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What Would Sal Do? debuts in Canada after resurrection on CraveTV

You might say Bell Media was the saving grace for What Would Sal Do? Or maybe the Canadian company was doing God’s work? Whatever the cliché, without CraveTV, Sal might never have been aired. It’s a resurrection of biblical proportions. OK, we’ll stop now.

All eight half-hour Season 1 episodes of What Would Sal Do? arrive Friday on CraveTV, but in the summer of 2016, Andrew De Angelis’ comic creation was dead in the water. Last June, Allarco Entertainment was granted creditor protection. Allarco owns Super Channel, Sal‘s original home. With creditor protection in place, What Would Sal Do?, Slasher and Tiny Plastic Men couldn’t air on the pay channel and were released to their production companies to be shopped around. Sal‘s producers, New Metric Media, landed a deal with Bell Media. No wonder, really; New Metric’s Letterkenny has been a success for CraveTV and Sal is a natural fit.

Dylan Taylor as Sal

Sal stars Dylan Taylor (most recently of CBC’s Pure) as the titular character, a foul-mouthed overachiever who has lived a life of laziness and questionable decisions in Sudbury, Ont. That all changes when his mother, Maria (Jennifer Dale) blows his mind with the following info: Sal is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

“The show actually came from two ideas in my head,” De Angelis—who has written for Mr. D, 18 to Life and Orphan Black—says of Sal‘s origins. “One was just this thought of if there was a Second Coming, how would it go in today’s world? What would the difficulties be? I’ve also been fascinated with the entitled generation who are raised—mine included—spoiled rotten and they just think they’re great and that everything they do is wonderful. Once they’re adults they’ll realize how ill-prepared for the world they are.”

That’s established in the opening minutes of the debut, “Punches Pilot,” as director Samir Rehem pulls in on Sal sitting at the dining room table. A distraught Maria—a dear friend has just passed away—slumps into a seat, heartbroken. Sal, hoping to help, offers to make her some pasta. Just one problem.

“So, how the fuck do you make pasta?” he asks.

“Oh my God,” Maria sighs. It’s then she reveals to Sal his lofty expectations. He is, understandably, incredulous … and overwhelmed.

Jennifer Dale as Maria

“It’s a pleasure to be in a Canadian comedy,” Taylor told us during a 2015 set visit to Sudbury. “We’re playing this so straight. It’s written so well and the scenarios are so funny. This is clown work and a clown is someone who is just in over their head. Sal is told he’s Jesus and he’s woefully unprepared for it.”

At first blush, Sal isn’t a likable guy. Strutting around Sudbury, wearing tearaway pants and making fun of everyone isn’t the stuff of a lead, more like the obnoxious friend. Taylor says the balance they struck to connect with viewers is to portray Sal as someone who is a good person at his core who “became a douchebag because he was spoiled and because of how he was raised.” The love he has for Maria and best friend Vince (Ryan McDonald) makes him endearing.

“This was the opportunity to play a completely unique and original role like nobody has ever seen before,” Dale said of signing on to Sal. “If anybody had said to me 10 years ago, ‘This is what you’ll be doing,’ I could never have dreamed the part.” Aside from the series’ originality, Dale said Maria is a grounded character full of contradictions. She is a religious person whose doubts are creeping in, has a mouth like a truck driver and has no sexual experience.

“It’s not because she’s ugly or anything,” Dale explained. “She has made this choice and that’s a very hard thing to imagine. It’s kind of like playing an alien.”

Scott Thompson as Father Luke

What Would Sal Do? marks not only a departure for Dale but Scott Thompson too. After almost exclusively comedic roles throughout his career, the Kids in the Hall member jumped at playing Father Luke because it’s so different from his usual gigs.

“There have been other somewhat serious parts I’ve been cast in, but the difference in those is that they had an agenda,” Thompson said during a break in filming. “This is the first part that’s just a part. I’ve been hired on [in the past] because of my comedy but also because I was gay and they wanted me to do gay parts. [Father Luke] is not about my persona and my baggage.” Sal is a comedy, but there a several serious and downright tender moments. One notable few minutes in Episode 1 features Luke and Sal arguing over religion and peanut allergies; you see the paternal qualities in Luke that extend past his title.

“You understand that Father Luke is not a charlatan, he actually believes,” Thompson said. “What I like about that scene is Luke is filled with this conviction that God is talking through Sal. It’s funny, it’s dramatic and he also wants to use this to advance his career.”

Season 1 of What Would Sal Do? arrives Friday on CraveTV.

Images courtesy of Bell Media.

 

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Heartland’s Alisha Newton discusses Georgie’s Season 10 journey

The folks at Heartland ranch have been through a lot this season. After being away for months Ty (Graham Wardle) returned to Canada a very sick man. Amy (Amber Marshall) is about to give birth. Lou (Michelle Morgan) is struggling to expand the business into New York City and Tim (Chris Potter) … well, Tim’s world is always in disarray.

Georgie’s life has been a roller coaster this past year too. She witnessed Lou and Peter (Gabriel Hogan) break up, then Mitch (Kevin McGarry) started dating Lou, she competed to land a spot on the Extreme Team and now she and Adam (Kataem O’Connor) have broken up. That’s a lot for someone to endure, so we landed a chat with Alisha Newton to discuss her character’s experiences in Season 10 and a hint as to what Sunday’s season finale of Heartland, “Greater Expectations,” is all about. (And, as most fans already know, Heartland has been renewed for Season 11.)

Congratulations on five seasons of being on Heartland.
Alisha Newton: Thanks! It’s been quite the journey.

You’re not filming now, are you?
No, we’re on a break between seasons and I’m just catching up on school. I’m in a program where I can attend school when I’m home but the rest of my courses can be done online. It can be really hard to focus on set sometimes because I’m in and out of the school trailer a lot. It’s hard to stay caught up when you’re given that must responsibility and you don’t have teachers making sure you’re doing your work.

Georgie has been through a lot over the past couple of seasons. Lou and Peter separated and Mitch has been dating Lou. Georgie then competed to be on the Extreme Team, helped out Bob and Ty at the animal sanctuary and now the situation with Adam. What have you thought about all of these different storylines?
I’ve really loved all of the storylines I’ve had these past few seasons. It’s been a lot of fun to play a character that’s grown so much over the years. I’m really grateful to have these really interesting storylines and a lot of teens can relate to them. I really love them.

Is it tough to play emotional scenes? 
Because I’ve been acting for so long it kind of comes naturally for me now to turn on the waterworks and get into it. It can be hard some days when I can’t seem to focus or if I’m dehydrated if can be really hard to cry sometimes.

That’s the secret to crying? Water?
Yup, drink lots of water. [Laughs.]

Heartland’s storylines have always been grounded in reality. It would have been so easy to have Georgie and Adam get back together, but instead, they’re just friends. I respect that.
It makes it a lot more interesting when the characters get rejected and it’s not always a happy ending. It’s a lot more realistic than having them get back together. It’s interesting to be able to play the relationship that isn’t always perfect and we’re not always doing the same thing. It is a little bit rocky.

The winter season finale was really dramatic. Tim had a concussion and the horse trailer tipped over with one trapped inside.
Personally, I love those scripts. I loved filming that episode because I love working with Chris [Potter] and Amber [Marshall] because they’re brilliant actors and the scenes for that episode were really well shot. I like it when everyone is on the edge of their seat and not sure what’s going to happen.

I’ve loved the scenes Georgie has had with Jade this season. How much fun have you and Madison Cheeatow had this year?
I love working with Madison. She is definitely one of my best friends on-set and we’re just as good friends off set. I like that Heartland shows a lot of the younger generation’s storylines as well. It’s really cool.

Do you have a favourite horse co-star?
This season my favourite horse was probably Morgan, the horse that survived the barn fire. At the beginning of shooting that episode, a lot of the male wranglers on set were complaining because Amber and I and the female wranglers were turning him into a girly horse. Before he was working with me he was this tough horse and the guy wranglers loved him. And now he’s a treat suck and loves snuggles. [Laughs.]

You own horses and train them in real life. Could you compete in a real Extreme Team?
Every once in awhile they’ll have me perform a bit of a little trick. In one of the last episodes, I was working with a horse named Tab and was trying to train him to be a trick riding horse and was doing these stunts where I would get half off the horse and then putting my leg back over. We were just doing that at a trot and it was so difficult. I don’t know if I would ever join the Extreme Team or do trick riding myself because it scares me so much.

What can you tell me about Sunday’s season finale?
I think it’s going to be a little bit of everything. It’s going to be very exciting and everyone will be on the edge of their seat for sure. The ending of the last episode is one of my favourite endings yet in the series and I’m really excited for fans to see it.

Heartland‘s season finale airs Sunday at 7 p.m. on CBC.

Images courtesy of CBC.

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Heartland renewed for Season 11 on CBC; plus season finale images

Giddy up! CBC has made it official: Heartland has been renewed for Season 11. Star Amber Marshall made the announcement Tuesday morning in a video on the show’s official Facebook page.

“I wanted to thank you all for watching Season 10 of Heartland,” she says. “And I am so excited to tell you that Season 11 will be starting on CBC this fall.” The news comes just days in advance of the season finale, where it’s expected that Amy Fleming and Ty Borden will welcome the birth of their first child.

Here’s the episode synopsis for Sunday’s finale, “Great Expectations.”

Amy, Ty and the entire Heartland family are thrilled to welcome a new member into the fold. Meanwhile, the ghost horse returns and Amy disagrees with Georgie’s plan to capture and gentle him. Then, Lou changes her mind about a business deal but not before Mitch makes a surprising choice. And hoping to impress Cass’s parents, Caleb asks a reluctant Tim for a full-time job.

Check out images from Sunday’s episode!

[slideshow_deploy id=’40773′]

Look for our interview with Alisha Newton later this week on TV-Eh.com!

Have you got a message for the stars of Heartland? Pass them along in the comments section below!

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

Image courtesy of CBC.

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Steve Patterson takes on late-night (sort of) with The Smartass-ociates

“People still want Canada to have a late-night Tonight Show type broadcast, but I’m not interested in doing that,” Steve Patterson says. “I would be more interested in doing a show where you actually learn something while you’re watching.” He’s got it with The Smartass-ociates,
Patterson’s newest project currently streaming on CBC’s website.

Patterson has been told for years that he should be doing a  late-night program but balked. That’s understandable. Mike Bullard tried to do it a couple of times with a certain amount of success, but Canadians never really supported a homegrown take on the U.S. late-night model. It wasn’t until The Colbert Report came along that Patterson saw something that would work here: a show where he could interview somebody with something to say other than the entertainment project they’re working on. Enter The Smartass-ociates, a co-production with Mountain Road Productions—who worked with Patterson on I Wrecked My House—where experts in different areas are paired with a comic to sit down to discuss various topics with Patterson as host and moderator.

Filmed last year in Ottawa, Season 1 guests pull from a wide range of interests. Episode 1, for instance, features the Honourable Lisa Raitt and comedian DeAnne Smith discussing the U.S. election and the difference between Canadian and American politics. Episode 6 boasts Olympic speed skater—and gold medal winner—Ivanie Blondin and comic Dave Hemstad discussing misogyny in sports coverage of female Olympic athletes. Rather than debating topics—something Patterson has nailed on The Debaters—these are frank conversations that educate as much as entertain. Blondin, in particular, stood out to me for her thoughtful first-hand account of misogyny, and her humour.

“She turned out to be one of our best guests and was one of our last bookings,” Patterson says with a laugh. “She was so honest about everything. I wouldn’t make it a habit of telling the rival of a guest to go f–k themselves, but it came about very organically.”

With Season 1 currently available online, Patterson’s ultimate goal is to have The Smartass-
ociates
 become a weekly television series on CBC where he discusses current topics, similar to John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight. Ideally, he wants to do it within this calendar year.

“I want to get into the meat of news topics with people and introduce Canada to as many of my funny Canadian friends as possible,” he says. “Let’s learn something and let’s laugh while we’re learning. Let’s prove what comedians have to offer when they literally come to the table on some of these topics.”

Watch Season 1 of The Smartass-ociates on CBC’s website.

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Bellevue: “How Do I Remember?”

Spoiler alert! Do not read until you’ve watched Episode 5 of Bellevue.

“Paths can take you wildly away from anything you recognize and still bring you back to your door.” —The Riddler

And so we will follow the paths of remembering, and witness the pain that comes with discovery and growth as we gather more information and fit these pieces into the puzzle that is Bellevue this week.

We are now into the second half of the series and this episode, entitled “How Do I Remember?,” opens with Annie (Anna Paquin) reminiscing with The Riddler via her home surveillance system. She intimates that he made her life bearable after she lost her father.  Annie then questions The Riddler about Neil Driver (Andreas Aspergis) and Jed (Neil Napier) and their connection to the case. But I am beginning to wonder, is Annie still in control here? Is The Riddler needing a connection to Annie to reinforce his own sense of self worth and therefore manipulating Annie into this relationship? Or is he involved in the case(s) himself? Is he someone who knows Annie and wants to help? And is Annie falling back into the bad habits of her youth? A final cryptic message coupled with a request by The Riddler: “I dropped the stone but you are not seeing the ripples. Tomorrow at the funeral, wear the watch.”

The town attends Jesse’s (Sadie O’Neil) funeral to remember and celebrate Jesse’s life and it is the youth of Bellevue that are embracing the choices that she made. I was touched by the moment when Bethany (Emilia Hellman) stood up despite her mother’s (Janine Theriault) objections and brought a reluctant Danny (Cameron Roberts) back to the congregation. Unfortunately—or fortunately for the purposes of the investigation—Mr. Driver crashes the funeral and accuses Maggie (Victoria Sanchez) of ruining his daughter.

“You deserve this. The world needs a place to channel its evil, so God provides children to kill and he gives them to parents who deserve the pain. You know what you DID!” Alright already,  what did Maggie do?

Following the funeral, Daisy Ryder (Madison Ferguson) returns to the location where Jesse’s body was discovered and the other youth of Bellevue who were closest to Jesse are also there. It is here they celebrate Jesse’s courage and her life. I have now watched this episode twice and I couldn’t help it, I cried both times. Jane Maggs and her team created such an honest reaction, and completely captured the essence of youthful innocence as these teens cope with their loss. Their grief was palpable. This scene was perfect!

Now, on to the investigation. Annie first questions Jed about his MDMA, more specifically, how he and his employees package the drug. He believes there must be a new dealer in town working to compete with Jed. Further questioning of Danny’s father (Peter Miller) confirms Jed’s suspicions. There is indeed a new head that has sprouted to replace the old, and rumour has it if you have any unpaid debts, bad things will come your way. Doing some routine neighbourhood canvassing, Annie questions Maggie Sweetland’s neighbour Cali (Catherine Kidd).

“Sometimes you poke around, you might not like what you find,” and Cali queries Annie about Eddie’s (Allen Leech) well-being. Further conversations with The Riddler suggest Eddie is the connection between Sandy Driver and Jesse Sweetland’s deaths.

Meanwhile, just as Cali intimated, Eddie is in trouble. It appears his pill addiction and lack of employment have caught up with him and now he is indebted to the new dealer in town. To make good on his debt, Eddie is ordered to put the pressure on someone else who is not paying his dues. Annie’s curiosity is further piqued after chatting with Eddie’s latest “friend,” Briana (Amber Goldfarb), so she searches Eddie’s home, only to find Daisy’s dog frozen in a locked freezer. They need to talk! Annie accuses Eddie of planting the drugs in Jesse’s room, but no, Eddie admits that the drugs were stolen from him after Jesse was killed. And this is how you “get your shit together”? I guess The Riddler is right. Eddie is connected since somebody stole the drugs and planted them in Jesse’s room. But who? And, if The Riddler is correct, how is Eddie then connected to Sandy Driver?

FINALLY tonight we get to see Allen Leech’s talents. Up until now Eddie has been more of a supporting role. All of this time I have been waiting to see Leech let loose and tonight I was not disappointed. If you thought the chemistry was good in the parking lot scene two episodes ago, tonight these two ratchet it up a few notches! Eddie’s character is losing control under the pressure. He wants to change and his past keeps catching up to him. Annie convinces him not to play the enforcer and he speaks to Peter (Shawn Doyle). Eddie admits he owned the drugs. Eddie will testify as to his ownership of the drugs and swears this was a one time thing. Eddie returns to buy some time from Cali, letting her No. 2 beat the crap out of him. This is the dynamic moment for Leech’s character. Up until now, both Eddie and Annie have been stagnant within their complicated relationship. Each are so dependent on each other and yet they are not together. Eddie: “You love me too much the way I am. I don’t want to be the way I am anymore.” Eddie has effectively tossed down the gauntlet. If these two are to have a future together, Annie must change her ways too.

Once more Annie connects with The Riddler. She confesses that she felt his presence back at the burned shed. He confesses in kind, admitting that yes, he was there watching her. She pokes the bear, telling The Riddler that really he knows nothing, deliberately antagonizing him and he also admits he doesn’t know who killed Jesse. The Riddler is no longer a source. Annie wants him out of her life and orders a trace. Annie has been playing The Riddler for intel after all. She rules him no longer relevant to the case. The trace leads Annie to the cemetery where The Riddler has left his phone at the grave of Sandy Driver with the message, “You’re not crazy”.

Despite being in the minority, Annie is still convinced Jed is not guilty of killing Jesse, and returns to speak to Maggie one more time. “You are the only one who knows. My kid was killed because of me. Retribution for what I did to her. It all started with me. Sandy,” says Maggie. But Maggie has taken too many pills and collapses. Maggie is rushed to the hospital.

The episode closes with Annie trying to re-establish a connection with The Riddler: “I was wrong, you do know things.”

This was such a convoluted episode. So many twist and turns. Lots of new information, and new connections that fold back onto earlier events. So who do you think is The Riddler? Who do you think killed Jesse Sweetland? How is Jesse’s death connected to Sandy Driver? Let me know in the comments below!

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

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