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TV Eh B Cs podcast 41: Tales from the Dark Guide

Anthony quizzes Greg about his long-lost days at TV Guide Canada and TV Guide.ca, asking about the coldest and hottest places he’s done interviews, which TV series set has the best food, the challenges of writing for magazines and the web and Greg reveals the oddest interview he’s ever done.

Listen or download below, or subscribe via iTunes or any other podcast catcher with the TV, eh? podcast feed.

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Jade Fever strikes in Season 2

Watching a series like Jade Fever—returning Tuesday to Discovery—you can’t help but ask one question: why? Why do folks like Claudia and Robin Bunce trek 120 kilometres from their home in Jade City, B.C., to hunt for jade every summer?

The ride to their camp—named Wolverine—is a mud, water and rock-filled trail heavy diggers and trucks must traverse at a snail’s pace. We’re talking a days-long expedition. Equipment breaks down, biting bugs are a constant, and mud and cold envelop all. Again, why do they do it? One word: jade. Seventy-five per cent of the world’s nephrite jade is in the area and countries like China are willing to pay big for it.

Back for Season 2 on Bell Media’s specialty network, the Bunce’s and their crew—including hot-headed son Josh—are constantly on the hunt for what they call “the million-dollar” rock; the chunk of jade that will be a windfall for the company. Unlike gold, which must be mined, jade is found near the surface, deposited by glaciers millions of years ago. Still, finding the stuff—especially the deep, green gem prized most—is a crapshoot. Unlike the rookie season debut that introduced everyone and got digging right away, Tuesday’s back-to-back instalments hop into the cabs alongside everyone and documents the slow, methodical trip to Wolverine. It takes just one kilometre into the ride for warning beeps to halt the conga line, and just a little bit more before an overheated engine stops everything.

Over in China, meanwhile, company CEO Alan Qiao meets with investors, putting the final signatures on a $500,000 budget. Those investors lost money last year and threaten to pull out if the Bunces don’t produce more jade.

Episode 2 is plagued by a faulty rock truck, but some quick-thinking—and some luck—things eventually take a turn for the better. A nail-biting crossing of the Turnagain River and some expletive-filled track bolt adjustments and the squad is, as Claudia says, “cooking with corn flakes.” Well, most of them, anyway.

A quick teaser hints at the drama to come: rolled over vehicles, injured folks being flown out via helicopter, staff stranded in the bush and endless boulders with nothing inside. Yup, it’s going to be a long season. Luckily, the payoff is worth it.

Jade Fever airs Tuesdays at 10 and 10:30 p.m. ET on Discovery.

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MasterChef Canada reveals the Top 14

Well, two out of three ain’t bad. We’re two weeks into MasterChef Canada, and Mary and Michelle—two home cooks interviewed by TV, Eh?—are still in the hunt. Both ladies are now part of the Top 14 revealed on Sunday night. The former earned her apron in Week 1, while the latter added to her wardrobe by creating a baked apple tart in just 30 minutes.

Michelle was smart to try a tart. It was a big gamble, of course, but Claudio Aprile, Michael Bonacini and Alvin Leung are impressed by moxie and cooking. Not to mention baking is a difficult skill. The odd man out was Travis (with regard to TV, Eh?), who despite going into MasterChef Canada with confidence was eliminated in Sunday’s final test.

And what a final test it was. First, the final 18 were tasked with doing mise en place (break down a chicken into eight pieces, clean and devein shrimp, shuck six cobs of corn, julienne three sweet peppers, separate the yolks from the whites of two dozen eggs, peel and core an apple) in just 15 minutes, something that no one was able to complete. For the record, I might have gotten the chicken, corn, peppers and eggs done. Sean, a.ka. “Headband Guy,” Julia, Matthew and Jacqueline were all awarded aprons, leaving the remaining home cooks with a final decider: create a dish using any of the mise en place items in 30 minutes. Surprisingly, almost every one of them chose to use chicken as their main protein, something that takes longer than shrimp to prepare. I would have made fresh linguine and added peppers, corn and shrimp with a light tomato sauce.

It’s too early in the competition to say who, besides Michelle, has a good chance at becoming a long-term competitor. That said, I’m impressed with Doctor Shawn and carpenter David. On the other side? I was turned off by Veronica’s confidence-bordering-on-arrogance and if next week’s teaser is any indication, her attitude gets her into trouble.

Who are your favourites so far?

MasterChef Canada airs Sundays at 7 p.m. ET/PT on CTV.

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Bitten: Which family will Elena choose?

Bitten isn’t wasting time in its last season. Where some television series would have dragged out the final showdown between Eduardo and Jeremy for at least a half-season—or even as a season-ender—this program ain’t. Sure, part of that may have to do with it being the closing episodes, but still … these wolves were running around like a pack of dogs after a favourite chew toy.

On one side was Eduardo who, instead of evading Jeremy, decided to go head-on at him. It ever-so-briefly appeared as if the plot may work—getting Bucky on-side and inside was a masterstroke—but Jeremy and Steve figured out what was going on and called Clay. That lead to one heck of a double dust-up in the living room between Bucky and Clay and Elena vs. Eduardo in the kitchen. (Note to self: cast-iron frying pans are great for cracking skulls and making griddle cakes.) Both members of our pack came out on top, with Bucky stabbed like a prize hog and Eduardo trussed like one and stored in the cage.

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If that wasn’t enough, Sasha continued to leverage his way into Elena’s heart, explaining how he’d smuggled her out of the Soviet Union, pointed to her birthdate tattooed on his arm and pleaded to be part of her life. At this point, I’m as unsure of Sasha’s motives as Elena is. He’s saying all of the right things to win her over, and Jeremy’s all-or-nothing attitude is pushing her further away from him and towards the Russian with the puppy-dog eyes. Further confusing the issue? Sasha telling Elena that Roman—while we saw him Hulk out and make ground beef out of Eduardo—killed Alexei and Katia’s mother because he was hunting Sasha.

This, of course, puts Elena in one heck of a bad position. If she protects Sasha, Alexei and Katia from Roman, she threatens to piss off Jeremy … and in the mood he’s in he’s liable to give Elena an ultimatum: choose Sasha or her pack. What will she do? What would you do?

Bitten airs Fridays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Space.

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Comments and queries for the week of February 19

YTV’s Anne of Green Gables celebrates family

When I heard of a new Anne of Green Gables film, I wondered why someone felt the need to produce it. I watched the premiere airing, and wondered why even more.

Sara Botsford and Martin Sheen? Really? They don’t fit their characters at all, and their acting skills are limited. Little Ella Ballentine tried, but the three will always be measured against the wonderful 1985 trio of Megan Follows, Colleen Dewhurst and Richard Farnsworth. Not to mention Dame Wendy Hiller in the 1987 sequel.

Not only was the acting in the new film inferior, we also had strange anachronisms such as references to a welfare system and child services, which Canada did not have in 1908 when the novel was written. Trying to update a classic is often a fool’s game. It takes away from the whole texture of the piece.

I realize I’m comparing a movie and a mini-series, but it’s the quality that concerns me. To be measured against an Emmy Award-winning mini-series (followed by the sequel, two years later, which is of equal quality) is a tall order. It would be like trying to remake Citizen Kane or Casablanca. Leave well enough alone.

What should be done is to rebroadcast the 1985 and 1987 series, perhaps every couple of years. They would build a new and growing following, much as films such as It’s a Wonderful Life and The Wizard of Oz have done. —Robert


Saving Charlie on Saving Hope

I think it might have hit Maggie… —Norah

I so HOPE there is HOPE that neither Alex or Charlie ended up dead! I can’t believe that guy could get the information from the receptionist as to where Alex and Charlie were. No receptionist would ever have done that (I know from whence I speak.). The show was so fabulous and so shocking for me at the end! And me, all by myself, with my dog and cat. This show is at the top of my list of shows to watch. I’ll be waiting for Season 5 on tenterhooks. Absolutely love you all for such a good series. Now I am waiting
for the first show of the next season, to see what the next twist is re: Charlie or Alex, or…? —Robin

I think Alex will be shot. Charlie’s already been through quite a bit in terms of “OMG, will he make it??” situations. On another note, I’d love to see more Sydney (Stacey Farber) next season. She and Maggie make a nice fit. —Jordan

I feel like it would be too obvious and redundant to have Alex or Charlie end up in a coma again. Maybe he missed and the bullet passed them and hit someone behind. @Jordan, I agree! Saving Hope needs more Sydney Katz/Stacey Farber. —Flora

I agree with you both. Stacey Farber needs to come back and she should’ve been in the season finale. —Carly

You’re right. I had to re-watch the end of the episode on CTV.ca to see that the woman was behind Alex, facing Charlie, so that proves Charlie may still have his “gift.” In terms of angles as shown on the final shot, I would be more inclined to think we are being misled. However, we will have to wait and see. —Christopher

I don’t know who the ghost was (but Charlie saw her, yay!), she said to him “It’s time to go.” That could mean a whole host of things. I think Crenshaw shot Charlie. It was Charlie he was after, and I think the gun went slightly in Charlie’s direction right before the cut. Did Crenshaw escape, or did he win his appeal? If he won, would he be that pissed about spending a few extra months in prison, only to be put back after this incident? Revenge may be sweet but it makes people idiots. And now the long wait. —Hallie

 

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

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