Bruce Gray, best known for portraying Adam Cunningham on the Global drama Traders, has passed away at the age of 81. According to Northern Stars, Gray died Dec. 13 after a fight with cancer.
Gray played the elder statesman Adam Cunningham at Gardner Ross investment bank on Traders for five seasons alongside Sonja Smits, Patrick McKenna, David Cubitt and Kim Huffman. Gray won a Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Role for the part in 1996.
Gray’s passing was first noted on Facebook by Murdoch Mysteries showrunner Peter Mitchell, who was the showrunner on Traders.
Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gray moved to Canada with his family when he was 13. In addition to roles in Canadian television on such projects as Queer as Folk and The Listener, Gray had roles in American TV series like How I Met Your Mother, Falling Skies, Medium, Playmakers, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Chicago Hope, Beverly Hills 90210 and Murder, She Wrote. His most recent roles were in Good Witch and Timeless.
Gray had an extensive theatre career as well, acting alongside Donald Sutherland in Androcles and the Lion while at the Mermaid Theatre and acting in plays in New Brunswick, British Columbia, New York, Texas; he became a member of the Circle Repertory Company in New York City where he created premiere performances.
Just as Murdoch Mysteries is really getting its stride, you introduce and keep this goofy detective in the mix. Totally distracting with his overacting. He is killing the show. Once might have been OK for some light comedy, but not for the whole season. —Paul
I’m pissed. Jackson had become a strong character on the show. They should have taken Higgins off the show. His character is unlikeable, I don’t like how back-stabbing his part has become. Take Higgins and leave Jackson on the show. —Cindy
I absolutely agree with you, Cindy!!! How could they kill Jackson and NOT Higgins? —Beverly
I thoroughly enjoyed A Christmas Fury but was multi-tasking and would love to see it again. As commented by others, it was hilarious, contained salty language and was most enjoyable and satisfying. I had never heard of Hatching, Matching and Dispatching but recognized some of the actors from 22 Minutes and Still Standing, etc. What a comic relief after the many sappy Christmas movies during this season. Please air it again on TV, not just streaming. —Kathleen
Got a question or comment about Canadian TV? Email greg.david@tv-eh.com or via Twitter @tv_eh.
In what has become a welcome Christmas present from Murdoch Mysteries, CBC and Shaftesbury, this year’s special TV-movie, Home for the Holidays arrives this Monday at 8 p.m. on CBC in all its bow-wrapped glory.
Written by Peter Mitchell and Simon McNabb, the two-hour spectacle directed by Gary Harvey boasts snow, holly, presents and a murder. Here’s the official episode synopsis from the CBC:
Detective Murdoch and Dr. Ogden travel to Victoria to visit Murdoch’s brother, RCMP officer Jasper Linney (Dylan Neal). There, they investigate a murder connected to an archaeologist (Megan Follows) who has uncovered an ancient Indigenous settlement, leading to a trek through the rugged beauty of British Columbia and encounters with the Songhees and Haida nations.
And here are a few more morsels we can add after watching the project.
Have no fear, the Brackenreids are here
Margaret and Thomas weren’t left out of Home for the Holidays. Their storyline involves an investment opportunity that, well, doesn’t turn out exactly as planned. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Skiing, anyone?
Crabtree and Higgins plot a holiday at a ski chalet with Nina Bloom (Erin Agostino) and Ruth Newsome (Siobhan Murphy). We might not always agree with the way Higgins conducts himself on the job but we love seeing he and Ruth together. As for Crabtree and Higgins, a trip sounds like fun until they find out exactly what snow skiing is. Kudos to Lachlan Murdoch for a very, very funny scene outside Station House No. 4.
Guest stars galore
The stockings are stuffed with familiar faces from Canada’s deep stable of actors. Among those participating in Home for the Holidays are Jake Epstein, Wayne Baker, Trevor Carroll and Simon R. Baker, as well as Dragons’ Den‘s Jim Treliving and ET Canada‘s Sangita Patel.
The West Coast does us proud
British Columbia is a beautiful province and is a stunning backdrop for this year’s A-storyline. There might not be any snow, but the lush vegetation is breathtaking.
Murdoch Mysteries: Home for the Holidays airs Monday at 8 p.m. on CBC.
Born on Friday the 13th, 1989 in Toronto, Evan Stern is known for his work in RoboCop. Stern was most recently seen in a supporting role in the feature film The Void and currently plays Roald in the CraveTV original series Letterkenny. A graduate of Queen’s University, he spent his first year at The Bader International Study Centre, Herstmonceux Castle in the United Kingdom. Stern completed a four-year program in Drama Studies, receiving his B.A. (Hons.) in 2011.
Stern hosts a podcast called Sleep Tight Fcker, where he and his friends watch and discuss horror movies.
Caitlin, Zoe and Bailey from Season 1, Episode 1, “Welcome to Our World”.
When we first began, we met Bailey, Caitlin and Zoe, three longtime girlfriends who were coping with the mundanity of life, looking to meet Mr. Right. Then, along came this misfit Anna who just wanted to fit and make some new friends. Now here we are; the penultimate episode of Mohawk Girls. And, we are down to some serious, potentially life-altering CHOICES! Do they each choose this or that? Are you “In or Out?” Episode 5 laid these decisions out for our Mohawk Girls and for viewers.
Caitlin (Heather White) was trying every sexy trick she possessed to earn her way back into Butterhead’s (Meegwun Fairbrother) good graces. Foot massage, home cooked meal, and cancelling her salon renovations. She vowed to always put Butterhead’s needs before her own. She even gave up an opportunity to participate in a fundraiser in order to cheer on Butterhead in his weekend lacrosse match. Then the day of the fundraiser arrived and Butterhead was too hung over to play in his match. Caitlin was left disappointed in him, but most of all herself, for once again putting a man before her own wants and needs.
Now, if you recall from Episode 4, Ohserase (Shawn Youngchief) came to Zoe’s (Brittany LeBorgne) defence in the coffee shop and the Twitterverse began to wonder if there was life for #Zohserase. This week Zoe came clean and revealed to Ohserase why she dated him: to get her parents off her back. Can I just say, every woman needs an Ohserase in her life! Dude is the perfect boyfriend! At any rate, he was impressed with Zoe’s honesty and bravery! He even attended her jazz class and OH YES! It is safe to say that #ZOHSERASE lives!
No doubt boosted by Ohserase’s forgiveness and support, Zoe finally mustered up the courage to visit her parents (played by Tantoo Cardinal and Erland Campbell), which predictably, went terribly wrong!
Last week, I was not certain that Bailey (Jenny Pudavick) recognized where the photo of James (Jeffrey Wetsch) and her was taken. This week we learned pretty quickly that indeed, she did know that the photo came from Anna (Maika Harper), and the two come to blows, literally. “This place has turned you into an animal!” But theirs were not the only tempers to fly. Sose (Glen Gould) stopped in to check on Bailey and found her packing to leave Kahnwa:ke. “Your great great great grandchildren will grow up to be those awful white people who say they might have some Indian blood in them. How can you deny you and your future children their heritage?”
Feeling pressure from her father’s attack, Bailey unloaded on James, listing everything that she must give up in order to be in a relationship with him. However, later, at the same fundraiser that Caitlin had turned down, Bailey presented a cheque in absentia for Auntie Velma. Other benefactors also in attendance came to Bailey’s side, all supporting her decision to be with James, and all disgusted by the behaviours of the Marry Out Get Out movement.
And finally, our misfit Anna, who in the wake of her vicious fight with Bailey, returned to her cultural lessons drunk. Anna was at her breaking point, feeling trapped into the party life she’s fallen into as a means to stay connected to the memory of her father. The instructor of the class reached out to Anna with a bit of cultural perspective. Buoyed by that knowledge she began to recognize the hypocrisy and deep seeded anger within Iostha (Ally Pratt) as they reviewed the quality of the prizes at the fundraiser.
Alright, everyone, this is it. Co-creators Tracey Deer and Cynthia Knight have led us to this point. All of our ladies must each make a choice that could mean sacrificing their personal happiness. Will Caitlin choose Butterhead, or Leon or herself? Will Bailey choose to remain with James or choose her responsibility to culture? And, like Bailey, will Zoe choose herself or her mother’s Mohawk vision for herself? And lastly, will Anna finally, at long last, find her place in Kahnawa:ke?
How do you think the series will end? Let me know in the comments below!
The series finale of Mohawk Girls airs Tuesday, Dec. 19, at 8:30 p.m. on APTN.
