Everything about Orphan Black, eh?

Space Orders Season 4 of ORPHAN BLACK

From a media release:

Space has confirmed that it has ordered 10 additional, one-hour episodes of its critically-acclaimed clone conspiracy thriller ORPHAN BLACK. From  Temple Street Productions and produced in partnership with Space and BBC America, Season 4 of the Canadian original drama will see the return of phenomenal, award-winning Canadian actor, and Golden Globe®-nominee Tatiana Maslany (Woman In Gold, PARKS AND RECREATION), who has portrayed nine distinct clones to date. Production is set to begin this fall, in Toronto. The multi-channel Season 3 premiere of ORPHAN BLACK on Saturday, April 18 drew a combined audience of 697,000 viewers to Space, CTV, Bravo, and MTV, making it the most-watched episode of the series ever. All-new episodes of ORPHAN BLACK Season 3 air Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on Space. The first two seasons are streaming now on CraveTVTM.

 

ORPHAN BLACK stars Canadian Screen Award winner and Golden Globe® nominee Tatiana Maslany, who to date has portrayed nine different characters (Sarah, Beth, Katja, Alison, Cosima, Helena, Rachel, Jennifer, and Tony). Season 3 features the incredible ensemble cast comprised of Jordan Gavaris (The Sea of Trees) as Felix, Sarah’s foster brother; Maria Doyle Kennedy (DOWNTON ABBEY) as Mrs. S, Sarah and Felix’s hard-nosed working class foster mother; Dylan Bruce (ARROW) as Paul, Beth’s boyfriend with a secret linked to his army days in Afghanistan, Kevin Hanchard (REPUBLIC OF DOYLE) as Art, a veteran detective; Skyler Wexler (Carrie) as Kira, Sarah’s seven-year-old daughter; and Michiel Huisman (GAME OF THRONES) as Cal Morrison, Sarah’s mysterious ex-boyfriend and Kira’s father. Season 3 also sees the return of Ari Millen as the recently revealed new Castor clones.

ORPHAN BLACK is executive produced by Ivan Schneeberg and David Fortier (BEING ERICA, X COMPANY), Graeme Manson (Cube, FLASHPOINT) and John Fawcett (SPARTACUS, Ginger Snaps). The series is co-created by Manson and Fawcett, with Manson also serving as writer and Fawcett as director. BBC Worldwide distributes the series internationally, reaching more than 170 countries.

 

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He Said/She Said: Canadian TV Shows to Binge-Watch this Summer

Join Greg and Diane every Monday as we debate what’s on our minds. This week: Key Canadian TV shows to binge-watch this summer.

He Said:

The Canadian TV calendar is starting to thin out as we get into the summer months. Big Brother Canada, Remedy and Orphan Black continue to chug along, Rookie Blue returns and Between debuts on May 21 and CBC’s Fool Canada hidden camera series starring Will Sasso is scheduled to bow in June. Other than that, there’s not a heck of a lot on, which means it’s the perfect time to binge-watch a homegrown program or two (or four or five) during the rest of the spring and into the summer. Here are my picks:

Young Drunk Punk, City
Bruce McCulloch’s peek back at the 1980s is tender, funny and sweet, and showcases wonderful performances from its young cast in Tim Carlson and Atticus Mitchell alongside vets McCulloch and Tracy Ryan. Catch all 13 episodes on City’s website.

Sunnyside, City
Co-created by Gary Pearson and Dan Redican, Sunnyside is brash, envelope-pushing sketch comedy starring Kathleen Phillips, Pat Thornton, Patrice Goodman, Alice Moran, Rob Norman and Kevin Vidal playing a wide range of offbeat characters, from meth heads to meat heads, murderers to cops. Wacky co-stars include ponies, clowns, a bleeding wall and a guy who lives in the sewer. Season 1 is available on City’s website.

Vikings, shomi/History
If historical drama is more your thing, you should be watching Vikings. Game of Thrones may grab more headlines, but I like Vikings because it’s based on real history and Viking mythology. Travis Fimmel is Ragnar Lothbrok, a Viking farmer who yearns for a better, more exciting life. With the help of his wife, Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick), brother Rollo (Clive Standen) and buddy Floki (Gustaf SkarsgÃ¥rd), Ragnar successfully reaches England and begins a bloody campaign seeking riches and fame. Seasons 1 and 2 are available on shomi for Rogers and Shaw subscribers and Season 3 can be watched on History.ca.

Republic of Doyle, CBC
Allan Hawco’s co-creation is like The Rockford Files if it was set in Newfoundland. Jake Doyle (Hawco) and his dad, Malachy (Sean McGinley) tool around St. John’s in a GTO, solving crimes as PI’s and getting into trouble with the local RCMP detachment. Funny and dramatic, Doyle is one hell of a ride. The entire run of Republic of Doyle can be watched on CBC.ca.

Orphan Black, CraveTV
My apologies to die-hard fans of Orphan Black, but I like Season 1 more than the sophomore go-round or this current season. I think it’s because I was so blown away by Tatiana Maslany playing Sarah, Alison, Helena, Rachel and Cosima for the first time and the tight storytelling that made it so memorable. This was OB before the accolades and awards, when it still felt like a small #CloneClub was tuning in to greatness. Season 1 is available on CraveTV.

Blackstone, APTN
Created by Ron E. Scott, this gritty Gemini Award winner spotlights the fictional Blackstone First Nations band just outside of Edmonton. Issues of drugs, alcoholism, unemployment, corruption and abuse are acknowledged through an unflinching lens that is entertaining and thought-provoking. All four seasons of Blackstone can be seen on APTN’s website.

She Said:

The problem with recommending a binge-watch of Canadian series is many can be difficult to find. You can’t just sign up for CraveTV or shomi unless you’re with a qualifying cable or Internet company, and some of the binge-worthiest shows aired on cable channels that don’t offer episodes online, or aired years ago before online access was a consideration and a broadcaster or producer might not think getting those rights is worth the effort. Does anyone buy DVDs anymore? A handful are available that way.

I’d echo Greg’s Blackstone recommendation — I need to get caught up myself — and add that the first season of Young Drunk Punk will come to CBC in the fall, but you could be one of the cool kids (and possibly help the low-rated show get a second season) if you catch up now. Besides those, here’s my two cents:

slings_and_arrows-image

Slings & Arrows, DVD
If you’ve seen it already, isn’t it time to rewatch? If you haven’t seen it, you have to at least give a try to the show that tops my list of best Canadian series of all time. If you don’t fall in love, fine, be that way, but at least get a taste of the pathos and humour behind the scenes of not-Stratford starring Paul Gross, Martha Burns, Stephen Ouimette, Mark McKinney, Susan Coyne and, in the first season, a luminous Rachel McAdams. All three seasons are on DVD.

Twitch City, DVD
I dare you to find a more intentionally surreal Canadian show than this, co-created by and starring my favourite oddball Don McKellar (see also: Slings & Arrows) as a TV addict shut-in. Costars included Callum Keith Rennie, Molly Parker, and both Bruce McCulloch and Mark McKinney as the same character, believe it or not. As far as I can tell, DVD is your only hope.

19-2, CraveTV
The ratings of this acclaimed cop series suggest many of you, like me, haven’t been watching as it aired. I got part way through season one during my CraveTV trial, and a seemingly random selection of season two episodes are on bravo.ca. I’ll likely wait to complete my binge until Bell starts selling their shows to Netflix (aka when hell freezes over), or if they do the smart thing and rerun the series from the beginning on CTV this summer.

Sensitive Skin, HBO Canada on demand
If  you have access, check out this Kim Cattrall-starring black comedy about a woman’s mid-life crisis, with Don McKellar and Elliot Gould.  It never got its due while it aired, but it is getting a second season so binge away if you can … unlike me.

Schitt’s Creek, Netflix
Ah, CBC, a Canadian channel that actually allows their shows to be sold to Netflix. One of my favourite shows of this past season (no “Canadian” qualifier needed), Schitt’s Creek is my choice for a binge rewatch of the antics of Eugene and Dan Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Emily Hampshire, Annie Murphy and Chris Elliot. You can also find the season on CBC.ca but let’s be honest: Netflix is a much better user experience.

Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays, CBC
A surprise renewal years after its cancellation means you need to catch up on season one before season two arrives likely next year. Starring Bob Martin and Matt Watts as a codependent therapist and patient, the series is hilarious and heartfelt. All episodes are available on CBC.ca.

What about you? What Canadian shows will you be binge-watching, and how? 

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Review: Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? on Orphan Black

SPOILER ALERT: Please do not read on unless you’ve seen the Season 3, Episode 3 of Orphan Black, titled “Formalized, Complex, and Costly.”

Oh my god, the clones are actually sisters and brothers! OK, so maybe it’s not that exciting as far as revelations go (in fact, it’s kind of obvious that they would be related), but it does add another dynamic to Orphan Black, and even offers the possibility that they can team up and take on Dyad … and maybe even the Prolethians, who are back in fine flower-dress form this week.

It’s hard to tell who the real enemy is in Episode 3. Is it Rudy, who had to kill his own brother because he was defective and it was “protocol”? He goes to extreme measures all the time, but we can’t forget that he’s had a military life, is a messed-up clone, and is on an assigned mission to bring back the genetic material.

Is it Mark? The poor guy genuinely wants to separate himself from the clones and just go off with Gracie. Sure, he tortures Willard Finch (Nicholas Campbell looking his grizzliest) for information on Henrik’s scientific work and inadvertently kills him, but Mark’s motivations are as pure as Sarah’s.

Sarah is looking for Helena, and will stop at nothing to get it. If it means killing someone, she will. So does that make her any less of a villain than Mark? Nope. We sympathize with Sarah because we know her struggles. We don’t know the male clones’ stories—at least not in full. And hey, we’ve gotten to know Mommy a bit better now, and she seems to be a few shades of crazy. Having her raise a bunch of boys (which is what I’m assuming at this point) under a military structure probably provided some serious scars, both internal and external.

To put it simply, I’m having trouble figuring out who to root for. Obviously I love Helena and ultimately want Sarah to succeed in her quest to bring her home, but I feel badly for the Castor clones. I’m a tad concerned that these guys were just introduced to be killed off one by one, with Rudy and Mommy eating bullets in the Season 3 finale.

I’m assuming Mark is dead at this point. If Bonnie (Kristin Booth, represent!) missed from that distance with that rifle, then she’s a terrible shot. So that’s two Castor clones in as many episodes. It’s going to be impossible to form any real attachment to them, and makes me really fear that one-by-one concern, above.

This main-storyline tedium is what makes the Cosima-Scott-Felix brain extraction so fun, and so necessary. As disgusting as it was—I had to stop eating for the duration of the scene—it was a nice break from the cryptic conversations and runarounds of the plot. There was humour, amazing special effects, and hey, it’s interesting! We want that science nerd stuff, it’s engaging; it also brings the story forward when we learn that the Castor clones are suffering from irreversible brain disintegration. And who doesn’t love the occasional Felix rejoinder?

The other other subplot is ticking along according to plan: Alison and Donnie are successfully winning over the local housewife population with their drug dealing, and getting support for her school trustee campaign. I still stand by this subplot as being totally ridiculous and pretty unrealistic, but this is a show about clones who’ve found another group of clones, so who am I to judge? The scene in the garage was entertaining, mostly because watching Alison one-up anyone is a joy. We’ll see if this matures into anything of substance, or if it’s just another distraction from the density of the main plot.

One thing I will ask for is: more Helena. I can’t tear my eyes away when she’s on-screen. She’s either going to beat the Castor clones, or join them, and honestly I don’t know which one I prefer.

Clone of the Week: Helena. Her sassy comebacks make my night.

Random Thoughts:

  • Holy Canadian TV actor cameos! Nicholas Campbell as Willard Finch and Kristin Booth reprising her Bonnie role, all in one night! Such a pleasure.
  • The scene with Rachel undergoing rehabilitative therapy was spellbinding. Couldn’t get enough. Her dialogue reiterated to me that she will eventually go after/try to kill Delphine. So she can’t say “key” right now, but in a matter of weeks she’ll be back to the same ol’ Rachel, except with a badass eyepatch.
  • Did anyone else hear Cosima still coughing? That scared me.
  • Alison: “Go sell a house, Marcie!” and then “I need to cut something.”
  • Why was Sarah still talking/whispering into her phone when she’s trying to sneak into the barn? Who does that? Stealth 101: No phone talking.
  • Shout-out to Jilly’s, the now-gone strip joint in downtown Toronto, which makes an appearance in the background when Sarah and Art question the midwife.

Orphan Black airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on Space.

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Tonight: Orphan Black, Innerspace, W5

Orphan Black, Space – “Formalized, Complex, and Costly”
Leda and Castor are both on the hunt for original clone DNA. Mark and Gracie pursue new leads to find the samples that might set them free, while Art and Sarah reunite to track them down. Meanwhile, Cosima and Scott try to learn more about Castor’s biology, and Alison’s new money-making venture is going gangbusters. A shocking revelation about the Castor-Leda connection leaves the sisters reeling, just before Sarah witnesses a deadly Prolethean-Castor face-off. For a sneak peek at next week’s episode, click here.

Innerspace: After the Black, Space
INNERSPACE hosts Ajay Fry and Morgan Hoffman sit down with ORPHAN BLACK co-creators, writer Graeme Manson and director John Fawcett, to dissect the events that transpired in the third episode of Season 3, and to chat about what viewers can expect from the remainder of the season. In the following week’s episode, Ajay and Morgan get an insider look at how multiple clone scenes are made as they chat with clone doubles Kathryn Alexandre and Nick Abraham.

W5, CTV – “Suicide Watch / King of the Dinosaurs”
W5 investigation into hospitals failing suicidal patients who take their own lives while under care. And Phil Currie’s passion to learn about long extinct species also lets us learn about ourselves today

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Flashpoint’s Ed Lane is Canada’s favourite TV cop

Flashpoint may have gone off the air in 2012, but the cops of Toronto’s Emergency Task Force are still in our hearts. Ed Lane, specifically, who won our latest poll asking who their Favourite Canadian TV Cops were. Lane, played by Hugh Dillon, took the top spot with 5,737 votes.

In second place came Rookie Blue‘s Sam Swarek (Ben Bass) with 3,636 votes, Corner Gas‘ Davis Quentin (Lorne Cardinal) with 1,542 votes, Durham County‘s Mike Sweeney (Dillon again!) with 1,465 votes and Davis’ Corner Gas partner Karen Pelly (Tara Spencer-Nairn) with 995 votes.

Rounding out the Top 10 were Swarek’s primetime partners Gail Peck, Andy McNally and Oliver Shaw, Murdoch Mysteries‘ Det. William Murdoch and Haven‘s Nathan Wuornos. Several readers commented that Wuornos’ lady love, Audrey Parker, should have been an option but since she’s an FBI agent rather than a police officer, she wasn’t included as a choice.

Who are your favourite Canadian TV cops?

  • Ed Lane, Flashpoint (30%, 5,737 Votes)
  • Sam Swarek, Rookie Blue (19%, 3,636 Votes)
  • Davis Quinton, Corner Gas (8%, 1,542 Votes)
  • Mike Sweeney, Durham County (8%, 1,465 Votes)
  • Karen Pelly, Corner Gas (5%, 995 Votes)
  • Gail Peck, Rookie Blue (5%, 898 Votes)
  • Andy McNally, Rookie Blue (4%, 757 Votes)
  • William Murdoch, Murdoch Mysteries (2%, 375 Votes)
  • Nathan Wuornos, Haven (2%, 334 Votes)
  • Oliver Shaw, Rookie Blue (2%, 333 Votes)
  • Benton Fraser, Due South (2%, 332 Votes)
  • George Crabtree, Murdoch Mysteries (1%, 216 Votes)
  • Jules Callaghan, Flashpoint (1%, 175 Votes)
  • Tamsin, Lost Girl (1%, 161 Votes)
  • Dyson, Lost Girl (1%, 153 Votes)
  • Traci Nash, Rookie Blue (1%, 127 Votes)
  • Nick Collins, Rookie Blue (1%, 126 Votes)
  • Greg Parker, Flashpoint (1%, 119 Votes)
  • John Constable, The Beachcombers (1%, 117 Votes)
  • Thomas Brackenreid, Murdoch Mysteries (0%, 95 Votes)
  • Ray Kowalski, Due South (0%, 91 Votes)
  • Mike Scarlatti, Flashpoint (0%, 89 Votes)
  • Sam Braddock, Flashpoint (0%, 82 Votes)
  • Michelle Kenidi, North of 60 (0%, 77 Votes)
  • Ray Vecchio, Due South (0%, 73 Votes)
  • Kevin Wordsworth, Flashpoint (0%, 71 Votes)
  • Chloe Price, Rookie Blue (0%, 66 Votes)
  • Dwight Hendrickson, Haven (0%, 60 Votes)
  • Kiera Cameron, Continuum (0%, 60 Votes)
  • Angie Flynn, Motive (0%, 54 Votes)
  • Leslie Bennett, Republic of Doyle (0%, 51 Votes)
  • Kerri, Sunnyside (0%, 50 Votes)
  • Dov Epstein, Rookie Blue (0%, 48 Votes)
  • Donna, Sunnyside (0%, 47 Votes)
  • Art, Orphan Black (0%, 39 Votes)
  • Ben Chartier, 19-2 (0%, 36 Votes)
  • Ben Sullivan, Shattered (0%, 29 Votes)
  • Oscar Vega, Motive (0%, 27 Votes)
  • Chris Diaz, Rookie Blue (0%, 26 Votes)
  • Eric Olsen, North of 60 (0%, 25 Votes)
  • Tinny Doyle, Republic of Doyle (0%, 22 Votes)
  • Carlos Fonnegra, Continuum (0%, 22 Votes)
  • Henry Higgins, Murdoch Mysteries (0%, 21 Votes)
  • Mick Leary, Da Vinci's Inquest (0%, 20 Votes)
  • Slugger Jackson, Murdoch Mysteries (0%, 18 Votes)
  • Aidan Black, Cracked (0%, 17 Votes)
  • Nick Barron, 19-2 (0%, 15 Votes)
  • Harding Welsh, Due South (0%, 14 Votes)
  • Ali McCormick, Cold Squad (0%, 14 Votes)
  • Joshua Nolan, Defiance (0%, 12 Votes)
  • Leo Shannon, Da Vinci's Inquest (0%, 12 Votes)
  • Brian Fletcher, North of 60 (0%, 11 Votes)
  • James Harper, North of 60 (0%, 8 Votes)
  • Jessica King, King (0%, 7 Votes)
  • Kat Loving, Strange Empire (0%, 7 Votes)
  • Angela Kosmo, Da Vinci's Inquest (0%, 7 Votes)
  • Mary Spalding, Intelligence (0%, 7 Votes)
  • J.M. Brouillard, 19-2 (0%, 6 Votes)
  • Mark Cross, Motive (0%, 6 Votes)
  • Audrey Pouliot, 19-2 (0%, 5 Votes)
  • Liz Carver, The Border (0%, 5 Votes)
  • Inspector Dillon, Continuum (0%, 5 Votes)
  • Brian Lucas, Motive (0%, 5 Votes)
  • Gray Jackson, The Border (0%, 4 Votes)
  • Ted Altman, Intelligence (0%, 4 Votes)
  • Poppy Wisnefski, Cracked (0%, 4 Votes)
  • Diane Caligra, Cracked (0%, 4 Votes)
  • Tyler Joseph, 19-2 (0%, 3 Votes)
  • Ed Oosterhuis, Blue Murder (0%, 2 Votes)
  • Isabelle Latendresse, 19-2 (0%, 2 Votes)
  • Mickey Kollander, Cold Squad (0%, 1 Votes)
  • Frank Leo, The Bridge (0%, 1 Votes)
  • Jack Pogue, Blue Murder (0%, 1 Votes)
  • Amy Lynch, Shattered (0%, 1 Votes)
  • Beatrice Hamelin, 19-2 (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 13,495

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Thanks for all of those who participated in voting!

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