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.
Children's Programming

Family Channel orders Next Step spinoff The Music Room

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From a media release:

After experiencing record-breaking success with the reality tween dramaThe Next Step, Family Channel is teaming up with Temple Street Productions and creator Frank van Keeken on a new half-hour show, The Music Room. A tween drama featuring an entirely original soundtrack, the series follows a group of young performers who are members of an elite music program. Family has ordered 26 episodes with production slated to start this Spring.  

The Music Room follows the lives of a group of musicians who are part of an exclusive after-school music program. Each year, in order to get in, students audition for the group’s current members who select a small number of performers to join their ranks. Ultimately the group’s leader, Mr. T., has the final say on new members, as well as who will have the opportunity to go on the annual live tour. He can’t guarantee that the members will have a music career when they’re finished at The Music Room, but the experience will help them become accomplished musicians.

Family has experienced great success with its production partners at Temple Street Productions. The popular series The Next Step, which returns for its third season on Monday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT, has received national recognition with such notable honours as the 2013 Shaw Rocket Prize and both the 2013 Digi Award and 2014 Canadian Screen Award for Best Cross-Platform Project – Children’s and Youth for The Next Step Interactive. The show is currently nominated for three 2015 Canadian Screen Awards: Best Children’s or Youth Fiction Program or Series, Best Writing in a Children’s or Youth Program or Series, and Best Performance in a Children’s or Youth Program or Series.

Created by Frank van Keeken (The Next Step, Wingin’ It, Billable Hours), The Music Room is produced by Temple Street Productions and is executive produced by Frank van Keeken, Ivan Schneeberg and David Fortier (Orphan Black, Being Erica, The Next Step).

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Ascension, Featured

CBC’s Ascension stylish, twisty sci-fi mini rockets into primetime

A young woman is murdered, shot aboard a spaceship were no weapons of any kind are allowed. How is was possible and who did it are just two questions posed in Ascension, debuting Monday on CBC.

A co-production between Syfy and CBC, the six-parter is a unique blend of retro science fiction meshed with the classic locked door whodunnit. Viewers are quickly brought up-to-date with the premise of the series, a century-long space mission to find a new world for the human race. Launched over 50 years ago by President John F. Kennedy at the height of Cold War tensions, Ascension the series (it’s also the name of the ship) catches up with the grandchildren of those who first stepped onto the vehicle and launched into space.

Among those aboard are Captain William Denninger (Brian Holt, Cougar Town), Dr. Juliet Bryce (Andrea Roth, Rescue Me), chief steward Viondra Denninger (Tricia Helfer, Battlestar Galactica) and Harris Enzmann (Gil Bellows, Ally McBeal), the son of the man who created the Ascension project.

“When I got this script, it was original and substantive in a way that I felt would not only be a great idea to launch a show but sustain itself for a very long time,” Bellows says. “I love the character that I get to play.” That character, Harris, is driven to continue the work his father started on Ascension at whatever cost; at one point, Harris uses the word “god” to describe what he’s doing.

The investigation into the death of Lorelai (Amanda Thomson, Totally Amp’d), found dead on the ship’s fake beach, is met with confusion. Guns aren’t allowed on board, so where did it come from? And how did the killer enter the beach area and elude being captured on any of the security cameras trained on that part of the ship? It doesn’t take long for several suspects to come under the scrutiny of Denninger and his officers. Those characters are as colourful as the setting they’re placed in; because Ascension was launched in 1963 all of the clothing, furniture and other stylings have remained unchanged and serve as a visual contrast to the washed-out greys and blues that make up Harris’ earthly storyline.

A major plot point early on in the mini-series raises a ton of questions, and Bellows couldn’t be happier a show like Ascension is willing to go in a bold storytelling direction, especially on a network like CBC.

“Quality is important, originality is important and provocative ideas are important to share,” he says. “Not everything needs to be folksy and appropriate.”

Ascension airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on CBC.

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Featured, Masterchef Canada

Review: MasterChef Canada cooks up its first twist

Unlike some reality cooking shows that spend weeks on naming the Top 25, MasterChef Canada wrapped things up quickly within the first half-hour of Sunday’s new episode and then got rolling on the first Stress Test challenge of the season.

It was a doozy. In a nice twist in the game, judges Alvin, Claudio and Michael told the group of 25 there were only 16 cooking stations available. After a few moments where the nine not awarded a station were sure they were packing up and going home, it was revealed their plates so impressed the judges during auditions that they didn’t need to cook this week.

Did I chuckle to myself when Michael, the villain of the season, had to cook? Absolutely. Did I know the producers made that call so that myself and other viewers would react that way? For sure. Did I know that Michael would get through anyway? That would be an affirmative. The show needs a bad guy, and Michael is it. I also knew that former CFLer Jon would advance; there was simply too much time spent on his backstory for him to be eliminated in Week 2. Well, that and the fact I think the judges were scared he’d tackle them if he was eliminated.

There were also hints as to who would be cut by the end of the night. Inder’s elimination was assured when Michael reminded him the Stress Test had to involve red and white ingredients and the home cook didn’t add any.

The favourite of the week award went to Line, a 45-year-old computer specialist from Moncton. Her story? After joining the military because her family was too poor to pay for her education, she spent 17 years in service until a knee injury caused her to leave. A life of being told she couldn’t succeed, she did just that, wowing the judges with her audition plate of venison and lobster velouté during the Stress Test. She’s definitely one to watch this season.

Notes and quotes

  • I’m glad the wooden packing crate motif is no more now that we’re into the kitchen.
  • “You know that clock there? That clock is your life.” Well spoken, Jon. It’s as if he’s a former professional athlete who learned the gift of the sound bite.
  • Alvin cracks me up every time he yells “NOW!” It looks like he scares himself when he bellows it.
  • Does Line have a chip on her shoulder or is she just tough and feisty?
  • Why did Robert wear ribbons all over his shirt? Was that ever explained?
  • Michael’s steak looked well done, not medium. There was no juice.

MasterChef Canada airs Sundays at 7 p.m. ET/PT on CTV.

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Ascension

Link: CBC’s Ascension is mankind’s last grope, in space

From John Doyle of The Globe and Mail:

Batten down your hatches, boys and girls – CBC is getting into the sci-fi racket.

You may have heard about Ascension (CBC, 9 p.m.) a new foray into space fiction for the public broadcaster. It has been heavily promoted with giant billboards and such. It’s an acquisition, Canadian-made but not a CBC production, a drama commissioned by American cable channel Syfy as a six-parter that might, if popular, become a full-tilt continuing series. Continue reading.

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