Global

Comments and queries for the week of May 8

Rock bottom on Remedy

As for Zoe and Griff, I never bought into them as a couple. I always found their pairing a tad contrived with zero chemistry and much too rushed–they moved in together way too soon. Also, Griff needs to spend a heck of a lot more time sober before he can even think of being in a relationship. He really should have stayed living with his father. I’m really disappointed that the writers decided to make Griff relapse–hopefully they’ll be able to write his character back to better health soon.

I really hope Cutler stays at Beth-H. I really think the character was a great addition to the show and we only just met him. And I will be mad if Mel is gone because the best parts of the show are her interactions with her sister but I doubt she’s leaving.

We saw a brief glimpse of Bruno. I feel he’s a sorely underused character that I want to know more about.

I am really liking Remedy this year. I think it’s caught its stride. I look forward to it week after week and I watch the show soon after it airs which is more than I can say for a lot of Canadian shows. —Alicia


What is your fave Canadian TV show of the 1970s?

Kids of Degrassi Street and The Forest Rangers are on DVD, though TFR is likely out of print and wasn’t released past the first season. The only shows on that list that have “proper” DVD representation are Frightenstein and SCTV.

One show people remember that should have replaced The Trouble with Tracy: Global/TVOntario series Witness to Yesterday. That was a show from Global’s initial 1974 season which endured in reruns, IIRC. —Cameron


Over the air antenna, you complete me

I have a Monoprice antenna that’s OK. I can only get one channel, though. Sometimes if I’m lucky, I can get a second. I think a large part of my problem is because I live at the bottom of a hill. I’m interested to try the Micron XG (or the Winegard). So, I’d like to be entered into a draw for the XG. These days, I rely mostly on Internet streams from the broadcasters and Netflix (on my Apple TV). —Tim

I miss TV for my Jays games. To finagle a better wifi connection, I’ve done plenty of trial and error walking about the condo. The Micron XG might be just the right size for all that walking! —JaysGirl

This information is great, these would be the only channels I’d want to get. I’ll have to think about investing in an antennae.

Please review more, it’s difficult enough to know what streaming devices stream what without having to double check if the article is about the U.S. version. It took a few articles and waiting before I found out both the ChromeCast and AppleTV in Canada wouldn’t get HBO NOW. It would be very appreciated. —Smoonie


TV shows to binge-watch this summer

If we’re looking beyond contemporary series, I definitely agree about Slings & Arrows. And I was on the fence about Blackstone for the first two seasons, but then watched all of the third season over a week or so (sort of binging) and got into it more. So either it had found it’s groove, or it’s a series that benefits from immersing yourself in it.

And since a binge-able series is, perhaps, ideally one that has a story arc and develops from episode-to-episode I might suggest a kind of dark horse — Peter Benchley’s Amazon. This was a Canada-U.S. co-production circa 2000 that was kind of Lost before there was Lost. Next to no one’s heard of it, and maybe I remember it unduly well, but it was a weird, ambitious series with a complex, evolving storyline ideal for binging (though was cancelled after one season). It was released to DVD at one point.

And speaking of weird and ambitious — ZOS: Zone of Separation was an R-rated 2008 mini-series about U.N. peacekeepers that can best be described as Apocalypse Now meets Deadwood. Worth keeping an eye out for — though good luck, as I’m not sure it’s in circulation much. Which, admittedly, kind of defeats the purpose of recommending it here! —DK

Got a comment or question about Canadian TV? greg@tv-eh.com or @tv_eh.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail