All posts by Greg David

Prior to becoming a television critic and owner of TV, Eh?, Greg David was a critic for TV Guide Canada, the country's most trusted source for TV news. He has interviewed television actors, actresses and behind-the-scenes folks from hundreds of television series from Canada, the U.S. and internationally. He is a podcaster, public speaker, weekly radio guest and educator, and past member of the Television Critics Association.
Amazing Race Canada

Amazing Race Canada reveals Season 3 teams

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From a media release:

As announced on CTV’s THE SOCIAL this afternoon, the final round of teams for CTV’s THE AMAZING RACE CANADA were revealed for the upcoming third season.

Up from 11 teams last season, a total of 12 teams will race to win more than $1 million dollars in prizes and THE AMAZING RACE CANADA.

The 12 teams who will compete in the THE AMAZING RACE CANADA are:

  • Gino and Jesse – Brothers – Hamilton
  • Hamilton and Michaelia – Engaged – Centreville, N.S.
  • Dana and Amanda – Co-workers – St. John’s, N.L.
  • Nic and Sabrina – Dating – Montréal
  • Brent and Sean – Brothers – Musquodoboit Harbour, N.S.
  • Dujean and Leilani – Exes – Toronto and Halifax, N.S.
  • Susan and Sharnjit – Co-workers – Vancouver
  • Nick and Matt – Wrestling Teammates – Newmarket, Ont. and Stouffville, Ont.
  • Neil and Kristin – Father and daughter – Burlington, Ont..
  • Simi and Ope – Father and daughter – Burnaby, B.C.
  • Brian and Cynthia – Married – Winnipeg
  • Max and Elias – Dating – Toronto

In the end, only one team can win THE AMAZING RACE CANADA and receive the life-changing grand prize valued at close to $1 million dollars, which includes “gas for life” from Petro-Canada, a $250,000 cash payout, the opportunity to fly for a year anywhere Air Canada flies worldwide in Business Class, plus two Chevrolet Colorado Trucks – the 2015 Motor Trend Truck of the Year. Teams are also competing for special pit stop prizes courtesy of Air Canada and Petro-Canada, to be revealed during the broadcasts.

The third season of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA is back with brand new teams and fresh, exciting, nail-biting challenges. Canada’s most-watched television series on record now has 12 teams, meaning more action, more challenges, and more at stake as the racers travel across Canada in the hopes of being the first team to cross the finish line. Hosted by Olympic champion and Canadian hero Jon Montgomery (@jonmonty), Season 2 of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA garnered four 2015 Canadian Screen Award wins including Best Reality/Competition Program or Series. Viewers are encouraged to follow @AmazingRaceCDA and stay tuned to THE AMAZING RACE CANADA Facebook page for updates.

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19-2, Bomb Girls, Book of Negroes, Degrassi, Orphan Black, Schitt's Creek, Spun Out, The Pinkertons, Vikings, Working The Engels, X Company

Orphan Black, Bomb Girls, 19-2, Degrassi highlight DGC nominations

From a media release:

The DGC is delighted to announce the 2015 DGC Awards nominees. Selected from over 250 submissions, the nominees in 19 categories represent a cross section of the industry’s outstanding talent working in the screen-based industry. The Awards will be presented at the annual Gala on Saturday, October 24, 2015 at The Carlu in Toronto. Hosted by Arisa Cox and Seán Cullen with special guests soon to be announced, the 14th edition of the DGC Awards promises to be a big one. The evening will feature a special Nominees’ reception prior to the Gala.

Best Direction, Television Series
John Fawcett, Orphan Black
Podz, 19-2
Helen Shaver, Orphan Black
Kari Skogland, Vikings

Best Television Movie/Mini-Series
Bomb Girls: Facing the Enemy
Kept Woman
The Book of Negroes, Episode 1
Trigger Point

Click here for the rest of the nominations.
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Dark Matter, Featured

Strong female characters continue their evolution on Dark Matter

I’m near the end of my chat with Dark Matter co-stars Anthony Lemke and Melissa O’Neil when I realize my gaffe and circle back on a question I asked earlier.

My query then: how much was O’Neil enjoying portraying a strong female character like Two/Portia Lin? She politely spoke of enjoying thoughtful scripts from co-creators Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie about a bunch of people—One/Jace Corso (Marc Bendavid), Three/Marcus Boone (Lemke), Four/Ryo Tetsudo (Alex Mallari Jr.), Five/Das (Jodelle Ferland) and Six/Griffin Jones (Roger Cross)—waking up from an unknown slumber, their memories wiped, aboard a spaceship overseen by an android (Zoie Palmer).

But as we continued to chat, I realized my original question was flawed in its intent and followed up with: “Do you feel as though we need to get past making a big deal out of a strong ‘female’ character? It should just be a character, correct?”

“Yes. Yes! Absolutely,” O’Neil says. “It’s not about her being a strong female character. She’s a strong character, full stop. It shouldn’t be because of her gender. I think it’s a bit of a surprise to viewers because she is the one who takes charge and that these men are accepting—or at least tolerant—of it.” O’Neil teases latter moments in Dark Matter‘s first season, where Two is alone, lets her guard down and allows herself to question who she is and what is happening to her.

Two joins a growing list of ladies who command respect on the small screen, including Lost Girl‘s Bo, Killjoys‘ Dutch, Scandal‘s Olivia Pope, House of Cards‘ Claire Underwood, Murdoch Mysteries‘ Julia Ogden and Emily Grace, and several of Orphan Black‘s Leda clones, but according to Lemke, there is more work to be done.

“I don’t think we’ve figured out, as a society, how to write a strong female character,” he says. “We went largely from a position where we wrote men as the strong characters and then their wives. I’ve even heard writers say, ‘If you want to write a strong female character, write a man and change the name.'” Lemke notes Mallozzi and Mullie have created engaging ladies in Two and Five (O’Neil wholeheartedly agrees) and he’s hopeful the TV and film industry—and society in general—continues to evolve to the point assertive ladies on the small screen reflect those around the world.

“We need to go to the place where the strong female characters in cop shows, in sci-fi shows are leading from a place that is truly distinct from where a man might lead. There is somewhere to go in this industry as a whole.”

Dark Matter airs Fridays at 10 p.m. ET on Space.

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Link: Reelside goes behind the scenes with Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen

From Rebecca Tucker of The National Post:

Reelside goes behind the scenes with Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen
Reelside is frank in its portrayal of Goldberg’s gradual rise to the top of his field in L.A., and he too underlines his humble beginnings. “I got pretty depressed when I came here. I owed Seth tons of money and I slept on his couch,” he says. “It’s cartoonishly true what they say about L.A. My wife came here and was a waitress, and would go home and cry every night.” Goldberg pauses and laughs: “I hadn’t realized how stock we all were, maybe until just now.” Continue reading.

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Killjoys

Link: ‘Killjoys’ on Syfy Has Bounty Hunters on Space’s Frontier

From Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times:

‘Killjoys’ on Syfy Has Bounty Hunters on Space’s Frontier
Well cast and written and staged with a campy sense of humor, the series follows three fearless young entrepreneurs as they roam a distant planetary system rounding up miscreants of various kinds for pay. Here, people in this line of work are known colloquially as “killjoys,” but don’t call them that, or “bounty hunters” either. They prefer the term “reclamation agents.” Continue reading.

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