Tag Archives: Featured

19-2, Featured

19-2’s Alexandra Ordolis hints at Justine’s Season 3 journey

When we last saw Justine Brouillard (Alexandra Ordolis) on 19-2, she had been beaten—once again—by husband J.M. (Dan Petronijevic). Though he had been trying to keep his anger issues in check, the Montreal cop backslid and assaulted his long-suffering wife, prompting her to finally level charges against him.

Now, with Season 3 returning to Bravo next Monday, we spoke to Alexandra Ordolis about Justine’s journey this time around and what she looks for in a role.

Justine returns for Season 3, correct?
Alexandra Ordolis: Yes, we see her in Season 3 and we get a little bit more into that storyline and what J.M. is dealing with as well, which is very exciting. I can’t say too much because I don’t want to give anything away.

As much as I enjoy J.M. the cop, I do not enjoy the scenes where he abuses Justine. It must be pretty emotionally draining for you and Dan Petronijevic to play those scenes.
Shooting that is a long day, but it’s wonderful working with Dan and the whole crew. Those scenes are tough to film, but also at the same time the way the scenes are written are so truthful. It’s wonderful to work with that kind of writing and that the show doesn’t shy away from these hard facts. It’s hard to get in there and shoot it, and it’s hard for the audience to watch, but it’s important and isn’t shying away from this issue of domestic abuse.

By the end of Season 2, Justine has pressed charges against J.M., and Nick had beaten J.M. up. Is Justine’s journey this season the result of her pressing charges?
We’ll see her keep going in that direction. We see where she’s at a little bit down the line and audience members will see she’s come a long way from where we’ve seen her at the beginning of Season 1.

It’s hard for the audience to watch, but it’s important and isn’t shying away from this issue of domestic abuse.

What about her relationship with Nick? That’s been hinted at since Season 1.
Her relationship with Nick has been hinted at, that they’re close friends. This season we’ll see less of that relationship and more of J.M. and Justine and how they’re dealing with their relationship.

Do you like the fact that 19-2 is written by a bare-bones room headed by Bruce M. Smith?
There is something amazing about the continuity of one or two people’s visions. Bruce’s writing really brings out the tone and the way that the characters interact with each other has built from season to season. That’s one of the strong things about the show.

Going back a bit, how did you end up on the show in the first place?
I came down from Toronto to Montreal and auditioned. I think I was the first person they saw for the role. I’m always nervous when I audition for a role and I let the casting director take the lead with respect to how the audition will go. I don’t know what came over me with 19-2, but we had finished doing a scene between Nick, Ben and J.M. and Justine and I said, ‘No, that’s not it.’ I had this feeling that I wasn’t there yet as to what Justine needed to do to get her feelings across to Nick and Ben. So we did it a couple more times. I walked out and I was pretty charged up about what we had done but I also worried I’d been rude.

You appear on both 19-2 and Reign, so I need to know: who has the better food?
[Laughs.] It changes, actually. I do have to say there was a fantastic caterer on Reign and everyone wanted to be on-set the whole time. But a lot of the caterers on 19-2 will bring cheese out, which I think is a Montreal thing. We always have a cheese plate with dessert, which I’m a big fan of.

What do you look for in a role?
In the beginning, it was paying the bills. [Laughs.] Now, it’s roles that challenge me. As an actor, I really like the journey of finding my way into a character. Sometimes I’ll read something and it jumps off the page and I feel a connection immediately, but other times I want to get in there and I’m not quite sure how to. It’s quite satisfying to do research and look at the person from different angles. Sometimes it’s music, sometimes it’s food. Roles that perplex me a little bit wind up being the ones that I want to play.

19-2 airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on Bravo.

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Featured, Still Standing

Still Standing celebrates more Canadian small towns in Season 2

Jonny Harris is back with Still Standing, celebrating small-town Canada with big laughs. Returning Tuesday with what’s quickly becoming a summer staple for CBC, the likable Harris sheds his Constable Crabtree duds and spikes his hair to hit the road, shining a spotlight on communities of folks ekeing out a living in the place they call home.

Tuesday’s return finds the young Newfoundlander in British Columbia, where the 800 citizens of Skidegate are struggling to keep their Haida culture intact amid a history of boom and bust.

Shop owner Rose Russ discusses the local artisans, tourism and an economy that once did well thanks to fishing and logging; Haida elder Diane Brown gives a history of the area and reveals she is one of a mere handful who still know their ancient language; and Jags tells of the once-thriving community of Skedans that was decimated by smallpox.

As with Season 1, Harris successfully tells the history of the community he’s visiting without a hint of malice. He’s there to point out the hard and good times, but there’s no meanness in his comedy. There are references to Europeans arriving in the area and promptly stealing totem poles (“How are you going to show that off to your friends and not look like a complete a-hole?”). And it’s not all bad news in Skidegate: Ben Davidson is a renowned local artist creating Haidi works, a heritage centre promises to educate the youth on their history and language and the Skidegate Saints kick butt on the basketball court.

Upcoming stops in Still Standing‘s season include Omemee, Ont., Inuvik, NWT., and Georgetown, PEI.

Still Standing airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

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Baroness von Sketch Show, Featured

Baroness von Sketch Show lands on CBC

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“We didn’t want to make a thing that would sit on a shelf. We wanted it on TV as soon as possible.” Carolyn Taylor certainly got her wish: after being greenlit last March by CBC, Baroness von Sketch Show is hitting the air, a rocket ride by Canadian TV production standards.

Debuting Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. on CBC, Baroness von Sketch Show stars Taylor and fellow sketch comic veterans Meredith MacNeill, Aurora Browne and Jennifer Whalen, who turn a lens on society and present a satirical take on life. Like City’s cancelled-too-soon Sunnyside, Baroness is shot on-location, though the settings are everyday spots like restaurants and office cubicles rather than the Third World War.

“We wanted the characters and situations to feel relatable,” Taylor explains during a break filming in an empty corner of CBC’s Toronto headquarters. “There is no laugh track and it has a single-camera vibe.” Taylor took her series pitch to Frantic Films over two years ago; after bringing on MacNeill, Browne and Whalen, a sizzle reel was shot and shopped around. Taylor always envisioned Baroness broadcast on CBC, saying the aesthetic fit best there. Production moved at a quick clip, with guerrilla-style filming across Toronto in locations like Woodbine Racetrack, Queen St. West, Trinity Bellwoods Park, Dundas St. and Scarborough. They’ve also had to make changes on the fly: a wedding chapel was converted into a massage parlour for one skit.

“It’s all been a bit of a blur,” Whalen recalls. “We had a great writers’ room with air and light and shelves and snacks. And then we’ve had wonderful, funny people that we admire come in and play with us. I’ve had people come up to me and say, ‘Would you like to come and put on your space suit now?’ ‘Yes, I would like nothing more than to do that!'” She notes Jon Dore, Ennis Esmer, Craig Brown, Ann Pornel, Alex Tindal and Toby Burner among those guest-starring in sketches.

How did the quartet come up with the title of their show?

“A baroness is not even the lowest level of aristocracy,” Browne says. “You can actually buy it for yourself. There is a whole swath of women who might have been widows and it gave them a license to go a little kooky. It seemed to have a nice mix of self-entitlement and weirdness. It just felt right and it’s a nice contrast to the stupidity that occurs on the show.”

Baroness von Sketch Show airs Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. on CBC.

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Featured, Masterchef Canada

Unlucky 13 for one MasterChef Canada home cook

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After weeks of anticipation, cooking and crashing and burning, it’s down to the final two home cooks, who will battle it out in MasterChef Canada‘s season finale next Sunday.

In one corner is Mary Berg, the spunky vegetarian who has an uncanny ability to prepare tasty meats; in the other is Jeremy Senaris, who not only makes great food but is able to replicate intricate recipes with stunning accuracy. The duo will go head-to-head, with one emerging $100,000 richer and with the Season 3 title.

Sadly, “Only the Best,” resulted in Matthew’s elimination after two mistakes in the Pressure Test sealed his fate. They were minor gaffes to be sure—a liquid tart centre and missed croutons—but at this point in the competition a small error makes a big difference.

There honestly isn’t much to say about Sunday’s penultimate episode other than I was mightily impressed with what all three were able to accomplish. The Mystery Box challenge, involving 13 ingredients from the first Mystery test of the season, was an exercise in creativity and time management, as the home cooks were tasked with providing 16 identical plates to 13 of the country’s most influential chefs and Claudio, Michael and Alvin. Once again, timing threatened to derail Mary, but she created the tastiest offering of fish and chips and won a spot in the finale.

Jeremy, meanwhile, ran out of gnocchi to serve, landing him alongside Matthew in the Pressure Test. Their challenge seemed insurmountable, to make three citrus-infused desserts in 90 minutes. If not for Matthew’s errors, he very well could have beaten Jeremy.

Who do you hope wins during next week’s season finale? Comment below.

MasterChef Canada‘s season finale airs Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on CTV.

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Featured, Polls

Poll: Which new Canadian TV shows will you watch this season?

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Now that the Canadian Upfronts are wrapped, we’ve got a complete list of the new homegrown series set to debut during the 2016-17 television season. Some will be on the air this fall, while others will debut during midseason.

What we want to know is, which five have got you the most interested in checking out this season? If you’ve got more than five you’re planning to watch, put them in the comments at the bottom of the page. Can’t quite remember the synopses behind each? We’ve got you covered there too: a one-line description for each is listed below the poll.

Which five new Canadian TV shows are you planning to watch this coming season?

  • Mary Kills People, Global (15%, 84 Votes)
  • Kim's Convenience, CBC (15%, 82 Votes)
  • Russell Peters is the Indian Detective, CraveTV (8%, 45 Votes)
  • Cardinal, CTV (8%, 44 Votes)
  • Shoot the Messenger, CBC (7%, 37 Votes)
  • The Beaverton, The Comedy Network (6%, 34 Votes)
  • Pure, CBC (5%, 30 Votes)
  • Frontier, Discovery (5%, 29 Votes)
  • Travelers, Showcase (5%, 28 Votes)
  • Ransom, Global (4%, 21 Votes)
  • The Disappearance, CTV (3%, 19 Votes)
  • True North Calling, CBC (3%, 17 Votes)
  • Bad Blood: The Vito Rizzuto Story, City (3%, 17 Votes)
  • Real Housewives of Toronto, Slice (2%, 11 Votes)
  • Holmes and Holmes, HGTV Canada (2%, 11 Votes)
  • Workin’ Moms, CBC (2%, 11 Votes)
  • Second Jen, City (2%, 10 Votes)
  • Bryan, Inc., HGTV Canada (2%, 9 Votes)
  • This is High School, CBC (1%, 8 Votes)
  • Heavy Rescue: 401, Discovery (1%, 7 Votes)
  • Moving the McGillivrays, HGTV Canada (1%, 6 Votes)

Total Voters: 217

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Bad Blood: The Vito Rizzuto Story, City
Limited event drama telling the real-life story of underworld figure Vito Rizzuto.

Bryan, Inc., HGTV Canada
A behind-the-scenes peek at Bryan and Sarah Baeumler’s workdays at the office.

Cardinal, CTV
Based on the book Forty Words for Sorrow by Giles Blunt, a small-town cop chases a serial killer.

Frontier, Discovery
Historical drama telling the story of Canada’s growing fur trade.

Heavy Rescue: 401, Discovery
Highway Thru Hell spinoff about the police, firefighters and tow trucks who keep Ontario’s busiest highways safe.

Holmes and Holmes, HGTV Canada
Mike Sr. and Jr. renovate the latter’s bachelor bungalow into a two-storey home.

Kim’s Convenience, CBC
Television adaptation of Ins Choi, about a Korean-Canadian family who run a convenience store.

Mary Kills People, Global
An emergency room doctor helps the terminally ill end their lives.

Moving the McGillivrays, HGTV Canada
Cameras follow Scott and his family as they build and prepare to move into a new home.

Pure, CBC
A newly-elected Mennonite pastor finds himself drawn into the drug trade.

Ransom, Global
Hostage drama based on the life of negotiator Laurent Combalbert.

Real Housewives of Toronto, Slice
Reality cameras follow socialites around Canada’s biggest city.

Russell Peters is the Indian Detective, CraveTV
A Toronto cop of Indian heritage becomes embroiled in a local case when he visits his father in Mumbai.

Second Jen, City
A coming-of-age comedy about two second-generation Chinese and Filipino-Canadian millennials.

Shoot the Messenger, CBC
A young journalist is caught in a web of urban gangs, the political class and the police while working her first murder case.

The Beaverton, The Comedy Network
A spoof of TV news shows.

The Disappearance, CTV
A family is devastated when their son goes missing during a treasure hunt.

This is High School, CBC
Documentary series capturing the education system at a British Columbia high school.

Travelers, Showcase
Future humans go back in time to save the world from a horrible fate.

True North Calling, CBC
Documentary series following the lives of Canadians who call the North home.

Workin’ Moms, CBC
In this comedy, four urban moms juggle love, careers and parenthood.

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