Link: CBC’s Still Standing gets laughs in small-town Canada

From John Doyle of The Globe and Mail:

CBC’s Still Standing gets laughs in small-town Canada
This is the sort of Canadian concept-show that could go horribly wrong. It’s a retro-CBC premise and on paper it reeks of CBC dutifully fulfilling its public broadcast mandate and showing Canada to Canadians.

But there is a delightful quality to Harris’s genuine curiosity about the people in obscure places, and there is great skill in his ability to lampoon the town without crossing any line into superciliousness. He’s a caution. Continue reading.

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Link: Cutting the cord: 16% of Canadians don’t pay for traditional TV service, CBC report finds

From Aly Thomson of The Canadian Press:

Cutting the cord: 16% of Canadians don’t pay for traditional TV service, CBC report finds
A growing number of Canadians are ditching their traditional television subscriptions, according to a new CBC research report.

The May 2015 report said more than half of Canadians currently without cable television have “cut the cord,” meaning they had a television subscription and cancelled it.

“With the prevalence of TV content on the Internet and Netflix, Canadians are seeing less need to have a TV subscription,” the report said. Continue reading.

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Link: 8 Things Mr. Dressup Taught Canadian Kids

From Isabelle Khoo of The Huffington Post:

8 Things Mr. Dressup Taught Canadian Kids
For most Canadian kids, “Mr. Dressup” was the ultimate symbol of childhood. From crafts to singalongs, the Canadian icon not only entertained us, but shaped what we know and love today.

To show our appreciation, we’re looking back at the top eight things we learned from “Mr. Dressup.” Continue reading.

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MasterChef Canada heads to Toronto for auditions

From a media release:

Kitchens are heating up this summer as talented and passionate Canadian home cooks have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to follow their culinary dreams during the MASTERCHEF CANADA Season 3 Open Casting Call July 18 and 19 in Toronto. Taking place at the InterContinental Toronto Centre Hotel, hopefuls can also apply online at CTV.ca/MasterChefCanada until Sunday, July 19.

Home cooks are encouraged to arrive at the MASTERCHEF CANADA Season 3 Open Casting Call for 7 a.m. ET on either Saturday, July 18 or Sunday, July 19 at the InterContinental Toronto Centre Hotel (225 Front St. W). MASTERCHEF CANADA hopefuls are asked to bring one prepared dish, which they will be given three minutes to plate before presenting to professional tasters. There will not be any kitchen facilities or supplies available, all dishes will be tasted at room temperature, and applicants must be able to carry everything they need into the audition room.

Prospective competitors will be judged on how their dishes taste, as well as plating, creativity, skill, and food knowledge. Home cooks are encouraged to visit CTV.ca/MasterChefCanada to complete the online application in advance of their in-person audition, and to read the FAQs carefully. All applicants must be amateurs, and cannot have worked professionally in a culinary environment as a cook, chef, or in food preparation.

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He Said/She Said: The Academy asked, we answer

Join Greg and Diane every Monday as we debate what’s on our minds. This week, we pillage the polls at the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television’s Fanzone for some silly summer fodder.

She said:

The poll that caught my eye was “Which Orphan Black clone do you most identify with?” because come on, how can you watch that show and not think about whether you’re a Sarah, Alison, Cosima, or — god forbid — Helena or Rachel? (I love that one of the options in the multiple-choice poll is murderously unhinged Helena but not heartless power-hungry Rachel.) After all, how many brain cells did women burn discussing whether we were Carries, Samanthas, Charlottes, or Mirandas? (I’m totally a Miranda.)

I’m way too sane to identify with Helena,  much as I adore her, and my overdeveloped sense of guilt means Rachel is not in the cards. If she had any sense of guilt she’d have poked her own eye out long ago.

Alison was my least favourite clone at the beginning, but she’s grown to be a favourite as her defenses have dropped and the twerk-ready soul behind her starched appearance emerged. But identify with her? No, just an admiration that someone so seemingly straight-laced and OCD could be such a hot mess.

Cosima in all her quirky, brainy glory was always one of my favourite clones, but her hardcore-geek puts my geek-like tendencies to shame, and I could never pull off that hairstyle.

I’d love to be more like Sarah — tough as nails, never met an ass she wouldn’t attempt to kick, yet caring and vulnerable too — but I’m nowhere near as brassy and ass-kicky. Still, she’s the clone I most identify with partly because we’ve seen so much of the story through her eyes, but also because she has the strength to be the heroine of her own story while constantly being knocked off course by forces beyond her control. Her derailments just happen to involve a few more corporate conspiracies and homicidal villains than your average woman’s.

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He Said:

I decided to answer the pretty timely “Who’s your favourite Reality TV host?” because The Amazing Race Canada rolls out for another season on Wednesday. To judge the four in this category is a lot like what Diane went through to get to the bottom of the Orphan Black clone she most identifies with. Like the Leda clones, each of these hosts has a different personality to fit with the shows they head up.

Jon Montgomery would be my homer pick, a likeable dude who won an Olympic gold medal and then drank from a pitcher of beer to celebrate. He brings that affable attitude to The Amazing Race Canada each week, calmly and playfully explaining each challenge before and welcoming the pairs to the mat at the end of each episode. He even looks sad when a squad is eliminated. Jon’s job isn’t to command the stage, but to serve as a bridge between series and contestants.

Arisa Cox is big and brash, all smiles and personality. It’s a tough gig — she has to balance hosting Big Brother Canada with interviewing the eliminated players and playing to a live audience — but she pulls it off. I’m not a huge fan of BBC, but I appreciate with Arisa brings to the table every week.

Like Arisa Cox, Jessi Cruickshank has a lot to do as host of Canada’s Smartest Person. She has to interact with the contestants — most of them sporting huge egos — mug for the live audience, throw to stats man Jeff Douglas and talk straight into he camera at those playing the game at home. She has an infectious personality that can be a little overbearing — and her wardrobe causes me to scratch my head sometimes — but you need a high-energy person to handle the three-ring circus that is Canada’s Smartest Person.

My favourite? Andrew Younghusband, host of Canada’s Worst Driver. Worst Driver is just one of three Discovery shows Younghusband hosts (Don’t Drive Here and Canada’s Worst Handyman), but he’s at his best here. Equal parts TV host, therapist and no-nonsense friend, Younghusband doesn’t just revel in bad, bad drivers but goes lengths to educate them in what they’re doing wrong. Yes, Andrew gets frustrated with lunkheads to the point he’ll berate them on camera. Sure, those sidelong glances he makes at the camera is a silent mockery between he and the viewer. But he does it all with Newfoundland charm and you can’t help but love him for it.

That’s why he’s my favourite reality TV show host.

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