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TV,eh? What's up in Canadian television
Featured, Heartland

Ty Borden returns to Heartland

Heartland fans have been begging Ty to return to Canada for weeks. Finally, he does, but no one is celebrating. Wracked with sickness, Ty has been hospitalized and totally out of it. With a baby on the way, will Ty survive to see his child born, or will he die in front of Amy?

Here’s CBC’s episode synopsis for “Dreamer,” written by Mark Haroun and directed by Alison Reid:

Amy and the family pull together as the gravely ill Ty returns home and is admitted to hospital.
And here’s some spoiler-free info we gleaned from watching a screener.
Ty isn’t the only one having a hard time
Yes, Ty is hooked up to tubes and unresponsive, but others are suffering in their own way this week. A major situation hits Lou out of nowhere, putting her future in jeopardy as well. And, just to make things super-interesting/awkward, Peter visits.
We find out what’s been ailing Ty
Turns out four months in the Gobi desert is full of dangers, the least of which are poachers. A Calgary doctor gives the family her prognosis … and not everyone is happy with her news. That leads to a very, very dramatic scene in the hospital between two major characters that could affect their relationship going forward. Meanwhile, Ty has been pumped full of drugs, leading to some very interesting visions … and a special guest star.
Heartland airs Sundays at 7 p.m. on CBC.

Images courtesy of CBC.

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Saving Hope

Link: Saving Hope preview: Dealing with a ‘Midlife Crisis’

From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:

Link: Saving Hope preview: Dealing with a ‘Midlife Crisis’
“Alex is really struggling with the choice she made last week. And the people around her, Shahir, Maggie, Dana, and especially Charlie, are all struggling to understand what’s going on with her too. Problem is, she can’t tell them because she doesn’t know herself. She just feels it in her gut that something’s wrong – and that something’s ALWAYS going to be wrong – if she stays with Charlie.” Continue reading.

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Featured

A new and improved Guilt Free Zone

Admittedly, I had never heard of Guilt Free Zone, so quite obviously I had never seen it before. That also meant the total revamp of the series—returning Saturday at 11:30 p.m. ET—was entirely lost on me. Also, I have to admit that I am not much of a blues fan either. However,  the screeners were passed on for me to take a look and I went in with no preconceptions and no Season 1—GFZ was more of a talk show last year—to compare with before I watched a couple of episodes.

I laughed. Some of the gags seemed a bit forced, the way live theatre often looks on TV. But still, I laughed. A few gags were predictable. I still laughed. Out loud. As a variety show, Guilt Free Zone kind of works for me. If you go back and watch old reels of The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour or Laugh-In (yes, I know that dates me, but really how many comedy variety shows are out there these days?), those gags were forced, but they worked. They work here too.

Guilt Free Zone is set in a fictional blues bar owned and operated by none other than Derek Miller. He won the bar from its original owner in a poker game.  I do have to wonder if that was an intentional loss. Be that as it may, in each episode our stalwart cast of miscreants must battle back forces of evil to protect their new hangout. The cast is made up of Miller, Amy Matysio (Just Friends), Darrell Dennis (Leaving Normal), Herbie Barnes (Dance Me Outside), Michaela Washburn (Video Cabaret), Camille Stopps (Reign) and Craig Lauzon (Royal Canadian Air Farce).

The premiere episode, entitled “Science,” directed by Darrell Dennis, also features a special guest appearance by Gary Farmer (Blackstone and Forever Knight). The team battles asteroids, tornadoes and hurricanes; the world is in danger of complete destruction by mother nature’s wrath. If everyone worrying about the apocalypse, no one will bother coming down to the bar for that night’s gig. Our team must come up with a solution to ensure a full house.

Yes, the premise is quirky—even absurd—but Miller and castmate Herbie Barnes play off each other well. (The satirical nod to Iron Eyes Cody’s Make America Beautiful Again is perfect). The addition of Farmer as one of the Oracles is priceless. His proclamation “the only way to restore balance to nature is with nature” is kind of genius! I won’t give away the solution. Episode 1’s musical guests are Lee Harvey Osmond and Logan Stats.

A fun little show overall.

Guilt Free Zone airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET on APTN.

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X Company

Link: X Company’s Evelyne Brochu on coming full circle with Aurora

From Bridget Liszewksi of The TV Junkies”

Link: X Company’s Evelyne Brochu on coming full circle with Aurora
“Her incredible journey — where she gets found out and everything — I thought they were great scenes and I wanted to honor them. I was not just excited, but thrilled to get to play them, but what moved me the most was the plane scene. It was a full circle from the beginning and even though we’ve lost pieces of the circle along the way, it was stunning as an actor to see the journey you’ve traveled. So to be sitting on that same plane with two members missing, it was very emotional.” Continue reading.

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X Company

Link: X Company: Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern talk “Remembrance”

From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:

Link: X Company: Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern talk “Remembrance”
“We were satisfied story-wise, but there’s always a bittersweet side to parting from a complex fictional world, and a massive creative undertaking, and a very precious group of collaborators that have been a part of your life for so many years. We always knew the series wouldn’t end with the end of the war itself, but instead with the sense that the fight must go on… even though the torch may have to be passed on to the next fighter to carry it to the finish line.” Continue reading. 

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