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TV,eh? What's up in Canadian television
19-2, Featured

Tattiawna Jones talks Amelie’s journey on 19-2

It seems like no one on 19-2 is allowed to have nice things. After Ben Chartier revealed his secret spot away from the world to Amelie De Grace (Tattiawna Jones) and she recently saying “I love you” to him, her life was cut short. In typical brutal 19-2 fashion, Amelie died violently at the hands of Frank Ferney (Spiro Malandrakis), a recovering drug addict who blamed social worker Amelie for him not being able to foster his niece, Martine.

Now, with 19-2‘s season finale around the corner, we spoke to Jones about her role, her experience on the gritty Bravo drama … and her stand-up career.

Congratulations on your portrayal of Amelie. Sadly, I’m talking to you because she is no more. How did you find out? Did showrunner Bruce Smith call to tell you the news?
Tattiawna Jones: He did, and he was really great about it. I can’t imagine it was a fun call for him to make. ‘Hi, um, you’re getting fired and this is how it happens.’ [Laughs.] It wasn’t like that at all. He was so lovely and the 19-2 family is a group of artists that are there wanting to tell a good story. He said, ‘Amelie is going to meet her end, and this is how it’s going to happen and how it works into the story.’ I was super-excited and thought it was unbelievable. No one was going to see it coming. It gives 19-2 heart. It’s such a personal show and a personal story. Amelie dying in that way makes it even more personal. When I read the script, I’d felt like I had lost someone and that’s how I do feel when I watch 19-2.

I love to do action stuff, so the stunts were really fun and my screen partner was super-fantastic. In between action and cut was as terrifying as it should be.

Fans certainly didn’t see it coming.
I think it speaks to the courage of the writers. It’s something that I had overlooked as an actor; the people who live through these characters first are the writers. I got Amelie as a toddler and was able to grow her up a bit. The writers have to live through this first and are blamed [when something bad happens]. If a writer has the courage to do something like that for the sake of the story, they should be commended for it. That’s how I felt when Bruce called me up and when I saw [writer] Lynne [Kamm] on the set. It’s bravery to take people by surprise.

19-2_1

What about working with Spiro? Did you talk about the scene in advance? He had a tough job to do too.
He had a really tough job and I’m glad you said that. People often think the victim in the partnership has the tough job but his character is the abuser in this case and that is a tough job. You’re into all kinds of politics with our characters: man and woman, race politics, all kinds of politics at work. The writers want people to think and to look at their own sensibilities. We didn’t talk about it beforehand. We got on-set and are relative newbies in the stand-up comedy world, so we were talking about that beforehand. He was a pro and I never felt unsafe.

Did you do research in preparation for playing Amelie? Did you speak to social workers?
I did. Lynne really helped out a lot and gave me a bunch of information. I spoke to a couple of people that I knew, did some Googling. You have to do research if you’re going to play any kind of public servant.

It’s a tough job.
Oh my God, I couldn’t do it. I could never, never do it. I cannot believe the kinds of things these people go through. But also, it’s a thankless job. These people are underpaid and get no accolades and yet are doing good work at the ground level day in and day out. There are selfless and want something better for someone else.

What did you learn about your time on 19-2?
I learned a lot about how to make a really great piece of art and not let money stop that.

I have to ask you about your stand-up career. What’s the status of that?
It’s sitting at home. I’m scared to go back and work on it. I’m at the stage where I have a ton of material written and now it’s up to me to go to an open mike and go on at one or two in the morning like any other comedian ever in the history of comedians has and earn it.

Is stand-up something you’ve always wanted to do?
It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and been afraid to do. I’m kind of good enough at it that when I’m with my friends, but I’m not that good at it as a profession because I haven’t put the work in. Now I’m putting the work in and learning about the craft of stand-up comedy.

19-2‘s season finale airs Monday at 10 p.m. ET on Bravo.

 

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Working It Out Together: Restoring Justice through Healing

This episode jumps right in with some shocking statistics: 20-25% of all prisoners in Canada are Indigenous. However, in prisons located in the prairies, the  population rate of Indigenous persons is estimated to be 75%.  Kimberly Pate, National Director, Canadian Association of  Elizabeth Fry Societies goes on to say that “Canada’s rate of incarceration of Indigenous people is worse than any other incarceration rate worldwide.”

These numbers beg the question, “Why?” with a follow up question, “What can be done to reverse this trend?”

When you consider these numbers in the context of colonization–the loss of land, language, culture, and ceremony, the significant change in manner of dress, the way lives are conducted, the way people interact–we begin to understand the significant changes undergone by communities. Then, when told “Just get over it already” by the ignorant or unsympathetic, you open up a powder keg of anger and retaliatory violence. Combining this anger, the social dysfunction created by other governmental policies, and a discriminatory justice system, we can begin to understand the “Why”.  And all of this has suited the Crown and its reason for colonization; there has been a consistent lack of people present on the land, thus allowing the Crown  free access to the land and all of its resources.

Isaac Murdoch, Traditional Story-Teller returns again this week to explain the history of how Canada’s justice system has shaped Indigenous life.  He states: ” When you look at justice today, it is not a holistic system. It is an individual system” … “Today they are just responding to the crime and before [within each community] they would respond to the break down that took place.”  Travis Gabriel, Traditional Helper, Waseskun Healing Centre, QC, adds that the cycle of  violence and drug abuse present today “has become habit, and one of our main goals here [at the healing centre] is making sure that whatever problems they had that got them into the prison system, don’t go home with them.”

To break this cycle and to reverse the high rates of incarceration, legal advocates have been promoting Restorative Justice, a process aimed at reintegrating  convicted offenders successfully into their communities.To understand the process of Restorative Justice we follow the stories of Sheri Pranteau and Elijah Decoursay, both convicted offenders, who through the aid of Gladue Reports have been sentenced to individually tailored sentences that promote their reintegration.

Mark Marsolais-Nahwegahbow, Justice Consultant, explains the process of a Gladue Report. Every Indigenous offender that faces 90 days or more incarceration is eligible to have a Gladue Report prepared prior to sentencing.  This  is a unique pre-sentencing report that  specifically itemizes the circumstances of the offender’s life and how they became a part of the justice system. It also includes the voices of community members. These reports are particularly effective if the crime in question is considered minor in nature and the judge believes that Restorative Justice is a suitable option instead of traditional incarceration, or “jail time”.

This is another informative episode jam packed with details that tackle a difficult consequence of colonization, and how reconciliation can be achieved!

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

HGTV stacks Sunday nights with new series from Scott McGillivray and Bryan Baeumler

From a media release:

Scott McGillivray and Bryan Baeumler, two of HGTV Canada’s biggest stars, team up for two-hours of can’t-miss television this fall with back-to-back series premieres of Canadian Original series Moving the McGillivrays and Bryan Inc. Beginning September 25 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, Canadians get a closer look at Scott McGillivray and his endearing family as he builds their forever home in Moving the McGillivrays. At 10 p.m. ET/PT, Bryan Baeumler invites fans to experience the trials and tribulations of managing a contracting business in Bryan Inc. With his wife Sarah Baeumler taking on the high-pressure role of project manager, the pair tackles two high-stakes renovations. Each series is accompanied by a robust digital component at HGTV.ca that gives fans a closer look at the personal and professional lives of their favourite HGTV Canada all-stars through digital short series.

In Moving the McGillivrays, viewers get an unprecedented glimpse into Scott’s personal life with his wife, Sabrina, and their two girls as they build their dream home. While involved in every decision and building detail, Scott and Sabrina also have to juggle being parents with two active kids. Scott’s worked on an incredible number of homes but now he’s working for his family, his toughest client yet. The McGillivrays haven’t lost sight of the fact that there are families who need support on the home front. Scott helps build a home for a hard-working family in need, all while making sure his new house is completed on time and on budget. There is laughter and a few tears when both homes are move-in ready and two families’ dreams come true.

After each episode, fans can visit HGTV.ca for two brand new digital short series featuring Scott with his family and never-before-seen rooms to be revealed later in the season. In the candid series Kick Back with Scott, the contractor’s family, including his mom, wife, daughters, brother and best friend all sit down with the star to ask burning questions and uncover never before heard stories. When he’s not busy being a contractor, Scott is busy being a dad and that means driving his two girls around. These trips result in hilarious and candid conversations between Scott and his daughters, with the best moments caught on tape in the new series Moments with the McGillivrays. Additional how-to videos and heartwarming personal stories from Scott’s life go live each week on the site.

HouseofBryan

The second-half of Sunday night’s stellar lineup stars Bryan Baeumler and his wife, Sarah Baeumler, in the new series Bryan Inc. Bryan and Sarah worked together to build their own home, but now Bryan has hired Sarah as a project manager at his construction company. Together, they’ll buy, renovate, and sell homes for a profit. Sarah may be the boss at home but it’s Bryan who has the final say at the office. While managing their roles as builder and project manager, husband and wife, Bryan and Sarah must also balance their busy home life with four active kids: “Q” (11), Charlotte (10), Lincoln (5) and Jojo (3). Working together is bound to impact their relationship as Bryan and Sarah’s competing tastes and differing visions cause hiccups, but their humour and signature banter see them through every struggle. They’ll have to overcome challenges and surprises together if they want to make a profit on two major flips.

At HGTV.ca, Bryan and Sarah host 39 short-form videos across two new digital short series. In The B Team, Canadians catch up with the family that they have come to love over four seasons of hit-series House of Bryan. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at their country lifestyle and hectic but always fun family life.  Sarah, who continues to juggle her role as mom, wife, entrepreneur, and now project manager, stars in her own digital short series Ask Sarah. In the videos, Sarah answers fan questions from her social media pages, provides advice, and reveals tips and secrets she uses to keep her busy life in check.

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Kim's Convenience

Link: Set visit: party time at CBC’s Kim’s Convenience

From Bill Brioux of Brioux.tv:

Link: Set visit: party time at CBC’s Kim’s Convenience
Headed out to Kim’s Convenience Tuesday but not for milk and bread. The comedy, premiering in October on CBC, is shooting in Toronto on seven standing sets spread across two large sound stages.

If you’ve been watching CBC’s Summer Olympic Games coverage, you’ve no doubt seen the promos for the series. Continue reading.

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Alias Grace

Oscar winner Anna Paquin stars in CBC’s Alias Grace

From a media release:

Halfire Entertainment, CBC and Netflix today announced that Academy Award-winning Canadian-born actress Anna Paquin (True Blood, Roots) has signed on to play Nancy Montgomery in the screen adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace. The six-hour miniseries is inspired by the true story of Grace Marks, who was convicted of murdering Nancy Montgomery and Thomas Kinnear. Alias Grace is written and produced by Sarah Polley (Take This Waltz, Away from Her) and directed by Mary Harron (American Psycho, I Shot Andy Warhol). The mini-series began shooting in Ontario on August 15, 2016. Alias Grace will be broadcast in Canada on CBC and globally – everywhere outside of Canada – on Netflix.

Alias Grace follows Grace Marks (Sarah Gadon) a poor, young Irish immigrant and domestic servant in Upper Canada who, along with stable hand James McDermott, was convicted of the brutal murders of their employer, Thomas Kinnear and Nancy Montgomery (Anna Paquin) in 1843. Nancy is Kinnear’s housekeeper and lover, and while she initially befriends Grace, she begins to resent Grace and becomes increasingly jealous of Kinnear’s affection for her.  Nancy eventually fires Grace in a fit of rage and is later found brutally murdered.

Alias Grace is co-commissioned by CBC and Netflix, produced by Halfire Entertainment and created by Sarah Polley. The executive producers are Sarah Polley, Mary Harron and Noreen Halpern. Producing alongside Polley is D.J. Carson.

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