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

Comments and queries for the week of Feb. 6

I was not able to view the  documentary Clara’s Big Ride and I was wondering if there is anyway to access it anymore? Thank you.—Gwen

Yes, you can view Clara Hughes’ inspirational cross-country adventure spotlighting mental health on CTV.ca.

First of all I LOVE your “Notes and quotes” on Heartland and completely agree with them. Secondly, when I first saw Brooke, I knew I recognized her from somewhere. After some research, I found out the actress who plays her was Stephanie, one of the finalists of the CBC reality show Over The Rainbow a couple years back!—Luiza

Thanks for reading my weekly reviews of Heartland, and good eye! I recognized her too, but couldn’t recall where.

I still don’t understand Peter’s anger about the specialist on Heartland. It was a non-invasive consultation Katie probably won’t even remember next year that could have potentially improved her quality of life. All the other points seemed “relative” to the issues they’ve (not) been dealing with but that seemed unnecessary. Plus, although Peter hated the idea of the doctor he still attended the appointment. It’s not like Lou went behind his back.—Melissa

Got a question or comment about Canadian TV? greg@tv-eh.com or head to @tv_eh.

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Featured, Sunnyside

Review: Pushing boundaries and poultry love on Sunnyside

Sunnyside is a very funny—and admittedly odd— little program and I applaud Rogers for putting it on the air in the first place. It’s rare that a series featuring a dude who falls in love with a live chicken is going to make it to primetime (if ever), so kudos to the company for allowing co-creators Gary Pearson, Dan Redican and the improv cast breathe life into these folks.

Thursday’s “Chain gang” continued to explore many of Sunnyside’s established characters, including the meth girls, who wanted to cheer up Georgette by taking her on a shopping spree … in a homeowner’s closet. (The program’s hidden gem might be Georgette, the meth gal who utters nary a word and whose eyes are constantly downcast. Alice Moran’s portrayal cracks me up every time.)

Kathleen Phillips continues to play memorable citizens, like Claire. An over-the-top poke at those folks who claim a Starbucks table as their “office” for the day, Claire showed up at Dark Roast with a bulky typewriter and announced the table she was at would be “her office from now on” and began clacking away on her food blog article “Croissant My Heart and Hope to Die.” She, of course, annoyed everyone in the place at first … until they got caught up in her out-loud reading of romance in a coffee shop.

Pat Thornton, meanwhile, continued to get away not only with playing every clueless simpleton in Sunnyside but as a dude who held deep, deep love for a live chicken. (“The heart wants what the heart wants. Sometimes the heart wants a chicken,” a poultry farmer advised his confused daughter after Thornton’s character grabbed a bird and ran off.). I cannot unsee those moments where he held the chicken close, romantic music playing, before ushering her into the bedroom and gently closing the door behind them.

Notes and quotes

  • The teeth on those meth ladies. Oh god, their teeth!
  • Shameless plug alert! Claire was entering a writing contest in Chatelaine magazine, which just happens to be owned by Rogers, owner of City. I’m sure that was totally a coincidence.
  • Who else caught the street sign that read “Pearson” on it? I’m assuming it was an homage to Sunnyside co-creator Gary Pearson
  • Only Pat Thornton could pull off a scene describing kissing a girl like holding a jar of change and pretending to lick a chocolate off the front of it “before it falls off and stains your date pants.”

Sunnyside airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on City.

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Bitten

Link: Bitten’s new season full of witches, revenge and horror

From Melissa Hank of o.canada.com:

Once Bitten, never shy. As played by Laura Vandervoort, female werewolf Elena Michaels is the fierce lead character in homegrown sci-fi series Bitten, returning for its second season this Saturday on Space.

Loosely based on author Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series, Bitten wrapped up its first season with an epic battle between Elena’s wolf pack and the mutts commissioned by insurgent Daniel Santos (Michael Luckett) and Malcolm Danvers (James McGowan). Continue reading.

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Industry News

Link: Why the Super Bowl simsub decision is the beginning of the end of the system, and of vertical integration

From Greg O’Brien of Cartt.ca:

Four Canadian broadcasters we talked to, none of whom wanted to go on the record against the CRTC chairman, believe the decision to ban simsub for the Super Bowl is a horrible one and is nothing less than the beginning of the end of simsub altogether – and has now thrown the entire Canadian rights market into panicky flux. “I don’t know how to do deals anymore,” said one broadcaster who spoke frankly about the decision on condition of anonymity. Continue reading.

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