Yearly Archives: 2016

Amazing Race Canada, Motive

CTV Unveils its Summer 2016 Schedule

From a media release:

CTV “is in it to win it” as Canada’s most-watched network unveiled its Summer 2016 schedule today, including the announcement of four new programs and four returning hits, all joining star-studded music celebrations THE 2016 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS and THE 2016 IHEARTRADIO MUCH MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS.

With the starting line now within eye shot, Canada’s most-watched summer series for three years in a row hits the road for a brand new Season 4 of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA (June 28). All-new seasons of summer favourites also make their triumphant return including the scandalous season premiere of MISTRESSES (May 30); award-winning chefs Gordon Ramsay (MASTERCHEF JUNIOR) and Christina Tosi (CHOPPED) welcome 40 new home cooks into the MASTERCHEF kitchen for Season 7 (June 1); last summer’s biggest event series is back with a special two-hour season premiere of ZOO (June 28); and CTV’s original hit crime drama MOTIVE concludes its final season episodes with riveting all-new investigations (July 5). Plus, CTV doesn’t skip a beat, delivering a tandem of star-studded celebrations of music with THE 2016 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS, featuring a tribute to Prince by Madonna (May 22), and THE 2016 IHEARTRADIO MMVAs, hosted by international supermodel Gigi Hadid, and featuring performances by singer-songwriter Alessia Cara, multi-platinum recording artist Nick Jonas, and pop supergroup Fifth Harmony (June 19).

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Featured, Orphan Black

Comments and queries for the week of May 13

Canada AM‘s Jeff Hutcheson announces retirement

Jeff, the very best to you in the next transition in your life. I retired two years ago, but before that, I woke up to the AM gang. Loved it, the laughs, the classy ways of all of you. Bev and Marci must feel like their brother is leaving. I’m trusting you that you aren’t hiking off to live with Kelly Ripa to replace Michael! KIDDING. Enjoy. —Beverley

One of the reasons I watch Canada AM is because of Jeff’s genuine character, sense of humour and all around likability. He gets my day off to a happy start. I am happiest when he, Bev and Marci are all there together—you can tell they have a wonderful relationship. He will definitely be missed, but who could deny him a well-deserved retirement? I wish him all the best and hope he’ll drop by Canada AM on Skype or in person, now and again. Happy everything, Jeff! Enjoy every minute in good health. —Sharon

Donnie steals the spotlight in Orphan Black

I think Kristian Bruun is spectacularly talented, just like Maslany, and is getting a chance to showcase it on this show. It’s so fun to watch more and more of this couple because they are such a spectacularly dysfunctional, want-to-look-perfect suburban couple. When I first saw the fertility clinic scene, I knew he was going to call her and they would do some role play over the phone. They are so into each other in these weird ways, she really gets off on his neediness … did you catch the admiring glance they threw each other when he said, “Clear, concise, and colour coded, well done.” I thought that was a kind of foreplay for them! Then when he said Air Italia, I thought, ‘Oh, they’re into accents?!!!!’ ROFLMAO. More serious aspects of show aside, this was just wonderful, as good or better than the money-in-the-bedroom scene. The two lead actors are probably letting improv dictate this chemistry, and the results are fantastic. You get plenty of literary references, both are college educated, they have adopted children of colour specifically. So now we can predict that with Donnie asking Helena to be understanding of his wife’s envy, that Helena will go out of her way to make Alison feel very included in her pregnancy. Hand on belly and everything. They better do this. It’s what you do for a sestra, innit?

I LOVE this show and the actors they’ve assembled are amazing (Jordan, too). I’m seriously thinking of writing my own weekly blog on this show and a few other semi-sci-fi (highly speculative fiction!) shows I love. I think we will get to see Donnie and Alison get to experience pregnancy through Helena—we saw an inkling of this when Donnie and Helena went to the ultrasound together—they both are giving each other something the other never had: families, and babies. How beautiful is this show on some cosmic level? Amidst all this ugly manipulation, for-profit-minded genetic tampering, and weird subcultures (bifurcated dicks and sister-kissing, no less), there is this amazing undercurrent of love, and of challenging of notions about what constitutes “kin.” This is what I believe this show is all about on an emotional level. And the biotech angle is just whipped cream on the cake … hey there is an idea for Donnie and Alison to explore! —Heather

Jennifer Valentyne exits Breakfast Television Toronto

I have no idea how some of you could talk about Jen’s Live Eye segments as if they were a waste of time. They made the show worth watching. She will be missed greatly by so many of us long time BT viewers for a reason: she was simply fantastic! Charming, funny, enthusiastic, full of energy, personable, beautiful and so on. Good luck Jennifer V. No, I will not be watching BT very much at all anymore. Idiotic decision by The Rogers Corp. to let her go. —Todd

I am so sad to hear that BT let Jen go. Well, no more BT and CityLine. Back to Canada AM. —Mary

 

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

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Featured, Slasher

Slasher reveals its killer

With Slasher‘s season finale airing next week, there are still a lot of unanswered questions lingering for the terrorized town of Waterbury.

We still don’t know who The Executioner is and why he’s killing everyone, except it has ties to Ariel’s disappearance. The latest victim, Chief Ian Vaughn, was revealed to have been keeping Ariel (and her son via Vaughn) captive in his basement and was burned alive in a coroner’s incinerator. (What a way to go.)

Super Channel teases Friday’s new episode, “In the Pride of His Face,” with the following logline: “Sarah learns that Dylan knew about her past before they met. Tom Winston escapes from prison, convinced that Sarah is going to be The Executioner’s final victim.”

We can do a little better than that, but we won’t spoil everything.

Slasher

Officer Sharma is freaked out
Sharma, who was strangled by The Executioner while he stood vigil in front of Sarah’s house earlier this season, makes a major discovery in the case that ties the suffocation deaths of the Vicker family to the present-day occurrences. A creepy memorial to the Vicker clan—and sketches of the six sins—results in one character revealing themselves to be the killer.

Flash back to 1988
No surprise that what viewers saw happen on Halloween night in 1988 back in Episode 1 wasn’t the whole story. Now that Tom has confessed to being her father, Sarah confronts him and demands to know why he murdered Rachel and Bryan. We learn there was another side to the married pair, one that affected Tom so much he turned to extreme violence.

Dylan’s secret comes out
We’ve known about Dylan’s obsession with Tom, but someone else finds out too. The results are devastating.

Slasher airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on Super Channel.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

W Network’s Masters of Flip Returns for Season 2

From a media release:

W Network’s #1 rated reality series Masters of Flip is back at it again with higher stakes, massive flips, and even bigger drama when Season 2 premieres Tuesday, June 7 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on W Network. The series follows Canadian born, Nashville-based house-flipping couple Kortney and Dave Wilson (CMT Canada’s Meet the Wilsons, Kortney & Dave: By Request) as they transform “Music City” one property at a time.

In the second season, Kortney and Dave continue to grow their business as they hunt for new properties, take big chances, and deal with the chaos that comes with major renovations. With tight timelines Kortney and Dave use their house-flipping expertise to transform each real estate disaster into a stunning family dream home. The rollercoaster of buying, renovating, and staging each house all hinges on that final sale as Kortney and Dave debate how big a risk to take in order to garner the most profit.

Masters of Flip is produced by Rhino Content and developed in association with W Network. The series is also part of a growing slate of properties for international distribution from Corus Entertainment.

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19-2

Season 3 of 19-2 returns June 20 to Bravo; renewed for Season 4

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From a media release:

Bravo announced today that its award-winning drama 19-2 has been renewed for a fourth season, just weeks before Season 3 premieres on Monday, June 20 at 10 p.m. ET. Winner of three Canadian Screen Awards including Best Dramatic Series, the 10-episode, hour-long drama sees the return of CSA-nominated actors Adrian Holmes and Jared Keeso as beat partners Nick Barron and Ben Chartier. Together, the pair navigate the blurred-lines between Montréal politics and organized crime while the squad searches for redemption and begins to heal from Season 2’s traumatic events. Production on 19-2’s upcoming fourth season is expected to begin this fall in Montréal. Seasons 1 and 2 of 19-2 are available for streaming on CraveTV. Catch the dramatic 19-2 Season 3 launch promo here.

Season 3 of 19-2 sees a fragmented squad reeling from the revelation that Sergeant Julien Houle (CSA nominee Conrad Pla), once the glue that held them together, was a pedophile and a mole for organized crime. As Commander Gendron (CSA nominee Bruce Ramsay) scrambles to save his own career in the wake of this blight on the force, the patrollers strengthen their bond to help them through this shocking news. Meanwhile, Nick, still rocked by guilt over his involvement in a murder, seeks closure by trying to find out what happened to his missing cousin Kaz. Ben finds love and happiness with Nick’s sister, Amelie, but struggles with the family he thought he’d left behind.

Also returning this season are CSA nominee Laurence Leboeuf as scapegoated officer and Nick’s former lover, Audrey; CSA nominee Dan Petronijevic as angry beat-cop J.M.; CSA nominee Benz Antoine as struggling alcoholic, Officer Tyler Joseph; Mylène Dinh-Robic as Tyler’s former partner and now Acting Sergeant Béatrice; Bruce Ramsay as manipulative District Commander Marcel Gendron; and Alexander De Jordy as rookie cop Richard Dulac. CSA nominee Maxim Roy returns to guest star as Nick’s ex-wife Detective Isabelle Latendresse.

New characters recruited to 19-2 include Juliette Gosselin (Les Jeunes Loups) as manipulative teen foster child Martine who claims to have information on Kaz’s death; Krista Bridges (DURHAM COUNTY) as Inspector Elise Roberge stationed at 19 to wrap up the investigation of Sergeant Houle; and Joe Pingue (THE EXPANSE) as Charlie Figo, an old-school mobster who goads Nick into uncharted territory.

In the season premiere episode “Burn Pile” (Monday, June 20 at 10 p.m. ET), the squad waits for findings from a task force into Sergeant Houle’s case. Nick and Ben find themselves at the centre of the fractured squad, the only partnership that has endured. On the job, the squad face a horrific accident that puts multiple lives in danger.

19-2 is co-produced by Sphère Média Plus and Echo Media in association with Bell Media. Bell Media Production Executive is Michele McMahon. Tom Hastings is Director, Drama, Independent Production, Bell Media. Corrie Coe is Senior Vice-President, Independent Production, Bell Media. Tracey Pearce is Senior Vice-President, Specialty and Pay, Bell Media. Randy Lennox is President, Entertainment Production and Broadcasting, Bell Media.

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