Everything about Mr. D, eh?

TV Eh B Cs podcast 17 – Jonathan Torrens’ Reflections on Canadianity

Jonathan2015-highresJust over the past couple of years alone, in addition to winning a Canadian Screen Award playing Robert Cheeley on Mr. D., he was the host of Wipeout Canada and TV with TV’s Jonathan Torrens on TVTropolis, on which – in addition to hosting – he serves as writer/producer/director. He was also part of the multi-award winning sitcom Call Me Fitz on HBO Canada.

Before that, Torrens was seen as “Gerald” on Spike TV’s popular reality show parody Joe Schmo 2. Hosting stints include both The Kids Are in Charge for the Travel Channel U.S. and Popularity Contest for CMT U.S., as well as co-anchoring and reporting on Reality Remix, Fox’s Reality Channel’s daily flagship show, and making frequent appearances on the E! Network’s popular 50 Most…clip shows.

He’s been dropping rhymes for years as J-Roc on the infectious Trailer Park Boys. His work on five seasons (225 episodes) of Jonovision earned a total of 7 Gemini Award nominations.

Oh… and there was about a decade’s worth of Street Cents that EVERYONE growing up in 90’s Canada remembers.

He’s also currently co-hosting a podcast with Our Lady Peace’s Jeremy Taggart called Canadianity.

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Interview: Naomi Snieckus is doing it on CBC

On the small screen, Naomi Sniekus can currently be seen playing Bobbi Galka, one of the offbeat teachers at Xavier Academy on CBC’s Mr. D.

Bobbi’s secret relationship with vice-principal Robert Cheeley (Jonathan Torrens) just went public in awkward fashion: she ran up and kissed him full on the mouth near the front office. It’s a relationship that has been simmering all season long, but while Robert wanted their sexual dalliances to evolve into relationship mode, she didn’t. And why would she? Bobbi found him gross to look at but incredible in the sack.

Turns out Snieckus is doing double duty for the CBC, starring alongside her husband and comedy partner, Matt Baram, in Doing It! With Brian & Darla, an online comedy series they co-wrote with Gavin Crawford for CBC Punchline that spoofs life hacks. Brian and Darla peer self-consciously into the camera as they offer helpful hints like placing a kiddie pool of warm, soapy water under your dining room table to put dirty dishes in, or creating a tunnel in a weiner to pump in mustard for a cleaner hot dog.

First of all, did you meet Roberto Alomar when he was on the set of Mr. D this season?
Naomi Snieckus: I didn’t. How do I put this? I like baseball and I enjoy live sports but I’m not like, ‘Oh my God! It’s Roberto Alomar!’ I’m no Gerry Dee. He was crying because he was so happy.

I feel like Mr. D is just an opportunity for Gerry to meet his favourite athletes.
NS: I don’t think you’re far off.

Is it tough when all of your are in the staff room filming scenes for staff meetings?
NS: It is hard to keep it together when we’re in those scenes. And it’s hard for the director to handle it but it adds to the energy of the scene, so it’s worthwhile to have those jokes. You want to be ready so that you’re not warming up after they call ‘Action.’ They always give us a little room to play, but the writing is so strong that we don’t need to. It’s all there. You might discover something in the moment and that’s always welcome.

What’s it like filming in Halifax? Everyone is there, so does it feel a little bit like summer camp?
NS: Total summer camp! We’re all so excited to get there and then on the last day we’re like, ‘I’ll write every day…’ If we shot in Toronto we would have busy lives outside of the show. We love it because we’re all in the same hotel, I bring my dog. It’s lovely.

How many sweat suits do you have in wardrobe?
NS: I have two pairs of track pants and I rotate tops. We have three changes in a day and I’m done my change and having bonbons at the craft table before everybody else. It’s great. And the rest of the girls say, ‘Oh, my shoes are hurting,’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, my running shoes are really uncomfortable!’ It’s a joke now that once a season I get to curl my hair and put on a skirt.

Doing_It

Let’s talk about Doing It! With Brian & Darla. How did it come about and how did it get on as part of CBC’s Punchline?
NS: We have this company, The National Theatre of the World, and we’re creating and developing more and more sketch. We started developing these characters and the CBC gave us a call and asked if we had anything we could turn into a web series. We always have 10 things in our pockets that we can pitch or work on. We had this idea and it was originally called How To with Naomi & Matt, but it was us as ourselves rather than characters. We pitched it and then we thought it would be a lot more fun to be characters. We re-vamped the pitch and took it back to them and they still liked it. They gave us a little bit of money and we shot it in three days in our house.

That really is your house.
NS: Every room of our house was used. There were holes in the walls and spaghetti splattered on the walls but every shot looked great.

Matt, can you talk about Punchline? This is yet another outlet for comedy teams like yourselves to get stuff out there that isn’t on YouTube.
Matt Baram: It’s a really great entry-level opportunity for somebody with a great idea that doesn’t cost a lot of money to make. I think CBC is coming around to the concept of getting folks online and then driving them to the TV. Most major networks in Canada are doing this; they can develop new talent. I think we were the first original content on there and I think people are seeing the possibilities. I think they’d love for something on Punchline to translate to something on the network.

If CBC came to you, could you turn Doing It! into a TV series?
MB: We didn’t go into this without the idea of having a half-hour pitch. Brian and Darla would be one aspect of what that show would be.

This sounds like it has the possibility of being something like Smith & Smith.
MB: Yeah, absolutely. I don’t know if we’d have an original duo song at the end of it, but yeah. Brian and Darla would fit perfectly into something like that. I would love to do a variety show in front of a live audience and have that live feel and also the sketches. That would be a dream.

Did you base Brian on anyone?
MB: Naomi and I have an imaginary friend named Brian that we blame all of out life missteps on. If someone didn’t take out the garbage, for instance, Naomi will go, ‘Ugh, Brian!’ There is a lot of weigh on his shoulders. He’s kind of there so that other people can blame him.

It must be pretty fun to skewer these life hack sites.
MB: As you satirize these people you realize there is a lot of self-satirization going on. How much time does it save you to blow the centre out of a hot dog weiner? And most of these things in attempting them was detracting minutes from our day.

I feel like this is a natural for a coffee table book.
MB: That’s a great idea. The books would be, How to Do Lovemaking, How to Do Cooking With Brian & Darla … a bunch of garbage ideas to make your life more complicated.

Mr. D airs Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. on CBC; Doing It! With Brian & Darla can be found on CBC Punchline.

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Tonight: Rick Mercer Report, 22 Minutes, Schitt’s Creek, Mr. D

Rick Mercer Report, CBC
Rick goes to Calgary to spend a day with ‘the world’s best mayor’, Naheed Nenshi that includes both city hall engagements and greeting people on the street and then he’s off to singer Brett Kissel’s family farm in Flat Lake, Alberta to help with the chores and have some country fun.

22 Minutes, CBC
This week on 22 Minutes Thomas Mulcair (Mark Critch) considers political coalition; climate change investigated; and NDP MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau.

Schitt’s Creek, CBC – “Surprise Party”
Johnny tries to arrange a surprise birthday party for Moira. Things backfire when Moira, unwittingly, takes over the planning of her own party.

Mr. D, CBC – “Teacher Conference”
Gerry meets an attractive woman at Barrel’s and drags Lisa with him to a teacher conference in Atlantic City to find her. Robert and Bobbi’s secret fling finally becomes public knowledge, while Trudy and Frank are at odds over his inappropriate phone calls in the staffroom.

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Tonight: Rick Mercer Report, 22 Minutes, Schitt’s Creek, Mr. D

Rick Mercer Report, CBC
Rick finds out how to build a cardboard boat when he joins students in Waterloo, ON. for an annual race and then he’s to off to check in with athletes preparing for wheelchair races in the upcoming Parapan Am Games.

22 Minutes, CBC
Tonight on 22 Minutes, St. Patrick’s Day preview; the launch of the Apple Watch and Mark Critch dabbles in Mixed Martial Arts with Canada’s Conservative MP and MMA contender.

Schitt’s Creek, CBC – “Little Sister”
Moira’s estranged sister, Deedee, pays an unexpected visit, while David agrees to talk with one of Jocelyn’s students about being “different”.

Mr. D, CBC – “Gerry’s Kid”
Gerry bumps into an old fling and her daughter and becomes convinced he’s met the child he never knew he had. Robert prepares for his chess club’s 20 year reunion.

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Tonight: Rick Mercer Report, 22 Minutes, Schitt’s Creek, Mr. D

Rick Mercer Report, CBC
Tonight Rick is in Ottawa where he learns how to play The Peace Tower Carillon and then he’s off to Gibsons, BC for a trapshooting lesson from world champ Susan Nattrass.

22 Minutes, CBC
Tonight on 22 Minutes, recent changes to Ontario’s school curriculum sparks a cross-country sex ed check-in. Mary Walsh guest stars and a new alcohol study discloses the weekly recommended booze limits.

Schitt’s Creek, CBC – “Honeymoon”
Johnny and Moira attend Roland’s annual Hawaiian bash. Alexis and Ted throw a couple’s dinner party, while David and Stevie’s relationship heats up.

Mr. D, CBC – “Lockdown”
After encountering an attractive police officer during a lockdown drill, Gerry is determined to see her again. Bobbi does her best to end her recurring fling with Robert, while Simon shows Frank how he could use science to protect Xavier.

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