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

Preview: Sutherland’s magical Pirate’s Passage sails onto the small screen

There’s no better way to learn about history than to be immersed in it. Literally. That’s what young Jim learns when Captain Charles Johnson sails into his life in Pirate’s Passage.

Based on the Governor General’s Literary Award-winning novel of the same name by William Gilkerson of Mahone Bay, N.S., CBC’s Sunday night animated TV-movie was produced, co-written and voiced by Donald Sutherland. Sutherland and Brad Peyton (Republic of Doyle) have weaved an entertaining story and, paired with exceptional animation from Sheridan College grads Jamie Gallant and Mike Barth, created one heck of a good time. (Check out the teaser below.)

Sutherland voices Captain Charles Johnson, a scallywag who magically jumps from the 18th century to 1952 Grey Rocks, N.S., where he sails ashore and befriends 12-year-old Jim (Gage Munroe, PAW Patrol). Jim has been assigned a school project on pirates, so Capt. Johnson’s arrival is fortuitous. Jim learns first-hand about pirates through the old codger’s stories, detailed adventures that not only entertain Jim (and viewers) but also educate via a stop amid the Vikings and a visit with Calico Jack (Paul Gross, Slings & Arrows). (Jim does, after all, have to learn enough to win over his teacher.) He’s also educated in how to handle bullies. Jim’s mother, Kerstin (Carrie-Anne Moss), learns that too; she’s battling with the town’s most powerful man, Roy Moehner (Kim Coates, Sons of Anarchy), who wants to buy her ramshackle inn and turn it into a luxury location.

Other Canadian actors voicing characters in Pirate’s Passage include Gordon Pinsent as the town barber, Megan Follows as saucy Meg O’Leary and Colm Feore as Jim’s father.

The A-list talent is almost outperformed by the animation, which takes on the effect–to me at least–of watercolour paintings on the move. Flying snow and seagulls a blurred shapes in the sky and piles of melting snow are smears of white on top of green grass. The characters move amid a cool palette of colour highlighted by stunning greys the make up the churning sea off the coast of fictional Grey Rocks.

I’ve never read Gilkerson’s book, but thanks to Sunday’s flick, I’m going to.

Pirate’s Passage airs Sunday at 8 p.m. on CBC.

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Sunnyside

Link: TV vets Dan Redican and Gary Pearson team on Sunnyside

From Bill Brioux:

There are still residents of Toronto who remember the old Sunnyside amusement park, a fabled midway that once existed on Toronto’s west-end waterfront in the days between the wars. A Coney Island of Canada complete with a merry-go-round (still turning in Disneyland), it was razed in the 1950s to make way for a place of little joy or amusement, the Gardiner Expressway.

The sun has long set on that Sunnyside, but this Thursday at 8 p.m. on City, a new Sunnyside emerges. It’s a sketch show, it’s a sitcom and it, too, is an amusement centre — although pretty much centred in the active minds of Dan Redican and Gary Pearson. Continue reading.

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Book of Negroes

Link: An unknown Canadian story brings Book of Negroes to TV

From Jane Taber:

On a bitterly raw day last April, with the cold north wind whipping up the seas along the Atlantic coast of Cape Breton, Lawrence Hill watched his story, The Book of Negroes, come to life.

This was no Hollywood soundstage – Hill was bundled up against the almost hurricane-like winds blowing through the Fortress of Louisbourg, a national historic site and tourist destination in the summer, which on this day was dressed up to look like lower Manhattan in the late 18th century, when the victorious rebel Americans vanquished the occupying British. Continue reading.

 

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Uncategorized

Link: Donald Sutherland fell for ‘Pirate’s Passage’

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From Victoria Ahearn:

It was Matthew McConaughey and a long chain of acquaintances who brought Donald Sutherland to his new passion project, “Pirate’s Passage,” which he says captures his youth in Nova Scotia.

The animated film, debuting Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on CBC-TV, is based on the Governor General’s Literary Award-winning novel by William Gilkerson of Mahone Bay, N.S.

Sutherland, who produced, co-wrote and voiced the lead character for the film, says he hadn’t heard of the book until he was in Australia making the 2008 film “Fool’s Gold” with McConaughey. Continue reading.

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Featured, Saving Hope

Comments and queries for the week of Jan. 2

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Most people use the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve to reflect back on the past year as well as look forward to the next, and readers were no different, planning the new Canadian shows they’ll be checking out as well as wondering what’s next for the folks at Saving Hope.

I’m excited about X Company, Book of Negroes and Ascension and cautiously optimistic about Young Drunk Punk and Schitt’s Creek. No mention of upcoming Space series Killjoys which is set to debut in 2015 too. As for returning fare, there’s plenty for me to be excited for as Hard Rock Medical, Vikings, Orphan Black, Bitten, Strange Empire, Heartland, Continuum, Masterchef Canada and Remedy will be coming back in the next few months. As for Strange Empire, the last two episodes brought me.back to liking the show–the standoff between Ling and John was great with Kat’s interference–I think the show does best when it doesn’t get too feminist–when both male and female characters have strong stories the show gets good.–Alicia

 

I cannot WAIT for Saving Hope to come back on Jan. 7–what an episode! Episode 9 was awesome too. Poor Joel marched off in handcuffs. It was of course self-defence but without proof, a trial could be risky. I get why Selena’s so closed off but it would have helped if Joel knew what was going on–I’m sure she suspected he’d show up at the clinic. I really like the clinic too, it’s been a great alternative to the hospital setting.

The pregnancy! What will Alex do? And just as she and Charlie have maybe possibly begun talking again.

The whole cast was great in this episode. Loved it.–Mandy

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

 

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