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, Saving Hope

Saving Hope says goodbye with tears and triumphs

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This is it Saving Hope fans. The last episode before the doors of Hope Zion close forever this Thursday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV. It’s been one hell of a ride, hasn’t it? I distinctly recall watching the first episode of the show back when I was at TV Guide Canada. “Another medical drama?” I thought. Yes, Saving Hope is a medical drama, but with one heck of a twist: a doctor who can see dead people. In the wrong hands, the premise would be cheesy, over-the-top and unwatchable.

In the right hands, it became a bonafide ratings hit for CTV. Stellar writing from co-creators Morwyn Brebner and Malcolm MacRury and a whos-who of scribes like Fiona Highet, Waneta Storms, Adam Pettle, Patrick Tarr, Noelle Carbone, Amanda Fahey and Jennifer Kassabian established the characters. Actors Erica Durance, Michael Shanks, Wendy Crewson, Benjamin Ayres, Julia Chan, Huse Madhavji, Joseph Pierre, Michelle Nolden and Daniel Gillies breathed life into them and made us care. Thanks to them—and all those behind-the-scenes folks and dozens of additional actors—who put in the long hours to make a truly great Canadian television series.

Here’s what CTV revealed as the episode synopsis for Thursday’s last episode “Hope Never Dies,” written by Adam Pettle and directed by James Genn.

In the shocking series finale of Saving Hope, following a mass casualty accident involving a bus full of teenagers, Dr. Alex Reid and Dr. Charlie Harris rush to the scene to try and save the kids while waiting for backup to arrive. The Hope Zion Hospital family must band together to overcome the tragedy, and move on to the next chapter of their lives.

Are here are a few more tidbits to get you through to the broadcast.

So, do Alex and Charlie finally tie the knot?
They were on the verge of it last week, but an injured bride-to-be got in the way. Now, the road is clear for these two to make it official, right? It would be a major bummer if, after five seasons, they didn’t get married. But, this being Saving Hope, nothing is easy, is it?

A truly shocking moment
I’m always waiting for the other shoe to drop on a series like Saving Hope. Even I gasped because of what occurred just minutes into the episode. It was unexpected and takes “Hope Never Dies” in a stunning place made even more effective with Pettle’s storytelling, Michael Shanks’ and Erica Durance’s performances and Genn’s direction.

Guest stars aplenty
Keep your eyes peeled for Alden Adair from Workin’ Moms, Lisa Codrington from Letterkenny, Paul Popowich (Cracked) and Dempsey Bryk, who appeared on Heartland earlier this year.

What happened to Jackson?
Last week’s liver surgery went south thanks to the longtime nurse having an allergic reaction to the anaesthetics. We find out Jackson’s fate.

Related: Here’s what writer-co-executive producer Patrick Tarr says about the series finale!

Want to send the folks at Saving Hope a message? Post in the comments section and I’ll pass it along!

Images courtesy of Bell Media.

 

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Uncategorized

Link: Finally, the Canadian classic Intelligence has come to Netflix

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From John Doyle of The Globe and Mail:

Link: Finally, the Canadian classic Intelligence has come to Netflix
Intelligence (now streaming) is a joy to behold again. It ran on CBC from 2005 to 2007 and should never have been cancelled. That mistake happened during one of those periods when CBC was dallying with light and fluffy fare. Look where that got them. “Compulsively watchable” was The New York Times’ review of Intelligence, connecting it to The Sopranos and The Wire for its “novelistic richness.” All true. Continue reading.

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Industry News, Unspeakable

CBC and Sundance TV greenlight miniseries Unspeakable

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From a media release:

CBC and SundanceTV have greenlit a new eight-part drama miniseries UNSPEAKABLE focused on the tainted blood scandal in Canada in the early 1980s. Created by Robert C. Cooper (Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, Stargate SG-1, Stargate: Atlantis), who will also serve as showrunner and executive producer, the project is produced by Cooper’s Mezo Entertainment and will be filmed in Canada in early 2018 for broadcast on CBC in Canada and SundanceTV in the U.S., with AMC Studios managing worldwide distribution outside of Canada.

Based on first-person experience and two non-fiction books, Bad Blood by Vic Parsons and The Gift of Death by Andre Picard, UNSPEAKABLE chronicles the emergence of HIV and Hepatitis C in Canada in the early 1980s and the tragedy that resulted after thousands of people were unnecessarily infected by tainted blood. One of the largest medical disasters in Canadian history, the blood scandal triggered a federal inquiry and precedent-setting lawsuit resulting in billions of dollars of compensation to victims. The series is a passion project for Cooper, who himself was a victim, having contracted Hepatitis C from tainted blood.

A CBC and SundanceTV original series, UNSPEAKABLE is produced by Mezo Entertainment, with Cooper and Meridian Artists’ Glenn Cockburn serving as executive producers. Cooper is currently showrunning season two of “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency” for BBC America, Netflix and AMC Studios.

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Orphan Black

Links: Orphan Black

From Keisha Hatchett of TV Guide:

Link: Orphan Black Star Breaks Down That Shocking Death
“I did always think that it somehow would involve Ferdinand. On a personal level, James Frain and I have worked together on and off for almost 20 years. And when he came onto the show a couple of seasons ago, we immediately just felt like we were worthy adversaries.” Continue reading.

From Vlada Gelman of TV Line:

Link: Orphan Black Star on [Spoiler]’s Death: ‘It’s an Extraordinary Loss’ for Sarah
“As we started to move from Episode 8 onwards, there were just so many big things that I think we all suddenly realized what was happening. We’d all known from the beginning that it was going to be the final trip, but I guess it really became real to us all then. There was this incredible, just heightened anxiety and sort of grief.” Continue reading.

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Wynonna Earp

Links: Did Wynonna Earp just time travel?

From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:

Link: Wynonna Earp: Emily Andras talks “No Future in the Past”
“The fact that Nicole lied to Waverly was ten times worse on some level. I think at the end when Waverly is looking over the test, looking over the ice and remembering the true circumstances of who saved her that day, she is starting to put some threads together in her heart too.” Continue reading.

From Dalene Rovenstine of Entertainment Weekly:

Link: Did Wynonna Earp just time travel?
“In non-science terms, no, Wynonna did not technically time-travel. She went on a vision quest to the past, i.e. her spirit was able to see echoes of what had come before via astral projection while her corporeal body remained in the present. Man, that might be complete B.S., but I’m stoked I got to drop “corporeal” in a recap.” Continue reading.

From Rebecca Murray of Showbiz Junkies:Link: ‘Wynonna Earp’ Interview: Showrunner Emily Andras on Season 2’s Pregnancy Reveal and Juggling Storylines

Link: ‘Wynonna Earp’ Interview: Showrunner Emily Andras on Season 2’s Pregnancy Reveal and Juggling Storylines
“I think genre, as a rule, is really inclusive. Since the time of Star Trek, certainly hopeful genre portrays a world that we want to live in, one that celebrates diversity and equality. So, I almost think it’s easier in genre to comment on that stuff. And, really, I didn’t pull any punches. When I pitched the show, I was like, ‘I want to do a Western but with all the traditional male characters as women.’ I don’t feel like I’ve tricked anybody.” Continue reading. 

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