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.
Featured, Package Deal

Package Deal and Meet the Family cancelled by City

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It’s the end of the road for Package Deal and Meet the Family.

On Monday afternoon, Vancouver’s Craigslist posted the following “Huge Set Sale”:

“Tons of chairs, bar stools and tables, banquettes, theatre chairs, church pews (!!) couches, lamps and other lighting, furniture, kitchen items, tea shop and bar paraphernalia, glassware, carpeting, clothing (no kids clothes) and those ever present knickknacks!

April 22nd, 23rd and 24th from 10am — 4pm (NO early birds)

Location: Unit 1B — 2350 Beta Avenue, Burnaby (Street Parking Only)

Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to grab some amazing deals!”

Those listed items are the contents of the apartment, tea shop, courtroom and offices featured in the original sitcom during the last two seasons.

City confirmed Tuesday afternoon that both Package Deal and hidden camera sketch series Meet the Family would not return.

“Despite the strong teams behind both series and critical acclaim garnered to date, Package Deal and Meet The Family were unable to connect with the audience needed to continue,” said Nataline Rodrigues, Director of Original Programming of Rogers Media, in a statement. “We remain committed to Canadian originals, and we are proud to have provided our viewers with two fun seasons of both series; it was a real pleasure and privilege to work with the immense talent on these shows – on and off the screen.

Package Deal starred Randal Edwards as Danny, a successful lawyer who met and fell in love with Kim (Julia Voth). The problem? Danny’s two brothers, ne’er-do-well Sheldon (Harland Williams) and fastidious Ryan (Jay Malone), don’t like that Kim is taking Danny away from them. The multi-camera series was created by Andrew Orenstein (Malcolm in the Middle, 3rd Rock from the Sun) and shot in front of a live audience. Never able to score decent ratings (it was down to 72,000 viewers in mid-October) the second season finale was broadcast in December, and had the feel of a series finale to it.

The news comes the same day that Package Deal‘s production company, Thunderbird, announced both seasons are available for streaming in the U.S. on Hulu starting Tuesday.

Produced by Frantic films and based on the successful U.K. series, Meet the Parents threw unwitting folks into a uncomfortable situation: meeting the downright odd family of their girlfriend or boyfriend. The series starred Terry Barna, Liz Best, Hannah Hogan, Theresa Tova, Don Berns, Heather Hodgson, Ralph Small, Nicole Maroon, Peter Keleghan, Chris Wilson, Miguel Rivas and Matt Bernard.

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Uncategorized

Link: Why we loved Gilbert Blythe

From Sarah Larson of The New Yorker:

Why we loved Gilbert Blythe
Crombie was an expert gazer. Through meaningful looks and other subtleties, he showed that Gilbert wasn’t threatened when Anne could spell “chrysanthemum” and he couldn’t; he appeared deeply concerned when she fell off the ridgepole, and didn’t mock her for braving it; he was kind during the “The Lady of Shalott” escapade, while executing a dashing rescue. In this video, a young Crombie explains that the moment Anne breaks a slate over Gilbert’s head is the moment he starts growing up. Continue reading.

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Uncategorized

Tom Harrington leaving Marketplace

From a media release:

Tom Harrington, the co-host of Canada’s top-rated consumer investigative program MARKETPLACE for five years, is leaving the show to pursue new opportunities with CBC News. Canadians will now be able to hear Tom on CBC Radio One’s THE WORLD THIS HOUR, weekdays at the top of the clock from 3 p.m. ET to 8 p.m. ET, by the fall.

“The Marketplace team is one of the most dedicated and passionate groups I’ve ever worked with, and we’ve accomplished so much and effected real change over the past five years,” said Tom Harrington. “I grew up listening to CBC Radio in St. John’s and my first full time job with CBC was in radio sports in Montreal. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to host both World Report and The World At Six and feel honoured to now call home one of the most respected news services in the world. The great Bernie McNamee is a tough act to follow at The World This Hour but I’m excited for the challenge.”

Tom Harrington is a four-time Gemini nominee, and prior to his position with MARKETPLACE, was the sports correspondent for CBC News, reporting for The National. He has also been a guest host on CBC Radio One’s THE WORLD AT SIX, THE CURRENT, AS IT HAPPENS and CROSS COUNTRY CHECKUP.

MARKETPLACE, Canada’s consumer watchdog and number one current affairs show, just wrapped its 42nd season. The show’s plans have not been finalized, and more details will be made available in the coming months.

 

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Blackstone

Production begins on Season 5 of Blackstone

From a media release:

Prairie Dog Film + Television announces that principle photography starts this week on season five of the hit dramatic television series Blackstone. This authentic series continues to rip stories from the headlines and explore substantial issues such as the missing and murdered aboriginal women epidemic and the alarming number of child deaths in foster care, many of which are indigenous. The series shoots in Edmonton and the surrounding area until June 2015. Blackstone season five is slated to air on APTN in fall 2015.

Returning cast this season includes Carmen Moore, Eric Schweig, Michelle Thrush, Steven Cree Molison, Glen Gould, Justin Rain, and Tantoo Cardinal. Also returning next season is Jennifer Podemski, Cheri Maracle, John Cassini, Frank Cassini, Garry Chalk, Darrell Dennis, and Jessica Matten.

Blackstone is produced by Prairie Dog Film + Television, with Ron E. Scott as Executive Producer, Writer and Director, Jesse Szymanski as Co-Executive Producer, Damon Vignale as Writer/Producer.  The series currently broadcasts in Canada on APTN, in the United States on Hulu, in New Zealand on Maori Television, in Australia on SBS/NITV, and is internationally distributed by PPI Releasing.

Blackstone has been nominated for 75 awards, winning 26 including two Geminis, six Leo Awards and multiple Alberta Film & Television Awards.

Blackstone is produced in association with Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, the Canada Media Fund, with the assistance of the Government of Alberta, Alberta Media Fund, with the participation of Rogers Cable Network Fund, and with the assistance of the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

He Said/She Said: Are reality shows the scourge of TV?

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Join Greg and Diane every Monday as we debate what’s on our minds. This week: Are reality shows the scourge of TV?

He said:

My feelings for competition reality television shows, particularly in Canada, is two-fold. It’s easy to rip on this type of programming as trashy, invasive and stupid, but it’s here to stay. Ever since a little show called Survivor was launched in May of 2000, the television landscape was changed forever.

(Just to be clear, when I refer to reality television, I’m talking about competition shows, not programs like Survivorman, Mantracker, Emergency and programs of that ilk.)

Cheap to produce when compared to scripted series, reality television does appeal to a certain segment of the population that enjoys seeing others at their most vulnerable. For many, the chance to sit down and watch people struggle through their daily lives in a show like U8TV: The Lofters, seek out love on The Bachelor Canada or traverse this country and the world on The Amazing Race Canada is a guilty pleasure. And who am I to judge? I’ve covered countless seasons of reality series and there are a few that I genuinely love to watch and review. TAR Canada, Top Chef Canada, MasterChef Canada, Canadian Idol and Eco-Challenge are competition programs that I’ve enjoyed over the last several years, mainly because they appeal to the adventurer, chef and wannbe singer (if I wasn’t tone deaf) in me. I’m not alone; these shows are consistently at the top of the ratings charts.

I do, however, have a bit of an issue with the recent move of adding “Canada” to the end of an established U.S. product. It’s understandable to do this—the familiarity to the brand means a built-in audience will tune in—but it’s stripping some of the uniqueness away. I fear it will only get worse. The recent CRTC decision affecting independent production companies could mean an abrupt drop-off in new reality series that aren’t homegrown versions of international reality shows.

She Said:

I proposed this topic as “reality TV is the devil” and figured I’d go moderate and reasonable by explaining no, they’re just Satan’s minions.

But of course that’s an exaggeration. Except for that spate of morally questionable shows like Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire.

I remember watching Survivor with a roommate and thinking: does anyone buy that this isn’t shaped and edited into a ridiculous story? Never mind how disgusting I find the cynical anti-romantic mysogyny of “romantic” reality series like  The Bachelor (Canada), but does anyone not roll their eyes at the absolute cheesiness of the repetitively scripted and ridiculous rose ceremony?

The answer of course is mostly no. People enjoy the shows for a variety of reasons ranging from buying into them and loving them to hate-watching them, but many simply find them entertaining and also realize there is some kind of overlord shaping the story we’re seeing, just like any other television show. When the Writers Guild of American started vocally unionizing reality TV writers, it began to be hard to deny there was a story being scripted, and the reality being presented bore no resemblance to reality. Canada’s Smartest Person is not Canada’s smartest person. Canada’s Worst Driver shouldn’t get 15 minutes of fame.

I’ve gotten sucked into some reality competition series (current addiction: The Voice, and I watched a season of Battle of the Blades avidly). I’ve defended some like Dragons’ Den against podcast cohost Anthony Marco’s accusation that they are all based in schadenfruede — wanting to see others fail.

Some reality series are good natured, some are mean spirited, some are ethically dubious. My main objection is I like my fiction to know it’s fictional. But I’d go even further than competition reality shows being the scourge of TV and say it’s been the scourge of the Internet. In the early days of that kind of television, discussion forums struggled with how to enforce “no personal attacks” with free discussion of the characters in a show. When the line between human being and ridiculous TV character blurs, where does our humanity toward the person go? Out the window of course.

That occupies only a small part of my hatred though. For the most part my hatred for reality shows is based on them taking up space on my dial, taking up space in Canadian broadcasters’ CanCon allotment where a good scripted series could be, and the fact that my taste doesn’t rule the airwaves, because reality shows often beat the ratings pants off of a good scripted series.

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