Tag Archives: CBC

Featured, Murdoch Mysteries

Murdoch Mysteries: Erin Agostino says goodbye to Nina Bloom

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The good news to come out of Murdoch Mysteries‘ Season 11 finale was that William Murdoch and Julia Ogden are still together. The not-so-great news? Nina Bloom and George Crabtree are not.

Sadly, the burlesque dancer who shimmied her way into George’s heart accepted a gig at Moulin Rouge and departed for Paris, leaving our favourite constable heartbroken. Actress Erin Agostino has received praise from Murdoch Mysteries fans and those behind the scenes on the show. Writer-producer Mary Pedersen recently said of Agostino: “We love Erin Agostino. She has been wonderful and has really won over the fans which is really something because the character, on paper, doesn’t look like someone Crabtree should end up with. That’s really a credit to Erin’s work.”

The Montreal-born Agostino—who stars alongside Mia Kirshner, Erin Karpluk and Randal Edwards in the feature film A Swingers Weekend, debuting next month—spoke with us about Nina and saying goodbye to Murdoch Mysteries.

Before we talk about some specific storylines, tell me how you ended up on Murdoch Mysteries in the first place.
Erin Agostino: I auditioned for a guest-star role at the end of the ninth season. I went in and auditioned. Peter Mitchell was in the room and would be directing that episode. It took about a week or two weeks to find out that I’d got the part. Guest-starring on a show that has been on the air for that many seasons was horrific because it’s a well-oiled machine and you don’t really know what your part in it is. Everyone was so welcoming and warm and just amazing, from Peter to the cast and the crew. It was a family that welcomed you with open arms.

I went into this thinking this was it. I would guest-star in that episode [“From Buffalo with Love“]. There was a chance to recur in the following season but nothing was set in stone. I really connected with Nina. I loved that part and it felt very natural to be her and Jonny Harris and I had a wonderful connection. I guess that’s what sparked the writers to put her back in in Season 10.

What were your thoughts when you first saw this character on paper?
I hadn’t really watched the show mainly because I didn’t have a TV when I first moved to Toronto. As soon as I got the audition—I was in Montreal when I got the role—I put on Murdoch and watched as much as I could. I watched Season 8 and thought about the character. I loved how mysterious she was. There were secrets. She comes across as this woman who knows it all but she is hiding this vulnerable heart that she’s afraid to break. I loved the mix where she is this strong woman but this vulnerable child at the same time.

The relationship between George and Nina was very hot and heavy. What kind of trust did you and Jonny establish so you could play the intense scenes you both did?
It’s scary going in, knowing you have all of these passionate scenes and you have never met the other person or done a chemistry read or anything. Day 1, I remember, was a kissing scene. It was basically, ‘Hey, pleased to meet you. How are you? Let’s make out.’ [Laughs.] It could have been really awkward, right? But it was a relaxed environment. Peter Mitchell always creates that, so I was instantly relaxed, which was key. I’ve worked with a lot of people and Jonny is just not what you’d expect for someone who has the success that he has. I met him and the first thing he said was that he was going to craft services and did I want a tea or anything? I was like, ‘Really?’ There was an instant comfort that developed. Over the years we’ve become closer. I call him a friend, which made those scenes a lot easier.

The last scene we shot, the breakup scene, it was hard. We were crying, some of the crew was crying, it was a beautiful moment but it was tough. We don’t know what’s going to happen, but we felt like if it was goodbye for a little bit it was still really rough.

When did you become aware of the Murdoch Mysteries fandom?
At some point in Season 10. It’s been overwhelming, especially recently. There have been so many messages of love and support. It just means the world to me. To play someone who is, in my opinion, a strong role model who is not afraid to be different … to have her affect so many people is beautiful. The support has been overwhelming.

Peter Mitchell and most recently Mary Pedersen have said they loved what you brought to the role and will miss you. What does that mean to you?
It means everything. It’s my job as an actor to find something real in a character, whether they are someone who is portrayed negatively or positively, there is good and bad in everyone and it’s our job to bring the good and human side forward and make that person whole.

It was sad that George and Nina broke up, but I respect the fact neither of them would give up their beliefs for the other.
They were both willing to bend for that other person. He was going to Paris and she was going to marry him. But I think that love for each other prevented that. They knew the other person couldn’t accept going against what they believed in. It was a realization that we want different things right now and it’s just not fair to watch the other person sacrifice what they want.

You used two key words: right now. Nina is not dead unless something horrible happens on the trip over to France. She could return and I’m assuming you would be happy to return to the show.
If the writers find a way to connect them again, I am all in.

What will you miss most? And did you take anything as a memento?
I didn’t take anything. I should have. I wanted those boots. [Laughs.] I’m going to miss everyone and everything about it. It was a family.

Will you miss Nina Bloom? Do you really think she’s gone from George’s life forever? Let me know in the comments section below! And be sure to support Erin and the Canadian film industry when A Swingers Weekend hits the big screen next month.

 

 

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Featured, Little Dog

Little Dog: Patricia Isaac discusses Dr. Vaani’s “sweet and honest” relationship with Tommy

With four rounds, er, episodes of Little Dog in the can, we’ve learned a lot about Tommy and his family. Tommy (Joel Thomas Hynes) is tenacious and slowly gaining his mojo back. Lowly (Stephen Oates) is loyal if not a little slow. Sylvia (Ger Ryan) is a force to be reckoned with.

As for Dr. Vaani Abdeen, played by Patricia Isaac? Well, the good doctor has certainly revealed a lot in the last two episodes. Turns out she’s not only a brilliant doctor but a kleptomaniac with a secret. That came to light in Ginny’s (Katherine Isabelle) anger class when Vaani revealed she was verbally abused by her husband. We spoke to Isaac about her character, Vaani’s relationship with Tommy and her circuitous route to acting.

Give me the Coles Notes version of how you got into the industry. Your bio says you were the youngest account executive for a major IT corporation. When did you decide acting was what you wanted to do?
Patricia Isaac: I was in Alberta, where I’m from, and it wasn’t so much as a decision as something I couldn’t not do. I’d been performing, singing and writing since I was a little kid and it’s not something that’s necessarily culturally encouraged. Math, science and business is just what we do. It feels safe. All of a sudden I had this grownup’s job and I said to myself, ‘Is this it?’ I just had to give acting a shot. I made a friend in the industry, we hit it off and I was encouraged to take the leap and head to Vancouver to check it out. I ended up going on my first audition, booked it and took it as a sign. I lived out of my suitcase for a few months and never went back.

How did your family feel about that?
My family is very supportive of taking a risk and seeing that it all works out. If you don’t spend decades going at it aimlessly then you’re all good! My family does have a lot of art in its background too, so there is that.

How did you land the role of Vaani? Did you audition or did some folks have you in mind because you’d been on Republic of Doyle?
It was both, actually. I did know Joel from before when I was on Doyle. But I auditioned. I taped here in Los Angeles and did the callback with [showrunner Sherry White]. What made it so great was the fact that we did have that history.

St. John’s is such a fantastic city to work in and you got to do it twice. You must have been pinching yourself.
It is a dream. It’s such a special place. I spent some time by myself on Signal Hill and there was nobody else there. I watched the sun rise at Cape Spear … there is something so sacred about both of those experiences.

Let’s get into these characters. Vaani and Tommy have a history and there seems to be a bit of an attraction there. Can you comment on that?
[Laughs.] They are kind of a safe place for each other. She doesn’t want anything from him and he’s kind of the one person in his world who doesn’t. That allows her to be the straight-shooter that she is. Also, they can be vulnerable around each other. There is something really sweet about it and honest about it. The fact that they did know each other in high school even though he didn’t recognize her. I definitely related to her. It took me awhile to look like a girl, so I can appreciate Dr. Vaani. He was one of the few people who was kind to her in high school. Even though they seem to be from different sides of the tracks there is also an outsider quality for both of them that connects them. It’s a really sweet relationship. Where it goes … we don’t know. But it feels like an opportunity to go anywhere.

You see all of these other relationships on the show and here is this girl who was married and comes back to town after it exploded and now finds herself working with her dad in this old neighbourhood where people remember her the way they remembered her in Episode 1. She’s kind of having to rebuild herself.

It’s good these two have a safe place to go because Sylvia is on them all the time.
[Laughs.] It’s so funny because Ger and I in real life love spending time together. She is just a wonderful human being, so it made it that much more enjoyable to play these characters. I think the situation with Sylvia is very common in real life. We make assumptions about being judged or project that onto the other person. I feel like her character does that. She is going to judge me before I can judge her. We’ll definitely see more of that. There is that commonality between Tommy and Vaani and I am almost protective of him and he is that way as well.

Tommy comes across as such a tough guy because of the way he looks and dresses and carries himself. But once you start to chip away at that, he’s a sensitive guy.
Yes, and Vaani is like that too. I know a lot of girls that have done this and I have too; you find the thing that you can hide behind for protection. Vaani hides behind a lab coat in some ways and is doing her best to keep up appearances.

Little Dog airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

Featured image courtesy of James Branaman.

 

 

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Featured, Murdoch Mysteries

Murdoch Mysteries: Showrunner Peter Mitchell, writer Mary Pedersen and Hélène Joy tease Season 12

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Spoiler alert! Do not continue reading until you have watched the Season 11 finale, “Free Falling.”

Well Murdoch Mysteries fans, are you feeling a little better? After last week’s episode, “Shadows are Falling,” viewers were left reeling. Not only did Julia lose her baby to a miscarriage, but she and William had a major falling out. Julia had instructed Rebecca on how to perform an abortion, which led to a dramatic conclusion: William left the hotel and was last seen walking down the street.

Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed. William, working the case of a missing woman alongside her supposedly distraught husband meant he could reflect on the things he’d said to Julia. And she spent several moments, with help from Inspector Brackenreid, recalling her own remarks. By episode end the pair had tearfully reunited.

But not all is well. Nina and Crabtree broke up and—as many of you suspected—Violet is up to no good. I spoke to showrunner Peter Mitchell, writer-producer Mary Pedersen (who co-wrote the finale with Simon McNabb and Dan Trotta) and actress Hélène Joy about “Free Falling,” and a peek at what’s to come in Season 12.

Peter, was the episode title, “Free Falling,” a reference to the Tom Petty song as well as what our characters were going through?
Peter Mitchell: I think so. The Tom Petty song is a little bit about breaking up with the girl who is perfect for you and feeling kinda good about it. And also about all of the characters because they don’t know what’s going to happen next.

Why was it important to keep Julia and William apart for the entire episode?
Peter Mitchell: To establish some tension in the story. We’re often more willing and more able to talk to strangers about things that we’re thinking about than those who are closest to us.

Of course, it was wonderful to have William and Julia reunite. But, you tore another couple apart: Crabtree and Nina. Why, Mary?
Mary Pedersen: I think that was really natural. We love Erin Agostino. She has been wonderful and has really won over the fans which is really something because the character, on paper, doesn’t look like someone Crabtree should end up with. That’s really a credit to Erin’s work. That was the truth of their situation. Nina doesn’t want the things that he wants. They tried to fit that square peg into the round hole and it’s not going to work. He really would have had to sacrifice so much not only by leaving Toronto, but then what does his life look like in Paris? It was definitely a sad thing because we’ve all grown to love that character and Erin, but there wasn’t really a way to turn that ship around and have her be the person that Crabtree is ultimately the person he’s meant to be with.

Peter Mitchell: George could try to abandon his core principles but I don’t think he has it in him. I think he does want whatever the turn of the century version of the white picket fence is. I didn’t want to compromise the Nina character and have her roll over on her core beliefs to make George happy. Sort of like Ogden and Murdoch, but in a different way.

By the end of the episode, Violet is plotting with Horace McWorthy to take over the morgue? How did you feel about that twist Hélène?
Hélène Joy: I thought it was great. I know the audience loves to hate some characters and this character is on that hit list for sure. That’s what’s fun about Murdoch. We try to keep it surprising. You can’t love everyone all of the time. I think it’s great that it’s happening this way and makes it far more interesting for the character and for the actress playing the character. I’m really intrigued to see where it goes. How evil is she going to get? I feel for Shanice because I know what it’s like to be hated. If you remember back to Julia’s first husband, Darcy, there were whole Facebook pages that were just about hating Darcy.

What excites you about Season 12?
Hélène Joy: I get excited because the writers always blow me away. I hear little rumblings about what Julia these things that Julia will be doing this year and I’m like, ‘Oh! Who would have thought?!’ Of course, I can’t tell you!

Peter, will there be a time jump between Season 11’s finale and Season 12’s debut?
Peter Mitchell: Yup. Normally, we pick it up three or four months later and I think that’s so we can start off on a fresh foot while doing some housekeeping as to what happened last year.

Any storylines you’re working on that you can talk about?
Peter Mitchell: We have an idea that Julia and Murdoch might be writing a book together, which could be fun. We might actually find George’s girl of his dreams this year. There might be some interesting developments in the Brackenreid household and the wedding bells will indeed ring for Henry Higgins. I think we might have Alexander Graham Bell back—he’s a fun character—and introduce the architect Frank Lloyd Wright … a couple historical figures we haven’t seen yet and a couple we’ve seen in the past. We’re just getting started.

What did you think of Murdoch Mysteries‘ Season 11 finale? What do you hope for Season 12? Let me know in the comments below!

 

 

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Caught, Featured

Caught: Enuka Okuma discusses the “very modern character” of K.C.

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K.C. Williams (Enuka Okuma) is a take no guff kind of gal. A successful DEA agent tired of not getting the credit for taking down bad guys, she teamed with RCMP officer Roy Patterson to chase down Slaney (Allan Hawco) and Hearn (Eric Johnson) on Caught.

Okuma, who most recently starred in the web series Spiral, Season 1 of Slasher and almost 80 episodes of Rookie Blue, sat down with us last year during a break in filming Caught in downtown Hamilton, Ont., to discuss her K.C. and what it was like to play the only character who was not in the source material.

Allan told me that K.C. Williams is a character he created specifically for the TV series.
Enuka Okuma: Yes, and that’s something I was unaware of when I bought the book! [Laughs.] I was three-quarters of the way through the book and I was like, ‘There is no such woman!’ For me, this is actually really exciting because I feel like this character is speaking to something that we’re talking about in the world today: female equality and diversity. She is a very modern character. I feel very lucky that they included her.

Looking at the characters in the book from my perspective and getting to know what the other characters were thinking, going after and what their desires are … it felt like a little bit of cheating because I had more information than I would visually.

What’s her background?
She’s the DEA agent in the mix and, I think, is the only American in the story. She is coming at this case differently than the RCMP and how they are trying to catch the bad guys.

What is their relationship like? Do they get along?
Paul and I have been trying to figure out who these two people are to each other. Roy is a little curmudgeonly and I am a little acerbic, so together it could be combustion, or if we decide to work together there can be a little magic.

What did you take away from reading Caught?
With a book, you always get the layers no matter what the project is. Being immersed in the world was really interesting. And, theatrically, they needed to do some things to move the story along. It works. I feel like everything that they changed makes perfect sense. But the book really lets you know, for Slaney and especially for Patterson, what is going on in these guys’ heads. Plus, for me, just delving into what they were going through at the time just puts you in that headspace.

The wardrobe on Caught is fantastic.
Michael Ground has really knocked it out of the park with this stuff because a lot of it has been built for us. You want to get vintage stuff to make it look realistic, but if you’re doing stunts and you have doubles you need more clothing. These boys have been rocking their looks. Eric and Allan, in their flashback scenes … it’s a little Hall & Oates inspired. Eric sent me a picture of the two of them in the makeup trailer and they literally looked like Hall & Oates.

Caught airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

Image courtesy of CBC.

 

 

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Featured, The Nature of Things

Preview: The Nature of Things explores the captivating “Science of Magic”

I distinctly remember performing my first-ever magic trick. It involved a plastic tube, a plastic stick and a penny. Remember pennies? Anyway, the trick was to place the penny inside the tube so that it filled the tube crossways. It appeared to be solid, but wait! A quick poke with the plastic stick and—poof!—the penny allowed the stick to go through it. The fact the stick turned the penny on its side didn’t matter. I had tricked my endlessly patient parents. I suspect they knew the truth but were just being polite.

That memory has led to a fascination with magic that has never abated, so I was thrilled to see The Nature of Things would be devoted to magic in Sunday’s newest instalment at 8 p.m. on CBC. Indeed the aptly-titled “The Science of Magic” follows researchers and scientists who are bringing magicians’ tricks into the laboratory.   This extraordinary exploration peeks behind the curtain into a fascinating world where ancient magic meets modern science.

Produced by Reel Time Images, directed by Donna and Daniel Zuckerbrot and with host Julie Eng as our guide, the episode not only delves into the exploration of the human mind through the eyes of magicians but throws a few tricks in for good measure. Eng dropped a card trick in the first two minutes of the broadcast that had me scratching my head. The reason she was able to do it? As Gustav Kuhn of Goldsmiths, University of London explains, Eng and fellow magicians are exploiting limitations in human cognition. Turns out choosing a random playing card from a deck is anything but random; we’re being manipulated. Digging deep into what’s called the magician’s force has given scientists insights into human free will.

As an added bonus, “The Science of Magic” performs several on-air tricks for viewers to try out while watching The Nature of Things as a way of demonstrating how—and how easy it is—to mess with us. Jay Olson, a performer of magic since he was a kid, is completing his PhD in psychiatry at McGill University in Montreal and takes magic to a whole other level; we witness his amazing demonstration involving an MRI machine that seems not only to read minds but manipulate thought. The MRI machine doesn’t do anything—the magnets aren’t in it—but serves to show how easily the human mind is to the power of suggestion.

Meanwhile, Professor Ronald Rensink at the University of British Columbia believes that magicians’ practical knowledge about how to fool the eye and the mind can lead to new research with regard to how small distractions can blind automobile drivers to obvious dangers. Then Kuhn works with Canadian magician Billy Kidd on an experiment into how we can be blind to even our own choices via tricks that fool us despite nothing actually happening.

“The Science of Magic” is an engrossing and, yes, magical episode of The Nature of Things.

The Nature of Things airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on CBC.

Image courtesy of Andy Lee.

 

 

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