Tonight: Masterchef Canada, Motive, Big Brother Canada

Masterchef Canada, CTV – “Wedding on the Waves”
The home cooks face their biggest team challenge yet: catering a beautiful Harbour Cruise wedding. They are tasked with creating stunning French-inspired canapés, appetizers, and main dishes for the bride, groom, and their wedding guests. Back in the MASTERCHEF CANADA kitchen, the losing team faces a Pressure Test that stars another French specialty – a technique-driven dessert that separates at least one home cook from their culinary dream.

Motive, CTV – “The Suicide Tree”
When an armored car robber drops dead in the middle of a heist, Detectives Angie Flynn (Kristin Lehman), Oscar Vega (Louis Ferreira), and Brian Lucas (Brendan Penny) follow the clues to an unassuming florist. The team comes together to support Dr. Rogers (Lauren Holly) after a security breach shakes her confidence.

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

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Link: Screen Nova Scotia pleads with premier over Film Tax Credit Program

From CBC News:

Screen Nova Scotia pleads with premier over Film Tax Credit Program
The suggestion made earlier this week that the Nova Scotia Film Industry Tax Credit could be cut in the upcoming provincial budget has raised the ire of many in the province’s film industry.

Screen Nova Scotia, a group representing workers in film, television and digital media is making an urgent appeal to Premier Stephen McNeil to stop, what it’s calling, “further distribution of misleading information pertaining to Nova Scotia’s Film Tax Credit Program.” Continue reading.

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Preview: Timber Kings spinoff Carver Kings spotlights chainsaw artists

I’m a fan of Timber Kings, HGTV’s hit docudrama about the guys and gals of Pioneer Homes who create fanciful masterpiece log homes for clients. I’m always amazed at how those folks not only see art in trees but turn their visions into a reality.

I’m just as impressed, and maybe even a little more so, with the dudes on Carver Kings. A companion piece to Timber Kings, each half-hour instalment spotlights the guys at Pioneer who create carved pieces to accompany the homes built. Sunday’s finale jumps right in with Mark Colp and Ryan Cook carving a 13-foot modern totem pole ordered by a couple who own a ski lodge built by Pioneer in Colorado. Mark and Ryan have just five days to create a stunning piece featuring animals native to the area: a wolf, owl, bear, fox and eagle.

And while Mark is a speedster with the saw, Ryan is a relative rookie and Mark is unsure of his partner’s chops. Reality shows like Carver Kings usually inject some kind of drama into the storytelling and this is no different. Will Ryan make mistakes? Yes. Does he battle back and fix them? Why, yes. And as long as you go into this knowing the thrills are a little contrived, you’ll enjoy yourself. Also on tap in Sunday’s debut: three junior carvers are given a big job by veteran Pete Ryan, who challenges them to create a Pioneer Homes logo to be placed on the Carver Corner building.

Visually, Carver Kings is stunning. You can almost smell the cedar as wood shavings cascade down as intricate artwork is teased out of the trees. The series is a worthy companion to Timber Kings and worth checking out.

Carver Kings airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada.

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Comments and queries for the week of April 3

I have been trying to find out why Line didn’t have to be tested [during last Sunday’s episode of MasterChef Canada]. If you or anyone else knows please let me know.—Sharon

There are weeks when there is so much going on with other contestants that others don’t get any screen time. That was the case with Line and Sabrina this week.


I think TV critics are useful for the industry, so long as they are reviewing shows that are their type. By this I mean that someone who doesn’t like sci-fi, shouldn’t critique a sci-fi series, someone who has never liked the romantic comedy genre should not review a romantic comedy, and a 61-year-old man shouldn’t critique a series about 20-something women unless any of them can actually do it objectively and empathetically. Too often I’ve seen a terrific show being ripped to shreds in a review, only because the critic has no interest in the genre and can’t or won’t try to connect to it. Sci-fi shows seem to get the worst of it and when you go to fan sites and such, you hear about it, especially around awards season where it’s almost like critics look down on the genre.—Alicia


Cheers, Diane, for taking on a poll and the blow-back that apparently goes with it. ;) My “write-in vote” would be, (perhaps no surprise) for Strange Empire, at least for what it was reflecting in Canadian thought about our history during during its run (2014-2015). The Indigenous and multi-gender viewpoints, not to mention the quality of acting and writing, marked a step forward for the CBC network, in my opinion. Time may prove that this show was CBC at one of its most interesting (and important) points. The network is, unfortunately, a little less on both fronts now, with their abrupt and less-than-forthright cancellation of the show.—Chad

I’m a U.S. citizen but my mom grew up in a very small town in Saskatchewan. We’d visit every other summer growing up. Corner Gas reminds me so much if those visits. Aside from that it’s also one of the funniest shows I’ve ever seen regardless of country of origin.—DC

They should rename Schitt’s Creek “Schitt’s Creek – USA.” Anytime they mention a place or location, it is in the U.S. Anytime a person is mentioned outside their small community, it is usually an American or someone foreign. There is nothing Canadian about it. Even Mr. D is getting into the U.S.A. game.—Georges


I first thought Crabtree was covering for Edna or Simon [on Murdoch Mysteries], but the fact that he left his boots to be so easily found is not in his character as a police officer. There is definitely more than meets the eye here. Simon said that his father was involved in a criminal element so maybe someone from his past will surface and be found guilty. I want Crabtree to get together with Edna. They make a better match than he and Emily.—Cloquette

George would not have killed Edna’s husband. It’s just not in his character. I believe he is protecting either Edna or Simon. But if he tried to help them cover it up, he’s done a very sloppy job and one that, at best, would make him an accessory after the fact, and something that would cost him his job as a police officer. Not at all the calibre we have come to expect from him in his association with William. Perhaps he discovered the crime scene, walking through the blood, and allowed the clues to be discovered pointing to him to give Edna and Simon time to disappear. Still somewhat culpable, but not as reprehensible. I would sorely miss the character of George were he to leave the program. Mind you, they’re all integral to the series and the absence of any one of them would be unfortunate.—Koboclio

Got a comment or question about Canadian TV? greg@tv-eh.com or @tv_eh.

 

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