Tag Archives: Orphan Black

Preview: Murdoch Mysteries goes in for surgery in “Operation: Murder”

And just like that, we’re off and running with a new season of Murdoch Mysteries. In last week’s return, we met architect Frank Lloyd Wright and saw the deadly consequences of being inside William’s potato cooking room when you’re not a potato. If you haven’t done so already, read my interview with showrunner Peter Mitchell, who gives some background on how the house came together.

Now, on to Episode 2. Here’s what the CBC has released as the official storyline for “Operation: Murder,” written by Mary Pedersen and directed by Harvey Crossland:

Ogden enlists Murdoch to investigate possible sabotage in the operating room after a patient dies during a routine medical procedure.

And, as always, some non-spoilery details after watching the screener.

Orphan Black‘s Kathryn Alexandre appears in an important role
After playing Tatiana Maslany’s body double for five seasons, Kathryn Alexandre steps into the spotlight in a fun role: Florence Nightingale Graham, the businesswoman who founded Elizabeth Arden, Inc. Florence and George enjoy quite the romp on Monday night and it leads to a very, very funny scene.

Julia’s storyline is anything but funny
While George is getting goop on his face, Julia is dealing with tragedy at the University of Toronto School of Medicine. Veteran actor James McGowan is Doctor Forbes, who encourages Julia to perform surgery on a patient. Stephanie Belding returns to Murdoch Mysteries for a third stint, this time as Nurse Sullivan, a key witness in a patient’s death. Sebastian Pigott, most recently seen on Wynonna Earp this year and Frankie Drake Mysteries last year, is Dr. Dixon, a fellow student of Julia’s and none too happy she’s smarter than him.

Oh, that house
I’m glad all the work the crew did on the Frank Lloyd Wright home set is being used in more than one episode. It serves as the backdrop for William’s latest scientific gadget.

Murdoch Mysteries airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on CBC.

Images courtesy of CBC.

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Link: 10 years ago, ‘Flashpoint’ opened the door For ‘Wynonna Earp,’ ‘Orphan Black’ and ‘Travelers’

From Merrill Barr of Forbes:

Link: 10 years ago, ‘Flashpoint’ opened the door For ‘Wynonna Earp,’ ‘Orphan Black’ and ‘Travelers’
In the summer of 2008, amidst the fallout of a damaging writers strike in the first half of the year, America broadcast networks were desperate for content. For CBS, one solution ended up coming from a strange place: Canada. What resulted from an unassuming find meant to just fill time was a series that would break the door down for shows such as Orphan Black and Wynonna Earp to thrive a decade later. That find? Flashpoint. Continue reading.

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Jerry O’Connell solves crimes in Bravo’s lighthearted Carter

If North Bay, Ont.’s tourism board is looking for a spokesperson, they should sign up Jerry O’Connell. The veteran actor of such series as The Defenders and Sliders speaks glowingly—and extensively—while discussing his next project, the Canadian original crime series Carter, debuting Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.

“It’s a truly Canadian show,” O’Connell says on the line from London, England, where he’s shopping Carter worldwide for Sony Pictures Television. “I’ve worked on a lot of shows in Canada that have pretended to be San Francisco, painted out the Canadian flag and handled American money, but here they actually frame the Canadian flag and we actually use loonies and twonies. I feel like I’m a real ambassador for North Bay at this point.”

The project, created by Garry Campbell (The Kids in the Hall, Todd and the Book of Pure Evil) was filmed in the northern Ontario city—as was fellow Bell Media series Cardinal—and focuses on Harley Carter (O’Connell), an affable Canadian lad who made it big as a detective on the hottest cop show on American television. After a much-publicized meltdown, Harley has returned to his hometown of Bishop, Ont., where he reconnects with childhood friends Sam Shaw (Sydney Poitier-Heartsong) and Dave Leigh (Kristian Bruun). Sam, a veteran cop, quickly finds Harley inserting himself into her investigations while coffee truck owner Dave serves as Harley’s unofficial driver and wingman in some outrageous schemes. Unlike the dark, brooding of Cardinal, Carter is much more lighthearted, especially when Harley and Dave are bumbling their way through a plan to get information on a suspect. And, thanks for Harley’s years of playing a cop on television, he actually helps with investigations, much to Sam’s chagrin.

“I lived in L.A. for about 10 years and had a lot of Canadian friends there and I watched what it did to people,” Campbell says of the genesis of Carter. “You have enough people telling you, ‘You’re a star and everything should revolve around you,’ and you start to believe it. It changes people. I was fascinated with the idea of this Canadian boy who always had this idealized version of what Hollywood was in his head. The procedural element of the show is just gravy. I wanted to deal with a guy who gets away from his roots.”

Harley is far from his roots when viewers tune in to the debut instalment. Harley is basking in being recognized on the beach in Bishop when Sam appears and an awkward reunion follows. But when Harley’s housekeeper-turned guardian of 30 years is accused of murder (check out a photo gallery of Carter‘s cast, including Wynonna Earp‘s Varun Saranga) Harley demands he be included in the investigation. Yes, Harley is somewhat cocky, but what Campbell and his writing team of Larry Bambrick, Jenn Engels and Wil Zmak have created is someone immensely likeable. O’Connell, so long a co-star on series where he’s not the main man, steps into that role and owns it. The chemistry between he, Poiter-Heartsong and Bruun is palpable, especially in one key scene where the characters are relaxing in Muskoka chairs, sipping beer and recalling the old days.

“That was the moment, of all the moments when we kind of said, ‘Oh, we’re doing it. This thing is going to work,'” Campbell recalls. “We cast well. Those guys are amazing. And they’re just decent human beings and it shines through.”

Carter airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.

Images courtesy of Bell Media.

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Photo gallery: Carter, Season 1

Where has the time gone? It seems just like yesterday when Bell Media announced Carter was in production up in North Bay, Ont. Now we’re just days away from the debut—Tuesday, May 15, at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo—and we’re sharing some gorgeous gallery images of the cast below.

Carter stars Jerry O’Connell as Harley Carter, the star of the hottest detective show in primetime television. After a much-publicized meltdown, Harley returns to the small town of Bishop to reconnect with his roots. Harley quickly reunites with his childhood friends Sam Shaw (Sydney Poitier-Heartsong) and Dave Leigh (Kristian Bruun) to solve crimes. Along for the 10-episode adventure are Varun Saranga as Vijay Gill, Brenda Kamino as Dot Yashuda, John Bourgeois as Chief Angus Pershing, Joanne Boland as Nicole Walker, Matt Barum as Wes Holm and Sherry Miller as Mayor Grace Hamilton.

Carter was created and written by Garry Campbell, developed with writer John Tinker and produced by Amaze Film + Television. Scott Smith directs. Executive producers are Amaze Film + Television’s Teza Lawrence and Michael Souther, and producer is Victoria Hirst.

Carter debuts Tuesday, May 15, at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.

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TV Eh B Cs podcast 77 — Elize Morgan vs. Alpaca vs. Llama

Elize Morgan is a writer of TV, games and digital series. She worked on Assassin’s Creed: Origins, was part of the Season 1 team for girls action animation series Mysticons, and is currently pitching for her co-created series Alpaca vs. Llama for the Independent Production Fund.

She created and produced two digital comedy series, Pretty In Geek and The Gate. She was also the editor of How to Make a Web Series (free on iBooks).

Elize wrote for the CSA-winning convergent project Grojband: The Show Must Go On and has been nominated for a WGC Award for her script “Heart of Gold” for the girls action series Mysticons.

Elize has worked on animated and live action properties for kids, including CBC’s Ollie: The Boy Who Became What He Ate, Rusty Rivets and Bagel & Becky. Elize has an MA in Popular Culture and is a graduate of the CFC’s Prime Time Television Writing Program.

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