Tag Archives: CBC

Featured, Heartland

Old ghosts haunt Georgie on Heartland

After months away from Heartland, it sure was good to go back there this past Sunday, wasn’t it? Being introduced to little Lyndy was fantastic, Ty going overboard to keep her safe was sweet and Georgie bonding with Flame was endearing.

But what about some of our other favourite characters? Where were Cass and Caleb? What about Lisa and Lou? Would this week’s episode, “Highs and Lows,” sate our thirst for more screen time for those four? As showrunner Heather Conkie told us, a lot would happen this week and she wasn’t fibbing! Here’s what the CBC released as an episode synopsis:

The family bands together to support Georgie (Alisha Newton) as she decides whether to face a ghost from her past or leave it behind. Amy (Amber Marshall) is forced to be a tough coach as she tries to get Georgie to refocus on her training. Meanwhile, Tim (Chris Potter) tries to evict an unwanted guest from the Dude Ranch, and Jack (Shaun Johnston) can’t help but be suspicious when Lisa (Jessica Steen) receives a gift from France.

And here’s what else we can tell you about the episode—written by Mark Haroun and directed by Grant Harvey—after watching a screener.

Back on horseback
Now that Lyndy’s been born, Amy is riding again; this is the second week in a row!

Jack + mystery flowers = fun for Tim
We love it when Tim and Jack go at each other, and the younger man has a little fun at the older gent’s expense thanks to those flowers from France. Who are they from? What does it mean? Mon Dieu! The result is some quality time between Jack and Lisa that fans will love.

Things get serious for Georgie
Forget Val’s expectations when it comes to show jumping … something huge from Georgie’s past comes back and she’s got to face it. Luckily, Amy and the rest of the family—including Peter—come to Georgie’s aid with advice, support and plenty of hugs. Alisha Newton is simply stellar in her performance.

Dylan Taylor guest stars
We’re still smarting over the fact What Would Sal Do? isn’t getting a second season, but it was a bit of balm to see Dylan on Canadian TV playing a central character in Georgie’s storyline.

Ty goes back to work
It was about time, wasn’t it? That means Caleb and Cass find their way into this week’s episode and we get an update on their marriage.

Heartland airs Sundays at 7 p.m. on CBC.

Images courtesy of Andrew Bako/CBC.

 

 

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Baroness von Sketch Show

Link: Baroness von Sketch Show Is the Canadian Answer to Inside Amy Schumer

From Anna Silman of The Cut:

Link: Baroness von Sketch Show Is the Canadian Answer to Inside Amy Schumer
The strength of BVS is how the four women slip inside the skins of different characters that we all recognize from our daily lives: the passive-aggressive co-worker, the overbearing hostess, the habitually boring storyteller. Continue reading.

 

 

 

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Alias Grace, Featured

Alias Grace: Rebecca Liddiard previews Mary’s influence on Grace’s life

Rebecca Liddiard is taking over CBC one Monday night drama at a time. At least, it sure feels that way. The Toronto-based actress can be seen in Season 1 of Frankie Drake Mysteries, which just happens to debut after her run on Alias Grace is complete.

In Alias Grace, airing Mondays at 9 p.m., Liddiard portrays Mary Whitney, the lively housemaid who befriends Grace (Sarah Gadon) when the latter arrives at the home of Thomas Kinnear (Paul Gross) to work. Grace, who lived through hardship in Ireland and survived a horrible ocean crossing to Canada, views the Kinnear farm as heaven on earth and Mary as her best friend. At least, that’s the way Grace remembers it as she tells Dr. Simon Jordan (Edward Holcroft) the journey that led Grace to murder and incarceration at the Kingston Penitentiary.

In our latest exclusive interview, we chat with Liddiard about working on Sarah Polley’s adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s book and what’s to come later this season.

This is a spooky project. Anyone who has already read the book knows Mary appears to play a part in Grace’s actions. What is the relationship between these two women?
Rebecca Liddiard: Mary has also had an incredibly difficult life, just being part of this lower class, working in service, but she has lived through the Rebellions of 1837 and 1838 and her parents were very involved in it. She has this incredibly optimistic, idealistic view of the possibility of what her life could be. That lends herself to her incredible spirit that she tries to pass on to Grace. Mary gets caught up in life and her ending is just as tragic, but I think that spirit of something better and somehow transcending this life that they’re in sticks with Grace.

This is a speculative account of what’s going on in Grace’s mind, but I’m with you … I like to think Mary’s influence—if not her spirit—continues on with Grace as the rest of the story unfolds.

Mary passes away as a result of a medical issue. That must have been an intense scene to film.
Those scenes were the first ones I shot on Alias Grace and the first shots of the whole series!

How do you even prepare for that?
A lot of it is done in the moment. It was sort of a weird day. It was the beginning of the whole thing for everybody. We went to this house in the middle of the woods at Black Creek Pioneer Village and we filmed this scene. And, you just start screaming. It was really heavy.

The climax of the miniseries involves Mary as well, when Grace allegedly channels her during a hypnosis session.
Sarah [Gadon] and I talked a lot about that. How much is Mary still a part of the story at this point? I also did some recordings for Sarah reading her script in my voice so she could play around a bit. The effect is very terrifying. It’s incredible and chilling.

Alias Grace airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

Image courtesy of CBC.

 

 

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Little Dog

CBC’s new original comedy series Little Dog announces additional casting

From a media release:

CBC, Cameron Pictures and Elemental Pictures today revealed additional casting for the new original comedy series LITTLE DOG (7 x 30). Created by and starring Joel Thomas Hynes (Mary Kills People, Orphan Black, Eyewitness), cast members joining the Ross family include Ger Ryan (The Street, The Man Who Invented Christmas) as Tommy’s true nemesis and mother, Sylvia Ross; Stephen Oates (Riverhead) as his eldest brother, Loyola “Lowly” Ross Jr; Katharine Isabelle (The Arrangement, Hannibal, Being Human) as his sister Ginny Ross; newcomer Billy Cochrane as Ginny’s son Chesley; and Andy Jones (Republic of Doyle, Random Passage, Codco) as the wily, charming old patriarch of the family, Loyola “Lowly” Ross Sr. Production is currently underway in Newfoundland for a winter 2018 premiere on CBC.

Also joining the cast are Dwain Murphy (Mohawk Girls, The Strain, The Book of Negroes) as National Welterweight champion Rico “Havoc” St. George – Tommy’s opponent both in and out of the ring, Patricia Isaac (The Magicians, Daydream Nation) as Tommy’s doctor and confidant Dr. Vaani Abdeen, Julia Chan (The Great Canadian Baking Show, Saving Hope) as Rico’s wife and Tommy’s former fiancé, and Mary Walsh (This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Sensitive Skin, Hatching, Matching & Dispatching) in a recurring role.

LITTLE DOG is the story of lightweight boxer Tommy “Little Dog” Ross (Hynes), and his haphazard quest for redemption. One fateful night five years ago, Tommy betrayed the boxer’s code of conduct during a championship bout against Rico “Havoc” St. George (Murphy) – he dropped his gloves in the middle of a round and quit the fight, dumping a promising career down the drain. Tommy has had to live with the fallout of this decision ever since.

Now Tommy has the chance for a rematch and his family isn’t sure what to think. Sure, they all loved lapping up the glory of Tommy’s spotlight – but living in the shadow of his humiliating defeat was more than they could bear. If he fights again, will it bring shame or glory? Tommy’s mother Sylvia (Ryan), a failed singer, will prove yet again to be Tommy’s true nemesis in his not-quite heroic return to the ruthless world of boxing. Tommy is a broken, would-be champion, trying to survive within an outrageously dysfunctional family. If the training doesn’t break him, his scheming relatives certainly will do their damnedest to finish the job.A CBC original series,

A CBC original series, LITTLE DOG is created by and stars actor and author Joel Thomas Hynes, whose book We’ll All Be Burnt In Our Beds Some Night was recently longlisted for the 2017 Scotiabank Giller prize. Hynes is also an executive producer. Sherry White serves as showrunner, director and executive producer. The series is executive produced by Amy Cameron, Tassie Cameron, Rob Blackie, Alex Patrick, John Vatcher, and Perry Zimel. In addition to Hynes and White, the series is written by Chris Roberts, Kerri MacDonald, Cory Bowles and Lisa Rose Snow. LITTLE DOG is directed by White, Michelle Latimer, John Vatcher and Molly McGlynn. LITTLE DOG is developed and produced by Cameron Pictures and Elemental Pictures with the participation of the Canada Media Fund, the Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corporation, the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit, the Newfoundland Film and Video Industry Tax Credit, and the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit.

LITTLE DOG is developed and produced by Cameron Pictures and Elemental Pictures with the participation of the Canada Media Fund, the Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corporation, the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit, the Newfoundland Film and Video Industry Tax Credit, and the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit.

 

 

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Rick Mercer Report

Link: Let Rick Mercer’s departure end cowardly comedy in Canada

From John Doyle of The Globe and Mail:

Link: Let Rick Mercer’s departure end cowardly comedy in Canada
Here’s the thing that’s highlighted by Mercer’s announced departure – we don’t do savage indignation in Canada. Our TV comedy and news-satire shows don’t really pillory social conventions, stereotypes and political chicanery with any aggression. They do it mildly; they do it too nicely. Nobody in positions of power, or in the viewing audience, is ever made uncomfortable by satire in Canada. Continue reading.

 

 

 

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