TV, eh? | What's up in Canadian television
TV,eh? What's up in Canadian television

Season 2 of honest, unflinching, doc series Push debuts on AMI-tv

Bean Gill is no stranger to AMI-tv. She has been featured in an episode of the network’s runaway hit, You Can’t Ask That, which features members of the disability community answering questions about their lives honestly. The network’s flagship magazine series, AMI This Week, spoke to Bean about her life and business, ReYu Paralysis Recovery Centre. Bean and her friends were the focus of the AMI original documentary Wheel Girl Stories, a community of women in the Edmonton area who talk openly about their experiences as wheelchair users.

Now Bean is back with Season 2 of Push.

Airing Mondays at 8 p.m. Eastern on AMI-tv and available on demand on AMI+, Push is a genuine, unflinching look at life for wheelchair users and friends. From the logistics and stigmas of sex with a fellow wheelchair user, to navigating new motherhood as a “quad mom,” to facing the people and places who knew them pre-injury, Season 2 follows Bean and her friends as they confront their past, facing their demons and supporting new members of the group through the early days of wheelchair life.

We spoke to Bean while she was in Toronto recently.

What has it been like having the chance to meet with the media and talk about you talk your life and talk about Push?
Bean Gill: Honestly, super surreal. I don’t even have the words. I don’t have the words. Mostly I say it’s bonkers. I don’t think I’m anything special. I think I’m just a regular human doing regular things, but having these opportunities to talk to big media outlets, I am just so grateful for it because my goal has been to change the world, and now I get to do it on such a broader scale at a faster rate. So yeah, man, I’m here for it.

How did Push come along and how did it end up going to CBC and AMI?
BG: I’ve been blessed with a lot of opportunities that have come after having my spinal cord injury. And one of the things was I opened ReYu Paralysis Recovery Center in Edmonton. After doing that, I won a couple of awards and when I won Top 40 under 40, Kaitlin [Stewart], our executive producer, was flipping through the magazine and she said when she saw my picture that I jumped off the page to her and she said, ‘This woman has a story to tell.’ So she cold-called, sent me an email, asked me to go for coffee, and I jump at every opportunity. So I was like, ‘Yep, let’s do it.’ We talked and we didn’t really know what this was going to look like at all. And she also brought [executive producer] Sean De Vries into the fold. And then we had a bunch more meetings and Sean just asked me, ‘What do you want out of this?’ And I said, ‘I want a reality TV show.’ I’ve always wanted one for so long. I watched the show Push Girls, and that really inspired me and showed me that, wait a minute, I can be healthy. People will date me. What, you can have a job? Because I just didn’t think of these things. I had a stigma towards people with disabilities even though I was that person.

But one thing Push Girls missed was the transfers. I wanted to know the nitty gritty. Do you have bowel control? Do you have bladder control? Everything about living life with a spinal cord injury. That’s what I wanted to know, and that’s what I needed to know in the beginning. That’s what I really wanted for Push, is to show all those things. Because I’m thinking about somebody who’s newly injured, who’s Googling information and Push comes up and then they watch it and they say, ‘Wow, I can have friends. I can do all these things. I can have a family.’ I wanted to show people that your life can be such a beautiful, successful thing. It’s not the sad, depressed notion of what disability is or what people think is.

One of the most interesting and engaging conversations in Season 2 was about having sex when you are a wheelchair user. It was an honest and funny conversation as well as being educational.
BG: You just push yourself out of this comfort zone. And when you are talking to your friends, you kind of forget about the cameras. That’s just our natural behaviour with each other. We need to teach people. So this is how we get rid of the stigma is through education. So we’re happy to do it.

Are you seeing a big change about representation of the disability community in primetime television?
BG: Yeah, I think we are. It’s at a snail’s pace, but at least it’s happening. Is there room for more? Yes, always. Because there was a show a couple years ago where they had an able-bodied man portraying somebody with a disability. People with disabilities are the biggest minority in the world. There are billions of us, guaranteed. There are actors in the disability community.

Find the people who have the lived experience who want to do these things because they’re out there and not only do they deserve to get paid, they deserve to get paid well, and then also get that recognition and be able to have that kind of social change that we see. A lot of people get their stigmas and stereotypes and what they think disability is from media, and media is using the medical model of disability, which is archaic and nonexistent anymore. That’s not us. We don’t want your sympathy and we don’t want your pity. Let me tell you that very clearly. If you don’t understand me, get a translator. We don’t.

We don’t want it. We want to be treated with respect and dignity. That’s it. We are regular people just like you. And so why should we be treated any differently?

Season 2 of Push airs Mondays at 8 p.m. Eastern on AMI-tv and AMI+.

Image courtesy of AMI.

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Jay Baruchel returns in Season 2 of the Crave original docuseries, We’re All Gonna Die (Even Jay Baruchel)

From a media release:

After more than two years since the series debut, Jay Baruchel is still worrying about humanity’s demise. Crave announced today that Season 2 of its award-winning original docuseries WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE (EVEN JAY BARUCHEL) premieres with all six episodes on Friday, April 19.

In the Canadian Screen Award-winning, half-hour series about the various ways the world could end, Canadian actor, director, and author Jay Baruchel (Blackberry, Goon) is once again joined by top scientists, activists, and experts to explore the global crises that could cause civilization’s demise, all while trying to find the solutions and technological innovations to potentially save the world.

With his trademark wit, relatable discomfort, and deep curiosity, Baruchel continues his journey to dig below the surface of his own anxieties and fears, exploring artificial intelligence, coronal mass ejections, insect die-offs, nanotechnology, the simulation theory, and his own personal fear of death. Episodic synopses for Season 2 are outlined below:

Episode 1 – Jay – I

  • Artificial Intelligence is here. Is it going to take over? Jay finds out how much time remains before society bows down to its robot overlords.

Episode 2 – Scary Space Shit

  • Jay is terrified of outer space. Turns out, he’s right to be afraid. From gamma bursts to coronal mass ejections, space could severely mess things up on Earth.

Episode 3 – Insect Extermination         

  • Jay learns about a terrifying, and growing, problem: insects are dying off and it’s humanity’s fault. What happens if they become extinct? Can humanity survive without bugs?

Episode 4 – Nano Nightmare

  • This tiny technology may help to solve major problems, but Jay learns that it also comes with extraordinary risks to the environment.

Episode 5 – Simulation Schimulation

  • Jay explores the idea that reality is actually a computer simulation. But, if nothing is real, then should anyone even bother trying to save the world?

Episode 6 – The End of Jays

  • In the season finale, Jay confronts the ultimate existential threat: his own doom. Can he learn to accept the uncertainty of his inevitable, but unpredictable, death?

WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE is produced by 90th Parallel Productions in partnership with Bell Media’s Crave. Directed by Jay Baruchel, produced by Stuart Henderson and Javiera Quintana, and written by Stuart Henderson, Emma Kassirer, and Kirk Ramsay. Jay Baruchel, Stuart Henderson, Gordon Henderson, and Victoria Lean are Executive Producers.

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Preview: Murdoch Mysteries offers up pitch-perfect musical episode

“After 20 years, 17 seasons and 290 episodes, Murdoch Mysteries has finally done it… A musical episode!”

So said the email sent by CBC earlier this week, trumpeting the show’s musical interlude coming up on March 25. Murdoch Mysteries is certainly not the first TV series to do it; the popularity of the musical episode is largely attributed to Buffy the Vampire Slayer instalment, “Once More, With Feeling,” on November 6, 2001. Since then, many shows have done them, with mixed results. Grey’s Anatomy, Supernatural, Fringe, Ally McBeal, The Flash, Scrubs and fellow CBC hit Schitt’s Creek have all dipped into the trope.

Now it’s Murdoch Mysteries‘ turn with “Why Is Everybody Singing?” Written by Paul Aitken and directed by Laurie Lynd, here is the synopsis for the March 25 episode:

While pursuing a missing man now presumed dead, Murdoch takes a call that alters his perception of the world. After heading into a lively alley, he’s shot in the head and left for dead. Crabtree and Higgins find him with the faintest pulse clinging to life. As Brackenreid, Ogden, Watts and Hart rush to the scene and the constables question a newsboy, beggar, vendors and other witnesses, Murdoch hears their inquiries in song. The musical accounts swoop and soar, confounding the detective who can’t understand why everyone around him is singing instead of focusing on who shot him.

According to writer and executive producer Aitken, the seed for a musical mystery was planted by Buffy and has been gestating ever since.

“The challenge was to do it as a genuine mystery,” Aitken says in media materials provided by CBC. “The essential concept: A comatose Murdoch needs to determine who tried to kill him was strong and allowed for all manner of philosophical hijinks, but it was insufficient. The music itself needed to be a clue. Having the singing be his injured brain’s way of processing what was actually being said over his bed solved two problems. It made the music an integral feature of the plot and allowed for the introduction of new information—always handy when telling a mystery.”

The fun begins right out of the gate, with the Murdoch Mysteries theme with a phalanx of voices performing Robert Carli’s unmistakable composition set against a movie screen in a vintage theatre. Then it’s on the case that puts Murdoch into the dire straits he finds himself in: that of a missing man. I should say that eagle-eyed viewers will catch a familiar name in the opening credits that ruins a surprise later in the story, but that’s a minor quibble.

It doesn’t take long for the singing to start—prefaced by a vibrant soundtrack—and director Lynd’s wonderful work lights up the streets of Toronto.

“The script that Paul Aitken wrote is so clever because it is still at heart a classic Murdoch episode, a puzzling case to be solved that is not at all what it first appears to be,” Lynd says. “The great joy of the episode, of course, is seeing—and hearing!—our favourite Murdoch characters sing. All of the cast did their own singing, beautifully elevating the emotions of what their characters were expressing.

It certainly is fun to hear the main cast belting out lyrics by Aitken (Higgins’ and Margaret’s in particular, are hilarious) and produced and arranged by Jono Grant. Highlighted by guest cast in Sharron Matthews (Frankie Drake Mysteries), Hélène Joy, Arwen Humphreys and Thomas Craig, the performances make sense and add a unique way of storytelling.

But, at its heart is the mystery, which is always going to be the core of the veteran drama that shows no signs of slowing down.

“Preserving the integrity of the show has always been super important to me, so when there was talk of doing a musical episode, it was no secret that I had reservations,” Bisson says. “Having Paul Aitken, our writer, as an ally for so many years and having been in the musical trenches before with Laurie as a director, I felt confident to proceed. All my worrying was for nothing though—the end result is nothing short of spectacular!”

We agree.

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

Images courtesy of CBC.

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Season 2 of the CTV Life Channel original series Evolving Vegan premieres April 16

From a media release:

The plant-based adventures continue as the CTV Life Channel original series, EVOLVING VEGAN, returns for its second season beginning April 16 with new episodes airing Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CTV Life, CTV.ca, and the CTV app, and also streaming on Crave. Recently nominated for Best Host, Lifestyle for Season 1 of EVOLVING VEGAN at the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards, Mena Massoud (Aladdin) takes viewers to new dynamic destinations, exploring diverse approaches to vegan cuisine in each locale, illustrating how talented chefs and restaurateurs are making plant-based food delicious and accessible.

Over the course of six, all-new hour-long episodes, Massoud explores the vibrant plant-based food scenes of Philadelphia, Montréal, Miami, Las Vegas, New Orleans, and Tokyo. Along the way, Massoud experiences local vegan cuisine with guests and experts, including famed magician and actor Penn Jillette; comedian Maz Jobrani; educator and food historian Zella Palmer; and New York Times best selling cookbook authors Carleigh Bodrug and Radhi Devlukia.

In the premiere episode of EVOLVING VEGAN Season 2 (airing Tuesday, April 16 at 8 p.m. ET on CTV Life, CTV.ca, and the CTV app), Massoud heads to Philadelphia, a city rich in history and hearty food surprises with elevated live-fire cooking, fresh Capalachi Pasta, and an unexpected turn on the classic Philly “Cheesesteak”. Mena also learns to make delectable donuts with funnyman Maz Jobrani, and crushes an absolutely monstrous “meatball” sub.

EVOLVING VEGAN is produced by Bell Media Studios. For Bell Media Studio, Jennifer Couke and Michelle Crespi are Executive Producers. Eva Filomena is Series Producer. Mena Massoud and Ali Mashayekhi are Executive Producers for Press Play Productions.

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Season 2 of CTV original drama Sullivan’s Crossing premieres April 14

From a media release:

CTV announced today that Season 2 of hit original drama SULLIVAN’S CROSSING premieres Sunday, April 14 at a special time of 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app. The series then moves into its regular Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT timeslot beginning April 21. From the team behind VIRGIN RIVER, and adapted by executive producer and showrunner Roma Roth from the New York Times bestselling novels by beloved author and Virgin River scribe Robyn Carr, SULLIVAN’S CROSSING stars Morgan Kohan (WHEN HOPE CALLS), alongside Chad Michael Murray (ONE TREE HILL), and Scott Patterson (GILMORE GIRLS). Filmed in Nova Scotia, Season 2 consists of 10, one-hour episodes.

Following the gripping conclusion of the first season, Season 2 of SULLIVAN’S CROSSING opens just hours after Dr. Maggie Sullivan (Kohan) has learned about her father’s stroke, and her life is once again thrown into turmoil. Choosing to delay her return to Boston to care for her father Sully (Patterson), Maggie finds herself back in Sullivan’s Crossing, where she must once again face her conflicted feelings about her father and address her growing attraction to Cal (Murray), as she struggles to come to terms with the realities of her pregnancy and the impact it may have on her career.

Returning for Season 2 alongside Morgan Kohan as Dr. Maggie Sullivan, Chad Michael Murray as Cal Jones, and Scott Patterson as Harry “Sully” Sullivan, are actor, singer and companion of the Order of Canada, Tom Jackson (CARDINAL) as Frank Cranebear; actor, singer, and songwriter, Andrea Menard (VELVET DEVIL) as Edna Cranebear; Amalia Williamson (BRIA MACK GETS A LIFE) as Lola Gunderson; Lindura (GHOSTS) as Sydney Shandon; Dakota Taylor (ZERO CHILL) as Rafe; Lauren Hammersley (VIRGIN RIVER) as Connie Boyle; Lynda Boyd (VIRGIN RIVER) as Phoebe Lancaster; Reid Price (THE SINNER) as Rob Shandon; Peter Outerbridge (DESIGNATED SURVIVOR) as Walter Lancaster; and Allan Hawco (JACK RYAN) as Andrew Mathews.

Joining the ensemble cast this season are Michelle Nolden (HEARTLAND) as salon owner Alysa Mackenzie, and Cindy Sampson (PRIVATE EYES) as Jane, a divorced mom with eyes for Rob. Peter MacNeil (MOONSHINE), Joel Thomas Hynes (LITTLE DOG), and Jayne Eastwood (WORKIN’ MOMS) also guest star in episodes this season, as well as Meghan Ory (CHESAPEAKE SHORES) in the role of Cal’s sister, Sedona.

On the Season 2 premiere of SULLIVAN’S CROSSING, “Guilt Trip” (Sunday, April 14 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app), a guilt ridden Maggie Sullivan (Morgan Kohan) returns to the Crossing to find Sully (Scott Patterson) in hospital struggling with the feeling that he’s forgotten something. Cal Jones (Chad Michael Murray) is confused when Maggie gives him the cold shoulder, unaware that Lola (Amalia Williamson) pocketed his goodbye letter. Sully connects with a new patient who is sharing his hospital room; Edna (Andrea Menard) and Frank (Tom Jackson) find themselves at odds for the first time in years; and Sydney (Lindura) and Rafe (Dakota Taylor) struggle to keep things platonic while living as roommates.

Adapted by Showrunner Roma Roth from author Robyn Carr’s bestselling book series of the same name, SULLIVAN’S CROSSING is executive produced by Reel World Management’s Roma Roth and Christopher E. Perry in association with CTV and Fremantle. Author Robyn Carr is also an executive producer. Directors for Season 2 are Cal Coons (REMEDY), Chris Grismer (QUANTUM LEAP), April Mullen (THE SPENCER SISTERS), Melanie Orr (CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING), and Shamim Sharif (SORT OF).

The series is an interprovincial co-production with Nova Scotia based producer Ann Bernier and Ontario based producer Mark Gingras with the participation of Reel World Management, Canadian Media Fund, Bell Media, Nova Scotia Film & Television Production Incentive Fund, the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit, the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit, Bell Fund, and Screen Nova Scotia Content Creator Fund. SULLIVAN’S CROSSING is distributed internationally by Fremantle.

Showrunner Roma Roth executive produces alongside Christopher. E. Perry with Ann Bernier and Mark Gingras producing.

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