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.
Industry News

What’s more Canadian than Air Farce, eh? Celebrated comedy troupe fetes Canada’s 150th, July 1 on CBC

From a media release:

Making Canadians laugh for over four decades, AIR FARCE pulls out all the stops for the country’s 150th birthday, capturing the patriotic spirit of the sesquicentennial celebrations in 60 funny, fast-paced minutes. For its first-ever summer special, and for the first time in AIR FARCE history, the whole country will come together to watch at the exact same time — no delays and no time shifting. AIR FARCE CANADA 150 premieres Saturday, July 1, 2017, at 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT on CBC with an encore broadcast on Monday, July 3 at 8:00 PM (8:30 PM NT).

AIR FARCE CANADA 150 embraces what it means to be Canadian, satirizing Canada’s past, present and future. Flashing back through history, the special focuses on the people and events that shaped our nation, including the Vikings landing in Newfoundland, the first hockey game, cottage life with Justin and Sophie Trudeau, and pop culture parodies like Canada: The Musical and an all-new take on the classic NFB animation Log Driver’s Waltz.

AIR FARCE CANADA 150 stars founding troupe members Don Ferguson and Luba Goy, and veterans Jessica Holmes (The Holmes Show, The Itch), Craig Lauzon (Fool Canada, The Ron James Show), Darryl Hinds (My Babysitter’s a Vampire, Little Mosque on the Prairie), and Emma Hunter (The Beaverton, Mr. D). Joining the troupe for the first time are Chris Wilson (from Vancouver’s award-winning sketch duo Peter n’ Chris, The Beaverton, What Would Sal Do, Meet the Family) and Toronto television and stage actress Isabel Kanaan (Haunted or Hoax). The special is directed by Rob Lindsay and Wayne Moss.

Special guest stars scheduled to appear include Chris Hadfield, the first Canadian astronaut to walk in space, Lorne Cardinal (Corner Gas, Into the Forest, Insomnia), Kaniehtiio Horn (What Would Sal Do, Letterkenny, Hemlock Grove), Hélène Joy (Murdoch Mysteries, Heartland, Durham County), Eric Peterson (Corner Gas, This is Wonderland, Street Legal) and Ed Robertson (Barenaked Ladies).

A fan favourite, AIR FARCE is one of Canada’s longest-running television comedies and highest-rated entertainment specials. A total audience of over 2.1 million Canadians watched AIR FARCE NEW YEAR’S EVE last year on CBC. (Source: Numeris TV Meter, Dec. 30, 2016 – Jan. 1, 2017 and Jan. 3, 2017, CBC Total, A2+, Total Canada, AMA, generated by InfoSys+TV).

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Dark Matter, Featured

Dark Matter: Things gets loopy in Episode 4

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Here’s what Anthony Lemke told us about the character of Three heading into Dark Matter‘s third season:

“Three’s through-line story has been about his past and discovering that a bad guy isn’t all bad. We learned in Season 2 the root of that complexity; he is a caring and very soft person, but that bravado is real too. Both of those sides live within this character and that’s what makes it fun to play. When he says, ‘Let’s go steal stuff and kill some people,’ he means it. We continue on that journey in Season 3.”

He also laughed and smacked the table as he teased the adventures Three gets into this year. Well, Dark Matter fans, this Friday’s new episode “All the Time in the World,” is one of the key storylines Lemke was talking about. With Sarah alive as a computer program and accessible to him—and a part of his past life open—here’s what Space’s official synopsis is for the instalment:

Unbeknownst to the rest of the crew, THREE has been trapped in a time loop, reliving the same day over and over.

And here are some spoiler-free tidbits we can add about the episode, written by Joseph Mallozzi and directed by Ron Murphy.

Two is non-plussed about Three’s behavior

Here we go again. And again. And again.
We’ve gotten a mere peek at Anthony Lemke’s comic timing over the past two seasons. This week’s script allows him to go full-on and it’s a goshdarn treat. I won’t give anything away but I’ll admit I watched pretty much every scene Three was in with a stupid grin on my face. Even the soundtrack in those scenes is different, with a funky bass thump to note this isn’t your usual Dark Matter episode.

The Android is Three’s partner in crime
Zoie Palmer + Anthony Lemke = belly laughs.

Speaking of The Android…
Fans are going to be blown away by her storyline during the latter third of the episode. We’re going to be talking about this for weeks.

The bounty hunters disperse
Remember the lineup of baddies Ryo ordered to find the crew of the Raza? Well, it happens.

Dark Matter airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on Space.

Images courtesy of Bell Media.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Wild Bear Rescue examines rehabbing and raising bears on the west coast

I’m a sucker for animals and pretty much any programming around them. I’ve watched many, many episodes of Hope for Wildlife, about Hope Swinimer’s non-profit wildlife rehab centre in Nova Scotia. Now there’s a new group being spotlit on the west coast thanks to Animal Planet.

Wild Bear Rescue, debuting Friday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Animal Planet, visits Northern Lights Shelter, a place that raises orphaned bear cubs—and other wildlife—to give them a shot at survival. Begun in 1990 and designed to be an occasional refuge for injured animals, Angelika and Peter Langen’s passion project has grown. Now they’ve got 40 bear cubs rehabbing on their property, making them one of the largest in the world. There are, of course, challenges. With no government funding, the Langers rely on the charity of local supermarkets, private donations and passionate volunteers to make ends meet and Episode 1 outlines those challenges, both money and ursine, faced at Northern Lights Shelter.

“A Cub with a Kick,” the first of 12 episodes, introduces viewers to the Langers and their team before getting right to the drama when a young female bear is brought in after being hit by a car. Omnifilm Entertainment, the show’s producers, did an excellent job ramping up the drama for six seasons of Ice Pilots NWT and do the same thing here, leaving viewers in suspense regarding the overnight fate of their newest arrival and whether a newborn fawn will feed.

If you’re like me and enjoy programs about animals, Wild Bear Rescue will be right up your alley. And if you’d like to, Northern Lights is always looking for volunteers and donations.

Wild Bear Rescue airs Fridays at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Animal Planet.

Image courtesy of Bell Media.

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Industry News

Link: CBC hired external investigator to probe nepotism complaints after executives’ spouses awarded contracts

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From Sean Craig of the National Post:

Link: CBC hired external investigator to probe nepotism complaints after executives’ spouses awarded contracts
The CBC hired an external investigator to probe two top television executives after receiving complaints that at least 13 contracts were handed to production companies owned by their spouses. Although the investigator found no breaches of the public broadcaster’s conflict of interest policy, the legal counsel for one anonymous complainant said the findings are “inconsistent with the facts” and the contracts present the appearance of conflict of interest. Continue reading.

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Saving Hope

Link: Saving Hope’s Julia Taylor Ross on Maggie’s journey

From Christy Spratlin of The TV Junkies:

Link: Saving Hope’s Julia Taylor Ross on Maggie’s journey
“I was so happy that the writers made Zach and Maggie’s friendship blossom in the way that it did. It made for a more complex dynamic at first and then an ease and a trust later in the show. I LOVED the Alex/Maggie friendship. It was wonderful to navigate how these two women balanced their professional and personal relationships and supported each other through trying times. I look back at the pilot now and see how much their relationship grew.” Continue reading.

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