Yearly Archives: 2015

Children's Programming

Family Channel greenlights Season 4 of The Next Step

From a media release:

Following last week’s DHX Television rebranding announcement, which emphasizes a mandate to build on the success of the company’s strong original production slate, Family Channel has revealed its plans for a fourth season of the popular tween drama The Next Step. The commissioning decision for the series, which currently ranks as the #1 kids television series airing across all Canadian kids networks1, follows the mid-season finale of the third season and the conclusion of the sold-out two-month, cross-country The Next Step Live on Stage tour. Production on the season four order, from Temple Street Productions, is set to begin this summer in Toronto.

Since its premiere in March, season three of The Next Step drew in an impressive average audience of 281,400 viewers2, weeknights at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT, making it the #1 series across all specialty networks for the three weeks of premiere episodes, with its target demos of kids 7-11, 6-12 and kids 8-14.3 On average, 479,000 unique viewers tuned-in to The Next Step each weeknight, and the third season has reached over 1.8 million Canadians to date.4

The Next Step follows the lives of an elite group of dancers who train at The Next Step studio. The first half of season three saw the dancers compete against rival studio, Elite, and each other, in order to secure a spot on the Internationals team. Thursday night’s finale brought even more twists and turns as viewers were introduced to Ella (Ella Gilling), a mischievous exchange program dancer from England, and Amanda (Logan Fabbro) was sent packing. Episodes of The Next Step currently air Fridays at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on Family.

Commissioned by Family Channel, The Next Step is produced by Temple Street Productions and is executive produced by Frank van Keeken (Wingin’ It, Kids in the Hall, Billable Hours), Ivan Schneeberg and David Fortier (Orphan Black, Being Erica, Wingin’ It). BBC Worldwide has acquired international distribution rights. The Next Step is also produced with financial assistance from The Shaw Rocket Fund.

 

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Featured, Masterchef Canada

Review: Losers return to MasterChef Canada

I don’t like it when reality shows bring eliminated contestants back to win their way onto the program. To me, if you have been cut, you weren’t good enough in the first place and don’t deserve another chance. And you certainly don’t deserve another shot at winning the MasterChef Canada title and $100,000 over someone who has been in the trenches every single week.

So I went into Sunday’s latest episode, “Walking on Eggshells,” with a bad taste in my mouth. To me, Andrew, Cody and Kevin were nothing more than a dramatic twist that didn’t need to be there. This season has been filled with enough twists to keep me interested, so why this overkill? Regardless of my thoughts, the trio competed in the first challenge of the week, to prepare the perfect egg three ways.

The judges didn’t make things easy on Andrew, Cody and Kevin—they had just eight minutes to make a three-egg omelette, poached egg and soft-boiled egg—and the trio sweated it out. Kevin, who always seems to be a bit of a bull in a china shop in the kitchen, broke his poached egg yolk and was out of the running early, leaving the door open for Cody and Andrew. Cody ultimately won a spot back in. I won’t spend any more time whining about it.

Instead, I’ll spotlight Cody’s bonehead move of giving David a pass for the week. He is one of the strongest chefs in the kitchen and instead of making him battle, Cody let David off easy. Armchair David indeed. I understand Cody’s reasoning of putting David up there so he’s not competing with him, but he’ll have to face David sooner or later.

As for the rest of the finalists, they had an almost insurmountable task in recreating a sea scallop mousse. I’m sorry, but how can the judges expect the home cooks to master a dish that Michael Bonacini messed up the first few times he tried to construct it? Making things worse for herself was Jennifer, who forgot to grab eggs from the pantry. Kudos to Michael for taking time out to talk her off the ledge, but she had a tough road ahead of her. And yet she pulled it off by using a roux to thicken the custard and snagged a special nod from the judges.

Jon’s double shot of whipping his mousse too much and leaving a chunk of lobster cartilage in the finished dish put him firmly in the bottom next to Cody and his chunky mousse and Michael’s puddly creation. Jon’s two mistakes were enough to send him home and keep Cody in the competition.

Notes and quotes

  • “I’d rather cook what lays the eggs.” — Kevin
  • “It’s one of the most attractive poached eggs I’ve seen.” Uh, thanks Alvin.
  • I love that the finalists refer to David as “Armchair David,” because he’s always in the gallery watching others compete.
  • “I don’t get a mousse. Why would you do that to food?” Amen, Jon. Amen.
  • Does anyone have time to sit in that little library/study at the back of the kitchen?

MasterChef Canada airs Sundays at 7 p.m. ET on CTV.

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Orphan Black

Link: The Robots of Orphan Black

From Noah Berlatsky of The Atlantic:

The Robots of Orphan Black
Orphan Black is a sci-fi conspiracy show, and as such, it’s filled with secret plots, secret counter-plots, subterfuge, and improbable twisting revelations. But the most improbably twisting revelation of them all is that everything you know about the clones played by Tatiana Maslany is false. Sarah, Allison, Helena, Cosima—they’re not really clones at all. They’re robots. Fear not; this isn’t some sort of diabolical spoiler that will ruin your enjoyment of the third season. The fact that the clones are robots is simply a genre observation. Continue reading.

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Frontier

Link: Republic of Doyle creators to film new show in Newfoundland

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From CBC:

Republic of Doyle creators to film new show on Avalon, western Newfoundland
The creators of Republic of Doyle are touting the Newfoundland landscape as an ideal place to shoot their newest series, Frontier. Alex Patrick, John Vatcher and Perry Chafe will sit as executive producers of the historical series, which will follow the rise to power of a number of individuals vying to get rich in North America’s fur trade. Six episodes will be produced. Continue reading.

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Big Brother Canada, Masterchef Canada, Motive

Tonight: Second City Project, MasterChef Canada, Motive, Big Brother Canada, Mummies Alive

Second City Project, Global
The special features exclusive never-before-seen sketches and standout pieces from the hilarious cast – alumni writer-performers Marty Adams, Tim Baltz, Caitlin Howden, Sam Richardson, Kayla Lorette and Steve Waltien, along with showrunner Bob Martin. Since its March 9 launch on GlobalTV.com and Global Go, the sidesplitting sketches have rapidly taken over social media, from going viral on Reddit to invading Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Vine and Tumblr with no signs of slowing down.

MasterChef Canada, CTV – “Walking on Eggshells”
In the biggest twist yet, three eliminated home cooks return for a single chance to cook their way back into the kitchen, by preparing three egg dishes in eight minutes. The home cooks then face a demanding Elimination Challenge, replicating the first dish that one of the judges mastered as a professional chef.

Motive, CTV – “Pilot Error”
After Angie (Kristin Lehman) drops her investigation of Neville Montgomery (Victor Garber, Titanic), she focuses on the murder of chef Chelsea Richmond (Sonja Bennett, YPF), murdered by her two-timing lover, Brad Calgrove (Chris Klein, American Pie). Maria Snow (Luisa D’Oliveira, 50/50), frustrated by Angie’s decision, discovers that Neville is now looking for the person who provided Angie with evidence pertinent to her investigation. Vega’s (Louis Ferreira) decision to keep information about his health issues from Angie creates a growing rift.

Big Brother Canada, Global
The houseguests face Nomination in tonight’s episode of Big Brother Canada.

Mummies Alive, History
Mummies Alive travels to four continents to reveal the incredible stories behind the world’s most enigmatic mummies. The series spans 5,000 years of history, and each episode focuses on one mummy including a mysterious 3,000 year old Egyptian pharaoh, a legendary cowboy gun slinger of the American Wild West, and a 14-year-old girl found on top of a 22,000 foot volcano. By investigating their incredible preserved remains, their mysterious lives and the secrets of past civilizations come to light.

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