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, X Company

Comments and queries for the week of January 27

Orphan Black, Schitt’s Creek, Kim’s Convenience among top TV nominations for 2017 Canadian Screen Awards

X Company belongs in the best drama series list. Of all the Canadian series I watch, I think it was the best last year, followed by Orphan Black and Vikings, the latter of which is now interestingly not in the international category anymore. The comedy category is really strong too this year but I have to give my nod to Kim’s Convenience which is a refreshingly funny and original multi-generational comedy with well-drawn characters. —Alicia

Kim’s Convenience: Ins Choi can take pride in this debut

Honestly, one of the best things CBC has produced in a long time. I haven’t laughed this hard in years. I hope it has a long run. —Fred

Photo gallery: First look at CBC’s Pure

Looks like a mess. The Mennonites involved in drug smuggling were Mexican Mennonites, people ultimately of Dutch origin. They even use a wheel of Mexican Mennonite cheese stuffed with drugs in their promos.

Old Order Mennonites however, are of Swiss/Southern German origin. They don’t even speak the same language as Mexican Mennonites (Pennsylvania Dutch as opposed to Plattdeutsch) and wouldn’t be part of the same communities, as they have very different cultures and rules.

This is like lumping in Italian Canadians from Toronto with some Newfoundlanders because they are both Catholic. —Ivriniel

 

Got a question or comment about Canadian TV? Email Greg.david@tv-eh.com or via Twitter @tv_eh.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
X Company

Link: X Company: Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern talk “One for the Moon”

From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:

Link: X Company: Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern talk “One for the Moon”
“Faber and Sinclair both acknowledge each other as master players, and you can never feel safe for too long no matter how much you respect and tentatively trust someone. They always have a card, or two, up their sleeves and I think in both cases they genuinely hope they don’t have to deploy that card, but they know the game too well to play it unprotected.” Continue reading.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Featured, Saving Hope

Photo gallery: Season 5 of Saving Hope

2 Comments

It’s the end of the line for Saving Hope, but Season 5 promises to entertain. Returning Sunday, March 12, at 10 p.m. ET on CTV, the network has released the following description regarding what will befall the staff of Hope Zion:

Picking up in the aftermath of the heart-stopping Season 4 finale, in which a vengeful Tom Crenshaw (Travis Milne, ROOKIE BLUE) appeared at the Hope Zion Hospital Fellowship Awards and fired a shot at Alex (Erica Durance) and Charlie (Michael Shanks), Season 5 of SAVING HOPE sees the Hope Zion staff thrust into turmoil. As Alex faces a big decision, her fellow doctors deal with new challenges as changes come to Hope Zion that will not only affect the livelihood of the hospital, but also its doctors and everything they hold dear.

As we wait for the final storylines to roll out, check out these beautiful gallery images and mark your calendars!

[slideshow_deploy id=’39058′]

 

Saving Hope returns Sunday, March 12 at 10 p.m. ET on CTV.

Images courtesy of Bell Media.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Masterchef Canada, Saving Hope

CTV marks Saving Hope and MasterChef Canada return dates

From a media release:

Bolstering a previously announced Winter 2017 schedule, CTV revealed today its full midseason lineup, featuring more star power, new comedies and dramas, hit returning favourites, and live, big ticket special events.

In the newest addition to CTV’s midseason schedule, TRIAL & ERROR, true crime and mockumentary collide in John Lithgow’s (3RD ROCK FROM THE SUN, DEXTER) return to primetime television (March 7). The series goes into the heart of a quirky, small Southern town to follow the arrest and murder trial of a beloved poetry professor (Lithgow) and a young “Northeastern” lawyer (Nicholas D’Agosto, GOTHAM) hired to defend him.

Paired with the co-viewing, four-quadrant blockbuster vocal competition series THE VOICE, the fish-out-of-water comedy joins CTV’s Tuesday night lineup alongside MARVEL’s AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. Also joining CTV’s 2017 midseason schedule is the series premiere of Kevin Williamson’s (THE VAMPIRE DIARIES) fantastical cat and mouse adventure series TIME AFTER TIME (March 5).

CTV’s hit culinary series MASTERCHEF CANADA serves up an all-new fourth season Thursday nights with another helping of food-driven drama (March 2). The all-new powerhouse Thursday night lineup also features previously announced new series POWERLESS (Feb. 2) and TRAINING DAY (Feb. 2), and perennial blockbuster THE BIG BANG THEORY.

The much-anticipated fifth and final season of CTV’s hit original drama SAVING HOPE (March 12) joins TIME AFTER TIME (March 5), as both series anchor the network’s Sunday night lineup.

On Tuesday, March 7, the season finale of this season’s breakout hit THIS IS USairs at a special time, 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV. Tuesdays also sees the pairing of hit series THE FLASH with DC’s LEGENDS OF TOMORROW on CTV Two, in a new two-hour superhero block (Feb. 28).

Following CARDINAL’s six-part event run (Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV), March also sees the return of the fall’s most-watched new series DESIGNATED SURVIVOR* starring Kiefer Sutherland (March 8). Meanwhile, the sophomore season of THE CATCH settles into its new home on CTV Two (March 9).

Plus, Phil Keoghan and a new batch of racers return as the long-awaited all-new 29th season of multi-EMMY Award-winning THE AMAZING RACE returns with a two-hour premiere on CTV (April 21).

CTV is also home to big ticket live events and star wattage specials this winter with SUPER BOWL LI (Feb. 5), THE 89th ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS® (Feb. 26), and THE 2017 JUNO AWARDS (April 2), while the IHEARTRADIO MUSIC AWARDS airs on CTV Two March 5.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail
Michael: Every Day, Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays

Link: That time the CBC let me make a TV show about my mental health issues

By Matt Watts for TIFF.net:

Link: That time the CBC let me make a TV show about my mental health issues
The experience was in itself the ultimate exposure. When you have a crew of 30 people standing around, waiting for you to show up and do your job, you don’t really have a choice. I HAD to do it. Every day, for 12 to 16 hours a day (even 22 hours on one particular day), I did what was required to make the show a reality. (Apparently, my fear of disappointing others overrides my fear of being confined in a small space.) And it helped. So much. Continue reading.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedinmail