TV, eh?

From former Border writer Denis McGrath of Dead Things on Sticks:

• The Border goes to Afghanistan; DMc stays on couch
  “That old meeting with the ex-girlfriend can be super awkward. But I didn’t have time to think about that, because a few minutes in, I was too sucked into the show. Awesome. Never thought in a million years that would happen.” Read more.

From Brendan Kelly of the Montreal Gazette:

• McGowan’s homecoming, of sorts
  “James McGowan made a rare visit to Montreal last week, and the actor – who plays immigration and customs cop Mike Kessler in the CBC drama The Border – was saying it was something of a bittersweet return to his hometown.” Read more.

From Bill Brioux at TV Feeds My Family:

• Thousands Flee as Border Left Unprotected
  “CBC’s The Border sank to its lowest audience level ever Thursday night, attracting just 410,000 viewers.” Read more.

Gray and Carver infiltrate a violent white supremacist’s compound.

From Brian Gorman in the Lindsay Post:

• ‘Border’ star Chernick on geekdom and growing up
  “Any regular viewer of “The Border” will tell you that there usually seems to be just one person having fun. And that’s Jonas Chernick’s character, Heironymous Slade, the computer nerd. Surrounded by sober, gun-toting public servants; slimy careerist agents from Ottawa; and sinister American imperialists, he’s the only one who seems to really like his job.” Read more.

From Bill Brioux at TV Feeds My Family:

• Survivor Torches the Competition
  “The good news for CBC was the low 2+ Doc Zone score (325,000) did not hurt The Border as much this week. The second episode of the season for the CBC drama drew 620,000.” Read more.

ICS hunts a respected financier suspected of running a massive Ponzi scheme. When wealthy philanthropist Benjamin Herzog is murdered, the prime suspect is his financial advisor Cyrus Church. Church has engineered a massive Ponzi scheme to defraud his investors of billions. Foreign operatives determined to recover stolen funds are also looking for Church. And complicating matters, Church’s new trophy wife is Svetlana Karpov, a dead-sexy Russian stripper from Kessler’s past. ICS’s newest agent, Khalida Massi, finally gets a chance to prove herself in the field.

Written by David Barlow, Directed by TW Peacock

From Bill Brioux at TV Feeds My Family:

• Border Swarmed by Grey’s Anatomy
  “Grey’s … did 2,884,000 Thursday night on CTV, winning the night and flooding the CBC drama which managed just 427,000 opposite it at 9 p.m.” Read more.

Series III – Eps 2 – Broken – Bianca LaGarda returns to ICS escorting a Canadian teenager – a Guantanamo Bay prisoner with ties to terrorists.

From Bill Brioux at TV Feeds My Family:

• Viewers Stopped at The Border
  “The Border drew 497,000 for it’s third season premiere Thursday night, according to BBM Canada overnight estimates.” Read more.

From Bill Brioux of TV Feeds My Family:

• Border Back Tonight; Dragons’ Hit 1.5 mil
  “The Border returns tonight at 9 p.m. on CBC, the last of the CBC series launches for now. The action hour is entering a third season, a critical time for most shows. It`s been around long enough for editors to say, ‘What else ya got?’ when guys like me are pitching features, not long enough to have reached that magic 100 episode mark and the promise of syndication riches.” Read more.

From Alex Strachan of Canwest News Service:

• ‘The Border’ is coming into its own: Season opener is brisk followup to a cliffhanger ending
  “The Border is back in business. And, based on tonight’s brisk, confident season opener, it has finally come of age in its third year.” Read more.

From John Doyle of the Globe and Mail:

• Canadians like their Dr. House. Pastor Mansbridge, not so much
  “One million viewers is the benchmark for Canadian productions and in that category there are hits and misses. CTV’s So You Think You Can Dance Canada is drawing about 1.4 million viewers, a number likely to go up as the competition reaches it conclusion. Flashpoint is also a huge hit for CTV, drawing 1.8 million last Friday – without having a CBS simulcast – and putting it into the Top 20. CBC’s Dragons’ Den drew 1.3 million viewers recently and Rick Mercer Report started this season with 1.2 million CBC viewers. Meanwhile, both Being Erica and 22 Minutes are well under the million mark, drawing about 770,000 viewers recently. Little Mosque got 560,000 for its season debut.” Read more.

Kessler and Carver hover near death while Gray hunts down Layla’s killer.

From CBC:

• Grace Park brings sex appeal to The Border
  “Vancouver’s Grace Park has made a smooth transition from Battlestar Galactica to the CBC series The Border, bringing her hot image with her.” Read more.

From Bill Harris of Sun Media:

• Karkanis more than a familiar face
  “When you see Athena Karkanis on The Border this season, just don’t say she has a familiar face, OK? Karkanis is the newest regular cast member on the CBC series, which returns for its third season on Thursday, Oct. 8. She seems a natural for the role of Khalida Massi, but getting the part was an ordeal.” Read more.

From a media release:

GEMINI-AWARD WINNING SERIES THE BORDER MOVES TO THURSDAYS AT 9 PM

• Celebrated Canadian actors guest star in season three Tonya Lee Williams, Arsinée Khanjian, Kristin Booth, Patrick McKenna and more…

In its most explosive season yet, CBC’s Gemini award-winning hit show, THE BORDER, delivers more action and gripping storylines than ever, picking up from last season’s cliffhanger finale — a firefight with a vicious gang. Premiering on CBC Television on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 9 p.m., season three opens with Major Mike Kessler (James McGowan) critically wounded and wracked with guilt. Deemed a rogue cop, Gray Jackson (Graham Abbey) is suspended, while Liz Carver (Grace Park) fights for her life in a Washington hospital. Language specialist Khalida Massi (Athena Karkanis) joins the Squad, impressing colleagues with her motorcycle and her martial arts training, and Slade (Jonas Chernick) is completely smitten.

(more…)

From Bill Brioux at TV Feeds My Family:

• CBC Sets Stage for Fall With Classy Launch
  “Next up was Rick Mercer. ‘I’m the one guy in Canada who wants an election,’ he joked. The Rick Mercer Report was CBC’s highest-rated entertainment show last season, averaging just under a million viewers a week. For the seventh season, which begins Tues., Sept. 29, Mercer will plunge off a cliff bungee jumping with Man in Motion Rick Hansen. ‘You haven’t lived until you’ve seen a man in a wheelchair plunge 160 feet,’ says Mercer.” Read more.

From a media release:

CBC-TV SERVES UP GREAT ENTERTAINMENT THIS FALL: NEW COMEDY, RETURNING HITS AND THE HOTTEST COMPETITION ON ICE

CBC Television today showcases highlights from its Fall 2009 Entertainment schedule, including two new series. The Ron James Show (pictured) features the uniquely funny insights into modern life from one of Canada’s favourite comedians, taped before a live audience at the Canadian Broadcasting Centre in Toronto. Two worlds collide in Battle of the Blades when eight hockey legends and eight figure skating stars compete live in front of fans at the historic Maple Leaf Gardens.

(more…)

From Mike Morrison of Mike’s Bloggity Blog:

• Five Free Episodes!
  “The season finales included are: Being Erica, Little Mosque on the Prairie, The Tudors, Heartland, and The Border! Better yet, all the shows are available in Standard or High Definition!” Read more.

Being Erica

The Border

Heartland

Little Mosque on the Prairie

The Tudors