Monthly Archives: September 2017

Featured, Murdoch Mysteries

Comments and queries for the week of September 29

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The Season 10 cliffhanger ending, and the opening of Season 11 [of Murdoch Mysteries] were very well done. Political corruption has its roots at the very foundation of this country. As for the death of Slugger Jackson, I suppose it was the choice of Kristian Bruun since he wanted to leave the show. But if I had a choice it would have been Higgins. He has been a thorn in my side almost from Day 1. But the break came when he allowed a prisoner he was watching to go out and get killed. All because of his stupidity. Being stupid can only last so long. He isn’t funny, but unfortunately, just reading his lines. Shame about Bruun as he will be missed. I’ve met him on various Murdoch events and found him to be a great guy with a nice personality. I wish him well in his future endeavours. —Paul

A cliffhanger ending to Season 10. A full range of emotions in the season opener as we went from near tears to jumping out of our seats when Crabtree appeared. Sad to see Jackson go and hope to see Kristian Bruun in other roles soon. Murdoch Mysteries is, without doubt, the best production anywhere and so proud it’s Canadian and promoting our accomplished homegrown actors. —Doug

Loved the season opener! So excited that George and Brackenreid are both alive!! Really enjoyed his reaction when Murdoch saw that George was alive and Brackenreid says ‘I didn’t get that kind of greeting,’ and then Julia says, ‘Neither did I!’ LOL. Great storyline to bring it all together from the season ending! Sad that Jackson had to go as we were just starting to really get to know who he was, perhaps he can visit Higgins as a ghost when Higgins does something stupid (as he always does) and tell him to smarten up! Although Higgins drives me crazy, I think we need him just for times when you just have to roll your eyes!! Love the show! —Jandy

Why, oh why wasn’t it Higgins that died instead of Jackson? His character is so irritating and pretty thick to boot! All the best Kristian. Love from Anne, all the way from England.

I agree with Anne. I wish Higgins had died for the same reasons. He acts like a little kid and never wants to do anything. He always argues with George and it gets irritating after awhile. Jackson was a fresh new cast member who should have stayed on the program. Best of luck to you. —Diana

I could not stop laughing when Julia reappeared (again!) dressed as a man. Brilliant. I felt sad believing Crabtree was really dead—he is such an important part of the show—and then relieved of course. And Watts is growing on me. A really brilliant episode all around to tidy up the mess of the Season 10 finale. Kristian was a fine addition but not as essential as the original cast. —Noele

I was almost ready to abandon the show without Crabtree in it! The plot kept us guessing and on the edge of our seats, hoping things would work out favourably. So sorry to lose Constable Jackson (Kristian Bruun), who had more storyline last season, and became more interesting; wishing you continued success in your career. Maybe you can return and haunt Murdoch! Hard to explain why we become so attached to people in the show; perhaps it’s the great acting which makes it seem so real. Looking forward to the rest of the season, but my heart can’t stand too many more cliffhangers!! —Deborah

The series “The Wild Canadian Year” is sensational. The photography is beyond belief. Congratulations to all involved and huge applause to the photographers. —Arlene

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

 

 

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Industry News

Link: ‘The Carmilla Movie’ Sets Streaming, Theatrical Premiere Dates

From Todd Spangler of Variety:

Link: ‘The Carmilla Movie’ Sets Streaming, Theatrical Premiere Dates
“The Carmilla Movie,” based on the lesbian-vampire romance web series that has become a cult favorite, is set to hit the internet — as well as theaters in Canada — next month.

The film will be available to fans who pre-ordered the film from Vimeo’s VHX beginning Oct. 26. Then on Oct. 27, “The Carmilla Movie” will hit subscription VOD service Fullscreen, the exclusive worldwide streaming home for the film. Continue reading.

 

 

 

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Baroness von Sketch Show

Link: Baroness von Sketch Show Is the Canadian Answer to Inside Amy Schumer

From Anna Silman of The Cut:

Link: Baroness von Sketch Show Is the Canadian Answer to Inside Amy Schumer
The strength of BVS is how the four women slip inside the skins of different characters that we all recognize from our daily lives: the passive-aggressive co-worker, the overbearing hostess, the habitually boring storyteller. Continue reading.

 

 

 

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Industry News

Link: Canada’s new cultural policy: The 10 key takeaways; plus Melanie Joly’s speech

From Daniel Leblanc and Mayaz Alam of The Globe and Mail:

Link: Canada’s new cultural policy: The 10 key takeaways
On Thursday, the Heritage Minister unveils ‘Creative Canada,’ the first major overhaul of the cultural funding regime in more than 25 years. Here’s what you need to know. Continue reading. 

Here’s a link to a transcript of today’s speech.

 

 

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Featured, The Disappearance

CTV’s The Disappearance mines a fractured family’s search for their missing son

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A child gone missing. It’s one of the most traumatic things a family can face. The Sullivan family experiences that awful scenario this Sunday when the original six-part miniseries The Disappearance debuts at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV. Starring Peter Coyote, Aden Young, Camille Sullivan, Joanne Kelly, Micheline Lanctôt, Kevin Parent and Michael Riendeau, The Disappearance is a gripping thriller about lives turned upside down.

“What is the worst thing that can happen to parents?” executive producer Sophie Parizeau asks television critics during a set visit to Montreal. “It’s having a child that disappears. And not having answers as to why is very, very difficult. Emotionally, I think people will really connect with it.”

It won’t take long for viewers to be drawn into the story on Sunday; Normand Daneau and Geneviève Simard’s first script of six directed by Peter Stebbings is tightly-wound and traumatic, beginning with an idyllic day at school for Anthony Sullivan (Riendeau) and ending with darkness, police lights, an investigation by Lieutenant-Detective Susan Bowden (Lanctôt) and Sergeant-Detective Charles Cooper (Parent), and an overturned bicycle. Between those bookends, we learn Anthony’s father, musician Luke Sullivan (Young), and mother, microbiologist Helen (Sullivan), are signing off on their divorce, something Luke’s father, former prosecutor and judge Henry (Coyote) frowns upon. Meanwhile, Anthony has gotten in trouble at school—a class project on the community invades his neighbours’ privacy—and how to discipline him divides Henry, Helen and Luke.

Daneau and Simard brought The Disappearance to Joanne Forgues at Productions Casablanca in 2011, but after some initial interest in Quebec, the project stalled. After translating the first script into English they pitched it to Bell Media, thinking the psychological drama would fit on a variety of properties, including Bravo and The Movie Network. Bell Media bit and the project was a go, but landing their leading man proved to be a challenge: Young was starring in an ABC pilot and wouldn’t be available. But, as often happens in Hollywood, the pilot wasn’t picked up.

“They sent me three episodes,” the Canadian-Australian actor recalls over lunch. “My agent called me and asked how far I was into the scripts and I said I was on the third one. I realized I’d just been blowing through the pages … it was a real whodunnit and that excited me. This was an investigation, a let’s get into it and get after what’s happened kind of thing.”

What’s happened is key. Was the person who took Anthony a neighbour unhappy at the boy entering their home while he researched the project? Could someone Henry put in prison during his 40-year-career be exacting revenge? Or is the disappearance related to someone from Luke’s past? Secrets are revealed—and they’re not pretty—but there is at least one sliver of hope.

“Usually, something like this would break a relationship,” Sullivan says of Luke and Helen. “We’re already split at the beginning and, because we’re locked into the search for Anthony, we really do start to rediscover each other. There is also no one else in the world at that moment who can understand what you’re going through. Only the other parent, and I think that’s something that really draws us together.”

The Disappearance airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV.

Images courtesy of Bell Media.

 

 

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