drinks were poured former model Shanti was disparaging her fellow competitors as not being to the quality she’s used to. Poor baby. Shanti distanced herself from the other girls, literally, preferring to sit off by herself while the remaining 14 wondered exactly what her deal was. With two group dates and a single one-on-one date, the pressure would be on to impress Chris enough to keep him interested. Dee got the first impression rose last week and was hoping Costa Rica would be the perfect setting … to tell Chris about her daughter.

Dee would have to attempt that chat during one of the group outings because it was Lyndsey who scored the one-on-one. The pair united at the airport and hopped aboard a plane for a ride over an active volcano. Laughter was had, sarcastic jokes were traded and cuddling occurred … until Chris asked her age. The 10-year difference—he’s 33 and she’s 23—seemed to throw him for a loop. Chris stuck with the date and was rewarded with a treehouse dinner, but he couldn’t shake the age difference; Lyndsey countered that she’s done a lot of living in those years and is ready to be in a relationship. She’s also encountered hurt: a longtime beau she was ready to marry was on Tinder looking to score a quickie. The result? Chris gave her a rose and major smooches.

Meanwhile, the lucky 13 gathered together to learn who’d be on the first group date: Brittany W., Catie, Lisa, April, Meghan and Mikaela. Then, suddenly, Shanti was asking to have a group meeting. Her issue? None of the other girls, in her opinion, were up to Chris’ standards and if they could see how they were acting most of them would be going home. She added that the stress they were putting on her was making Shanti physically sick. It had become painfully obvious that Shanti shouldn’t be in the house or on The Bachelor Canada.

Thankfully, the group date began, with Chris welcoming who he selected for a photo shoot on the beach. The idea, of course, was to see the girls in a group setting and observe who was more willing to go with the flow and have fun. Meghan made the most of her 1800s swimming outfit, something Chris noted right away. Funniest photo shoot was Lisa, who insisted she don her mermaid lower half for the camera, something Chris wasn’t too excited about. Catie had the winning shots; there was a palpable connection between the two and her eyes betrayed her growing feelings. Then they kissed, sending everyone into a tizzy. Mikaela got back at Catie by kissing Chris as she approached for some alone time, shocking the latter. Meghan got her kisses in too before Chris handed Catie a rose.

As for the final group date, Brittany M., Dee, Jessie, Kait, Stacy, Lara, Ashley and Shanti were off to do battle, but not before Brittany made a devious move first. After discovering Shanti in the bathroom, she suggested Shanti tell Chris about the other girls in the house. The planned group date, however, was scuttled due to weather so Chris dropped by to party at the girls’ place, promising some key personal time with the group date members. That didn’t sit well with Shanti, who made the most of her time with Chris to tear into her competition. Anyone who has watched this franchise knows you don’t rat out others, especially during alone time with the bachelor or bachelorette. Chris finally clued in that perhaps Shanti was the problem and he was doing damage control until the rose ceremony when Shanti told Chris that Dee was a single mother … as Dee walked into the room. It was awful. It was unthinkable. It was embarrassing to watch. That cast a shadow on the rest of the night, despite Stacy and Kait’s nice chats with Chris.

In an unprecedented move—at least that I’ve witnessed in the Canadian franchise—Chris grew frustrated with Shanti’s constant harping about the other girls and asked her to leave. Good on him for doing that … and on Brittany for her power play. The cocktail party was skipped, meaning no more personal time to make an impression before the rose ceremony. Catie was ill and skipped the ceremony (Was she hung over? Did she eat a bad shrimp?) so she missed seeing who was eliminated.

Here’s who will be back next week:

  • Catie
  • Lyndsey
  • Stacy
  • Mikaela
  • Kait
  • Dee
  • Brittany M.
  • Meghan
  • Lisa
  • Lara
  • Brittany W.
  • Jessie
  • April

What did you think of the episode? Are you happy Shanti was sent home or will you miss the drama? Let me know in the comments below!

The Bachelor Canada airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on W Network.

Images courtesy of Corus Entertainment.

 

 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Frontier

Link: ‘Frontier’ creators say ‘Game of Thrones’-style chaos coming

From Bill Brioux of The Canadian Press:

Link: ‘Frontier’ creators say ‘Game of Thrones’-style chaos coming
By his own admission, former “Republic of Doyle” star Allan Hawco is, in terms of casting, not exactly front-tier on “Frontier” — and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

The St. John’s-based series about fur trappers and colonial clashes in ferocious, pre-confederation Canada returns to Discovery for a second season beginning Wednesday (production partner Netflix shows the series worldwide at a later date). Continue reading.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Featured, Podcast

TV Eh B Cs podcast 71 — Where the Puckrin Is Going to Be

Update: At the time this was recorded, Killjoys had not been renewed for a fourth season. Happily, it has been renewed for two more seasons.

Toronto-based writer/producer Julie Puckrin has worked up and down the west coast, in both the United States and Canada. Julie recently completed production on Space’s third season of Killjoys. Her credits include the acclaimed CBC series X Company, three seasons of CTV’s Motive, and Gracepoint, the Fox TV adaptation of the hit British series Broadchurch. She also interned on the Emmy-award winning Mad Men, under showrunner Matthew Weiner. A recipient of the Michener Fellowship, Julie has a Masters of Fine Arts in Screenwriting from the University of Texas at Austin.

Listen or download below, or subscribe via iTunes or any other podcast catcher with the TV, eh? podcast feed.

Want to support TV, eh?’s work? Become a Patreon!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Industry News

Bell Media to Acquire Séries+ and Historia

From a media release:

Bell Media announced today it has entered into an agreement with Corus Entertainment Inc. (TSX:CJR.B) to acquire French-language specialty channels Séries+ and Historia.

Séries+ is Québec’s most-watched fiction channel, offering popular locally produced drama, including recent successes SUR-VIE and MIRADOR, as well as the best of foreign series. Historia, a Top 10 channel among A25-54, broadcasts a suite of locally produced original content, ranging from award-winning documentaries, popular reality series like LE LOT DU DIABLE, and drama series such as BÉLIVEAU.

Bell Media currently operates 10 French-language TV channels in Québec, including Canal D, Canal Vie, Cinépop, Investigation, RDS, RDS Info, RDS2, Super Écran, Vrak, and Z.

The transaction is subject to approval by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and the Competition Bureau, and is expected to close in mid-2018.

Caution concerning forward-looking statements
Certain statements made in this news release are forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements relating to the proposed acquisition by Bell Media Inc. (“Bell Media”) of French-language specialty channels Séries+ and Historia, the expected timing of, and certain benefits expected to result from, the proposed transaction, and other statements that are not historical facts. All such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the “safe harbour” provisions of applicable Canadian securities laws and of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Forward-looking statements, by their very nature, are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties and are based on several assumptions, both general and specific, which give rise to the possibility that actual results or events could differ materially from our expectations expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. As a result, we cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will materialize and we caution you against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release describe our expectations at the date of this news release and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. Except as may be required by Canadian securities laws, we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this news release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Forward-looking statements are provided herein for the purpose of giving information about the proposed transaction referred to above and its expected impact. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes.

The completion and timing of the proposed transaction are subject to customary closing conditions, termination rights and other risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, approval by the Competition Bureau and the CRTC. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the proposed transaction will occur, or that it will occur on the terms and conditions, or at the time, contemplated in this news release. The proposed transaction could be modified, restructured or terminated. There can also be no assurance that the benefits expected to result from the proposed transaction will be realized.

 

 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Food Network Canada’s The Baker Sisters discover fabulous desserts

3 Comments

Dessert first. It’s been the motto of sisters Rachel Smith and Jean Parker their whole lives. And it’s the mantra of The Baker Sisters—debuting Friday at 10 and 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on Food Network Canada—starring Smith and Parker as they traverse North America, visiting bakeries and chowing down on all things sweet, gooey and icing-laden. As a public service announcement, it should be noted that you will hunt down anything sugary to consume after watching an episode of The Baker Sisters.

“We tell people that, if you don’t have some baked goods in the house, you will wind up drinking the maple syrup,” Smith says. She’s not kidding. Among the confections the pair samples in Friday’s first instalment are Peanut Butter Shorties in Vancouver’s Purebread bakery, massive wedges of buttery shortbread accented with peanut butter, chocolate and crushed peanuts.

The show’s producers, Alibi Entertainment Inc., were on the lookout for a dynamic pair with baking knowledge to host a new project. The Southern Ontario siblings grew up in their mother’s tart shop helping to stuff tins before opening their own company, Maple Key Tart Co., giving them a leg up on the competition when it came to casting.

“We went in for casting, and we just had fun,” Parker says. “I think that’s the magic recipe to the show. We’re sisters and we love each other.” Now, 13 episodes later, viewers get to see what the pair experienced. Each half-hour follows the pair to a trio of bakeries around the continent, meeting employees and getting their hands dirty creating magnificent morsels that go beyond the usual chocolate chip cookie or apple pie. Key ingredients like flour, butter and sugar stay the same but what these bakers do with them is outrageous.

Amid all the treats Smith and Parker sample are butter tarts. The Canadian staple has become a business for the sisters via Maple Key Tart Co., so they’re experts on the pastry. What were their thoughts on the competition?

“It was a totally different tart,” Parker recalls. “Our tart is a less sweet tart with a firmer filling. The one I tried was super-sweet because she used corn syrup and it was crazy runny. Her pastry was more of a butter shortbread. Our tarts truly are like night and day. Hers was delicious. That’s why there are trails dedicated to butter tarts because they can be so different.”

What goes into butter tarts is the topic of hot debate too. Do you go plain (my personal favourite), or are raisins or nuts included?

“I love a good raisin,” Smith says with a laugh. “But people do not like to be surprised with the raisin.”

“I think there is a time and a place for raisins,” Parker says diplomatically. “I’m classic. I like the plain and I think those are the ones you take to a party. People are so passionate about whether raisins or even nuts should be in them.”

The Baker Sisters airs Fridays at 10 and 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on Food Network Canada.

Image courtesy of Corus.

 

 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail